The Akademie der Künste der Welt (Academy of the Arts of the World, ADKDW) is a non-profit cultural institution founded and envisions itself as an organization of artists, researchers and cultural workers rather than an educational institution in the traditional sense. It wants to initiate reflection processes, interventions and collaborations that promote a critical understanding of the arts. The ADKDW instigates, produces and organizes events in various artistic and discursive fields.
Büro/Office | Im Mediapark 7 | 50670 Köln | T +49 221 337748-0 | info@adkdw.org | Ausstellungsraum/Exhibition Space | Academyspace | Herwarthstraße 3 | 50672 Köln | Opening hours Academyspace | Fri to Sun: 14 to 7 p.m.
The "artothek" is housed in a patrician mansion from the late gothic period of the 15th century. It is located to the south of the cathedral, close to Cologne's great museums. This venue for modern art offers visitors the opportunity to rent contemporary works of art, provides information above all on the art scene in Cologne , and hosts exhibitions of international as well as Cologne artists. The aim of the "artothek" is to promote and disseminate contemporary art.
Am Hof 50 | 50667 Köln | T +49 221 221 223 32 | F +49 221 221 232 65 | artothek@museenkoeln.de | Tue to Fri 1p.m. to 7 p.m. | Sat 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. closed on Sundays and Mondays
Unforgettable highlights, outstanding athletes, triumphal victories and bitter defeats – original objects and various interactive points illustrate the colourful history and the entire range of emotions in sport from ancient times to the modern age and invite visitors to become active themselves. A timeline visualises the athletic highlights of the last decade with visual installations and original exhibits. In addition, social aspects are addressed, such as the role of Paralympic sport, which has been growing in importance, the fight against doping, depression, and dealing with the pressure to achieve.
Im Zollhafen 1 | 50678 Köln | T +49 221 33609054 (während der Öffnungszeiten) | besucher@sportmuseum.de | Tue to Sun 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | |
The August Sander Archive which was acquired in 1992 provided the impulse for the founding of the institution and determines the direction of its activities. With regard to Sander’s objective and concept-oriented photography the collection was expanded to include works in keeping with his approach by other historically important and contemporary artists such as Bernd and Hilla Becher, Karl Blossfeldt, Jim Dine and Candida Höfer. High quality photographic exhibitions are presented in the premises of the foundation which correspond to museum standards. The SK Stiftung is one of the most exciting venues in the Cologne photo scene.
Im Mediapark 7 | 50670 Köln | T +49 221 88895 300 | photographie@sk-kultur.de | during special exhibitions: | Thu to Tue 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. | closed on Wednesdays
An Italian living in Cologne created one the most famous perfumes of the world – the Eau de Cologne. The scent reminded him of a spring morning in Italy after the rain, wrote the perfumer Johann Maria Farina in 1709. It is a creation composed of the aromatic oils of orange, lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, citron – the flowers and herbs of his native country. Today, the creation is above all associated with one city – Cologne.
Farina-Haus Obenmarspforten 21 | 50667 Köln | T +49 221 399 89 94 | F +49 221 399 89 95 | museum@farina-haus.de | Monday – Saturday 10 – 19 o’ clock | Saturday 11 – 16 o’ clock
The Historical Archives of the City of Cologne are among the most important municipal archives north of the Alps. They serve as Cologne’s collective memory and information storage for global science and research. The charters and documents of local government from the Middle Ages to the present along with a considerable number of estates from eminent personalities and other collections form a dense body of data providing answers to numerous questions on the history of Cologne and the Rhineland.
Eifelwall 5 | 50674 Köln | Postfach 10 35 64 | 50475 Köln | Allgemeine Anfragen: 0221/221 22327 | Lesesaal: 0221/221 23369 | Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit: 0221/221 28746 | Fax +49 221 - 221 22480 | historischesarchiv@stadt-koeln.de |
The museum founded in 1985 by the Kreissparkasse Köln houses the worldwide biggest collection of works by this important German artist. Apart from her complete sculptural work it has more than 300 drawings, 600 prints – among them the graphic cycles and extremely rare proofs – and all her posters. War, poverty and death but also love, security and the struggle for peace are the themes expressed by Käthe Kollwitz with great urgency in her works.
