A Guide to the treasures housed in Europe’s most iconic museums

Germany, located in Central Europe, is a nation rich in history, culture, and innovation. With a population exceeding 83 million, it stands as the most populous country in the European Union. Germany operates as a federal parliamentary republic, featuring a Chancellor as the head of government and a President as the head of state. Among its notable cities, Berlin stands as the capital, while Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Stuttgart hold cultural and economic significance.

The text below is the excerpt from the book Art in Europe (ISBN: 9781783109005), written by Victoria Charles, published by Parkstone International.

Berlin

Germany’s capital city is Berlin. It is the 2nd-most populated city in the European Union.

It has been the capital city during many periods of German history; first the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia, then the German Empire, Weimar Republic, and Third Reich. After the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) and after German reunification in 1990, Berlin regained its standing as Germany’s capital city.

Today known for its culture, politics and scientific achievements, Berlin is a busy European hub. Architecture, nightlife, festivals, contemporary and modern arts, and a high quality of life attract tourists worldwide to the city.

Alte Nationalgalerie

The Berlin Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) was first opened in 1876. The aim of the gallery was to collect and exhibit early Prussian artworks. Today, the gallery’s collection includes work from Neoclassical, Biedermeier, Impressionist, and Modernist genres of art.

The museum is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising of several other museum buildings in the vicinity. The founding building of the German National Gallery, the Alte Nationalgalerie is home to one of the largest German compilations of 19th century sculptures and paintings.

Although severely damaged during World War II, the gallery underwent extensive renovation whilst still managing to retain the original appearance of the exterior of the building.

Gemäldegalerie

The Gamäldegalerie, part of the museum network of the National Museum, was rebuilt in 1998; the original museum first having been established in 1830.

With one of the world’s leading collections of European art dating from the 13th century to the 18th century, the museum was originally established with the collection of Frederick William I, Duke of Prussia. The museum’s collection lost 400 pieces of art during World War II in bomb attacks; the rest of the collection was hidden in shelters across Germany and thus survived.

Today the museum’s collection of German art can hardly be surpassed, and the Italian and Flemish Primitive artworks are also very extensively amassed.

Neue Nationalgalerie

The Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin is one of the most highly recognised German modern art museum. The museum’s opening in 1968 was to complement the existing Nationalgalerie, and has been used as a means to convey social and artistic expression both through its architectural design and through its collections.

The collection includes donations by art dealer Otto van de Loo of abstract and informal styles of painting of the art groups such as the Cobra and the Spur art movements.

Architecturally, the museum has received the moniker of ‘Temple of Glass’ thanks to the steel beam-supported wall of glass. A talking point of the period, the museum’s design has become an architectural highlight of Berlin.

Artistically, the collection – which focuses on 20th-century modern art – has been able to present a social message as well. After reunification, the museum welcomed a collection of art from the German Democratic Republic; this art has been more widely exhibited at the Neue Nationalgalerie than at any other German museum.

Cologne

First settled by a Germanic tribe, and later established as Colonia by the Romans, the city that is now Cologne is a historically-rich city. Today, remains of Roman civilisation are still to be found within the city, and the Roman-Germanic Museum exhibits many Roman artefacts found in Cologne.

Cologne today is known for its major nightlife and cultural scene. With over seventy clubs and numerous bars and pubs, Cologne is a big tourist draw. Aside from the nightlife attractions, Cologne is also known for its colourful arts scene and cultural landmarks such as the Cologne Cathedral, Romanesque churches, Overstolzenhaus, Cologne City Hall, and Hohenzollern Bridge.

Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud

One of the most prestigious museums in Cologne, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud is home to a fine art collection dating from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century.

Amongst the museum’s collections are included works in the Gothic style, Renaissance art, and 19th-century Impressionist art. The collection spans over 700 years of art history, and includes the biggest collection of Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist art in Germany. The most valuable aspects of the Graphic Collection are medieval works of miniatures, drawings, and watercolours, whilst one of the rarest pieces in the collection is the Book of Hours of Sophia von Bylant.

Although the newest building to house the museum was completed in 2001, the museum itself dates backs to the early 19th century when the city inherited Franz Ferdinand Wallraf ’s medieval art collection. The name of the museum derives additionally from the donation of a museum building by Johann Heinrich Richartz, and the permanent loan by Gérard Corboud of his Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection.

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