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Photo: Bryan MacKinnon, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
"NS" is short for National Socialist. Former headquarters of the Cologne Gestapo, with prison cells. Now the largest regional memorial site in Germany for the victims of the Nazis. Library, media and exhibitions. Near subway stop "Appellhofplatz".
The NS Documentation Centre of the City of Cologne was founded by a resolution passed by the Cologne City Council on December 13, 1979, and has become the largest regional memorial site in all of Germany for the victims of the Nazis. Since 1988, it has been housed in "EL-DE Haus," the EL-DE building, named for the initials of its owner, Catholic businessman Leopold Dahmen. This building was the headquarters of the Cologne Gestapo between December 1935 and March 1945. In the final months of the war, several hundred people, most of them foreign forced laborers, were murdered in the courtyard of the building. In a bit of historical irony, the EL-DE building remained largely untouched by the ravages of the war.
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Kölnisches Stadtmuseum
Shows exhibits and works of art on the history of the city of Cologne from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Museum of Applied Art
The Museum of Applied Art has a collection of popular design items, as well as temporary exhibitions. The historical collections have been closed for several years due to refurbishment and new exhibition concept.
St. Andreas
St. Andreas Church is a notable example of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic architecture and contains a 14th-century crypt where the scholar Albertus Magnus is buried. The interior is characterized by a series of contemporary stained-glass windows by Markus Lüpertz and features significant medieval furnishings, including 15th-century choir stalls and the gilded Maccabee Shrine.
Diocesan museum
A Christian art museum. An architectural wonder designed by Peter Zumthor and a feast for the senses; this museum, built in concordance with the ancient foundations of the shrine of Mary in the rubble contains a selection of historical and contemporary religious art. Worth visiting just to explore the spiritually inspiring spaces and the beautiful walkway through the ruins of the past.
Basilika St. Geron
One of Germany's oldest churches, built on the foundations of a late antique oval structure. It is famous for its unique decagonal dome and elliptical floor plan. Please note that sightseeing is restricted to times outside of religious services. For details on public tours or to register group visits, please consult the official website.