Neumarkt 18-24 / Neumarkt Passage | 50667 Köln | T +49 221 227 2899/-2602 | F +49 221 227 3762 | museum@kollwitz.de | Tue to Sat 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Thu 11 a.m. to 7 p.m | closed on Mon, Sun, public holidays The museum is becoming more ecological! | Due to the necessary constructional and conceptual changes, in particular an energetic renovation of the current building, the museum will be closed until the end of 2023. Discover our | "RAUM FÜR NEUES" | on the first floor of the Neumarkt Passage. | Admission free
Almost everybody loves celebrating it, but why carnival is celebrated at all? Why is there a “Dreigestirn” – a triumvirate – in Cologne? What is carnival all about? The answers can be found in Cologne’s Karnevalmuseum, the biggest of its kind. Many exhibits tell their own story and numerous multimedia points provide a mine of background information for the carnival enthusiast, show curios and answer all questions surrounding the “fifth season”, as carnival is referred to in Cologne. “Kölle Alaaf!” – that’s the carnival battle cry in this city.
Maarweg 134-136 | 50825 Köln | T +49 221 574 0076 | F +49 221 574 0081 | info@kk-museum.de | Opening hours: http://www.koelnerkarneval.de/museum/ | |
The Kölnischer Kunstverein has been presenting contemporary art of the day since 1839. Many of the artists exhibited at an early stage – for example, Hans Arp (1919) or Paul Klee (1932) – have become established masters in the history of art. Exhibitions such as “Happening und Fluxus” (1970) wrote exhibition history. In recent times the Kölnischer Kunstverein has again and again shown outstanding artists together with promising talented painters in a fascinating mix. Thus for almost 180 years the Kunstverein has made a unique contribution to the question: what is new art?
Hahnenstraße 6 | 50667 Köln | T +49 221 217021 | F +49 221 210651 | info@koelnischerkunstverein.de | office: | Tue to Thu 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. | Fri 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | exhibition: | Tue to Fri 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Sat and Sun 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | closed on Mondays and public holidays
Discover the history of Cologne! The Kölnisches Stadtmuseum takes you on unique time travels through the exciting past of the cathedral city - from the Middle Ages to the present day!
Please note: Due to the move from Zeughausstraße to Minoritenstraße, the permanent exhibition of the Kölnisches Stadtmuseum is currently still closed.
With the move, the museum is not only changing its address, but also its entire museum concept. You can look forward to an innovative - surprising (!) - new permanent exhibition that will tell the story of the city of Cologne in a completely new way, with all its facets, contradictions and different perspectives. And also takes a look at the present and future of the city!
You can find all information on the new opening at www.koelnisches-stadtmuseum.de
Kölnisches Stadtmuseum | Minoritenstraße 13 | Verwaltungseingang / Postanschrift | Postal address and administrative entrance: | Kolumbahof 3 | 50667 Köln | T 0221 - 221-22398 | (außerhalb der Öffnungszeiten 0221 - 221 25789) | F 0221 - 221 24154 | koelnisches.stadtmuseum@stadt-koeln.de | Tue 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Wed to Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Every 1st Thu of each month: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | closed on Mondays
Kolumba is the art museum of the archdiocese of Cologne. It was founded as the diocesan museum in 1853. Since 2004 it has been called ‘Kolumba’ after the former church on whose foundations the building stands. The new building in Cologne city centre, which had been planned for a long time, was opened in 2007. A threefold harmony of location, collection and architecture. The visitor experiences 2000 years of Western art in one building. In art from late Antiquity to the present day. In architecture in the conjunction of the wartime ruins of the late Gothic church of St. Kolumba, the chapel “Madonna in the Ruins” (1950), the unique archaeological excavations (1973-1976) and the new building after a design by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
Kolumbastraße 4 | 50667 Köln | T+49 221 933193-0 | F+49 221 933193-33 | mail@kolumba.de | Wed to Sun 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Closed on Tuesdays
The art and museum library is worldwide the largest of its kind in the fields of modern art and photography. It has a dual function as the research library for the museums in Cologne in the field of general art history and as the city's public art library.
Verwaltung | Kattenbug 18-24 | 50667 Köln | T +49 221 221 22438, /-24171 | kmb@stadt-koeln.de | Lesesaal im Museum Ludwig, Heinrich-Böll-Platz, 50667 Köln | Öffnungszeiten | Reading room at Museum Ludwig: | Mon 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., Tue to Thu 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., | Fri 10 am to 6 pm. | every 2nd week Sat from 11 am to 4 pm. Reading room at Museum of Applied Art: | Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Museum of Applied Art displays its splendid exhibits in the building An der Rechtschule designed by Rudolf Schwarz. Precious works of goldsmiths' art, exquisite furniture and textiles as well as glass, ceramics and porcelain from the most important European manufactories are brought together here. The collection also includes graphic art and photography, fashion, architecture and industrial design. The collection of contemporary design - unique in North Rhine Westphalia - has developed into a star attraction in the last few years.
