Art museum in a late-19th-century villa in Bergisch Gladbach with Germany's only collection of its kind, "Kunst aus Papier" (Art Made of Paper), plus 19th-century painting.
May 31, 2026 – November 15, 2026
More than 100 etchings, some hand-colored, by the Belgian pioneer of modernism from a private collection in Ostend, arranged by theme from masks and grotesques to landscapes.
July 11, 2026 – October 31, 2026
Cabinet exhibition on body prints and drawings by the Cologne artist Peter Gilles, who worked with blood, in dialogue with works by Joseph Beuys, Hermann Nitsch, Jenny Holzer, and others.
September 18, 2026 – April 4, 2027
Geometric, serial works made of folded, cut, and layered paper, mostly from the museum's own collection and supplemented by loans, including works by Günther Uecker and Jan Schoonhoven.
November 29, 2026 – March 7, 2027
Cabinet exhibition with photographs by Heide Prange showing the inclusive dance ensemble Lichtgestalten on the Zanders site, marking its tenth anniversary.
The paper manufacturer Maria Zanders had the villa built in 1873/74 in the center of Bergisch Gladbach. Her home became a meeting place for the region's musicians, painters, and writers; she supported choirs, concerts, and the preservation of Altenberg Cathedral. After her death in 1904, her son Hans remodeled the interior: around 1910/11, the new stair hall, the renovated winter garden, and the salons that still survive today were created, furnished by a Cologne furniture workshop.
From 1932, the building served the newly formed Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis as its district administration office, and in 1967 it passed to the city of Bergisch Gladbach. For the house's 100th anniversary in 1974, it was partially renovated and used for its first exhibitions. When demolition was even considered in the 1980s, local residents campaigned to save it; after extensive renovation, the city opened the Städtische Galerie Villa Zanders here in 1992, renamed Kunstmuseum Villa Zanders in 2014.
In keeping with the history of this papermaking town, the museum has been building a collection of artworks made of paper since its beginnings – from paper cuts and collages to artists' books, reliefs, and room installations. It comprises around 500 works by international artists and is shown in changing exhibitions. In addition, there are paintings of the Düsseldorf School of painting, on view in the historic salons on the first floor, as well as the estate of the painter Walter Lindgens. With around 1,000 square meters of exhibition space, the museum mainly presents temporary exhibitions of contemporary art.
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2School students, apprentices, university students, and volunteer service participants (ages 7–29), youth group leaders, people with severe disabilities (degree of disability 50 or higher), recipients of unemployment benefit (ALG I), Bürgergeld, basic income support, and social assistance, asylum seekers, groups of 8 or more, members of certain artists' associations, artcard holders |
| Children & teens | €2free up to age 6 · School classes and kindergarten groups €0.50 per child, accompanying adults free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2companion free · Reduced rate for a degree of disability of 50 or higher. |
| Students & apprentices | €2Students of fine arts and art history get free admission. |
| Groups (8+ people) | €2 per personPrivate tours: €40 (Tue–Fri) or €60 (Sat, Sun, public holidays) plus admission, recommended max. 20 people; with coffee and cake in the Green Salon, tour fee plus €10 per person including admission (Tue–Fri only). |
| Public guided tour (60 min.) | €3plus admission, no registration needed |
Free admission: Free admission for residents of Bergisch Gladbach on the first Thursday of every month.
Cash only. Free admission for, among others, visitors on their birthday, members of the friends' association, holders of the Ehrenamtskarte NRW (volunteer card), press, and members of ICOM, the Deutscher Museumsbund, and other professional associations. Admission vouchers available at the ticket desk.
Wheelchair access via a ramp at the north entrance (opposite the town hall); according to the museum, all public rooms are accessible. Information in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache) on the website; programs for people with dementia.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|
Sunday studio with artists from age 3, "Mit Baby ins Museum" for parents with babies up to 1 year (nursing and changing possible), art lab for teenagers from age 13, as well as reading and literature formats. Children's birthday parties with a house tour and workshop (2.5 hrs, max. 12 children, €160).
Markt
S-Bahn S11 to Bergisch Gladbach (terminus), then approx. 10 min. on foot through the pedestrian zone toward Markt/Rathaus; or light rail 3/18 to Dellbrück Hauptstraße and bus 436, or light rail 1 to Refrath and bus 451/452, each to the "Markt" stop.
Parking available
Parking lot Schnabelsmühle, parking lot Stadthaus (An der Gohrsmühle 18), and parking garage Bergischer Löwe.
Exhibition catalogs, also in the online shop.
Groups can book tours or workshops for special occasions (e.g., birthdays, company outings), optionally with catering in the historic rooms. Room rental is not offered on the website; the villa is currently not listed among the city's wedding venues.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Public guided tours (60 min.) without registration according to the calendar. Private tours, workshops, and programs for schools and daycare centers via Kunstvermittlung@stadt-gl.de or 02202 14-2304. Artothek for borrowing artworks. |
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