Abegg Foundation

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Abegg Foundation

The Abegg Foundation is a textile museum and textile science institute in Riggisberg , Canton Bern , Switzerland .

history

Werner Abegg , a textile industrialist from Zurich, began collecting textiles as a young man . He soon expanded his collection to include objects of applied art. In 1961, he donated the Abegg Foundation named after him from his private collection with a museum and scientific institute. The first director was the architect and art historian Michael Stettler . The work of the textile restorer Mechthild Flury-Lemberg between 1963 and 1994 contributed significantly to the reputation .

In 1967 the foundation moved into a representative plot of land on the outskirts of the Bernese rural community of Riggisberg , designed by the architect Gyula Széchényi and designed by Michael Stettler . Two additional exhibition rooms were built in 1970/71. From 1984 to 1987 the exhibition rooms were reorganized and a photo studio was created. From 1996 to 1998, new extensions for the book and textile magazines, archive, offices and the textile conservation studio were necessary.

Between 2009 and 2011, the exhibition rooms were completely refurbished and additional magazines were added.

New museum concept

During the two-year construction period (2009/11), the exhibition wing for the art collection was completely renewed. A light ceiling made of frosted glass was installed through which thousands of LED lamps illuminate the sensitive exhibits without harmful UV rays .

The large room was separated into the two longitudinal axes of the Silk Road and the Europe / Mediterranean area with large triangular wall elements , where the exhibits are on display due to their geographical origin. The objects are arranged chronologically along the two time axes. Passages between the wall elements allow the two cultural areas to be compared over time and use the textiles and individual paintings to show the influence of Chinese culture on Europe and the Mediterranean region. At the back of the room there is an area for temporary exhibitions.

collection

The museum comprises a collection of more than 7000 art-historically valuable textiles, which range from the beginnings to the beginning of the 19th century. This collection is still being added to after the death of the founder (1984). The inventory includes one of the world's most important collections of Coptic wall hangings , fabrics from the Islamic cultural area, velvets and fabrics from the Gothic and Renaissance periods from Italy, baroque textiles from France, Italy and England as well as linen damasks from the 16th to 19th centuries.

The museum also has a smaller collection of ceramics, paintings and handicrafts. This part is complete.

Every summer, a special exhibition on a specific topic is set up, which is documented in an extensive catalog. Since 2003, the villa of the donor couple can also be visited as part of guided tours (reopening after renovation work in 2012).

Institute

Next to the museum there is an institute for research and restoration of old textiles. Research with its own academic staff and guest researchers from all over the world is one of the foundation's most important tasks. A course in textile preservation with a bachelor's degree is offered in cooperation with the University of the Arts in Bern. In addition, a Master's degree can be obtained from the Abegg Foundation . Among other things, the two Zittau lent cloths were restored here, combined with detailed documentation.

Attached is an art history specialist library with more than 60,000 volumes and 200 current journals.

Publications

literature

  • Michael Stettler : The Abegg Foundation Bern in Riggisberg , du. The magazine of culture , year 28/1968, issue 5
  • Michael Stettler ; Karel Otavsky (collaborator): Abegg Foundation Bern in Riggisberg , Haupt (Schweizer Heimatbücher 150/151), Bern 1971, ISBN 3-258-02042-6 .
  • Karel Otavsky: Abegg Foundation Riggisberg. History and guide of the collection . Abegg Foundation, Riggisberg 1989.
  • Hans Christoph Ackermann: The Abegg Foundation in Riggisberg. In: Ueli Eichner (Ed.): Riggisberg. From the past and present of a rural community. Stämpfli, Bern 1998, pp. 188-195.
  • Catherine Depierraz: Treasures of the Abegg Foundation . Abegg Foundation, Riggisberg 2003, ISBN 3-905014-21-1
  • Hermann Fillitz : The Beginnings of the Werner Abegg Collection / Les débuts de la Collection Werner Abegg . Abegg Foundation, Riggisberg 2003, ISBN 3-905014-20-3

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Stettler : The Abegg Foundation Bern in Riggisberg , du. The magazine of culture , year 28/1968, issue 5
  2. ↑ Abegg Foundation open to visitors again

Coordinates: 46 ° 48 ′ 56 "  N , 7 ° 29 ′ 41"  E ; CH1903:  604 280  /  one hundred eighty-four thousand nine hundred thirty-five