An der Rechtschule | 50667 Köln | T +49 221 221 23860 | F +49 221 221 23885 | makk@stadt-koeln.de | Tue to Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Every 1st Thu of each month: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
One of the most spectacular cultural projects in Cologne is presently taking shape - the Archaeological Zone and the Jewish Museum on and beneath the town-hall square. The City of Cologne and the regional government are creating a new exhibition area measuring roughly 7000 m2 within the framework of the "Regionale 2010" show. Visitors will have the opportunity of seeing monuments from the last two millennia at their original site. These include the impressive ruins of the Roman governor's palace and the fragile remains of one of the most important Jewish quarters in Europe.
Verwaltung | Heumarkt 64-66 | 50667 Köln | Praetorium | Kleine Budengasse 2 | 50667 Köln | closed!
Art from China, Japan and Korea - the first Museum of East Asian Art in Europe was founded in Cologne in 1909. The founders of the museum contributed outstanding works of Buddhist painting and wooden sculpture, Japanese standing screen painting, colour woodcuts and lacquer art as well as Chinese and Korean ceramics to the original permanent collection. A further focus of the Cologne museum are Chinese cultic bronzes, Chinese painting and calligraphy. The new museum building opened on the Aachener Weiher in 1977 is architecturally also of international rank.
Universitätsstraße 100 | 50674 Köln | T +49 221 221 28608 | F +49 221 221 28610 | E-Mail mok@museenkoeln.de | Tue to Sun 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Every 1st Thu of each month: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | closed on Mondays
The most extensive Pop Art collection in Europe. The third biggest Picasso collection in the world. One of the best collections of German Expressionism. One of the internationally most important collections on photography. In this museum one superlative follows the other. A generous donation of 350 works of modern art by Peter and Irene Ludwig to the city of Cologne formed the basis for the foundation of the museum in 1976. Since then the museum which bears the name of its founders, has constantly extended its collections and today has one of the most important collections of art from the 20th and 21st centuries worldwide.
Heinrich-Böll-Platz | 50667 Köln | T +49 221 221 26165 | F +49 221 221 24114 | info@museum-ludwig.de | Tue to Sun (incl. public holidays): 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Every 1st Thu of each month: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Closed on Mondays
Museum Schnütgen houses a precious collection of medieval works of art in one of the oldest churches in Cologne. Many of them, such as the radiant bust by Parler, the expressive crucifix of St George or the unique so-called Heribert comb, a delicate ivory carving alone merit a visit to Cologne. The spectrum of the presentation ranges from wood and stone sculptures to axamples of precious goldsmiths’ work and glass painting and rare ivories and textiles. A special feature of the museum is its large display area, which itself is over 800 years old. The tranquillity of the Romanesque church of St Cäcilien and the especial proximity of the exhibits invite the visitor to experience the works of art in their spiritual emanation and beauty.
Cäcilienstraße 29-33 | 50676 Köln | T +49 221 221 31355 | F +49 221 221 28489 | museum.schnuetgen@stadt-koeln.de | Tue to Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Thu 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Every 1st Thu of each month: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | closed on Mondays closed until 18 May!
The Museumsdienst Köln (Museum Service) has two tasks. On the one hand it is in charge of educational services at all municipal museums and the Archaeological Zone. It designs programmes for all target groups visiting the museums. The wide thematic range of the various different types of programmes are demand-oriented. The repertoire of methods comprises all areas of museum education ranging from verbal and media-based to activity-oriented mediation. Its other task is the overarching press and public relations service for the municipal museums and a role as contact for questions concerning visitor research.
Leonhard-Tietz-Straße 10 | 50676 Köln | Sekretariat | T +49 221 221 24764 | F +49 221 221 27909 | Führungen+Workshops für Schulklassen | T +49 221 221 23468 | Führungen für Erwachsene | T +49 221 221 27380 | Kurse+Akademieprogramm | T +49 221 221 24077 | NS DOK | T +49 221 221 26331 | museumsdienst@stadt-koeln.de | Information and booking: | Tue and Wed 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. | Thu 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. | Fri 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The NS-Dokumentationszentrum is located in the EL-DE-Haus which served as the headquarters of the Cologne Gestapo (secret police) between 1935 and 1945. The graffiti of prisoners in the cells that have been preserved in the basement is the most haunting and direct reminder of the horrors of that period. In 1981, the Gestapo prison became an official memorial site. The permanent exhibition “Köln im Nationalsozialismus”, which has been on display in the EL-DEHaus since June 1997, provides comprehensive information on all aspects of political and social life in Cologne during the Nazi period.
