Goethe-Museum Düsseldorf

Goethe-Museum Düsseldorf  / Schloss Jägerhof

Grand 18th-century house with a collection of artifacts relating to Goethe’s life & work. A hunting lodge in the middle of the city? Well, in the middle of the 18th century, when Elector Carl Theodor had the Jägerhof Palace built according to the plans of Johann Joseph Couven, it was actually still on the outskirts of Düsseldorf and was surrounded by a zoo.

The Jägerhof can look back on an eventful history. At the beginning of the 19th century, for example, it was used as a hospital and was in need of much renovation. When Emperor Napoleon announced a visit in 1811, the complex was quickly rebuilt. Subsequently, the art-loving Prince Friedrich of Prussia moved in, and the Jägerhof Palace became the centre of the social and cultural life of the city. To this day, art and culture are at home here: The Jägerhof is home to the Goethe Museum and the Ernst Schneider Foundation. Incidentally, it is no coincidence that the late Baroque building in Jacobistrasse resembles the Benrath Palace in terms of colour scheme and architectural style: Carl Theodor was also the client there, and chief building director Nicolas de Pigage worked in parallel on both buildings.