On Friday, 30 January 2026, the preview of the documentary „Triegel meets Cranach - Painting in the Conflict of Times“ will take place at the Cineplex Naumburg before the film is released in cinemas across Germany from 5 February 2026.
Admission: 6 pm
Film starts: 6.30 pm
Followed by a film discussion with the painter Michael Triegel, the director Paul Smaczny and Dr Holger Kunde, Director of the United Cathedral Foundations.
Cinema auditorium 1 | Cineplex Naumburg | Jakobsring 5, 06618 Naumburg
„Triegel meets Cranach - Painting in the conflict of times“
In 2020, the Leipzig painter Michael Triegel received an unusual commission: he was to redesign the destroyed centrepiece of the altar of the Virgin Mary in Naumburg Cathedral. Almost 500 years earlier, the original by Lucas Cranach had fallen victim to an iconoclasm, leaving only the side wings intact. As there were no records of the original depiction of the Virgin and Child, Triegel had to create a completely new painting - in keeping with Cranach's style. It was his largest work to date and took two years to complete. However, shortly after its completion, the UNESCO panel of experts expressed reservations about the altarpiece.
For the first time, Michael Triegel allows us to follow his creative process up close. Director Paul Smaczny („el sistema“, „Die Thomaner“) accompanied the painter Michael Triegel for several years and shows the creation of the Marienaltar in Naumburg Cathedral in an extremely detailed and insightful way. The film is far more than a mere documentation of the work. It also paints a personal portrait and provides insights into the painter's artistic and human self-image.
