Trip to the Abegg-Stiftung – A Gem in the Bernese Oberland

Saturday, 5th September was a beautiful sunny day. The temperatures were pleasant and the scattered clouds sailing by in the sky made it perfect for an outing to the Bernese Oberland. Our destination was the Abegg-Stiftung, a little gem of a museum tucked away in the hills above Thun. While its address in Riggisberg may lack sex appeal, the collection it houses is world class and attracts textile lovers from all over the globe. Instead of flying into Bern-Belp, however, we travelled there either by train and bus or by car, and one member of our party arrived on foot having spent the morning hiking.

Our tour guide at the museum was Catherine Depierraz, who has been working at the Abegg-Stiftung for over twenty years and knows all the exhibits intimately. She piloted us through a succession of wonders – gorgeous textiles that have miraculously survived the ravages of time and attest to the extraordinary craftsmanship and love of beauty of past eras. We were all profoundly impressed by what we saw, as you can read in what follows:

“Thank you so much for the very interesting tour on Saturday. The exhibits were superb and Cathy’s explanations were insightful and clear. A big thank you to her, too. It was a very enjoyable day altogether; with the lovely countryside we drove through.” – Marica F.

“We were very lucky and privileged to have Cathy to lead us through and explain the provenance and how the textiles were made and used. Also, the small ceramic part of the collection – divine! Some exquisite Iranian pieces. Really thoughtful that the Stiftung provides magnifying lenses. I really loved to see how the material culture of the Roman world and Near and Far East influenced each other and transformed over time. My favourite piece was the robe made in Stralsund for a senior clergyman. It was composed of exquisite pieces of fabric made in different places at different times, including Spain and perhaps even China if I remember correctly. And each piece of fabric was gorgeous, making a cohesive whole. It was a lovely day and great opportunity to see a part of the Swiss countryside that was new to us. Wonderful views.”– Hassanah S.

“Many thanks for the visit to the Abegg-Stiftung, Paul and I enjoyed it very much. I had very little idea what to expect from the title of the ‘Sonderausstellung’ – the excellent tour guide has helped me to see details of textiles in pictures that I had never really noticed.” – Jennifer J.

“There are some amazing exhibits with so much history attached – and to think they have so much more in storage! It must really have been a lifetime’s work. Many many thanks to our guide Cathy for her excellent guided tour with so many detailed explanations.” – Kathie J.

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