Alte Wache am Zeughaus
A Prussian guardhouse from 1840/41 in Neoclassical Florentine style, rebuilt after wartime destruction and now used as a temporary exhibition space of the Cologne City Museum.
The Alte Wache am Zeughaus (Old Guardhouse by the Armoury) is one of the few Neoclassical buildings from the early Prussian era that have survived or been rebuilt in Cologne. It stands on Zeughausstraße opposite the regional government offices and today forms part of the Cologne City Museum.
At a Glance
- Built
- 1840/41 as a Prussian guardhouse
- Style
- Neoclassical, designed in the so-called Florentine manner
- Architect
- Engineer-Major Schuberth (plans adjusted in detail)
- Reconstruction
- 1957/58 after severe war damage
- Location
- Zeughausstraße, opposite the regional government offices
- Use today
- part of the Cologne City Museum, space for temporary exhibitions
- Connection
- linked to the old armoury (Zeughaus) by a connecting structure
History
In the early 1840s the Prussian military administration, in agreement with the city, had three new guardhouses built – one of them being the guard by the armoury. The designs came from the local architect, Engineer-Major Schuberth, though certain details were still altered along the way. The building was intended to house around 30 soldiers and was designed in the Florentine style.
Of the three guardhouses, only this one has endured: the large main guard on Heumarkt was demolished as early as 1877, and of the guard on Waidmarkt only a portico remained – until the collapse of the Historical Archive during construction of the North-South light rail line in March 2009.
Destruction and Reconstruction
During the Second World War the building burned down to its outer walls. It was rebuilt in 1957/58 and initially housed the collections of the Roman-Germanic Museum, until the latter received a home of its own.
Use Today
Today the Old Guardhouse is joined to the old armoury by a connecting structure and belongs to the Cologne City Museum. Within the complex it serves above all as a venue for temporary exhibitions.
Gallery
Map
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Address
Zeughausstraße
Köln
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Sources & links
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-07-22
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