The Wolkenburg is a very special venue in Cologne 2014.

  • 1141: Cologne Archbishop Arnold I. opens the monastery of St. Mauritius in today’s Wolkenburg, directly in front of the city’s old Roman wall. He added a Benedictine Monastery to the church and brought the nuns from Rolandswerth here.
  • 1802: The monastery is secularised during the French garrison under Napoleon and sold off to a private citizen of Cologne in 1807. A few years later the building was handed over to the city.
  • 1829: The former monastery is handed over once again to a monastic community. The Catholic denomination of the Alexians opens a hospital here.
  • innenhof-sommer-041900: The Alexians leave the Wolkenburg, which has become too small for them, to move to the edge of the town of Lindenthal.
  • 1925: The Rheinische Musikschule moves into the building that had been used as an arts and crafts school following the departure of the Alexians.
  • 1942: On 31st May of the same year to be precise, today’s Wolkenburg is badly damaged during bombardment by the Allies.
    In the mid-50s Cologne’s male choral society take over the ruins from the city of Cologne in exchange for their equally destroyed club house “Hof Wolkenburg”. Cologne’s male choral society (KMGV) rebuilds the historical part from 1735, laying the foundation for today’s Wolkenburg.
  • 1957: The KMGV opens the now restored house, under the name of the Wolkenburg that still exists today.
  • Between 2005 and 2007 the building is lovingly restored, to include modern lighting and sound technology and an air conditioning system in the historic rooms. The Wolkenburg shines with fresh grandeur. (also auf Deutsch)IMG_6966

innenhof-sommer-02-panorama