Under the title “Human in Inhumane Times,” the Sankt Michael Educational Forum at Kolpinghaus presents an exhibition on the life and work of Dr. Kurt Reuber (1906–1944), a theologian, physician, and painter from Kassel.
At the center of the exhibition is the world-famous “Stalingrad Madonna,” which Reuber drew with a charcoal pencil as a Wehrmacht field doctor during Christmas 1942 in the Stalingrad encirclement. The words “Light, Life, Love” symbolize the hope that the image was meant to convey amid the horrors of war.
The exhibition also showcases lesser-known works by Reuber, including portraits of Ukrainian and Russian civilians. These pieces document his work as a physician who provided medical care to the civilian population during the war. Additionally, Reuber served as a spiritual counselor and continued his artistic work despite the conditions of war and captivity. He died in April 1944 in Russian captivity.