Käthe Kollwitz (1867 – 1945) remains one of the most important artists of Germany that emerged from the Weimar Republic. Born in Königsberg (Kaliningrad today), she lived in Berlin for most of her life. The largest collections of her works however is housed in Cologne, in the Käthe Kollwitz Museum, owned and operated by the Kreissparkasse Köln savings bank.

This is one of my favourite museums in the city: sculptures and self-portraits of the artists are juxtapositioned with some of her main works, like The Weavers and The Peasant War, all in a bright and airy setting on the top floor of the Neumarkt shopping arcade. The museum also hosts changing exhibitions that engage with different aspects of Käthe’s life and her work. There even is a small amphitheatre setting mainly used for events and opening, but I also like to sit here and observe the many wrinkles and faultlines she gave herself in the black-and-white self portraits.