A lot of European cities boast their historical and cultural heritage. Being a large German city, Cologne can easily be included in the list of world cultural centres. But the point is not only its great number of attractions, but a very special dedication of many of its citizens to art, thanks to which a lot of museums and galleries were created here. Cologne is definitely a city where you will always have something to do, especially if you are fond of cultural sightseeing. However, if you come here for a short period, you may have problems with choosing where to go. Here is the brief description of what museums should definitely be visited in this city.
Unfortunately, the very first of Cologne museums did not survive the Second World War and almost all of them were destroyed. Most of the museums that you can see here today were created during the short period of the 20th century. For instance, the last one that was erected here is the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum-Fondation Corboud building, opened in 2001, whereas another one, Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum, is still under construction. Still, do not think that they are less worth visiting then ancient buildings because the museums’ exhibits are of great interest.
The above mentioned Wallraf-Richartz-Museum is ready to present you its vast collection of traditional painting, including works of Baroque artists such as Rubens and Rembrandt, 19th century paintings including the periods of Romanticism, Realism and Symbolism as well as later periods of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.
The Museum Ludwig concentrates on modern art, starting from the 20th century, with the focus on Pop Art collection created by Peter and Irene Ludwig. Moreover, here there is a large number of Russian avantgarde pictures from the period from 1906 to 1930 and a several hundred works by Pablo Picasso. Still, the museum continues to enrich its collection.
The Museum Schnütgen presents various works of the early Middle Ages - the end of the Baroque period, from ivory works to sculptures, glass paintings, textiles, ecclesiastical treasures and goldsmiths’ works.
Fond of history? Then visit Römisch-Germanisches Museum, which will take you to the times of Roman colonies. These are more old exhibits, including Roman mosaics with scenes from the world of Dionysos (around 220/230 AD), ancient archeological discoveries, that show how Cologne people lived in past, and, of course, a remarkable collection of Roman and early medieval jewellery.
The Museum of Applied Art specializes on people’s way of life, the interiors of their houses and more. The museum rooms are designed according to each style. The design of later times is also represented, starting from 1900.
When local people want to explore other cultures, they can visit Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst (Museum of Oriental Art), which pays special attention to Eastern culture. Buddhist, Japanese painting, religious bronze statuettes, ceramics, furniture, calligraphy and many, many more can be found here. Special interest here is the Japanese Zen garden.
The above-mentioned Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum is aimed to provide you with information on different ethnic groups, from North-American Indians to Indonesia and ancient Peru. Unfortunately, at the moment the museum is not able to accommodate a lot of exhibits. However, the new building will soon be opened.
For the professional photographers, as well as simple people, Agfa Photo-Historama im Museum will be a curious place to visit, offering exhibits on history of photography from equipment to photos. And, finally, to discover everything about Cologne, visit Kölnisches Stadtmuseum, which covers the history of the city of Cologne from the late Middle Ages to the present day.
Of course, these are just brief facts about what can be seen in this wonderful city. So choose something for yourself and explore it in detail.
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