Malkasten-Haus

Malkasten-Haus stands in Düsseldorf as the society house of the Malkasten artists’ association, linking architecture with the city’s cultural history. Its earlier name, Jacobihaus, recalls philosopher Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi and his residence there in the late eighteenth century. The house and its expansive garden formed the meeting place of the Jacobi Circle, which shaped Sensibility and the Pantheism controversy. Diderot, Goethe, Herder, and the Humboldt brothers all visited this setting.

In 1861, the artists’ association acquired the property through support from a worldwide art lottery, preserving its history and funding construction. Louis Ammy Blanc designed the new society house, while architect Julius Knobel carried the design into execution. Its inauguration in 1867 established a venue for artistic events and social gatherings, including the Kaiserfest held in 1877. Kaiser Wilhelm I attended that celebration.

An air raid destroyed the original structure in 1943, and reconstruction followed between 1947 and 1949. Modernisations continued during the 1950s. The complex comprises the Jacobihaus and Hentrichhaus as its two buildings. Together, they offer a large festival hall, a bar, and a restaurant, while hosting art exhibitions and cultural events.