Basel Historical Museum, Basel, Switzerland

Opened in 1894, the Basel Historical Museum is one of the largest and most important museums of its kind in Switzerland. The museum is divided into four sections (buildings), three of which are within the city of Basel. These are Barfüsserkirche, Haus zum Kirschgarten and the Musikmuseum. The fourth section, the Coach and Carriage Museum lies slightly outside Basel, in the neighbouring town of Münchenstein.

The main part of the museum is located in the Barfüsserkirche in the centre of Basel. The museum houses the Upper Rhine’s most comprehensive cultural history collection and the display area covers 6,200 square meters. The exhibition presents objects documenting handicraft traditions and everyday culture from ages past. Its focus is on the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance up to the Baroque period.

Leading highlights include: the Basel Cathedral treasure, the Basel and Strasbourg tapestries, the fragments of Basel’s dance of death, altars and ecclesiastical graphic works, the estate of Erasmus of Rotterdam, the coin cabinet and glass painting. The museum also preserves old cabinets of curiosities which have been bequeathed, as Amerbach cabinet and Faesch cabinet, which works great collectors Basel sixteenth and seventeenth century.

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Museums in Switzerland

User Reviews

Jip Janneke (2 years ago)
Very nice museum about the history of Basel describing past to present. Well balanced account also about the darker episodes. Beautiful collection. Loved the rarities cabinet. Also good explanations regarding living conditions overtime.

Julien Dyminski (3 years ago)
This place should be name "treasures of Basel", for it displays some absolutely gorgeous items, that imply very rare levels of craftsmanship. Would only be better if there was an option to get explanations in English or French.

George Sorrells (3 years ago)
Not as grand as the Landesmuseum in Zürich or the museum in Bern, but by the far the best city museum I have seen in Switzerland. The collection is very extensive and extends to multiple buildings. If you are a history nerd, like me, you can spend hours here. Get the tablet or e guide to pair with your visit. I am looking forward to returning.

Michael Wu PhD (3 years ago)
Very popular museum with a big plaza fill with plenty of people eating at lunch time.

Emma Sheeran (3 years ago)
Such a fascinating museum. Unexpectedly large so allow a good chunk of time to visit!

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Before the arrival of Christianity in Sweden, Gamla Uppsala was the seat of Swedish kings and a ceremonial site known all over northern Europe. The settlement was home to royal palaces, a royal burial ground, and a great pagan temple. The Uppsala temple, which was described in detail by Adam of Bremen in the 1070s, housed wooden statues of the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Freyr. A golden chain hung across its gables and the inside was richly decorated with gold. The temple had priests, who sacrificed to the gods according to the needs of the people.

The first Christian cathedral was probably built in the 11th century, but finished in the 12th century. The stone building may have been preceded by a wooden church and probably by the large pagan temple.

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