Geneva, the Protestant Rome

The International Museum of the Reformation receives The European Museum of the Year Award for 2007.

International Museum of the Reformation in Geneve

Beautiful Geneva is tucked away in a corner of the Alps. Not only is Geneva a stunning city, it is rich in Reformation history. Some call it the "Protestant Rome," named after the French Jean Calvin, who was the leading Protestant reformer of a movement that was born in Geneva.

Home of refugees
In 2005 The International Museum of the Reformation opened its doors to visitors in a quite symbolic location. Housed in the prominent Maison Mallet built in 1723, this former home was built on the site of the cathedral cloisters where the citizens of Geneva voted to adopt the Protestant Reformation in 1536. Soon thereafter the city became home to French, Italian and British refugees. They were followers of the Reformation and faced prosecution in their homelands for their faith.

Unusual methods to display books and portraits
To make a museum on the reformation is not an easy task, as the Protestants preferred choral and instrumental music to paintings and sculpture. Besides this the material artefacts are mainly books, manuscripts and paintings of serious looking historical figures, most of them pastors. Therefore the museum took unusual measures to create both an informative and an interesting museum. They headhunted two specialists Sylvia Krenz and René Schmid, and the result of their efforts is a decisively modern design that uses interactive and audiovisual techniques to communicate the Reformation themes in an enlightening and engaging manner. Holograms on mirrors and films provide backgrounds to the 16th century events that would cleave Europe in two for generations to come: a protestant and a catholic family of Christianity.

One of a kind museum
The museum in Geneva is the only one dealing with the subject of the Reformation in Europe. Calvin (1509-64) is of course the main focus; yet other figures such as Martin Luther and themes ranging from the Wars of Religion to Nazi-resistance are dealt with. The jury praised the way the museum manages to present one branch of Christianity while at the same time demonstrating a high level of religious tolerance. They also emphasized the museums "especially daring" effort to present theological ideas using interactive displays.

Museum Prize
The museum on their part was proud to receive the prestigious prize including a bronze statuette by Catalan artist Joan Miro, a diploma and a cheque for 5000 euros. The Reformation museum also aims to encourage dialogue between different faiths and Christian traditions, and as Director Graesslé says. "If the museum can contribute to this process, it will have succeeded in one of its missions."

The Council of Europe is an inter-governmental body for 46 European nations. Its Museum prize has been awarded annually since 1977 to a museum judged to have contributed to the understanding of European cultural heritage.

Related information
The International Museum of the Reformation