The Couven Museum is located near the Aachen Town Hall. It is located in a building that was built in 1786 by Jakob Couven for the wealthy apothecary Andreas Monheim. In the museum you can see the interiors of a rich house of the late 18th century, interior items and decor.
The museum was opened in 1960 and named after Josef Couven and his son Jakob. They are well-known architects who have made a great contribution to the creation of the modern look of Aachen.
In 1656 in Aachen there was a severe fire. Almost 90% of the town`s houses were burned down. After that, Aachen had to be rebuilt. At the same time it made possible to design and build a new town instead of a medieval town with a maze of narrow streets. Later it turned into a famous balneological resort.
In 1739, Josef Couven was appointed town architect. He continued to rebuild the town after the fire. His son Jakob Couven was also a well-known architect, and the Monheim apothecary`s house is only one of his examples in the Rococo style. The Couven Museum is of interest not only as a collection of individual items. The interiors of the 18th-century house are recreated here.
All this is created as a single whole, so that visitors can feel the atmosphere of life of rich citizens in the 18th and 19th centuries. Special attention should be paid to the collection of silverware from the 18th century, as well as the collection of porcelain and faience.
