History of Switzerland
The new exhibition «History of Switzerland»
© The Swiss National Museums
«History of Switzerland» reveals Swiss history from the earliest times
to the present day, looking at four thematic areas. The first section
shows the history of migration and settlement, the second examines
religious and intellectual history, in the third Swiss political history
is looked at and the fourth section focusses on the economic
develop-ment of the country.
Collections Gallery
The new exhibition «Collections Gallery»
© The Swiss National Museums
«Collections Gallery» offers for the first time a representative
overview of our own collections. Twenty displays show craft products of
the highest quality. The Swiss National Museum possess more than 820,000
objects, the largest collection covering cultural history and Swiss
handicraft.
Swiss homes & furnishings
A living room from around 1970. Individual and unconventional pieces of furniture characterize the room. © Swiss National Museum
The exhibition 'Swiss homes & furnishings» presents interiors and furniture from the Swiss National Museum’s own collection. At its core are the reconstructed period rooms that helped establish the museum’s international reputation. Swiss furniture from the 20th century is on display in the spaces in front of the rooms. The exhibition shows how people’s needs of their home environment have changed over the centuries, and how furniture and rooms have been adapted to suit the new circumstances.
Scenography: atelier oï-sa, La Neuveville
Publication accompanying the exhibition: Pocket guide «Swiss Furniture and Interiors». A guide to the exhibition with examples of exhibits. 84 pp., in colour, with numerous illustrations, available in D/E or F/I. CHF 5.00
 Period room from Fraumünster Abbey in Zurich, built in 1489 by Cäcilia Helfenstein. © Swiss National Museum |
 Useable living room with contemporary furniture supplied by Swiss manufacturers and designers. © Swiss National Museum |
 Garden chair, 1945, Willy Guhl, Eternit. © Swiss National Museum |
Armoury Tower
The
Swiss National Museum’s collection of arms, of both national and
international
significance, is based on the contents of the old Zurich Armoury.
The collection on view in
the Armoury Tower is grouped thematically, encompassing everything from
such Mediaeval equipment as upper-body armour and jousting helmets from
Gesslerburg in Küssnacht, canton of Schwyz, to Baroque ceremonial and
status
pieces and Swiss Army uniforms of the 19th and 20th
centuries. The various types of weapons, uniforms and equipment are
shown and explained in their historical context.
Fame & Booty.
Diorama of the Battle of Murten
Scene at the Diorama. The Burgundian camp.
©Swiss National Museum
The battle of Murten was decisive for the military reputation of the Old Swiss Confederacy. Their victory over Duke Charles the Bold on 22 June 1476 brought the Confederates much fame and rich booty. Anyone interested in visualising the battle can do so at the National Museum Zurich. The Murten diorama, a three-dimensional military-historical miniature, depicts the battle in four stages.
Scene in the Diorama. The Burgundian camp.
©Swiss National Museum
Coin cabinet
’Power and vanity’ at the National Museum Zurich
©Swiss National Museum
For 2000 years, payment transactions were dominated by coins. The most beautiful ones can be seen at the National Museum Zurich. From the coins in the Middle Ages, with their stylised representations of heads and symbols of power, via the gold coins and silver pennies of the 14th and 15th century, to the large silver coins from the 16th century, with their portraits and entire picture scenes. They are all displayed in the coin cabinet. And thanks to enlargements on the screen, the artistic depictions can be seen clearly in detail.
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