MiQua

Years of excavations on Rathausplatz have uncovered the administrative center of the Roman province of Lower Germania, the medieval Jewish quarter, and buildings from the Christian goldsmiths' quarter. A spectacular museum project is taking shape here that will tell 2,000 years of history in the heart of Cologne.

The Praetorium was the palace and official residence of the imperial governor of Lower Germania. The entrance to the monumental mikveh is located nearby. The Jewish ritual bath was built about 900 years ago and extends 16 meters down to the groundwater. The mikveh was once surrounded by the Jewish quarter with its synagogue and community center, the remains of which form a unique architectural ensemble. These finds will be spectacularly presented in the new museum building.

Large parts of the planned museum extend underground beneath the historic town hall, the Spanish Building, and the town hall square. The Jewish Museum will be a striking architectural and urban feature on the square, while also serving as a protective structure for the remains of the synagogue and the mikveh. The exhibition space on the upper floor will present the Jewish history and culture of Cologne after 1424, the year the Jewish population was expelled from the city. This history will be recounted up to the present day.

In July 2021, the Praetorium, a highlight of the future MiQua, received an extraordinary distinction: as part of the Lower German Limes, it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.