Museums History

1853 Founded by the Christlicher Kunstverein [Christian Art Club] (Baudri brothers) as the »Erzbischöfliches Diözesanmuseum« [Archbishop’s Diocesan Museum]. 1854 First exhibition in the Gürzenich festival hall. 1854 – 1875 Conservator Franz Bock. 1860 Own building with St. Thomas Chapel (on today’s Roncalliplatz). 1891 – 1906 Conservator Alexander Schnütgen. 1906 – 1923 Arnold Steffens chairman of the museum.1923 – 1965 Wilhelm Neuß, Chairman of the museum board. 1926 – 1938 Director Jakob Eschweiler. 1943–1945 Destroyed by war, with the collection stored off site. 1947 – 1969 Director Joseph Hoster. 1954 – 1971 Rooms at St. Gereon. 1959 Transfer of site to the Cathedral Chapter. 1969 – 1989 Director Walter Schulten. 1972 Reopened at the old site. 1973 Bernhard Matthäi becomes the first qualified Restorer of the Museum. 1989 Transferred to the official ownership of the Cologne Archdiocese; on initiative of Cardinal Joachim Meisner, new conception and new building project under the management of Joachim M. Plotzek (from 1990), Katharina Winnekes, Stefan Kraus (both 1991) and Ulrike Surmann (1993). 1997 Peter Zumthor wins the architectural competition for “Kolumba”, a new museum building on the site of the ruined church of St. Kolumba, which is published in detail at the end of the year. Start of the ten-year intensive planning and construction phase. Parallel to this, lively exhibition work and expansion of the collection. With the donation of Eva Weininger, a monographic focus on classical modernism is added in 1998. 2003 Celebration of the 150th anniversary and publication of a comprehensive museum chronicle. 2004 Official renaming to "Kolumba. Art Museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne". Marc Steinmann begins his work, initially on inventory. 2007 On September 14, the new building is inaugurated with a pontifical mass followed by a celebration. 2008 Farewell to Joachim Plotzek and handover of management to Stefan Kraus. Start of the annual exhibition rotation with works from the museum's own collection. 2011 Farewell to Katharina Winnekes; she is succeeded by Barbara von Flüe in 2012.2013 Christina Nägler takes over the restoration workshop as Bernhard Matthäi's successor. “Great Nike” and “Nike for Atmosphere” from the Association of German Architects. Awarded “Museum of the Year” by the International Association of Art Critics. 2017 Acceptance of Renate König's manuscript collection, the most significant donation in the museum's history. 2021 Four urgently needed new positions can be created: Administrative management, second restoration position, event management and academic traineeship, each limited to three years. 2018, 2022, 2023 Nomination by the Cologne Cultural Council as “Cultural Event of the Year”. 2024 After 33 1/2 years as a curator in the management team, Ulrike Surmann retires in November 2024.