The Rostock Museum of Cultural History’s collection of art has its roots in the collection of the “Rostock Art Society“. Today it comprises about 1600 paintings including the significant collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings from the 17th to the 20th century, views of Rostock by local artists, the collection of the artists’ colonies in Schwaan and Ahrenshoop and also numerous portraits from sources in Rostock and Mecklenburg. The collection of prints and drawings has about 12,000 folios from the 16th to the 20th century. There are also many sculptures dating from the Middle Ages up to the 20th century, including the famous altar from St. John’s Church (Johanniskirche) in Rostock from the 15th century, sculptures by Barlach, Marcks, Belling or Lehmbruck. Our collection is one of the largest in Mecklenburg-Western-Pomerania along with those of the Staatliches Museum Schwerin, the Vorpommersches Landesmuseum and the Neubrandenburg Kunstsammlung.
