Founding Phase

1982
The Düssel­dorf-based art collector and estate agent Karl-Heinrich Müller acquires the area belonging to histo­rical Insel Hombroich. Over the following twenty years he acquires more land and adds it to Hombroich. A former barn trans­formed into a studio-cum-exhi­bi­tion space for Anatol Herzfeld. Resto­ra­tion of two buildings in the histo­rical park: the Rosa Haus (1816) converted to exhi­bi­tion spaces and guest rooms, the Kutscher­haus (1906) refur­bished as studios for Gotthard Graubner and Erwin Heerich.

1983/84
Initial cons­truc­tion phase and erection of three pavilions (Orangerie, Hohe Galerie, Graubner Pavillon) for different areas of specia­li­sa­tion in the Coll­ec­tion.

1984 –1988
Second cons­truc­tion phase on newly acquired land adjacent to the park. Design of a flood­plain landscape by the garden and landscape architect Bernhard Korte.

1985/86
The Labyrinth and Cafeteria are built.

Opening of the museum

1986
The first Insel­fes­tival.

1988
More plots of land acquired; the Turm is built.

1992
The Kassen­haus (reception) and ticket office building are opened.

By 1993
The Zwölf-Räume-Haus, the Schnecke, and the Tadeusz Pavillon are built.

1993
Estab­lish­ment of the site’s chari­table Society of Friends and Patrons, the Verein zur Förderung des Kunst- und Kultur­raumes Hombroich e. V., which organises musical and literary events.

Raketenstation

1994
Acqui­si­tion of the former NATO missile base Rake­ten­sta­tion Hombroich. The Inter­na­tional Institute of Biophy­sics (IIB) takes up residence; study course and summer school programmes are launched. Tadao Ando, Álvaro Siza and Raimund Abraham are contacted about designing buildings for Rake­ten­sta­tion Hombroich. Eduardo Chillida is also contacted about a sculpture for the site. The project of conver­ting Rake­ten­sta­tion Hombroich is presented at the Venice Biennale (Palazzo Vendramin). 

From 1994
The former NATO barracks and missile hangars are converted into studios and apart­ments. A second gene­ra­tion of artists takes up residence there: Michael Growe, Thomas Kling, Oliver Kruse, Ute Langanky, Katsuhito Nishikawa, Christoph Staude, Ulrich Moskopp and Georg Schmidt.

1996
Estab­lish­ment of the Stiftung Insel Hombroich foun­da­tion, with the active support of the City and District of Neuss and the federal Land of North Rhine-West­phalia.

1996 – 2001
Cons­truc­tion of buildings and sculp­tures at Rake­ten­sta­tion Hombroich: one-man-house (Oliver Kruse, Katsuhito Nishikawa), domus aurea (Dietmar Hofmann), Eingang / Ausgang (Heinz Baumüller), Kloster, Fontana Pavillon, Wohnhaus, Archiv (all Erwin Heerich), Field Institute Hombroich (Katsuhito Nishikawa), Janustor and Trans­for­mator (Michael Growe).

2002/03
The Drei Kapellen is built on the Kirkeby-Feld according to designs by Per Kirkeby.

2004
Comple­tion and opening of the art and exhi­bi­tion house of the Langen Foun­da­tion at Rake­ten­sta­tion Hombroich according to plans by Tadao Ando.

2005/06
The Sammlung Kahmen is cons­tructed on the Kirkeby-Feld based on designs by Per Kirkeby.

2006
Cons­truc­tion of the Garten­la­by­rinth at Rake­ten­sta­tion Hombroich according to plans by Katsuhito Nishikawa.

2007
Karl-Heinrich Müller dies on 5 November 2007.

2007 – 2009
The Feld-Haus – Museum für Populäre Druck­grafik is built on Kirkeby-Feld based on designs by Per Kirkeby.

2009
The Siza Pavillon at Rake­ten­sta­tion Hombroich is opened, designed by Álvaro Siza and Rudolf Fins­ter­walder.

2016
The Thomas Schütte Foundation’s Skulp­tu­ren­halle Neuss between Kirkeby-Feld and Rake­ten­sta­tion Hombroich is opened, designed by Thomas Schütte.

2006 – 2018
Cons­truc­tion of the Haus für Musiker at Rake­ten­sta­tion Hombroich, as designed by Raimund Abraham.

2020
Cons­truc­tion of the Ein Stein Tee Haus designed by the architect Terunobu Fujimori.

2024
Comple­tion of reno­va­tion work and reinstal­la­tion of the permanent coll­ec­tion in the Labyrinth at Museum Insel Hombroich.

2026
Comple­tion of reno­va­tion work and reinstal­la­tion of the archive and library.