Kolumba
Kolumbastraße 4
D-50667 Köln
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1906 – 1922
Decree concerning Gothic style
Institute for Religious Art

In 1906, Alexander Schnütgen stepped down from his position as director of the museum after his wish to merge his own famous collection with the museum collection was denied because it was feared that the subsequent costs would be too high. At the Cologne Special League Exhibition the possibilities for modern art in the area of church furnishings and decoration also became apparent. However, in 1913, Cologne Archbishop Cardinal Fischer, issuing a “Gothic-Decree”, prevented the construction of modern church buildings by stating that only the Romanesque and Gothic styles were to be used. In keeping with this, the neo-romanesque Agilolfus Shrine, created by the goldsmith Josef Kleefisch in 1914, was shown in the museum’s “permanent exhibition”. For the promotion of modern church art, the City of Cologne approved the founding of an institute for religious art in 1920. The institute was spatially and personally connected to the Schnütgen museum through shared space and staff and through their mutual director, Fritz Witte. Witte’s successor at the institute was Jakob Eschweiler, who was at the same time director of the Diözesanmuseum.
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KOLUMBA :: Museums-History :: 1906 – 1922

1906 – 1922
Decree concerning Gothic style
Institute for Religious Art

In 1906, Alexander Schnütgen stepped down from his position as director of the museum after his wish to merge his own famous collection with the museum collection was denied because it was feared that the subsequent costs would be too high. At the Cologne Special League Exhibition the possibilities for modern art in the area of church furnishings and decoration also became apparent. However, in 1913, Cologne Archbishop Cardinal Fischer, issuing a “Gothic-Decree”, prevented the construction of modern church buildings by stating that only the Romanesque and Gothic styles were to be used. In keeping with this, the neo-romanesque Agilolfus Shrine, created by the goldsmith Josef Kleefisch in 1914, was shown in the museum’s “permanent exhibition”. For the promotion of modern church art, the City of Cologne approved the founding of an institute for religious art in 1920. The institute was spatially and personally connected to the Schnütgen museum through shared space and staff and through their mutual director, Fritz Witte. Witte’s successor at the institute was Jakob Eschweiler, who was at the same time director of the Diözesanmuseum.