Faith with Humour. A Prayer Book from Northern France

11 December 2025 – 17 May 2026

The psalter-breviary from Laon

Book decoration on every single page: with this precious manuscript from the period around 1300, the Museum Schnütgen has succeeded in acquiring a special new work. It is a magnificent example of French Gothic manuscript illumination.
The psalter-breviary was made for the Premonstratensian Abbey of St. Martin in Laon, located approximately 140 km northeast of Paris. The manuscript was kept at the abbey until the French Revolution, and afterwards in the collection of the Dukes of Arenberg and various private collections. It is now being made accessible to the public for the first time and shown in a special presentation.

From the Calendar to the Psalms
On 900 decorated pages, the work combines the biblical psalms – the basis of medieval prayer books – with a book of the canonical hours for clergy. A calendar at the beginning of the manuscript provides an overview of the feasts of the saints and is of particular appeal owing to its painted decoration. The calendar also features the signs of the zodiac – from Aquarius in January to Capricorn, here more a unicorn, in December – as well as representations of the typical monthly activities.

Insights into Medieval Life
With the lively design of the margins, the decorative pages are particularly magnificent. Here, everything is in motion: hybrid creatures with human heads and various animals frolic in the sprouting tendrils. Small figures go about different activities. The cheerful and playful marginal images also offer insights into everyday life in the Middle Ages, showing such things as ball and throwing games as well as scenes of bagpipe players and jugglers from annual markets. Sometimes they appear as humorous commentaries on the solemn prayer texts.
The exhibition vividly shows how French manuscript illumination served as a model for manuscript production in Cologne. A total of four loans from private collections and the Erzbischöfliche Dom- und Diözesanbibliothek in Cologne help to place the recently acquired work in an international context.

It is also possible to leaf through a selection of pages in the manuscript digitally and discover some of the humorous details.

The manuscript was acquired with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung and the Harald und Gertrud Kühnen Stiftung.
A richly illustrated monographic publication on the work, published by Hirmer Publishers in German and English, is published to accompany the exhibition: Karen Straub: Faith with Humour. A Psalter-Breviary, c. 1300, from Laon, Munich 2025 (120 pages, 103 colour ill.).
The realisation of the exhibition and publication was supported by the Kölner Kulturstiftung der Kreissparkasse Köln and the Freundeskreis Museum Schnütgen e. V. (Friends of the Museum).

Admission

Adult ticket permanent collection: 6 €, concession: 3.50 €
Combo ticket Museum Schnütgen and Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum: 10 €, concession: 7 €
Group rate permanent collection (from 10 persons): 3.50 € per person

Concession tickets: for students

Free admission: for children under 6 years of age when accompanied by an adult, school students, apprentices, Cologne residents under 18 years of age, holders of the Köln-Pass and for Friends of the Museum.

Free opening weekend from December 13 until 14

The programme will be held in German:

Samstag, 13. Dezember 2025

12:00–14:00
Zauberhafte Buchwesen – Fantasie im Mittelalter entdecken!
Kinder ab 7 Jahre, (Referentin: Karina Castellini)
Um Anmeldung wird gebeten: museenkoeln

15:00 Uhr
Eine Stunde Mittelalter mit Einblick in die Sonderausstellung „Glaube mit Humor. Ein Gebetbuch aus Nordfrankreich“
Führung
Veranstalter: Museumsdienst Köln

16:00 Uhr
Licht in dunklen Zeiten – Mittelalterliche Glasmalerei aus dem Khanenko Museum in Kyjiw zu Gast im Museum Schnütgen
Führung
Referentin: Corinna Fehrenbach
Veranstalter: Museum Schnütgen
Teilnahme frei

17 Uhr
Direktorenführung: „Glaube mit Humor. Ein Gebetbuch aus Nordfrankreich“ mit Dr. Moritz Woelk
Veranstalter: Museum Schnütgen

Sonntag, 14. Dezember 2025

14:30 Uhr
Wege durch die Sammlung:
Licht in dunklen Zeiten. Mittelalterliche Glasmalerei aus dem Khanenko Museum in Kyjiw
Führung
Veranstalter: Ehrenamtlicher Arbeitskreis des Museum Schnütgen
Teilnahme frei

16 Uhr
Kuratorinnenführung: Glaube mit Humor. Ein Gebetbuch aus Nordfrankreich mit Dr. Karen Straub, Kuratorin der Ausstellung
Veranstalter: Museum Schnütgen

Guided Tours with the curator in German

Kuratorinnenführungen mit Dr. Karen Straub

Donnerstag, 11. Dezember, 17 Uhr
Sonntag, 14. Dezember, 16 Uhr
Donnerstag, 19. Februar, 17 Uhr
Donnerstag, 19. März, 17 Uhr
Donnerstag, 9. April, 17 Uhr
Donnerstag, 7. Mai, 17 Uhr

For Kids! (In German only)

Samstag, 13. Dezember 2025

12:00–14:00
Zauberhafte Buchwesen – Fantasie im Mittelalter entdecken!
Kinder ab 7 Jahre, (Referentin: Karina Castellini)
Um Anmeldung wird gebeten: museenkoeln

Samstag, 27. Dezember 2025

Sonntag, 8. Februar 2026

Samstag, 2. Mai 2026