Walraf-Richartz Museum in Germany, resort of Cologne
Rating: 8,9/10 (5209 votes)  The Walraf-Richartz Museum is one of the most interesting art museums in Cologne. Ferdinand Franz Walraf, mathematician, botanist and art collector, who at that time occupied the post of rector of the University of Cologne, was engaged in collecting historical documents, paintings, coins, manuscripts, vessels and books. It was thanks to Ferdinand that several libraries, museums and a historical archive appeared in Cologne. The opening of the new museum building took place in July 1861, before that the entire collection was kept in Walrafium. The author of the building project was the architect Ernest Friedrich Zwirner. During the Second World War, the museum building was turned into ruins. In 1956, the construction of a new, more modern building began on this site. Currently, it houses the Museum of Applied Arts. Later, a monument to Walraf was erected next to the museum. In the 1980s, the Wallraf-Richartz Museum, together with the Ludwig Museum, moved to buildings located next to the Cologne Cathedral. In January 2001, the opening of the cube-shaped building took place. In the same year, the Swiss collector Gerard Corbeau donated a collection of Impressionist works to the museum for a long time. Today, the Wallraf-Richartz Museum is one of the largest galleries in the country. It houses the world's largest collection of medieval paintings. The collection is based on altar paintings made by the best Cologne painters. The central place in the museum is occupied by painting XIV – XVI centuries. Also within the walls of the museum are more than 70 thousand graphic works. Art XVI – The 18th century is represented by paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn, Merten van Heemskerk, Gerrit van Honthorst and others. There are also works by Flemish painters and German masters. Art XIX – XX centuries are represented by the works of Gustave Courbet, Arnolb Becklin, Edvard Munch, Max Liebermann and others.    
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