Museum Ostwall is a much-loved cultural institution that displays its excellent collections of modern and contemporary artworks in the Dortmunder U. Spread across three floors, Museum Ostwall contains a fantastic survey of 20th-century artworks, as well as a light-filled space dedicated to showing temporary exhibitions. Wander through the galleries and learn about German and international art and the different movements that defined each generation.
Formerly situated in the eastern section of Dortmund’s old city walls, Museum Ostwall began with its focus on the artwork deemed “degenerate” by the Nazis in the 1940s. It opened its doors in 1949 and gained renown for displaying the magnificent Gröppel Collection before becoming one of the chief institutions in the Dortmunder U arts and culture hub in 2010.
Visit the museum’s fourth floor to see its keystone collection of early 20th-century art. Peruse works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Otto Mueller and Emil Nolde. You’ll see expressionist masterpieces, as well as artworks from the nouveau réalisme and informel movements. Learn about the groundbreaking Fluxus artworks in the 1960s and check out pieces by George Brecht and Nam Jun Paik.
Admire artworks from the last 50 years on the fifth floor. You can see works by Joseph Beuys, Martin Kippenberger and Dieter Roth, among other artists from the end of the 20th century. Make your way to the sixth floor to find the Museum Ostwall’s temporary exhibition area, which hosts a varying program of contemporary touring exhibitions. Some of these exhibitions are jointly managed by neighboring institutions in the Dortmunder U, such as the Centre of Cultural Education, the Hans Breder Intermedia-Archive and the TU Dortmund University.
Museum Ostwall is located in the Dortmunder U, which is situated on the western edge of Dortmund’s downtown ring. The museum is closed on Mondays. The museum has an admission fee however, this is waived for visitors under the age of 18. Temporary exhibitions may have an extra fee. Check out the other floors of the building to find galleries, cinemas, restaurants and nightclubs.
