Käthe Kollwitz was one of the leading female artists of the 20th century, famous for black and white works such as those in her Mother and Child themes, and works urging against the follies of war. The Käthe Kollwitz museum was first founded in April 1985 on the 40th anniversary of the artist’s death. A Cologne bank funded the museum to stop the collection being distributed to other collections around the world. The museum opened in its current premises above the Neumarkt-Passage shopping centre in 1989, and is run by the artist’s granddaughter.