The Cologne White House opens its doors for the first time in 400 years!

The Cologne White House opens its doors for the first time in 400 years!

Cologne's Weißhaus moated castle will open its doors to the public next weekend (September 5th to 7th). This historic building in Sülz has not been open to the public for 400 years. Only on Sunday, September 6th, art lovers will have the opportunity to visit the impressive rooms of the castle and at the same time experience the group exhibition of the Ruttkowski68 gallery. The White House's opening hours are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days, and entry is free. Long queues in front of the castle have already been documented on Instagram, which underlines the anticipation for the event.

The exhibition is organized by David Roth and Pia Fatha, who will present exciting works with various artists and incorporate the special architecture of the castle, reports t-online.de. The castle's owner, Adam Szpyt, an entrepreneur best known for selling mattresses, moved into the White House in 2020 and has already outlined plans to use the castle. He describes the building as “beautiful” and is confident that the space can provide a creative environment for artists. The complicated process of selling the castle, which demanded over eight million euros, required a lot of patience. Both the city of Cologne and the University of Cologne were previously interested in the building, but there was no agreement.

A look into history

The White House has a long history, dating back to the 14th century. It was owned by the Benedictine Abbey of St. Pantaleon and became state property after Napoleon's invasion. In 1849 it came back into private hands, which underlines the eventful history of the castle. In 2015, the Cologne city council unanimously passed an agreement to open the palace's park, which is protected as a monument. Nevertheless, the city of Cologne is still considering making the park open to the public, which would benefit the residents of the district.

The event is dedicated to “Open Monument Day,” during which visitors nationwide have the opportunity to explore places that are normally inaccessible. Every year this attracts several million people interested in culture and monuments who appreciate the importance of monuments for our society. The day not only offers an excellent insight into history, but also connects people of different generations and promotes awareness of the historical masterpieces of our time, informs denkmalschutz.de.

With the opening of the White House, not only will an exciting chapter in Cologne's cultural history become visible, but the potential creative spirit of the palace, which is now under new management, will also blossom. Whether you're an art lover or a history enthusiast, no one should miss the chance to enter the White House!