Großer Griechenmarkt 37-39, Literature center in Old Town, Germany

Literaturhaus Köln occupies the lower two floors of Haus Bachem at Großer Griechenmarkt 39, a listed building between Neumarkt and St. Georg. The venue holds event and office rooms in the historic structure, whose preserved baroque cherry-wood staircase and hanging parlours survived the 1943 bombing of the quarter. It is run by the non-profit association Literaturhaus Köln e.V.

The site between Alter Mauer am Bach and today's Färbergasse was gardens until 1280, when it passed to the patrician Saphiren family. The archbishop's chamberlain Nickolaus von Bachem built the Großer and Kleiner Bachem there; both were demolished in 1590, though the vaulted cellars survive. The Großer Bachem was rebuilt, dated 1590 on its facade, and housed a wine tavern from 1795, a brewery from 1828 and a restaurant in 1920. After the 1943 bombing, the baroque cherry-wood staircase and hanging parlours were saved; the Literaturhaus has rented the lower two floors since 2014.

The house runs the Junge Literaturhaus Köln for children's and youth literature since 2007, and hosts the interdisciplinary poetry festival "Satelliten" and a comics festival in alternating years. Its "Zwischenmiete Köln" format stages young literature readings in changing shared flats.

The Literaturhaus occupies the lower two floors of Haus Bachem at Großer Griechenmarkt 39, in the block between Neumarkt and St. Georg. The entrance is on Großer Griechenmarkt; the nearest tram stops are Neumarkt and Heumarkt. The cellars and the cherry-wood Baroque staircase belong to the listed building, so event rooms are reached by stairs.

The cellars under Haus Bachem date from 1590, when the earlier Großer and Kleiner Bachem were demolished and rebuilt; the vaults survived the 1943 bombing that destroyed almost the whole Griechenmarkt quarter. The Baroque cherry-wood staircase and the hanging rooms were also saved. The Literaturhaus has rented the lower two floors since 2014.