Literaturhaus Köln

The Literaturhaus was founded in 1996 on the initiative of a group of Cologne residents. The association moved into its first premises in 1999 in the Mediapark, opened by Federal President Johannes Rau. In 2007 it relocated to the Südstadt, sharing space with the Forum für Fotografie; that same year the Junges Literaturhaus Köln was launched as a dedicated strand for children's and young-adult literature. Since 2014 the house has been based in the heart of the city.

The building the house calls home has a history reaching back to the 13th century. Where gardens once lay in the late 13th century, the archiepiscopal chamberlain Nickolaus von Bachem had two buildings erected – the Große Bachem and the Kleine Bachem. They were demolished in 1590 and rebuilt, though the cellar vaults survived. The Große Bachem, still standing today, has served over the years as a wine bar, a brewery and a restaurant. The bombing of 1943 almost entirely destroyed the quarter around the Großer Griechenmarkt, yet the foundations, the Baroque cherrywood staircase and the hanging chambers were saved. Since 2014 the association has rented the lower two floors for events and offices.