BERLIN, GERMANY.- On May 19 2005, Dr. Tessen von Heydebreck, board member of Deutsche Bank AG, and Nic V. Iljine, European Representative of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, greeted the millionth visitor to the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin.

Karen Stout-Wieder (35) from Berlin, technical assistant, was greeted personally by Dr. Tessen von Heydebreck and Nic V. Iljine at the entrance to the exhibition “25,” which can currently be seen in the midst of Zaha Hadid’s spectacular exhibition architecture at the Deutsche Guggenheim. The happy winner, who visited the exhibition as part of a painting course taught at the Volkshochschule Mitte, was presented with a gift certificate for a Lufthansa flight for two to New York that included three nights in a hotel as well as a visit to the Deutsche Bank Collection and the Guggenheim Museum.

On the occasion of the one millionth visitor, von Heydebreck said: “the enduring public and media success of the Deutsche Guggenheim’s exhibition activity demonstrates that our unique joint venture has filled a “gap” in the market, providing a welcome and meaningful enrichment to Berlin’s magnificent cultural life. In the future, this success should serve as an inspiration to us to continue presenting the Deutsche Guggenheim as a field of experimentation with a focus on contemporary art.”

Thomas Krens, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, also extended his greetings from New York: “We can look back with pride over nearly seven years of successful collaboration with Deutsche Bank in the framework of this unique joint venture, the Deutsche Guggenheim. 31 exhibitions and greeting the millionth visitor during the anniversary exhibition commemorating the Deutsche Bank Collection’s 25th birthday – these are successes that fit our motto beautifully: small, but exclusive.”

The exhibition space at Unter den Linden, run jointly by Deutsche Bank and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, is the expression of an idea that extends far beyond previously realized forms of collaboration between finance and culture. After 31 exhibitions, the institution now looks back over a successful history as a self-evident part of the German cultural landscape. High-quality exhibitions can be seen here regularly, as well as site-specific commissioned works that set international standards – created by artists as renowned as James Rosenquist, Jeff Koons, Bill Viola, and Gerhard Richter.

The exhibition “25” can be seen through June 19 2005 at the Deutsche Guggenheim. Guided tours free of charge take place at 6 p.m. every day except Tuesdays.