Kolumba
Kolumbastraße 4
D-50667 Köln
tel +49 (0)221 9331930
fax +49 (0)221 93319333
1940 – 1953
Consequences of the war and a new beginning
Wilhelm Neuß and Joseph Hoster

Fearing the effects of war Wilhelm Neuß had most of the museum’s works of art evacuated to the Westerwald Forest. They were stored in the Ehrenstein Monastery (Neustadt/Wied), in the church tower in Peterslahr, in a closet in the house of the Strüder widow also in Peterslahr, in the crypt of the church in Oberlahr, in Friesenhagen and in Steinfeld Monastery. With considerable effort they were only just able to save the “Virgin with the Violet” by Stefan Lochner from being confiscated and taken over for Hermann Göring’s collection in 1944. During the “Attack of a Thousand Bombers” on 31 May 1942, 55 works of art were destroyed in an external depot. After the “Peter-und-Paul-Attack” on 29 June 1943 only parts of the museum’s façade were left standing. In 1947, Joseph Hoster, who had already rendered outstanding services to the museum when returning the evacuated works of art, became director of the museum. The museum found a new home in rooms of the former grammar school at St. Gereon but remained closed to the public for the time being.
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KOLUMBA :: Museums-History :: 1940 – 1953

1940 – 1953
Consequences of the war and a new beginning
Wilhelm Neuß and Joseph Hoster

Fearing the effects of war Wilhelm Neuß had most of the museum’s works of art evacuated to the Westerwald Forest. They were stored in the Ehrenstein Monastery (Neustadt/Wied), in the church tower in Peterslahr, in a closet in the house of the Strüder widow also in Peterslahr, in the crypt of the church in Oberlahr, in Friesenhagen and in Steinfeld Monastery. With considerable effort they were only just able to save the “Virgin with the Violet” by Stefan Lochner from being confiscated and taken over for Hermann Göring’s collection in 1944. During the “Attack of a Thousand Bombers” on 31 May 1942, 55 works of art were destroyed in an external depot. After the “Peter-und-Paul-Attack” on 29 June 1943 only parts of the museum’s façade were left standing. In 1947, Joseph Hoster, who had already rendered outstanding services to the museum when returning the evacuated works of art, became director of the museum. The museum found a new home in rooms of the former grammar school at St. Gereon but remained closed to the public for the time being.