Appellhofplatz 23-25 | 50667 Köln | T +49 221 221 26332 | F +49 221 221 25512 | nsdok@stadt-koeln.de | Tue to Fri 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Sat and Sun 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Every 1st Thu of each month: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | closed on Mondays |
Referat für Museumsangelegenheiten | Provenienzforschung | Richartzstraße 2-4 | 50667 Köln | Dr. Britta Olényi von Husen | Dr. Marcus Leifeld | Mail: provenienzforschung@stadt-koeln.de | Tel.: 0221/221-22520 sowie - 31443 | Fax: 0221/221-24005 |
Where we live, what we believe in and what we belong to – these are common themes that are important to each and every culture. An exhibition area of 3,600 squaremeters shows the rich variety of world cultures. The theme-based presentation “People in their Worlds” takes visitors on an interactive multi-media voyage of exploration where they learn more about the European view of other cultures and familiarize themselves with different concepts of life.
Cäcilienstraße 29-33 | 50667 Köln | T +49-221.221-31356 | F +49-221.221-31333 | rjm@stadt-koeln.de | Tue to Sun (incl. public holidays) 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Thu 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Every 1st Thu of each month: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | closed on Mondays
The world-renowned collections draw on the archaeological heritage of the city and surrounding area and range from prehistory to the early Middle Ages. Finds relating to everyday life in antiquity lead back to the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium.
The building on Roncalliplatz has been closed for general renovation since 30 December 2018. Since 2019, important finds relating to the city's history have been on display in the Belgisches Haus, Cäcilienstaße 46, near Neumarkt.
Belgisches Haus | Cacilienstraße 46 | 50667 Köln | T +49 221 221 24438 | F +49 221 221 24590 | roemisch-germanisches-museum@stadt-koeln.de | The Romano-Germanic Museum is currently closed due to general renovation work. Important exhibits will be shown in an interim exhibition in the Belgian House (Cäcilienstraße 46). open daily except Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday of every month 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
Situated on the peninsula of the Rheinauhafen next to the Old own and close to the Cathedral, this museum reminiscent of a futuristic ship of glass and aluminium welcomes visitors who can reach it from the Rhine promenade via an old swivel bridge. A tour of the museum’s permanent exhibition on three floors is a time journey illustrating the 3,000 years of the cultural history of chocolate – from the Aztec “food of the gods” to the modern industrial product. The rich palette of themes connected with the past and present of chocolate and cocoa is illustrated in a fascinating way and you are of course welcome to sample our delicious treats.
Am Schokoladenmuseum 1a | 50678 Köln | T +49 221 931 888-0 | F +49 221 931 888-14 | service@schokoladenmuseum.de | daily opening 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | | last admission 1 hour before closing!
The park, which extends over 40,000 squaremeters within the city centre, is an oasis of calm and contemplation, a place where you can directly experience contemporary sculpture. This unique open-air museum was founded in 1997 on the private initiative of the collector couple Michael and Eleonore Stoffel. The park presents modern contemporary outdoor sculpture in hanging exhibitions. You stroll between works by internationally renowned artists from Anish Kapoor to Heimo Zobernig.
Elsa-Brändström-Str. 9 | 50668 Köln | T +49 221 3366 88-60 | F +49 221 3366 88-69 | info@skulpturenparkkoeln.de | Besuchereingang: | Riehler Straße | April to Sept. daily 10.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Oct. to March daily 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The tram museum in Thielenbruch at the terminus of the number 18 tram takes visitors on a time journey through the history of public transport in the Cologne region. At the heart of this museum, which opened in September 1997, are more than 20 historic vehicles presented in the exhibition rooms on an area totalling more than 2,500 square metres.
Otto-Kayser-Str. 2c | 51069 Köln | T +49 221 28347-71 | F +49 221 28347-72 | webmaster@hsk-koeln.de | Besuchereingang: | Gemarkenstraße 173 | every 2nd Sun of each month 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Deutsches Tanzarchiv Köln (German Dance Archives Cologne) and the Dance Museum in Cologne have a special relationship. While the Deutsches Tanzarchiv Köln preserves all kinds of archival evidence of the art of dance, the adjacent Dance Museum makes the past and present of dance come alive in the form of exhibitions.
The Dance Museum wants to encourage visitors to see the reality of dance “through different eyes, which is why it keeps asking fundamental questions in its thematic exhibitions: what do we see when we see dance? What determines our image of dance? Why do we see dance the way we do?
Im Mediapark 7 | 50670 Köln | T +49 221 88895 444 | tanzarchiv@sk-kultur.de | Thu to Tue 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. | closed on Wednesdays
The Wallraf shows how modern and relevant European art from the 13th to the beginning of the 20th century still is today. The museum has one of the most important collections of medieval art worldwide. Stefan Lochner’s “Madonna in the Rose Bower” is the absolute highlight. Other highlights are Baroque painting with works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Tiepolo and Boucher, German Romanticism and French painting of the 19th century. In the paintings of the Fondation Corboud the museum has the most extensive collection of Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist art in Germany.
