Aarau City Museum, Switzerland

The Aarau City Museum (Stadtmuseum Aarau), housed in the historic 16th-century Pfalz building, combines local history, photography, and industrial heritage to create a dynamic cultural platform. Following its 2015 expansion and reopening, it transformed from a traditional history museum into a participatory cultural institution. The permanent exhibition “100xAarau” reinterprets the city’s 800-year history through 100 carefully selected stories and objects, covering everything from archaeological finds to contemporary artefacts. 

Photography forms a focal point, with the museum partnering with the prestigious Ringier Image Archive to become a centre of expertise for preserving and cataloguing photographic heritage. The museum explores Aarau’s significant silverware and tin figure production traditions. Special projects include the Meyerstollen, a 19th-century tunnel system built by industrialist Rudolf Meyer Sohn, now open to the public, and the nationally important Kern Collection documenting Swiss industrial heritage. The museum actively engages diverse communities through exhibitions, educational programmes, and collaborative events, viewing itself as an open forum for dialogue and co-creation. A 2024 DASA Award candidate, it exemplifies how regional museums can combine historical depth with contemporary relevance.

Website: https://www.stadtmuseum.ch/