Stately home for cross-cultural connection
One of Zurich’s largest museums, Museum Rietberg Zurich is dedicated to masterworks from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. Opened in 1952 to house the collection of Baron Eduard von der Heydt, a banker who gifted his collection to the city of Zurich, the museum is a testament to his vision of cultural exchange. Situated in the serene Rieter Park, with views of the city and the Alps, the museum enjoys an enchanting interplay of old and new that reflects Zurich's cosmopolitan spirit. It comprises three historic villas and a 19th-century coach house — notably, Richard Wagner wrote “Tristan und Isolde” in Villa Wesendonck and Villa Schönberg — alongside a new striking green glass pavilion called the Emerald, which serves as the entrance to the modern underground extension by Alfred Grazioli and Adolf Krischanitz. The museum's comprehensive collections include 32,600 objects and 49,000 photographs, which it continues to expand in the spirit of von der Heydt philosophy of “ars una,” or one art, by presenting global art on equal footing. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum hosts special exhibitions that highlight international cultures, with recent presentations including “In Dialogue with Benin,” “Young Krishna” and “Forever Jade.”
Installation view of "In Dialogue with Benin." Photograph by Patrik Fuchs © Museum Rietberg.
Read LessCollection Highlights
Sitting Bodhisattva, Vietnam, Quang Nam, Champa kingdom, temples of Dong-du’o’ng, late 9th century
Face mask, Australia, Torres Strait Islands, 19th century
Chen HongshouFour scenes from the life of the Tang poet Bai Juyi (detail), 1649, Qing dynasty-
Masks for Nō-theatre, Japan, Muromachi, Edo period, 15th–18th century
Anushirwan and Bozorjmehr Having a Rest Under a Tree, from the "First Small Shahnama“ (Book of the Kings), Iran, early 14th century
