In one of Cologne's oldest churches, the Schnütgen Museum proves that Christian art and cultural history is inextricably linked to the reality of life in Europe today. In the heart of the cosmopolitan city, it shows that works of art from the Middle Ages are very much alive and never merely depict the past.
Precious works of bronze, goldsmith and ivory art, sculptures made of stone and wood, unique textiles, manuscripts and stained glass: in the three-part building ensemble of the Schnütgen Museum, they describe a time when the world and its inhabitants were still entirely determined by God and subject to a symbolic order. At the same time, the exhibited works allow visitors to draw new connections to today's environment and modern society.
In the Romanesque Church of St. Cecilia, which dates back to the 8th century, visitors will come across rock crystal crosses, for example, whose transparency and clarity already embodied the epitome of the divine in the Middle Ages. Guests can see artistic statues of angels that tell of the pursuit of perfection in craftsmanship.
Masterful and eternal
From two alabaster reliefs in the middle of the church interior, the route leads to the Golden Table from St. Ursula in the former altar area, before finally arriving at the eight prophet figures in the western gallery. They originate from Cologne's town hall and represent authorities who were supposed to remind the councillors of the values of good government. Would they still have the same effect on officials today as they did in the 15th century?
The journey of discovery continues in the so-called Bandbau, which dates back to the 1950s. It precedes the church as a presentation area for light-sensitive textiles and unusual exhibits. Here, the eye discovers, among other things, liturgical vestments depicting typical symbols of becoming and passing away or biblical scenes. Despite the excessive splendor on display here, there is always an air of ceremonial and devotion in the area. The message: in church tradition, religious rites always involve a little bombast and devotion.
Since 2010, a glass-clad structure has also connected the historical parts of the museum with the museum foyer, which is also the entrance area for the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum. In the portal, visitors sometimes come across important church scholars such as Bernhard von Clairvaux, who was partly responsible for the spread of the influential Cistercian order in Europe. Sometimes the patron saint of the medieval convent of St. Cecilia, St. Cecilia, is depicted on a gable relief. Master craftsmen have captured her with her bridegroom Valerianus and her brother-in-law Tiburtius for eternity.
