In 1928/29, sculptor Georg Kolbe (1877–1947) had a home and studio built at the edge of Berlin's Grunewald forest where the Georg Kolbe Museum now stands. Featuring cubist brick buildings, the ensemble is an impressive example of the "Neues Bauen" ("New Building") architectural movement in Berlin. A number of Kolbe's sculptures representing his different creative periods are exhibited in the garden and sculpture courtyard. One particular eye-catcher is the "Tänzerinnen-Brunnen" ("Fountain of Dancers") from 1922.
As its name suggests, the museum focuses on the sculptures and drawings of Georg Kolbe. Among the roughly 200 mostly bronze sculptures are many one-time pieces. The collection is complemented by works created by other sculptors active in the first half of the 20th century, including Ernst Barlach, Rudolf Belling, Hermann Blumenthal, Ernesto de Fiori, August Gaul, Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Gerhard Marcks and Renée Sintenis.
A number of changing exhibitions are devoted to individual aspects of the work of Georg Kolbe and his contemporaries; these exhibitions serve to interpret the artworks against the backdrop of the eras in which they were created. A second focus is placed on contemporary sculpture. The forms and limits of contemporary sculpture are explored in a number of thematic exhibitions to which international artists are invited.