Archäologische Zone / Neubau Jüdisches Museum „MiQua“
The Archaeological Zone / New Building Jewish Museum “MiQua” occupies about 6,000 square metres around Rathausplatz in central Cologne. Beneath the square, archaeological remains trace 2,000 years of urban history, from Roman foundations to medieval Jewish and Christian quarters.
An underground route leads through the Roman governor’s palace, the Praetorium, the medieval Jewish quarter, and the Christian goldsmiths’ quarter. Since 2021, the Praetorium has formed part of the UNESCO World Heritage Lower Germanic Limes. Above ground, the museum presents Cologne’s Jewish history from the fifteenth century to the present through objects, biographies, personal stories, collections, and an interactive city tour.
The foundations appeared during post-war reconstruction in 1953, when archaeologist Otto Doppelfeld led excavations beneath the undeveloped Rathausplatz. A glass pyramid opened access to the medieval mikveh in 1989, but a protective covering replaced it in 2008 because sunlight and heat endangered the historic structure.
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