Historical Museum Basel
Encyclopedia
Opened in 1894, the Basel Historical Museum is one of the largest and most important museums of its kind in Switzerland
, and a heritage site of national significance
.
. 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
.
’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 Age
s 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, altar
s 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.
of Basel-City
. Its origins lie with the Amerbach family in the 16th century whose Wunderkammer was bought by Basel 1661 and brought to the public 1671. The cultural history objects of this Wunderkammer, together with the ones of other collections, became the Historisches Museum Basel in 1894.
and ribbon
industry and for Colonel Johann Rudolf Burckhardt. The house is considered to be the most aristocratic palace in the area. The architect was Ulrich Büchel. After various changes in the ownership, the house was connected to the neighbouring building and a home-living museum was installed.
The privately owned Coach and Carriage Museum, section can be found in a barn on the elevated plain above Brüglingen in the Park im Grünen/"Merian
Park" in Münchenstein
, on the southeast boarder of Basel. The museum building and the grounds belong to the Christoph Merian Stiftung
.
In 1837 the architect Melchior Berri
developed a farm house with an outbuilding with stables, a short distance north of the manor house Villa Merian
, in Vorder-Brüglingen, (the area in "front" of Brüglingen). The original barn caught fire and completely burnt out in 1905. The existing replacement building is from 1906.
The exhibition concentrates on coaches and sleighs from the 18th to the 20th century that belonged to Basel family estate. It documents transport, mobility and is an attest to the excellent workmanship of Basel's coachbuilders during this period. Shown are further attractions such as hunting carriages, dog carts, phaetons, coupés and landaus, as well as mail coaches, commercial horse-drawn vehicles, children's coaches and sleighs. Further exhibits are, for example, accessories such as harnesses and coachmen's liveries.
(CMS).
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and a heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
Four Sections
The museum is divided into four sections (buildings), three of which are within the city of BaselBasel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
. 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
Münchenstein
Münchenstein is a municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland.-Historical records:Münchenstein is first mentioned in 1196 as Kekingen. In 1270 it was mentioned as Geckingen and in 1279 as Munchenstein.* 1259: The hamlet and the mill, between "Neue...
.
Location and History
The main part of the museum is located in the Barfüsserkirche (literally ‘Barefeet Church’) in the centre of the city of Basel.Items in the exhibition
The museum houses the Upper RhineUpper Rhine
The Upper Rhine is the section of the Rhine in the Upper Rhine Plain between Basel, Switzerland and Bingen, Germany. The river is marked by Rhine-kilometers 170 to 529 ....
’s most comprehensive cultural history
Cultural history
The term cultural history refers both to an academic discipline and to its subject matter.Cultural history, as a discipline, at least in its common definition since the 1970s, often combines the approaches of anthropology and history to look at popular cultural traditions and cultural...
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 Age
Middle age
Middle age is the period of age beyond young adulthood but before the onset of old age. Various attempts have been made to define this age, which is around the third quarter of the average life span of human beings....
s and the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
up to the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
period. Leading highlights include: the Basel Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
, the Basel and Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
tapestries
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
, the fragments of Basel’s dance of death, altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
s and ecclesiastical graphic works, the estate of Erasmus of Rotterdam, the coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
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.
Management
The museum is managed by the cantonCantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Basel-City
Basel-City
Basel-Stadt is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. The city of Basel and the municipalities of Bettingen and Riehen form its territory.-History:...
. Its origins lie with the Amerbach family in the 16th century whose Wunderkammer was bought by Basel 1661 and brought to the public 1671. The cultural history objects of this Wunderkammer, together with the ones of other collections, became the Historisches Museum Basel in 1894.
