Basel Historical Museum – Musikmuseum, Music and history museum in Basel, Switzerland
The Basel Historical Museum – Musikmuseum occupies a former prison building and displays around 650 European musical instruments arranged across three floors. The collection spans several centuries and shows how craftspeople in different regions created distinctive instrument types.
The building originated as an Augustinian monastery in 1206 and later served various civic purposes including a builder's yard before becoming a prison. Its conversion to a museum in 2000 marked a new chapter while keeping the structure intact.
The collection reflects how musical traditions have moved across Europe and influenced one another over time, with instruments showing different approaches to similar problems of sound and expression. Visitors can see how craftspeople in different regions developed their own styles while learning from distant neighbors.
The museum is located in Basel's Old Town with an elevator connecting the three floors for easier access between levels. The building has a compact layout, allowing visitors to view the full collection without extensive walking.
The former prison cells have been converted into individual display chambers where visitors can examine instruments and play audio samples through interactive screens. This repurposing of the cells creates an unusual and direct way to engage with the collection.
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