For schools

Leaps in Time – A Brief History of Basel
Time travel

Fifty fascinating objects from 100,000 years of history and with them an invitation to time travel! Our new exhibition on Basel’s history is a distillation of our past from the Neanderthals to yesterday. After a brief introduction (with a long rope!) participants will select the object or event that interests them most. Supported by various media stations they will then have a chance to learn more about it and its larger historical context. Having become “experts”, they will then take their classmates on a journey through time and try to sell them the period they have just discovered. Will they succeed? Was everything really better back then? Or should we consider ourselves lucky to be living in the present age?

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Thunderbolts and Shark’s Teeth
Finds from Old Treasure Chests

Collecting helps us make sense of the world. Things that are valuable or important are kept in treasure chests. Things that are curious or weird fire the imagination. How did people used to collect? And why did they collect? And what do their collections tell us about what they knew of the world? On this tour, there will be stories about unicorns and the children will get to see fossils, coins, bone fragments and much else besides. There will also be some very special treasure chests and some truly exceptional collectibles to admire. The children are invited to bring along one or two items from their own collections.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Unicorns, Dragons, Gods
Fantasy Worlds of the Past

Medieval tapestries are teeming with “Wild People” and other fantasy creatures. Giants, dwarves and dragons have always captured people’s imagination. Even famous scientists have been known to study them! But such curious and precious things were not only studied, they were also collected and preserved. Live lizards were used as models for casts, statuettes of ancient gods were copied and mythical creatures were depicted in paintings and sculptures. All these things helped people to understand the world. On this tour, the children will explore how the people of the past pictured the world and how their images changed over the centuries.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Instrumentissimo
The History, Function and Playing Methods of Musical Instruments

Using eyes and ears, the children will explore the differences in sound and build between familiar and unfamiliar, old and new instruments. In the process, they learn about different ways of producing sound, which are still valid today when instruments are divided into categories. An essential part of the tour is also the opportunity to try out selected musical instruments, which is not an everyday fun for young and old.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Peter and the Wolf
Fairytales in the music museum

In 1936, Sergei Prokofiev created a musical fairy tale, "Peter and the Wolf", which still fascinates children and adults today. On the tour through the museum, children meet the courageous Peter, the little bird, the worried grandfather and the big, grey wolf. Based on the story, they get to know Prokofiev's music. They go in search of the appropriate instruments, which they can not only look at but also try out for themselves.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Upcycling Music
Interactive concert tours

During five selected weeks, we offer interactive concert tours especially for school classes. Together with Max Castlunger, the students explore the exhibition and are encouraged to actively participate and make music together. In the process, they learn exciting things about the recycling of materials, about global music cultures, and about the construction and playing techniques of various instrument types.

Wed 22.01. to Fri 24.01.
Wed 19.03. to Fri 21.03.
Wed 9 to Fri 11 April
Wed 21 to Fri 23 May
Thu 26 June to Fri 27 June

Duration: 60 minutes

Registration form Musikmuseum

Upcycling Music
Workshop for school classes

On a tour of the exhibition, the students learn about the construction, playing technique and sound of the instruments on display. They then apply their new knowledge by making and trying out their own musical instruments made from recycled materials.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Parties of schoolchildren are welcome to visit even without a guided tour. To ensure everything goes smoothly, we would be grateful if you would bear in mind that

• parties of schoolchildren without a guided tour can visit only during regular opening times
• must be accompanied by at least one teacher
• must not exceed 25 children or young people per group
• cannot visit an exhibition or part of an exhibition if another school class is already there.

To ensure that your visit as a school class is a pleasant and positive experience, we ask you to observe the following rules:

• House rules
• Museum etiquette for a school class visit

Costs

• For school classes from the Tarifverbund Nordwestschweiz (TNW): free of charge
• Schools from other cantons (outside TNW) and abroad: CHF 120.—
• School classes of up to 25 students in training (up to 30 years old) and students aged 13–18 (CHF 12 per person, maximum CHF 120)
• Maximum of 2 accompanying adults

Bookings

You must book your visit at least two weeks in advance.

We look forward to receiving your inquiries by +41 61 205 86 70 or by form:

• registration form Barfüsserkirche
• registration form Haus zum Kirschgarten
• registration form Musikmuseum

Dance into the Beyond
Stories of Disease and Death

For many centuries, diseases and epidemics posed a far greater risk than they do today. This tour centres on the Basel Dance of Death. Taking this famous cycle of paintings as a starting point, the children will examine how people in times past coped with death and the mental images they formed of death. They will look discerningly at the paintings and consider the possible interpretations. Working in small groups, they will identify the many different messages of the Dance of Death.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Thunderbolts and Shark’s Teeth
Finds from Old Treasure Chests

Collecting helps us make sense of the world. Things that are valuable or important are kept in treasure chests. Things that are curious or weird fire the imagination. How did people used to collect? And why did they collect? And what do their collections tell us about what they knew of the world? On this tour, there will be stories about unicorns and the children will get to see fossils, coins, bone fragments and much else besides. There will also be some very special treasure chests and some truly exceptional collectibles to admire. The children are invited to bring along one or two items from their own collections.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Unicorns, Dragons, Gods
Fantasy Worlds of the Past

Medieval tapestries are teeming with “Wild People” and other fantasy creatures. Giants, dwarves and dragons have always captured people’s imagination. Even famous scientists have been known to study them! But such curious and precious things were not only studied, they were also collected and preserved. Live lizards were used as models for casts, statuettes of ancient gods were copied and mythical creatures were depicted in paintings and sculptures. All these things helped people to understand the world. On this tour, the children will explore how the people of the past pictured the world and how their images changed over the centuries.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

The Celtic City and Roman Period
Basel’s First Settlers

Buried in the ground beneath our feet are several thousand years of Basel history. The Celts built two important settlements on the bend in the River Rhine now occupied by Basel and then the Romans conquered the hill where the cathedral now stands and made it part of their empire. Jewellery, pots, tools and eating implements tell us about the everyday lives led by those early settlers. The museum’s two models of those first settlements give us a vivid impression of just how developed the cultures were. The children will take a closer look at selected objects and by learning what they are made of and what their purpose was will discover the history of the Celts and Romans in Basel.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Instrumentissimo
The History, Function and Playing Methods of Musical Instruments

Using eyes and ears, the children will explore the differences in sound and build between familiar and unfamiliar, old and new instruments. In the process, they learn about different ways of producing sound, which are still valid today when instruments are divided into categories. An essential part of the tour is also the opportunity to try out selected musical instruments, which is not an everyday fun for young and old.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Plucking Whistling Hammering
Playing black and white keys from harpsichord to Hammond organ

They all have black and white keys. But that's where the similarities end. The family of keyboard instruments offers a variety of different instruments: from very old harpsichords to large church organs and imposing concert grand pianos to bar pianos and Hammond organs. On a journey through the world of keyboard instruments, pupils learn more about their history and how they work and experiment with different types of plucked, whistled and hammered sound production.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Of violas, frogs and dancing violins
the family of string instruments

From Renaissance instruments to Baroque and modern construction methods, the development of the string family through the centuries is explored. The Music Museum's collection also includes specialities such as a pochette (dancing master violin) and the nyckelharpa.
Audio examples illustrate the different roles of the instruments in a string orchestra or string quartet. Finally, the pupils can try their hand at playing the violin themselves.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Craft and art - musical instrument making through the ages
An interactive workshop about the development and manufacturing process of musical instruments.

