Hexenmuseum Schweiz

Description

The exhibition "WITCHES" presents the witch trials in Switzerland and Europe, highlighting their impact on the present day. 

This includes presenting the results of our intensive research on the remaining trial records in Swiss archives and illustrating all aspects that have been and still are associated with the term witch. 

The exhibition opens a window into the history of Swiss folklore and superstition, tells legends, revives the customs of our ancestors, explains the use of amulets and witch plants, and searches for the universal remedy through unconventional early healing methods. Magic and spells are among the oldest records from all regions of the world. With Harry Potter, these have been brought to our awareness again today. But where does the origin of Abracadabra and other hocus pocus lie? 

Health and happiness are central themes in human life. In times of poor medical care, which were also shaped by a worldview that accepted as divinely ordained whatever happened, people had little rational opposition to threatening life situations. Besides prayers, religious customs, and rituals, a variety of plants, minerals, fossils, animals, and animal products were used for healing purposes as well as to influence personal fate, protect against countless dangers to body and soul, ward off witches and demons, and prevent natural disasters. 

The Witch Museum Switzerland offers a neutral yet professional framework to engage with these exciting topics and gather information. 

The Witch Museum Switzerland is the only one of its kind in German-speaking Europe. 
Our collection includes over 1,300 exhibits related to the theme. 
Witches still appear to us in everyday life through our language today, with expressions like "it´s not rocket science" or "I can´t work miracles," "as if by magic," which we all know and use. The "witch hunt" and the rather unfriendly term for a certain type of women as "weather witches" are still common. Anyone plagued by "witches´ shot" and wondering what it´s like "if the devil is in it" and where the name "Black Peter" comes from must delve into the time of the witch trials. 

Many customs are still maintained today without knowing their meaning or origin. Or do you know why we clink glasses, wear red underwear on New Year´s, should never open an umbrella indoors, why black cats and Friday the 13th are supposedly unlucky, and why we wish each other good luck with "toi, toi, toi"? 
A look into history opens up many connections, promotes understanding of the origins of various terms and our worldly conception. Encountering our past allows for a critical appreciation of achievements.