Walter Eglin Museum

About the museum

Walter Eglin was born on March 10, 1895 in Känerkinden and trained at the Stuttgart Academy of Art from 1921 to 1925, mainly in woodcut. Back in Switzerland he initially had a hard time with the people of Upper Basel-Country. The breakthrough came in 1938, when he won the competition for the mosaic in the entrance hall of the University of Basel's Kollegienhaus. The monumental work, made from natural stones he had collected himself, took eight years to create. Eglin died in 1966.

For his 100th birthday in 1995 the former Gemeindehüsli in Känerkinden was converted into a museum. On the upper floor his biography and above all his woodcuts are on show, including views of Basel-Country villages, portraits of personalities such as Pestalozzi, Carl Spitteler and General Sutter, and legend illustrations from Basel-Country.

The ground floor was rebuilt in a further stage and inaugurated in May 2001. It shows mosaics and wood monotypes, including the mosaics "Sphinx" and "Mirjam", which Eglin created in 1960 during a stay in Israel (on loan from the Canton of Basel-Landschaft). A workstation shows how he worked the stones on the Dengelstock.

Highlights

• Woodcuts of Basel-Country villages, portraits and legend illustrations
• Mosaics "Sphinx" and "Mirjam" from Eglin's 1960 stay in Israel
• Wood monotypes on the ground floor
• Workstation for stone-working on the Dengelstock

Permanent exhibitions

• Holzschnitte und Biografie – Upper floor with the artist's life story, woodcuts of Basel-Country villages, portraits and legend illustrations.
• Mosaike und Holzmonotypien – Ground floor with mosaics such as "Sphinx" and "Mirjam", wood monotypes and a workstation for stone-working.

Founded

1995

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The museum is at Hauptstrasse 35, opposite the municipal administration. According to museums.ch, the bus stop in the village is about 3 minutes' walk away, and Buckten station about 20 minutes on foot.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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