Obenmarspforten (am Kölner Rathaus) | 50667 Köln | T +49 221 221 21119 | F +49 221 221 22629 | info@wallraf.museum | Tue to Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Every 1st and 3rd Thu of each month: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Closed on Mondays
Das Zentralarchiv für deutsche und internationale Kunstmarktforschung ZADIK, 1992 gegründet und gefördert vom Bundesverband Deutscher Galerien BVDG, sammelt und bewahrt die Archive bedeutender Galerien und Kunsthändler, insbesondere ihre Geschäfts- und Künstlerkorrespondenz, sowie sämtliche Materialien, die Aufschluss geben über den Galeriebetrieb, seine Ausstellungs- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit und seine Arbeit mit den Künstlern. Das ZADIK organisiert regelmäßig Ausstellungen.
Im Mediapark 7 | 50670 Köln | T +49 221 2019871 | F +49 221 2019869 | info@zadik.info | Mon to Fri 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on appointment
The Museum Schnütgen will be closed from 27 to 29 August due to construction work in the collection.
Welcome to the museum portal. Here we provide you with comprehensive information about exhibitions and programmes. Here you will also find our digital offers for at home.
We hope you enjoy and find inspiration in and with the museums.
Yours
Museum Service Cologne
2000 Years of History of this Capital on the Rhine
Shortly before the birth of Christ, Roman legionaries founded the central site of the Ubii, the oppidum Ubiorum, in the historic centre of Cologne. The population of the new settlement grew rapidly, trade and crafts flourished. In the year 50 AD, at the request of his locally born wife Agrippina, the Roman Emperor Claudius conferred on the city the status of a colony according to Roman law and gave it the name Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (CCAA).The city featured monumental stone buildings, temples, the palace of the proconsul and baths; paved streets with underground channels and an aqueduct were part of the sophisticated infrastructure. Mighty city walls with gates and towers served both to protect and adorn the city.
Old Masters, Romanesque Churches and Relics
Hardly any other city in Germany is as history-mad as Cologne and hardly any other deals in such an uninhibited way with its cultural heritage. The great periods in the history of the city – the ‘holy’ Cologne of the Middle Ages with archbishops, monasteries and patricians, the self-confident, international trading centre of the early modern period, the emerging industrial metropolis of the 19th century still profoundly influence the appearance and confidence of the city. The contiguity of old and new, of high-brow culture and carnival, joie de vivre and civic pride make Cologne a unique city and mark the collections of its museums. They are in a sense the focus of the “kölsche Seele” (soul of Cologne).
International Centre of Art on the Rhine
Cologne is one of the top addresses for artists and art-lovers from all over the world. The outstanding and worldwide important collections of the major museums make this city on the Rhine an artistic capital. Every day the numerous galleries, the international art fairs and the lively artist scene profoundly influence the cultural life of the city. Festivals, artists’ studios, exhibitions and shopping venues propel art, photography and design into every quarter. The mix of modern architecture and historic buildings make Cologne a vibrant place which is constantly re-inventing itself.
Diversity in both History and the Present
Cologne is a cosmopolitan city with a unique multicultural life. Two outstanding collections of non-European cultures contribute to this image and provide an important basis for the understanding of different ethnic and cultural groups. The working and living together of different cultures is also the theme of festivals and new institutions that bring art from all over the world to Cologne. But a cosmopolitan city is not just about highbrow culture. Almost every Cologne district demonstrates how different nations live with each other and how well cosmopolitan and Cologne life complement each other.
Cologne between Dictatorship and Tolerance
The National Socialists had a decisive impact on the life of people in Cologne. Only a short time after the Nazis came to power, they began to deploy their policy of exclusion and persecution of Cologne citizens for ethnic, political and religious reasons. Most people in the city adapted to the rogue regime. The opposition and resistance of the few was broken as early as the mid-1930s. By the end of the war Cologne was reduced to an expanse of rubble.
Olympian Feelings, Heavenly Delights
You can hear and see culture in Cologne, but you can also taste it, feel it, touch it. Alongside the collections with world-famous works of art and historical artefacts, the city boasts a number of museums where visitors can take an active role. There are no limits to the joy of discovery – and there are no age limits either. Let yourself be seduced by culinary delights, test your reactions, solve tricky problems. Museums offer many opportunities for visitors to play an active role and turn their visit into a true experience.
