The ' ("Geneva Ethnography Museum") is one of the most important ethnographic museums in Switzerland.
History
The MEG, or Geneva Museum of Ethnography, was founded on 25 September 1901, on the initiative of Professor
Eugène Pittard Eugène Pittard (1867–1962) was a Swiss anthropologist notable for his work ''Les Races et l'Histoire'' published in 1924.
Early life
Pittard was born in Plainpalais, Geneva, on June 5, 1867. Even as a child, Pittard showed a predilectio ...
(1867-1962), who also held the first Chair of Anthropology at the
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin as a theological seminary. It remained focused on theology until the 17th centur ...
. It was first housed in Mon Repos villa. Pittard brought together public and private collections, mainly the ethnographic collections of the Archaeology Museum and the
Musée Ariana
The Musée Ariana, also known as the Musée suisse de la céramique et du verre (''Swiss Museum of Ceramics and Glass''), is a museum in Geneva, Switzerland. It is devoted to ceramic art, ceramic and Art glass, glass artwork, and contains around ...
, the holdings of the Evangelical Missionary Society Museum and weapons from the Geneva History Museum.
In 1939, the MEG moved into the disused buildings of the Mail primary school in boulevard Carl Vogt. It opened in the new premises on 12 July 1941, sharing the space with the Anthropology Department of the University until 1967. The building was extended in 1949; in 1975 the city bought the Lombard villa in
Chêne-Bougeries
Chêne-Bougeries is a municipality in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland.
History
Chêne-Bougeries is first mentioned in 1270 as ''Quercus''. In 1801 it was mentioned as ''Chêne-les-Bougeries''.
Chêne-Bougeries was inhabited for most of its his ...
, which became the Conches annex.
Between 1980 and 2001, three proposals to build a new museum in Sturm Square were rejected. The city then envisaged renovating and extending the building on its present site. The City Council unanimously approved the project on 21 March 2007.
The MEG’s new pagoda-shaped building was opened on 31 October 2014, after four years of construction work. It was designed by Graber Pulver Architekten AG, with ACAU architecture and town planning, in partnership with the civil engineering firm Weber + Brönnimann EG. The galleries and an auditorium are located in the basement; the cafeteria, museum shop and ticket office are on the ground floor, facing the garden. Upstairs are restoration and cultural outreach workshops, as well as the library, which is named after a generous patron, Marie Madeleine Lancoux. The library includes a small space for listening to music from all over the world. The old building has also been renovated and now houses the offices and ethnomusicology workshops. The three buildings in the ensemble - the old museum, the new MEG and a primary school – enclose a small square planted with trees and flowers.
The museum is on the
.
References
External links
Site du Musée d'ethnographie de Genève
{{DEFAULTSORT:Musee ethnographie Geneve
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...
Museums in Geneva
Museums established in 1901
1901 establishments in Switzerland
Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Geneva