As part of ongoing research on the founding history and activities of the Doerner-Institut during the so-called "Third Reich", on its predecessor institutes and on the post-war years, an article was recently published on the period between 1945 and 1956. Contrary to previous knowledge, the Doerner-Institut has been integrated in the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Painting Collections) as early as 31 March 1946. The change in responsibility was accompanied by a change in the range of interests: plans for a conservator school headed by Prof. Reinhard Lischka were abandoned, employees such as the conservator Heinrich Neufang were reassigned to help with post-war reconstruction work and others had to leave the Institut on account of their past political activities. Only the laboratory of Dr. habil. Heinz Roßmann managed to flourish. After a busy time providing expertises for the American military government, activities in material testing and painting techniques ended in the mid-1950s, the paint technology department was discontinued in 1962.

In 1964, Dr. Christian Wolters (1912-1998) became director of the Doerner Institut, which consisted of a laboratory and a conservation workshop at that time. Wolters was extraordinarily successful in reorientating the Institut in the direction of art technology, and he helped it to gain worldwide recognition.