Neustrelitz's favorite calendar: Wilfried Neumann captures the city!

Neustrelitz's favorite calendar: Wilfried Neumann captures the city!

There is a very special artist in Neustrelitz who captures the city and its changes over the years with his drawings. Wilfried Neumann, an 87-year-old art teacher, has enjoyed great popularity for many years. His works not only adorn the walls of schools, they are also an integral part of the Neustrelitz calendar. And this has been the case for almost 30 years. Northern Courier reports that Neumann not only taught his students the art of drawing, but also remained active in retirement and made pictures of his hometown.

Neumann published his first calendar in 1998 - a real success that quickly sold out. In his current calendar for 2026, he impressively shows the changes in Neustrelitz, including a courtyard view from Twachtmannstrasse 14 from 2022, which now has historical value. Neumann adds an explanatory text to each image in the calendar, which makes his works particularly informative.

The Neustrelitz calendar

The cover of the new calendar features a portrait of an older man with snow-white hair and a camera - a homage to the well-known photographer Herbert Krüger. Neumann's calendars have become collector's items in the region and are very sought after. The artist will sign his works upon request. With a print run of 600 for 2026, the calendar is available online from the “Frau Rilke” bookstore.

The previous calendar for 2025 was already sold out early. Neumann probably inherited the creative streak; he is even planning an anniversary calendar for 2027 to celebrate 30 years of his calendar tradition. He is brimming with ideas and has many more motifs in mind for future projects. Particularly worth mentioning: Although he enjoyed drawing on site, he now creates many of his drawings based on photographs.

A versatile artist

Wilfried Neumann was born on May 9, 1938 in Philipstal (CSR) and completed teacher training in Templin from 1953 to 1957. From 1957 to 1997 he taught in Neustrelitz and, after additional studies in Erfurt, returned as a specialist teacher in art education. Over the years he promoted his students' understanding of art and beauty and documented his hometown in numerous works. His motifs include village churches, views of the surrounding area as well as plants, animals and people, which he captures with a special eye for detail and transience. Harbor Gallery emphasizes that his work is now considered historically valuable.

Neumann has also taken part in various exhibitions and published several picture portfolios and two books. These were published by Phönix Multimedia and show the artist's multifaceted art.

But Neumann doesn't just have drawing in his blood. Another passion of his is dancing, and he regularly attends dance teas with his wife - a sign that art and joy of life have their place in his life. Even though the drawings can no longer be created on site, his love for Neustrelitz remains unbroken and continues to flow into his art.

Wilfried Neumann is an example of how creative passion never ends. His drawings will continue to capture the history of Neustrelitz in pictures in the future.