Museum Jerke
Private museum of Polish avant-garde and contemporary art in a striking granite building in downtown Recklinghausen – free admission.
About the museum
The museum was founded by ophthalmologist Werner Jerke, who came to West Germany in 1981 from Pyskowice in Upper Silesia and had already begun collecting Polish art as a medical student in Bonn. In 2014 he established the nonprofit Jerke Art Foundation to make his collection permanently accessible to the public.
On April 24, 2016, the privately funded museum opened as the first museum outside Poland devoted exclusively to modern Polish art. With its pointed gable and rough, gray-blue granite facade, the new building designed by architect Reinhard Waadt deliberately stands apart from its surroundings; a colorful gable window was created by the artist Wojciech Fangor. Exhibitions occupy two floors with a combined area of just under 400 square meters.
The collection comprises around 600 works, including rare pieces of the Polish avant-garde of the 1920s and Polish modern art since 1960. Individual works have already been shown internationally, for example at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In addition to presentations of the collection, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary Polish artists and serves as a project space for events.
Highlights
- The only museum outside Poland dedicated solely to modern Polish art
- Works of the Polish avant-garde of the 1920s
- New building with granite facade by Reinhard Waadt (2016)
- Colorful gable window by Wojciech Fangor
- Free admission
- Founded
- 2016
- Operated by
- Jerke Art Foundation gGmbH
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Children & teens | –Free admission for everyone. |
|---|
Free admission; donations to the Jerke Art Foundation are welcome.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Recklinghausen Hbf · 5-min walk
About a 5-minute walk from Recklinghausen Hauptbahnhof.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours by appointment only (phone 02361 9096808). |
