Domschatzmuseum Chur

About the museum

A first Domschatzmuseum (cathedral treasury museum) was set up in the early 1940s in the lower sacristy of Chur Cathedral. Because of the cathedral's restoration, it closed in 2002; for the following years the treasury was kept in the cultural property protection room of the Rätisches Museum.

During the comprehensive restoration of the Baroque Bischöfliches Schloss, it was decided to create a new exhibition space for the cathedral treasury and the Churer Todesbilder in the south wing. The interior and exhibition design were by Gion Signorell and Liesch Architekten. The new museum opened at the end of August 2020 with two days of open house and was among the nominees for the European Museum of the Year Award in 2022.

The cathedral treasury consists mainly of relics and precious reliquaries, as well as liturgical vessels and vestments that accumulated in the cathedral over centuries. The exhibition on the first floor leads through several thematic areas, from the secular sphere through the roughly 1,600-year history of the Diocese of Chur to the Mass equipment and finally the treasury of relics.

The second collection consists of the Todesbilder of 1543: 25 grisaille-painted panels of a half-timbered wall that originally stood on the second floor of the castle. They show how death surprises people of all ranks in the midst of everyday life, and they go back to the woodcut series by Hans Holbein the Younger. After a conversion in 1882, the panels went to the Rätisches Museum; after their restoration they are now open to the public again. The museum is run by the Kathedralstiftung der Diözese Chur (Cathedral Foundation of the Diocese of Chur).

Highlights

• Churer Todesbilder of 1543, large-format versions of Holbein's woodcuts
• Relic treasury of the cathedral with medieval reliquary shrines
• Liturgical vessels and vestments from several centuries
• Exhibition in the Baroque Bischöfliches Schloss on the Hof
• Nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award 2022

Permanent exhibitions

• Der Churer Domschatz – On the first floor, several thematic areas lead, as in a walk through a cathedral, from the secular sphere through the history of the diocese to the liturgical vessels, with the relic treasury as the highlight.
• Die Churer Todesbilder – The 1543 cycle comprises 25 grisaille panels of a half-timbered wall, on which death surprises people of all ranks in everyday life; the model was the woodcuts of Hans Holbein the Younger.

Founded

1943

Operated by

Kathedralstiftung der Diözese Chur

Admission & discounts

The Swiss Museum Pass is valid. Admission is free with the Gästekarte Chur and the ViaMia-Pass.

Accessibility

• 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

The museum is fully wheelchair accessible. The free City E-Guide audio guide app is also suitable for visitors with visual impairments.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

At the ticket desk there is a museum guide for children and families: cards lead the children through the exhibition, and a leaflet helps parents with questions and hints.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located on the grounds of the bishop's castle on the Hof, above the old town.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The museum shop sells postcards, devotional items, wine from the bishop's vineyards and publications.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit