When it opened in 1869, the Hamburger Kunsthalle received a unique estate of approximately 30,000 prints and drawings. This collection was a bequest of the internationally respected art dealer Georg Ernst Harzen (1790–1863), who had established that a future museum should be built in the city of Hamburg, his only heir. The foundation of this museum is regarded as a result of Harzen's engagement. Because of it, he advanced to become a leading figure in Hamburg's cultural life and is recognized through this biography.