Art museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne in Peter Zumthor's building above the ruins of the church of St. Kolumba: art from late antiquity to today, in a new selection every year.
19. september 2026 – 1. august 2027
Annual exhibition drawn from the museum's own collection, with loans, that asks how social norms and notions of time come about and how art subverts them – with works ranging from Dürer and Lochner to Beuys and On Kawara.
The museum was founded in 1853 by the Christlicher Kunstverein (Christian Art Association) as the Archbishop's Diocesan Museum and from 1860 had its own building on what is now Roncalliplatz. From 1891 to 1906 the collection was looked after by Alexander Schnütgen, who later became a benefactor. After its building was destroyed in the war – the holdings had been moved to safety in time – the museum showed its works temporarily at St. Gereon and, from 1972, in the curia building on Roncalliplatz.
In 1989 the archdiocese took over direct responsibility for the museum. Under director Joachim M. Plotzek, a new concept emerged: works are shown without labels, almost exclusively from the museum's own holdings, in changing constellations, with old and contemporary art side by side. In 2004 the museum was given the name Kolumba.
The new building by Peter Zumthor was inaugurated on September 14, 2007. It rises above the remains of the church of St. Kolumba, which was destroyed in the war, preserving its outer walls, the archaeological zone beneath with finds from Roman times to the Middle Ages, and Gottfried Böhm's postwar chapel "Madonna in den Trümmern" (Madonna in the Ruins). Since 2008 the presentation of the collection has changed every September. In 2013 the AICA (International Association of Art Critics) named it Museum of the Year. Since January 2026 the museum has been directed by Marc Steinmann, who succeeded Stefan Kraus.
| Voksne | 8 € |
|---|---|
| Nedsat pris | 5 €School students, apprentices, university students over 18, people doing a voluntary social year, people with a severe disability ID, artists with an artist ID, and holders of the Köln-Pass, KölnCard, NRW Welcome-Box and NRW-Ehrenamtskarte (volunteer card) |
| Børn og unge | gratisgratis til og med 18 år · Free admission up to and including age 18. |
| Pensionister | –No senior discount listed. |
| Personer med handicap | 5 €ledsager gratis · Reduced with a severe disability ID (Schwerbehindertenausweis); companion with "B" marker admitted free. |
| Studerende og elever | 5 €Art history students at the universities of Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf are admitted free. |
| Grupper | –No group discount. Guided group visits by appointment €15 per person, minimum €150 (incl. admission and short guide), only 10:30–12:00 and 17:30–19:00; up to three accompanying adults for school classes and daycare groups free. |
| Familier | –No family ticket; children and teens are free. |
| Kolumba annual pass | 30 €Reduced €20; valid for one year, also for talks on works and with artists during opening hours |
| Public guided tour (Sat 10:30, last Wed of the month 17:30) | 15 €incl. admission and short guide; registration by phone required |
Admission includes the Kolumba paperback for the current exhibition with all object information. Free admission for, among others, holders of the IAA artist ID, members of ICOM, the Museumsbund and the Deutscher Verband für Kunstgeschichte, AICA art critics, and journalists with a press card.
According to the museum's profile, almost fully accessible; the website gives no further details on elevator, restrooms or parking.
Velegnet til børn og familier
| Entré for børn | gratis til og med 18 år |
|---|
"Kinder Kunst Kolumba" program, tours for younger children and for children's and youth groups; programs for schools and daycare centers.
Appellhofplatz
Subway stop Appellhofplatz (exit Breite Straße) and Dom/Hauptbahnhof (trains, S-Bahn, subway, bus), each about 5–10 minutes' walk; according to the museum, about 8 minutes on foot from the main station.
Parkering muligt
No parking of its own; parking garages Brückenstraße, Opern Passagen and Glockengasse nearby. Two accessible parking spaces in the immediate vicinity (Brückenstraße and Richartzstraße).
Plenty of bike racks in the immediate vicinity.
Planlæg ruteThe museum's publications can be ordered via the website.
No information on venue rental found.
| Rundvisninger | ja |
|---|---|
| Tilbud til skoler | ja |
| Fotografering | Private use only, no flash or tripod |
| Godt at vide | Works are displayed without labels; all information is in the paperback handed out with admission. Tours in the form of talks on the works outside opening hours; book Mon–Fri 10:00–12:00 by phone (0221 933193-32) or by email. For schools there is, among other things, the series "Schulen zu Gast" (Schools as Guests). |
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