Whether saxophone, piano or electric guitar, all musical instruments have to be made before they can be played. Solid craftsmanship, dexterity and ingenuity coupled with a clear concept of sound are still a prerequisite for the construction of musical instruments today. Selected exhibits from five centuries are used as examples to show how musical instruments have developed. Experiments with materials and sound deepen the knowledge through sensory experience.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Parties of schoolchildren are welcome to visit even without a guided tour. To ensure everything goes smoothly, we would be grateful if you would bear in mind that

• parties of schoolchildren without a guided tour can visit only during regular opening times
• must be accompanied by at least one teacher
• must not exceed 25 children or young people per group
• cannot visit an exhibition or part of an exhibition if another school class is already there.

To ensure that your visit as a school class is a pleasant and positive experience, we ask you to observe the following rules:

• House rules
• Museum etiquette for a school class visit

Costs

• For school classes from the Tarifverbund Nordwestschweiz (TNW): free of charge
• Schools from other cantons (outside TNW) and abroad: CHF 120.—
• School classes of up to 25 students in training (up to 30 years old) and students aged 13–18 (CHF 12 per person, maximum CHF 120)
• Maximum of 2 accompanying adults

Bookings

You must book your visit at least two weeks in advance.

We look forward to receiving your inquiries by +41 61 205 86 70 or by form:

• registration form Barfüsserkirche
• registration form Haus zum Kirschgarten
• registration form Musikmuseum

insanely normal for school classes
Workshop and interactive tour on the history of psychiatry in Basel
Bookable from 19.09.2024 - 29.06.2025

Psychiatry, with its diagnoses and therapies, is characterised by the zeitgeist. What was once considered a modern treatment method or current clinical picture is sometimes no longer comprehensible or has even disappeared from today's perspective. Pupils learn to understand psychiatry and its time-dependent conventions. The examination of evidence from the past leads them into the present in order to break down the taboos surrounding phenomena and think about the needs of society in the future.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Leaps in Time – A Brief History of Basel
My Basel, your Basel, our Basel!

Basel is changing all the time, both architecturally and socially. Until just recently it took pride in its international airport; but no one boasts about flying any more. For centuries, no building was allowed to be taller than the cathedral; but these days, the cathedral look tiny in comparison to the skyscrapers nearby. To make sense of these changes, we will view them as part of Basel’s development through the ages. Splitting into small groups and using the richly documented exhibition as a basis, participants will discover both the changes and the continuity, whether over time – the Middle Ages, the Modern Age and the present – or with regard to one particular aspect, such as Basel’s architectural, social or cultural identity. The outcome could well be a vision or prediction of the changes of the future.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Leaps in Time – A Brief History of Basel
Who makes history?

History goes back a long way; yet it starts yesterday and will continue today. This exhibition shows six interpretations of some of the burning issues of the recent past, which still have the power to arouse passions even today:

Separated but connected – The relationship between Basel-Stadt and Basel-Land
Space and scope – The Alte Stadtgärtnerei
Prosperity and dependency – Basel and the life sciences
Arriving and staying – Migration and integration
Disaster and turning point – The Schweizerhalle chemical spill
A passion for red-blue – FC Basel

Participants will form groups and engage with the different interpretations presented. They will then discuss their impressions and what they have learned. What is history? Who makes history? Who writes history? And which events in our own lifetime will Basel Historical Museum want to exhibit 50 or 100 years from now?

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Dance into the Beyond
Stories of Disease and Death

For many centuries, diseases and epidemics posed a far greater risk than they do today. This tour centres on the Basel Dance of Death. Taking this famous cycle of paintings as a starting point, the children will examine how people in times past coped with death and the mental images they formed of death. They will look discerningly at the paintings and consider the possible interpretations. Working in small groups, they will identify the many different messages of the Dance of Death.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Discovering and Exploring the World
The History of Science

How did the people of the past imagine the world to look? Since when have we known that the earth revolves around the sun? How did the stargazers of times past use an astrolabe or an armillary sphere? The sciences also have a history. The continents had to be discovered, the size of the universe calculated, the laws of physics understood and the human body explored. The objects preserved in historical cabinets of curiosity attest to our forebears’ thirst for knowledge. On this tour, the children will examine globes, measuring instruments and other curiosities and so embark on a journey of discovery to the discoverers of the past.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Celts, Romans, Alemanni
An Archaeological Mystery Tour in Basel

