Agenda

For citizens of Basel, the Renaissance was also a period of music. Music was (and is) an essential part of cultural life. They sang Parisian chansons, played Polish lute songs or collected musical instruments. The exhibition shows musical objects and manuscripts from the musical experience in this city of humanists, publishers and scholars. The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, the Department of Musicology of the University of Basel and the University Library of Basel.

Andreas Christen (1936-2006) was a designer and artist. As a designer, he created objects for daily use, which were produced in large series and over many years. In his artistic work, the distinction between the work and the object is a prerequisite. The objects unfold in the space, which they accentuate and measure. Human objects represent the cultural achievements in which we live and at the same time claim the living space. His figurative art comes into its own in the small but unique Rappaz museum.

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.