1 . R O M A N O -
G E R M A N I C
M U S E U M
RONCALLIPLATZ 4
The Römisch - Germanisches Museum ( Romano - Germanic
Museum ) presents the archaeological heritage of the
city and the surrounding area from the Palaeolithic
period to the early Middle Ages . Among the oldest finds
are the one hundred thousand year - old stone tools
from the Kartstein cave in the Eifel . Finds from the
Neolithic settlement of Cologne - Lindenthal , in which
the earliest arable farmers of the Rhineland lived , are
internationally well - known . Decorated architectural
elements , stone inscriptions , portraits , wall - paintings ,
mosaics and exquisite tableware reflect life and luxury
in Roman Cologne .
The museum has the worldwide biggest collection of
Roman glass vessels . Among the most precious objects
are the rich goldsmith works from the Diergardt
Collection , relics of Germanic and equestrian nomad
peoples from all over Europe . Precious burial goods
from graves of the 5th to 7th centuries provide
evidence of the lives of Romani and Franks in early
medieval Cologne .
Built in 1974 in the centre of Cologne and in the
immediate vicinity of Cologne Cathedral , it has so far
welcomed more than 20 million visitors . The museum
stands on the foundations of an urban Roman villa with
the world - famous Dionysius mosaic . Like the
monumental tomb of the veteran legionary Poblicius it
can be admired from the cathedral square through a
panorama window before the visitor enters the
museum .
The museum is the office in charge of monument
conservation and archaelological preservation in line
with the regulations on the preservation of the cultural
heritage of the State of North - Rhine Westphalia . Every
year , several dozen excavations to preserve
archaeological remains and prospections are carried
out throughout the area of the city . The excavations are
devoted to all the phases of the city ’ s cultural history :
Palaeolithic relics , finds from the Neolithic , Iron and
Bronze Age cultures , Roman and medieval finds and
relics from the more recent past .