Museum devoted to Otto Pankok and his family at the Haus Esselt country estate in Hünxe-Drevenack – charcoal drawings, woodcuts, family home, and park.
October 11, 2026 – March 28, 2027
Hyperrealistic paintings, photographs, and, for the first time, new acrylic glass sculptures by the Düsseldorf artist on transience and idyll, complemented by selected works by Otto Pankok (opening October 10, 2026).
The painter, printmaker, and sculptor Otto Pankok (1893–1966) moved in 1958 with his wife, the journalist Hulda Pankok, and their daughter Eva to the Haus Esselt country estate near Drevenack on the Lower Rhine. The family had bought the old manor house on the Issel river, which Pankok had first come to know in the 1920s. He became known above all for his large-format charcoal drawings and woodcuts, including portraits of Düsseldorf Sinti from the early 1930s; under the Nazis, his work was branded “degenerate.”
In 1968, two years after Pankok’s death, Hulda and Eva Pankok founded the Otto-Pankok-Gesellschaft (Otto Pankok Society) and set up a museum in the former farm building next to the house. Eva Pankok, herself a painter, looked after the family’s work until her death in 2016; since then, the museum has been run by the Otto Pankok Stiftung foundation, supported by the society and many volunteers.
After roughly six years of renovating and expanding the large barn, the museum reopened with a new design in May 2023, since then under the direction of Dagmar Schmengler. It also serves as a visitor center for the Hohe Mark Nature Park. Changing exhibitions present works from the family’s estate, often in dialogue with contemporary art; the family home with its print workshop can be visited on guided tours, and the park with its woodland and wildflower meadow invites visitors for a stroll.
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5University students, apprentices, volunteer service participants, people with severe disabilities, seniors with ID, groups of 7 or more, holders of the Ehrenamtskarte NRW (volunteer card) or artCard |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and teens free until their 18th birthday. |
| Seniors | €5With senior ID. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5companion free |
| Students & apprentices | €5 |
| Groups (7+ people) | €5 per personGroups of 15 or more, please register in advance. Catering by arrangement, €15 per person. |
| Families | €10Two adults with children up to age 18. |
| Guided group tour of the current exhibition (approx. 1 hour) | €75Flat rate per group. |
| Full tour of the museum, Haus Esselt, and woodland trail (1.5–2 hours) | €100Flat rate per group. |
Free admission also for recipients of social benefits, refugees, press, holders of ICOM and IGBK cards, supporting members, and registered groups of university students.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €10 · Two adults with children up to age 18. |
Creative workshops for young and old, including for parents with children, as well as holiday programs for children aged 8 to 12. Extensive park grounds at the museum.
Parking available
Signposted visitor parking lot on Otto-Pankok-Weg; the last stretch to the museum must be covered on foot.
Bistro café Ehra in the museum (Fri–Sun 13:00–17:00). Museum shop.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The residence Haus Esselt is accessible on Fridays 14:00–17:00 and on request. Group inquiries via the form on the website. Extracurricular learning venue with an educational program and workshops. Group tours for 7 or more people: through the current exhibition about 1 hour, full tour (museum, Haus Esselt, forest trail) about 1.5–2 hours. |
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