Wallraf-Richartz Museum owes its existence to the people whose names are immortalized in its title. Ferdinand Franz Wallraf served as the rector of the University of Cologne from 1793 to 1796. During the French occupation he has saved many works of art, which subsequently transferred to hometown. Later, the philanthropist Johann Heinrich Richartz has allocated funds for the construction of the building, which held all the valuable artifacts.
Today, the museum houses one of the finest collections of medieval paintings in the world. The gem of the whole collection – Stefan Lochner’s painting "Madonna of the Rose Bower" Canvases of Rubens, Jordaens, Rembrandt, the German Romantics, engravings by Leonardo da Vinci and Dürer, as well as, works of the Impressionists, including Manet, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin can be found in the museum.