Manfred Schneckenburger is a German art historian and curator of modern and contemporary art.

Schneckenburger studied German literature, history, and the history of art. He first worked as a school teacher for some years and later as an art critic. In 1972, he organized the cultural program for the Olympic Games in Munich

1972 Summer Olympics

The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....

. From 1973 to 1974, he was the director of the Kunsthalle Cologne.

As an artistic director, Schneckenburger organized documenta

Documenta

documenta is an exhibition of modern and contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. It was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau which took place in Kassel at that time...

 in Kassel

Kassel

Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...

 twice, in 1977 and 1987.

In 1991, Schneckenburger was appointed "Professor für Kunst und Öffentlichkeit" and later Rector of the Kunstakademie Münster, where he retired in 2004.

Select publications

• documenta - Idee und Institution: Tendenzen, Konzepte, Materialien. Munich 1983, ISBN 3-7654-1902-8
• Kunst des 20. Jahrhunderts, 2 volumes, Benedikt Taschen Verlag, Cologne, 2000