The more thoroughly the archaeological remains still buried in the ground are studied, the more complex the past becomes. The Celts had built two major settlements before the Romans conquered the hill where the cathedral now stands. Their arrival led to the development of a hybrid Celtic-Roman culture. In later centuries, the Alemanni and Franks brought some important innovations of their own. What do archaeological finds tell us about these highly developed cultures? On this tour, the children will learn all about the early history of Basel and how it was settled. Taking selected objects as examples, they will be able to reconstruct the changes introduced by each new culture, specifically the Celts, Romans, Alemanni and Franks.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Instrumentissimo
The History, Function and Playing Methods of Musical Instruments

Using eyes and ears, the children will explore the differences in sound and build between familiar and unfamiliar, old and new instruments. In the process, they learn about different ways of producing sound, which are still valid today when instruments are divided into categories. An essential part of the tour is also the opportunity to try out selected musical instruments, which is not an everyday fun for young and old.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Plucking Whistling Hammering
Playing black and white keys from harpsichord to Hammond organ

They all have black and white keys. But that's where the similarities end. The family of keyboard instruments offers a variety of different instruments: from very old harpsichords to large church organs and imposing concert grand pianos to bar pianos and Hammond organs. On a journey through the world of keyboard instruments, pupils learn more about their history and how they work and experiment with different types of plucked, whistled and hammered sound production.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Of violas, frogs and dancing violins
the family of string instruments

From Renaissance instruments to Baroque and modern construction methods, the development of the string family through the centuries is explored. The Music Museum's collection also includes specialities such as a pochette (dancing master violin) and the nyckelharpa.
Audio examples illustrate the different roles of the instruments in a string orchestra or string quartet. Finally, the pupils can try their hand at playing the violin themselves.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Craft and art - musical instrument making through the ages
An interactive workshop about the development and manufacturing process of musical instruments.

Whether saxophone, piano or electric guitar, all musical instruments have to be made before they can be played. Solid craftsmanship, dexterity and ingenuity coupled with a clear concept of sound are still a prerequisite for the construction of musical instruments today. Selected exhibits from five centuries are used as examples to show how musical instruments have developed. Experiments with materials and sound deepen the knowledge through sensory experience.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Parties of schoolchildren are welcome to visit even without a guided tour. To ensure everything goes smoothly, we would be grateful if you would bear in mind that

• parties of schoolchildren without a guided tour can visit only during regular opening times
• must be accompanied by at least one teacher
• must not exceed 25 children or young people per group
• cannot visit an exhibition or part of an exhibition if another school class is already there.

To ensure that your visit as a school class is a pleasant and positive experience, we ask you to observe the following rules:

• House rules
• Museum etiquette for a school class visit

Costs

• For school classes from the Tarifverbund Nordwestschweiz (TNW): free of charge
• Schools from other cantons (outside TNW) and abroad: CHF 120.—
• School classes of up to 25 students in training (up to 30 years old) and students aged 13–18 (CHF 12 per person, maximum CHF 120)
• Maximum of 2 accompanying adults

Bookings

You must book your visit at least two weeks in advance.

We look forward to receiving your inquiries by +41 61 205 86 70 or by form:

• registration form Barfüsserkirche
• registration form Haus zum Kirschgarten
• registration form Musikmuseum

insanely normal for school classes
Workshop and interactive tour on the history of psychiatry in Basel

Bookable from 19.09.2024 – 29.06.2025

With its diagnoses and therapies, psychiatry is shaped by the respective zeitgeist. What used to be considered a modern treatment method or a current clinical picture is sometimes no longer comprehensible or has even disappeared from today's perspective. Students learn to understand psychiatry with its time-dependent conventions. The examination of testimonies from the past leads them into the present, to remove the taboos from phenomena and to reflect on the needs of tomorrow's society.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Dance into the Beyond
Stories of illness and death

For centuries, people were more threatened by disease and epidemics than we are here and now. The focus of the event is the Basel Dance of Death. Using this famous series of paintings, students will address the question of how people in the past dealt with dying and death and what images they had of death. They question the painting about its content and its various meanings. On the basis of the group work, the diverse messages of the Danse Macabre are worked out together.

