Permanent Exhibition

Switzerland on the Move, 1750-1920

Extending over three floors, the main exhibition at Château de Prangins offers visitors a chance to immerse themselves in Swiss history, from the Enlightenment to the beginning of the 20th century. The approach is thematic, examining life in Switzerland in the years from 1750 to 1920 from cultural, political, economic and social perspectives.
“Switzerland on the Move” explains how the country developed from the cantons of the Ancien Régime, unequal in size and influence, to a state that is transformed economically, becoming massively industrialised and more democratic. It reveals how, in 1848, the Swiss Confederation became the most modern federal state in Europe, at a time when the majority of revolutions elsewhere on the continent were failing.

A new look for Château de Prangins

During 2012, work will be going on throughout the ground floor in preparation for the new permanent exhibition focusing on the lifestyles and daily occupations of the château’s inhabitants in the 18th century. A complete restoration of the traditional décor will recreate the spirit of the age. Through ceremonial halls with sumptuous wall coverings and grand furniture and the library of an Enlightenment man, via decorative and everyday objects, visitors can trace the life of the baron of Prangins. “Noblesse oblige! Countryhouse life in the 18th Century” opens in spring 2013.