Art and Culture in Cologne

A richly faceted mosaic of time-honoured tradition and creative new impulse, local culture and the élan of multicultural life, Roman history and avant-garde design.

Cologne is among the world’s metropolises of art - a Mecca for ancient and modern art, with a cultural tradition spanning two thousand years; world-famous museums and priceless collections; an extremely vibrant artistic scene, and a world-class art market. The city’s image is imbued with the cultural diversity of its residents - 181 nationalities and 250 different cultures converge in Cologne. The international embrace of this Rhine metropolis and its cosmopolitan flair not only express, but also inspire its multifaceted artistic and cultural life. This is evident in the 200 cultural initiatives - programs that foster understanding of foreign cultures - and the six state-supported cultural institutes.

Römisch-Germanisches Museum / Roman-Germanic Museum

In addition to its outstanding glass collection, the Roman-Germanic Museum houses the Dionysus mosaic and the famous tomb of Poblicius. The Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud offer a wide-ranging impressionist art collection, while the Museum Ludwig houses modern art, including an important Picasso collection and the largest collection of pop art outside the USA.

The top-notch collections of the Museum of East Asian Art and the Museum of Applied Art underscore Cologne’s reputation as an art capitol. Cologne’s Museum of Chocolate is quite literally the sweetest of the group. Here, visitors learn everything there is to know about the production of this beloved delicacy before finally partaking of the finest variety from a streaming fountain of genuine chocolate. Right next door, at the German Sports and Olympic Museum, there is a wide-ranging exhibit on the history of sports for visitors to admire.

Kolumba (Kunstmuseum des Erzbistums Köln)

The Archdiocese of Cologne’s “Kolumba” art museum, designed by the famous architect Peter Zumthor, is a new star in the constellation of Cologne museums. The modern building houses the ruins of the destroyed Saint Kolumba Church, along with the chapel known as “Madonna in den Trümmern” (Madonna in the Ruins). As a “museum of contemplation”, it displays sacred art alongside contemporary pieces.

In addition to the over 40 museums, more than 100 different galleries present a diverse and discriminating array, ranging from works of classic modern art to pop art to current works of international newcomers.

Modern and contemporary works of art from famous galleries all over the world can be viewed at “ART COLOGNE”, the oldest art fair in the world.

In the fall, “art.fair 21”, an international fair for contemporary art with a futuristic new program, is held concurrently with the “Cologne Fine Art” fair.

Not only the city’s cultural variety and its tolerant and open atmosphere, but also its science and research as well provide the foundation for new trends in creativity. The summer festival, “Rheindesign” was held for the first time last year – a feast for the senses, which focused on the relationship between society and design, with public spaces included as well. The international design scene meets in Cologne at the beginning of the year, during “Passagen”, the largest German design event. For the past 10 years, “plan”, the forum for contemporary architecture, has been capturing the interest of experts and laypersons alike, leading them on a meandering parcourse through the city. A wide variety of events and exhibitions, combined with exciting locations, turn the city into one big museum.

With one of the largest colleges of music in Europe, Cologne is a bastion of musical creativity. More than 200 musical ensembles and the Cologne Philharmonic, one of the most beautiful concert halls, are testament to this. No surprise that Cologne is the city of the avant-garde composers like Stockhausen, Zimmermann, Ligeti, Kagel, and Boulez. Yet the youth music scene also adds its impetus. The annual summer pop festival “c/o pop” sets the pace for the latest trends in electronic music. Over 1,000 musicians and bands of the pop and rock genres find the greatest possible variety of platforms in Cologne for introducing themselves. With programs ranging from jazz to reggae and techno to rock, the many clubs and dance venues are a veritable treasure trove within the musical landscape. Cologne is known for its distinctive night life. In 2008, large concerts with stars such as Mark Knopfler, Céline Dion, and Kylie Minogue are again filling Kölnarena, the largest event venue in Germany with 18,000 seats.

Cologne has an awe-inspiring and vibrant theatre scene. Thirty stages (four of which are pure cabaret stages), 37 independent ensembles, 14 theatres for children and youth, and 20 dance companies offer theatre fans numerous and varied options. Opera and playhouse productions and the works of the many independent theatres are widely respected, and not just in German-speaking areas. In the fall, the institutions of Cologne’s cultural life invite the public to their “Long Nights": On “Theatre Night”, the numerous city-run and independent theatres introduce themselves with tantalizing yet brief scenes from their repertoire. No less compelling is the “Long Night of the Cologne Museums”, popular and consistently successful for many years. The “Night of Music” provides an opportunity to hear many varieties of music – from classic to new music, and from jazz to pop.

As a city renowned for its culture, Cologne also offers a diverse literary programme: Every year there are over 1,000 literary events, including the world-famous literature festival, “lit.COLOGNE”. A number of institutions join forces to bring literature to the public, including Germany’s largest house of literature; literary cafes and bookstores are actively involved.

The Nobel prize winner and honorary citizen of Cologne, Heinrich Böll, as well as Dieter Wellershoff and Frank Schätzing are but a few of the names that have given rise to the Cologne literary scene.

VIII. Gay Games Cologne 2010

Be part of it!

the city

Video