New museum in Cologne: Experience love and pain up close!

New museum in Cologne: Experience love and pain up close!

In the heart of Cologne, a very special place opened its doors in early April 2025: the "Museum of Pain and Love". On a total of 300 square meters, it invites visitors to immerse themselves in the complex emotions of love, pain, loss and hope. Tole Glock, a 36-year-old teacher and story collector, has developed this unique concept that aims to make stories tangible and combine people. According to Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger can flee through the museum without having to keep a defined tour.

The first floor of the museum is impressively divided into two areas: the "area of ​​love" and the "area of ​​pain". At over 150 interactive stations that consist of everyday objects, among other things, visitors learn stories that reflect deep personal experiences. Two thirds of the stations offer interactive opportunities such as puzzles, mini games and artistic activities that encourage exchange. This multi-layered approach to the topics of pain and love not only promotes personal reflection, but also stimulates a critical dialogue, as the Cologne tourism page emphasizes.

interactive experiences and creative rooms

Another highlight of the museum is the upper floor area, which offers creative premises for artistic activities and various events. Here there are writing evenings and lectures that invite you to dive deeper into the matter. True crime topics are treated in the basement and a black light room ensures additional surprises. The museum, formerly a camels-büdchen, impresses with its winding room concept, which makes the visit an exciting experience.

For the exciting experiences, as an adult, you pay 14 euros from Wednesday to Thursday, while admission costs 16 euros at the weekend. Students and trainees come in at reduced prices and children up to six years have free access. The regular opening times are from Wednesday to Sunday, although it remains closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

emotional links in art

The museum of pain and love is part of a larger trend: emotional access to art and our individual perception have increasingly focused on in recent years. For example, the “Feelings” exhibition in the Pinakothek shows how personal experiences can influence our view of art. Here, around 40 contemporary artists present over 100 works that stimulate intuitive discussion and enable an emotional dialogue between the work of art and the viewer. The curators Bernhart Schwenk and Nicola Graef emphasize that the emotional reaction is becoming increasingly important - from joy to sadness to anger and disgust.

This development, as also describes the Pinakothek , illustrates that art not only fulfills an intellectual purpose, but above all also creates connections and arouses emotions. The museum in Cologne is therefore involved in a world in which the exchange and personal experience of stories and emotions are in the center. If you have become curious, you should definitely sit down on the to-do list-there is a lot to discover here!