Description of the attraction
The Swiss Jewish Museum is the only museum in Switzerland dedicated to the culture and history of the Jews. It is located in the center of Basel, next to the university and close to the synagogue. The museum is small in size - four rooms - and is open three times a week. It focuses on ritual subjects important to Jewish law, the Jewish calendar, and the daily life of Jewish families. Here you will find medieval tombstones, Torah scrolls, pottery, printed texts and documents written in Hebrew. All exhibits illustrate the history of Jews living in Basel from the 13th century onwards.
The museum was created in order to introduce visitors to Jewish customs and ceremonies. The exhibits on display are grouped as follows: Jewish Law, Jewish Year, Jewish Daily Life, and Jewish History. Of particular importance are the Judaics brought from Endingen and Lengnau, the so-called Jewish settlements in Switzerland. Medieval gravestones are located in the courtyard. The documents presented in the museum focus on the history of the First and Second World Wars.
An additional part of the museum is dedicated to the publications of Theodor Herzl and the Jewish conventions in Basel. In recent years, many documents from the Second World War have been added to the collection.
