Romisch Germanisches Museum
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About
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Why go
- The museum building is itself an archaeological site, built over a third-century Roman villa.
- More than 4,000 complete pieces in one of the world’s largest collections of Roman glass vessels, from the 1st to 4th centuries.
- The reconstructed tomb of legionary Poblicius, about 15 metres tall and dating to around 40 CE.
Opening hours
Today10:00 – 18:00Show all
Don't miss
- Dionysus mosaicMade around 220–230 CE, the mosaic remains in its original position.View the original museum basement from Roncalliplatz.
- Köln-Braunsfeld cage cupA 4th-century Roman glass cup.Belgisches Haus near Neumarkt.
- Sculpture and stone monumentsThe so-called Venus from Hohe Straße, an altar to Vagdavercustis, and the tombstone of Marcus Valerius Celerinus and Marcia Procula.Belgisches Haus near Neumarkt.
Know before you go
- Current access: The original building beside Cologne Cathedral is closed for renovation. Selected finds are displayed at Belgisches Haus near Neumarkt.
What's inside
- Inside the original building — currently closed
- A cast of a round tower and the central arch of the northern city gate represent the Roman city wall.
- A dining room and a kitchen with a dish rack illustrate daily life and dining in Roman Cologne.
- Roman harbour finds and wooden sections of Constantine’s Rhine bridge to Divitia illustrate the city’s river connections.
- A reconstructed travel wagon illustrates long-distance Roman journeys.
Tips for your visit
- On the original building’s façade, look for the former northern city gate’s CCAA inscription.
- Among the glass pieces, look for the coloured drops that distinguish Cologne nubs.
- At Belgisches Haus, look for both the glass exhibits and the stone monuments.
Interesting facts8
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The museum was designed to preserve a nearby stretch of Roman road in place.
Musée romain-germanique - Wikipedia -
Its courtyards and interior walkways follow the layout of the ancient villa.
Romano-Germanic Museum - Wikipedia -
The glass collection includes a blue Cologne cantharus and “Cologne nubs”, drinking glasses decorated with applied drops of coloured glass.
Romano-Germanic Museum - Wikipedia -
The glass holdings also include Frankish pieces and continue to grow through excavation finds.
Romano-Germanic Museum - Wikipedia -
As Cologne’s office for archaeological heritage preservation, the museum oversees archaeological work during subway construction.
Musée romain-germanique - Wikipedia -
The façade incorporates the former northern city gate, bearing the inscription CCAA.
Musée romain-germanique - Wikipedia -
The collections include portraits of Augustus and Livia, inscriptions, ceramics and medieval jewellery.
Musée romain-germanique - Wikipedia -
Finds from a settlement at Köln-Lindenthal have European standing.
Römisch-Germanisches Museum - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
The villa uncovered during air-raid shelter excavation became the site of the museum. Its building was designed around the Dionysus mosaic, which remains in its original position.
- 1807A collection of antiquities was established.
- 1941A Roman villa and the Dionysus mosaic were uncovered during excavation for an air-raid shelter.
- 1946The museum was founded by combining the Roman and Germanic departments of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum with the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte. Most of its collection came from the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, where it had been housed until then.
- 1960Heinz Röcke and Klaus Renner won the architectural competition; their design accommodated the Dionysus mosaic in place because it was difficult to move.
- 1961The museum first opened in the Dom bunker on 24 November.
Show all
- 1965The tomb of legionary Poblicius was discovered near Cologne.
- 1974The museum building opened on 4 March.
- January 2007Cyclone Kyrill damaged the glass front and the Dionysus mosaic; repairs took a week.
How to get there
- On footThe museum stands beside Cologne Cathedral, by the Dom forecourt.
Sources: Romano-Germanic Museum - Wikipedia · Römisch-Germanisches Museum - Wikipedia · Musée romain-germanique - Wikipedia · checked 26 Sep 2026
Questions and answers
What does CCAA stand for at the Römisch-Germanisches Museum?
Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, the Roman colony represented by finds in the museum’s collection.
Does the Römisch-Germanisches Museum include finds from beyond the Roman city?
Yes. The collection also includes finds from a settlement at Köln-Lindenthal, of archaeological significance at a European level.
What periods does the Römisch-Germanisches Museum cover?
Its collection documents prehistory and the Roman and Frankish periods.
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