museums

1. 1. 

   Kaiser Wilhelm Museum

   The foundation for the Kunstmuseen Krefeld was laid with the opening of the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum (KWM) in 1897.

   • Kaiser Wilhelm Museum

2. 1. 

   Haus Lange Haus Esters

   The two villas Haus Lange and Haus Esters were built in 1927/28 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Haus Lange has been part of the Kunstmuseen Krefeld since 1955 and Haus Esters since 1981. Since then they have been a venue for the presentation of contemporary art and design.

   • Haus Lange Haus Esters

3. 1. 

   Collection

   From Art Nouveau to ZERO, from Claude Monet to Gerhard Richter - the collection of the Kunstmuseen Krefeld today comprises around 24,000 works of fine and applied art from the late Middle Ages to the present.

   • Collection

focus

1. 1. 

   NEW: Non-European objects in the collection in motion

   Part of the collection of objects of non-European origin will be presented for the first time. These are primarily arts and crafts from Africa, Oceania and South East and East Asia. The provenance and cultural contexts of the objects have been extensively researched. The presentation at KWM introduces the objects and tells the story of their origins.

   • Collection in Motion.

2. 1. 

   WIN: Free entry to the Gregor Schneider exhibition with arte

   Together with our media partner arte, we are giving away tickets for the exhibition Gregor Schneider. Welcome! You can take part at: www.arte.tv

   • Welcome

3. 1. 

   Aug, 7: KunstImPuls -To the moon

   Experience the museum live with SWK AG and Sparkasse Krefeld

   Under the motto Experience the museum live, the Kunstmuseen Krefeld offer a varied program with music, guided tours, performances, workshops and much more every 1st Thursday of the month - with free admission!

   • KunstImPuls
   • Seeing is Beautiful

4. 1. 

   New in "Collection in Motion"

   The Kunstmuseen Krefeld have expanded their collection with a donation from the Düsseldorf jewelry designer and visual artist Linda Müller. Her works enter into a special dialog with historical Art Nouveau objects from the museum's founding period around 1900. The presentation can now be seen in a new exhibition in the Collection in Motion series at the KWM.

   • Collection

5. 1. 

   NEW: Studio 2/CreativeLab - Everything is beautiful

   Studio 2/KreativLabor at the KWM invites you to a special sensory experience as part of the new exhibition Adolf Luther. Seeing is beautiful. Inspired by Adolf Luther's works of art, which are known for playing with our visual experience through light, glass and mirrors, Studio 2 is transformed into an interactive experience space in which all the senses are challenged!

   Concept and production: Julia Timmer

   • Seeing is Beautiful

6. 1. 

   Welcome: Photographs and film by Gregor Schneider

   For the Welcome exhibition, Gregor Schneider realized a site-specific project in Haus Esters, where a Syrian family temporarily inhabited the museum. Schneider documented the project photographically and on film, without showing the residents directly. The works can be seen at the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum from May 23 to September 21, 2025.

   • Welcome

7. 1. 

   Adolf Luther Foundation at the Kunstmuseen Krefeld

   The Kunstmuseen Krefeld art museums and the Adolf Luther Foundation launch a close partnership to consolidate Krefeld as an important location for concrete art. The cooperation will kick off with the exhibition Adolf Luther. Seeing is Beautiful (until Sep 21).

   • Seeing is Beautiful

8. 1. 

   "Wirtshaus" remains in Krefeld

   We are delighted that the painting Wirtshaus (1917) by Heinrich Campendonk will remain in our collection thanks to a fair and equitable solution with the heirs. Thanks to the support of the federal and state governments and the Kulturstiftung der Länder, it has been secured for the Krefeld collection and preserved for the public. It is currently on display at the KWM together with other works by Campendonk and other artists such as Heinrich Nauen, Helmuth Macke and Thorn Prikker.

   • Collection

9. 1. 

   Wall painting by Sarah Morris successfully purchased

   Thanks to the Friends of the Kunstmuseen Krefeld e.V. and various supporters, including the state of NRW, the mural Society is Abstract, Culture is Concrete, created especially for Haus Esters, has been secured for the collection.

   Please note: Haus Esters is currently closed for exhibition renovations (until May 4).

   • All Systems Fail

1. become a friend

   Experiencing and promoting art. This has been the aim of the Friends of the Kunstmuseen Krefeld since 1983.
   The Friends support the museums with new acquisitions and numerous projects. Get involved!