This museum founded in 1886 stands out thanks to the diversity of its collection. The collection consists of Egyptian art, pre- and protohistory, urban history, European crafts as well as 20th century paintings and present-day art. It has been on display since 1993 in the new museum building designed by the internationally renowned Danish architects Jorgen Bo And Vilhelm Wohlert.

During the crafts movement at the end of the 19th century, Gustav Lübcke – Hamm collector and art dealer – brought together a comprehensive collection of non-European and European crafts from the Middle Ages to the Biedermeier period.

This crafts collection has been added to with objects from the art nouveau period, new realism pieces as well as contemporary design objects by major international designers. This part of the museum is on display in a tour from the Middle Ages to the present. The objects are from all areas of crafts: furniture, metal work, glass, ceramics, porcelain, textiles as well as including ceramic works by Pablo Picasso and A.R.Penck or chairs from J. Ch. de Castelbajac.

A main focal point is the modern glass collection, which reflects the diversity of the modern glass style from glassware to high-quality decorative glass. Modern and contemporary craft designs as well as traditional commercial arts have been brought together here and offer the observer a stimulating encounter with the various periods. Westphalia’s contribution to the modern artistic current in the first half of the 20th century produced paintings and graphic designs by outstanding expressionist artists such as Emil Nolde, August Macke and Christian Rohlfs, Wilhelm Morgner and Hermann Stenner.

In addition to the work of early German informel artists, a further focal point of the collection is post-war art. Works by Felix Droese, Horst Gläsker, Barbara Heinisch, Antonius Höckelmann, Thomas Lange and Bernd Zimmer are examples of contemporary art on display.