Museum Folkwang, Art museum in Essen, Germany.
The Museum Folkwang is an art museum in Essen. Its long, low, flat-roofed building, designed by David Chipperfield and opened in 2010, has an upper facade of pale grey-green panels in horizontal rows, some glazed, with three tall banners set into it; below runs a lighter band with a recessed entrance and steps. A glass-and-steel canopy on grey posts shelters the paved forecourt, where bicycles are parked.
Karl Ernst Osthaus founded the collection in 1902 and created the first public collection in Germany to acquire works by Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh. After World War II the building was rebuilt and expanded in Essen.
The name Folkwang comes from Old Norse myth: Fólkvangr is the meadow or hall ruled by the goddess Freyja, who also protected the arts. Osthaus chose it to express the unity of art and life. The museum also holds the German Poster Museum, about 340,000 posters from politics, business and culture.
The museum opens Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, with extended hours until 20:00 on Thursdays and Fridays. The exhibition spaces spread over several floors, so plan around two to three hours for a complete visit.
The museum also preserves 1,800 objects of antique and non-European art and crafts ranging from 4000 BC to the 19th century. This collection includes pieces from different cultures and continents that visitors often overlook.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,118 contributors worldwide.
