Cologne to Welcome New Museum Showcasing Germany’s History of Immigration
Cologne, April 10, 2025 – In just a few short years, Cologne will be home to a new and highly anticipated attraction: The Museum Selma. This museum will offer visitors an immersive experience, showcasing Germany’s past and present as a society shaped by immigration. The museum is set to open its doors in 2029 and is being developed with public funding of 44.26 million euro. The project is being led by ATELIER BRÜCKNER, a Stuttgart-based organization specializing in architectural and exhibition design, with a particular focus on sustainability.
The Museum Selma will be housed in a former industrial hall, providing a unique and spacious setting for the exhibition. This space will be transformed into a modern museum, designed to welcome and engage with communities, urban society, and marginalized groups. The design will include exhibition space, multifunctional event areas, a movie theater, digital laboratory, kids’ space, storage rooms, and a library. The museum will cover a total area of around 10,000 square meters.
The exhibition will feature a collection of 150,000 artifacts and testimonies, showcasing the extensive impact of migration on Germany since the Second World War. The objects on display will range from the dress of a refugee from Togo, to the food scale of an Italian labor migrant, and the boxing gloves of an immigrant from Mostar. These artifacts have been generously donated by private individuals, all sharing the belief that their history is also German history.
“The Museum Selma will fill a crucial gap in the landscape of German museums,” says Dr. Robert Fuchs, director of DOMiD gGmbH, the museum’s non-profit parent organization. “With over 21 million people in Germany either immigrating or coming from families that did, their perspectives are often overlooked. Our museum will provide a space for democratic debate, breaking down prejudices, and promoting unity as a society.”
The name “Selma” was chosen to honor the first Turkish woman to receive German citizenship in 1958. The museum’s website, www.museum-selma.de/en, is already live, providing information about the project and its progress. The website also offers a press contact for any further inquiries.
Press contact:
Timo Glatz
DOMiD gGmbH – Documentation Center and Museum of Migration in Germany
Venloer Straße 419, 50825 Köln
presse@domid.org
+49 22129494484
https://www.museum-selma.de/en/press
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.