Hetjens-Deutsches Keramikmuseum

The Hetjens-Deutsches Keramikmuseum is the German Ceramics Museum, housed in the Palais Nesselrode at Schulstraße 4 in the Düsseldorf Altstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia. The museum goes back to the collection of the Düsseldorf collector Laurenz Heinrich Hetjens (1830-1906), who left his ceramics and a bequest to the city. It opened in the early 20th century and moved into the Palais Nesselrode, a Baroque town palace of the 18th century, which gives the displays a setting of historic rooms. The collection covers roughly 8,000 years of ceramic history from around the world, including ancient Greek and Roman pottery, Islamic tiles and vessels, East Asian porcelain, German stoneware from the Rhineland, Delft and majolica wares, and European porcelain from manufactories such as Meissen. A strong focus is the history of Rhenish stoneware, such as pieces from Siegburg and Westerwald, linked to the region's craft heritage. The curatorial approach combines a broadly chronological and geographic sequence with thematic displays, so that visitors can follow the development of techniques, forms and decoration. The palace was damaged in the Second World War and rebuilt, and the museum has since been extended and modernised. Temporary exhibitions often feature contemporary ceramic art. Opening hours are generally Tuesday to Sunday, from late morning to late afternoon, and the admission fee should be confirmed at duesseldorf.de. The museum lies in the old town near the Rathaus and the Hofgarten route, and it suits visitors interested in craft, design and cultural history. Some labelling is in German, so check for English information at the desk.