The Jewish Museum of Switzerland in Basel marks its 60th anniversary. For six decades, the museum has played a central role in presenting Jewish history, culture and contemporary life in Switzerland, establishing itself as a key institution for education, remembrance and dialogue. The SIG warmly congratulates the museum on this milestone and recognises its enduring contribution to making Jewish life visible and preserving Jewish cultural heritage.
Since its opening 60 years ago, the Jewish Museum of Switzerland has provided a space for encounters with Jewish religion, tradition and culture, while fostering a deeper understanding of the diversity of Jewish life in Switzerland. Its founding director, Dr Katia Guth-Dreyfus, led the institution from 1966 to 2010 and decisively shaped its development over nearly five decades. Her vision and commitment helped establish the museum as a respected and influential part of the Swiss museum landscape.
The origins of the Jewish Museum of Switzerland lie in the initiative of members of the Jewish association Espérance. During a visit to the exhibition Monumenta Judaica in Cologne in 1963–64, they encountered ritual objects from Basel and were inspired to make such artefacts accessible to the public in their own city. Two years later, the museum opened on Kornhausgasse in Basel as the first Jewish museum in the German-speaking world after the Second World War.
From its modest beginnings with just two exhibition rooms, the museum has developed into a national institution over the decades. Its collections have been steadily expanded and now include testimonies of Jewish life from Basel, the Surbtal region, other parts of Switzerland and across Europe. Among its most significant treasures are the Lengnau Mappot, a unique collection of Torah binders spanning almost three centuries of Jewish history.
With the opening of the new building on Vesalgasse in Basel at the end of 2025, the museum entered a new chapter. A former tobacco warehouse was extensively renovated and now offers significantly more space for exhibitions, education and research. The new permanent exhibition presents the history and present of Judaism in Switzerland in a contemporary and accessible way, creating a dynamic space for exchange and reflection.
Its proximity to the historic Jewish cemetery further anchors the museum in a site of long-standing Jewish presence. In doing so, the new building strengthens the museum’s role as a cultural hub and a place of encounter that reaches far beyond the Jewish community.
The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) has maintained a close relationship with the Jewish Museum of Switzerland for many years. The preservation and transmission of Jewish cultural heritage are among its core responsibilities, and the museum makes an essential contribution to this mission by sharing knowledge, safeguarding memory and promoting dialogue.
Through its representation on the museum’s board and on the patronage committee of the new building, the SIG supports this work both strategically and organisationally.
On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, the SIG extended its warmest congratulations to the entire museum team, and in particular to President Nadia Guth Biasini and Director Dr Naomi Lubrich, for their tireless dedication, vision and commitment.
