Abegg-Stiftung

About the museum

The Abegg Foundation goes back to collector couple Werner Abegg (1903–1984) from a Zurich industrial family and Margaret Abegg (1901–1999), an art historian. Werner Abegg began early collecting applied art and especially textiles. In the 1960s, the couple transferred their collections to the newly founded foundation, which was created in 1961.

The foundation collects woven textiles, operates a museum with works of fine and applied art from antiquity through Baroque, restores textiles, trains specialists at university level and maintains a research library. Each year it shows a thematic special exhibition from its textile holdings.

The collection ranges from the Ancient Orient via the Silk Road and late antiquity through High Middle Ages, Late Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque. Villa Abegg, the founders' residence, was completed in the late 1960s and is indebted to Upper Italian Baroque; it looks like a lived-in house visited in small groups with guide. The foundation is based in Riggisberg in the canton of Bern; besides the museum, it also operates the library and textile conservation workshops there, which serve specialists.

Highlights

• Collection of woven textiles and decorative arts from Ancient Orient through Baroque
• Villa Abegg as founders' residence, only visitable with tour
• Annual changing thematic special exhibition
• Research institute with textile restoration and research library

Permanent exhibitions

• Sammlung der Abegg-Stiftung – Textiles and decorative arts in six areas: Ancient Orient, Silk Road, Late Antiquity, High Middle Ages, Late Middle Ages and Renaissance and Baroque.
• Villa Abegg – Founders' residence in Upper Italian Baroque style with furniture, sculpture and porcelain, visited in guided small groups.

Operated by

Abegg-Stiftung

Admission & discounts

Free for children, school-age children, apprentices and students as well as with Swiss Museums Pass, Museums-PASS-Musées, Raiffeisen card with MemberPlus membership and for members of ICOM, ICOMOS and VMS.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Museum is wheelchair accessible, Villa Abegg is not.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Highway A6, exit Rubigen/Belp; parking available.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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