The Swiss National Museum was officially inaugurated on 25 June 1898.
The Swiss National Museum consists of: National Museum Zurich, Forum of Swiss History Schwyz, Château de Prangins, Collection Centre.
The Swiss National Museum houses an extensive and diverse collection that spans Switzerland's cultural history from prehistoric times to the present day. With over 870,000 objects, the museum's holdings are organized into 14 distinct collection groups, each offering unique insights into various aspects of Swiss heritage.
Key Collection Groups:
- Archaeology: Artifacts from the Palaeolithic Age to the early Middle Ages, including significant prehistoric tools and Bronze Age items.
- Silver and Non-Ferrous Metals: Sacral and secular goldwork objects from the 12th to the 21st century.
- Graphic Arts, Photographs, Illuminated Manuscripts & Facsimiles: Drawings, graphic reproductions, illuminations, manuscripts, facsimiles, and historic photographs.
- Ceramics & Glass: Medieval ceramic vessels, dishes made and used in Switzerland, figurines, sculptures, and reliefs.
- Carriages, Sledges & Wagons: Representative examples of various carriages, magnificent sledges from different periods, and typical agricultural wagons.
- Painting & Sculpture: Paintings emphasizing ecclesiastical and historical art, portraiture, and the world's largest collection of stained glass.
- Furniture & Interiors: A comprehensive array of Swiss-designed and produced furniture, representing the largest public furniture collection in Switzerland.
- Numismatics & Seals: Coins, medals, banknotes, securities, credit cards, coin-minting dies, and the most important collection of seals in Switzerland.
- Jewellery & Timepieces: Jewellery from the 18th to 21st centuries and a representative cross-section of clockmaking over the last 500 years.
- Special Collections: Toys, musical instruments (with a focus on military music), customs-related items, baking moulds, tin figures/casting moulds, and the Hallwil Collection.
- Technology & Traditions: Objects from everyday life, crafts and trades, workshop equipment, computers, electrical devices, communication means, and measuring instruments.
- Textiles & Fashion: Fabrics, clothing, accessories, traditional costumes, church paraments, and flags, including the most comprehensive textile collection in Switzerland.
- Weaponry & Uniforms: Switzerland's most significant collection of weaponry from the High Middle Ages to the mid-20th century, along with uniforms, headgear, equipment, and decorations.
- Witnesses to History: Artifacts reflecting social, political, economic, and cultural events shaping Switzerland from 1945 to the present day.
The Swiss National Museum offers a total area exceeding 9,400 square meters.