Location and History
The Haus zum Kirschgarten (House to the Cherry garden) was built between 1777 and 1780 for the Basel trim (sewing)Trim (sewing)
Trim or trimming in clothing and home decorating is applied ornament, such as gimp, passementerie, ribbon, ruffles, or, as a verb, to apply such ornament....
and ribbon
Ribbon
A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily for binding and tying. Cloth ribbons, most commonly silk, are often used in connection with clothing, but are also applied for innumerable useful, ornamental and symbolic purposes...
industry and for Colonel Johann Rudolf Burckhardt. The house is considered to be the most aristocratic palace in the area. The architect was Ulrich Büchel. After various changes in the ownership, the house was connected to the neighbouring building and a home-living museum was installed.
Items in the exhibition
Most of the 50 exhibition rooms are dedicated to showing typical common living space in Basel during the 18th and 19th century. Shown are varying furnitures, paintings, porcelain and toys and has been extended by a professional collection.Location and History
The music museum is situated over the Barfüsserplatz, opposite the Barfüsserkirche.Items in the exhibition
In 21 exhibition rooms over fie centuries of euopean music history is displayed. The exhibition ha three main points- Instruments from the 16th to the 20th century
- Concerts, choirs and dance
- Parades, ceremony and signal-to-noise
Location and History
The Coach and Carriage Museum (Kutschenmuseum) was opened during 1981 as the fourth section of the Basel Historical Museum.The privately owned Coach and Carriage Museum, section can be found in a barn on the elevated plain above Brüglingen in the Park im Grünen/"Merian
Christoph Merian
Christoph Merian was a banker and businessman. He was the son of Christoph Merian senior and Valeria Hoffmann and married in 1824 to Margarethe Burckhardt from Basel.He was the owner of a large estate, agriculturist and rentier. He was one of the richest Swiss men of that time...
Park" in Münchenstein
Münchenstein
Münchenstein is a municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland.-Historical records:Münchenstein is first mentioned in 1196 as Kekingen. In 1270 it was mentioned as Geckingen and in 1279 as Munchenstein.* 1259: The hamlet and the mill, between "Neue...
, on the southeast boarder of Basel. The museum building and the grounds belong to the Christoph Merian Stiftung
Christoph Merian Stiftung
The Christoph Merian Stiftung is a non-profit-making public utility institution, with its seat in Basel . Up until 1972 the institution was named Chr. Merian’sche Stiftung.-Foundation:...
.
In 1837 the architect Melchior Berri
Melchior Berri
Melchior Berri was a well-known Swiss architect.He was the son of Melchior Berri and Appollonia Streckeisen. In 1832 he married Margaretha Simone Burckhardt of Basel....
developed a farm house with an outbuilding with stables, a short distance north of the manor house Villa Merian
Villa Merian
The Villa Merian, with its English Garden, stands on the elevated plain above Brüglingen in Münchenstein, in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland.-Geographical location:...
, in Vorder-Brüglingen, (the area in "front" of Brüglingen). The original barn caught fire and completely burnt out in 1905. The existing replacement building is from 1906.
Items in the exhibition
The museum exhibits:- luxury carriagesCarriageA carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
- WagonWagonA wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
s, Horse-drawn vehicleHorse-drawn vehicleA horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load...
s - StagecoachStagecoachA stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
s - SledSledA sled, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle with a smooth underside or possessing a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners that travels by sliding across a surface. Most sleds are used on surfaces with low friction, such as snow or ice. In some cases,...
ges and sleighs - Children's Coaches and Sleighs
The exhibition concentrates on coaches and sleighs from the 18th to the 20th century that belonged to Basel family estate. It documents transport, mobility and is an attest to the excellent workmanship of Basel's coachbuilders during this period. Shown are further attractions such as hunting carriages, dog carts, phaetons, coupés and landaus, as well as mail coaches, commercial horse-drawn vehicles, children's coaches and sleighs. Further exhibits are, for example, accessories such as harnesses and coachmen's liveries.
Management
The Coach and Carriage Museum is managed by the Christoph Merian StiftungChristoph Merian Stiftung
The Christoph Merian Stiftung is a non-profit-making public utility institution, with its seat in Basel . Up until 1972 the institution was named Chr. Merian’sche Stiftung.-Foundation:...
(CMS).