Agenda

The exhibition shows the conditions under which the old Confederation was formed in the Middle Ages (12th-14th centuries). The history of today’s Confederation goes back more than 700 years. The relations between king, church, nobility and peasants and the emerging written language, cities and trade provide insights into this period of upheaval. The “Schwarze Stube” provides an insight into a medieval house. The building dated from 1311 and was saved from demolition. The communities of the people inhabiting the valleys around the Lake of Lucerne, the significance of their treaties (Bündnisse) and the role of the rural assemblies (Landsgemeinde) are shown. The exhibition also deals with William Tell, Arnold von Winkelried, and the Rütli legend. 

The exhibition explores the question of what makes Switzerland what it is today. What binds a community together? Initially one might assume it is to do with having the same language, external enemies or economic interests. However, something generally precedes all that: common ideas that are passed down from generation to generation and that shape the development of the community. These ideas lend a distinctiveness to the collective and eventually form the foundation of a national identity. The exhibition presents selected works by four authors whose ideas contributed to creating the image of contemporary Switzerland: Henri Dunant (1828-1910), Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), Jean Calvin and Petermann Etterlin (1430-1509). The textual references are supplemented by the Gotthard relief, the Dufour map and numerous data records relating to Switzerland.

In the 20th century, Swiss designers and producers had clear ideas about perfect furnishing. At the outset, the abstract form was a theme. In the 1930s, flexible tubular steel furniture was developed, and in the mid 20th century the unity of elegant form and practical function was propagated. Around 1968, everyday culture and pop art began conquering the living room. A decade later, the post-modern variety of styles was celebrated until the end of the century, when the minimalist tradition was rediscovered. Seven sample rooms, furnished with highlights from the collection, present the most important trends in Swiss furniture design of the modern age and trace changing lifestyles. Advertising brochures and historical photographs complete this exciting journey through time.