To mark its 125th anniversary, the Von der Heydt Museum is opening its archives, which are normally closed to the public. From February 5, 2027, through January 8, 2029, the anniversary exhibition “125 Years NOW. Museum History(ies)” invites visitors on a journey of discovery that vividly connects art history and urban history. It transforms the historic museum building into a vibrant place for discovery, participation, and reflection.
Behind the Scenes of Art
Walk-through time capsules take visitors back to the museum’s beginnings and reveal the surprising stories behind the scenes. In the exhibition halls, selected masterpieces are juxtaposed with historical photographs and archival documents being analyzed for the first time. They reveal how the museum has presented art over the decades, which works found their way into the collection, and which artistic movements inspired those in charge. This journey through the eras creates a direct connection to the present. The exhibition brings to life new beginnings, severe crises, and courageous fresh starts. It illustrates how deeply the past shapes the museum today and how, at the same time, it guides its visionary outlook toward the future.
A Museum Through the Ages
Founded in 1902 as the Elberfeld Municipal Museum, the Von der Heydt Museum today preserves an art collection of international stature. The collection includes approximately 2,300 paintings, nearly 700 sculptures and small sculptures, as well as more than 30,000 works on paper, prints, and photographs. The collection spans from the 16th to the 21st century and also includes decorative arts and non-European objects.
The exhibition traces the museum’s history from its early founding years through the profound upheavals of the Nazi era to the arduous reconstruction following World War II. It documents how the museum of contemporary art opened itself up to new horizons and critically examines its own history. In this way, previously hidden stories and unknown treasures from the storage collection come to light, before the focus shifts entirely to the challenges of the future.