Registration form Barfüsserkirche

Bourgeois living spaces in the 18th century
A search for clues in Haus zum Kirschgarten

In Haus zum Kirschgarten, which the merchant Johann Rudolf Burckhardt had built around 1780, students embark on a search for clues in the bourgeois living spaces of the late Ancien Régime. The event focuses on various topics, which are explored in groups from the perspective of the house's residents and employees. The results of the group work are presented in the form of a tour. In the examination of the house and its objects, a mosaic of the bourgeois world at the end of the 18th century emerges.

Registration form Haus zum Kirschgarten

Of minstrels and noblewomen
Music history: Renaissance and Baroque

Basel was a melting pot during the Renaissance: the council, the founding of the university and the emergence of paper mills and printing presses attracted numerous intellectuals to the city on the Rhine and made it a humanist stronghold. Basel also had a lot to offer in the way of music, as evidenced by the large number of instruments and sheet music that have survived from that time. But Basel was also musically active in the Baroque period. For example, the ‘Collegium musicum’ was founded in 1692; in addition, well-known instrument makers lived here.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Enlightened minds and hopeless romantics
Music history: Classicism and Romanticism

The term ‘Viennese Classicism’ is often used in musical circles. However, other metropolises were also home to some musical activity at the time. Basel also had ‘something to listen to’ during the Classical period: the Collegium musicum played public concerts, instrument makers invented new instruments, and Lukas Sarasin put together his extensive collection of music. But what is the difference between the classical period and the romantic period that followed? Does the latter have anything to do with kitsch and Hollywood love stories?

Registration form Musikmuseum

Music from the first half of the 20th century
Frank Martin's ‘Totentanz’ and Béla Bartók's ‘Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta’

The works of Frank Martin and Béla Bartók are two compositions from the first half of the 20th century that are closely linked to Basel: Frank Martin created his setting of the Basel Totentanz in 1943 for a large-scale staged performance on Basel's Münsterplatz. Fragments of this work are now exhibited in the Barfüsserkirche. Béla Bartók's ‘Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta’ was commissioned by Paul Sacher and premiered by the Basel Chamber Orchestra under Sacher's direction at the Stadtcasino. The students learn about the social and historical context of both works, discover interesting details about Basel's musical life at the time and develop an understanding of the collection and archival work of museums and archives.

Registration form Musikmuseum

Parties of schoolchildren are welcome to visit even without a guided tour. To ensure everything goes smoothly, we would be grateful if you would bear in mind that

• parties of schoolchildren without a guided tour can visit only during regular opening times
• must be accompanied by at least one teacher
• must not exceed 25 children or young people per group
• cannot visit an exhibition or part of an exhibition if another school class is already there.

To ensure that your visit as a school class is a pleasant and positive experience, we ask you to observe the following rules:

• House rules
• Museum etiquette for a school class visit

Costs

• For school classes from the Tarifverbund Nordwestschweiz (TNW): free of charge
• Schools from other cantons (outside TNW) and abroad: CHF 120.—
• School classes of up to 25 students in training (up to 30 years old) and students aged 13–18 (CHF 12 per person, maximum CHF 120)
• Maximum of 2 accompanying adults

Bookings

You must book your visit at least two weeks in advance.

We look forward to receiving your inquiries by +41 61 205 86 70 or by form:

• registration form Barfüsserkirche
• registration form Haus zum Kirschgarten
• registration form Musikmuseum