The polar regions have long held a powerful attraction for the Swiss. Be it through scientific research, literature or tourism, our connection to “permanent ice” has always been one of fascination and longing. This is also apparent in our museum collection: in the early 20th century, Switzerland was among the countries that sent expedition teams to Greenland, which was a Danish colony. These teams brought back numerous items, which now make up the Bern History Museum’s “Greenland collection”. This collection raises various questions. 

Where does our fascination for the polar world come from? Why does the Bern History Museum have a Greenland collection? What can this collection actually teach us about Greenland? What is the future of ethnographic museums and their collections?  And what does “indigeneity” mean today? 

These questions will guide visitors on their tour of the exhibition and will also be central to the accompanying events. In our exchanges with experts and our audience we will seek to gather new and multifaceted perspectives on the colonial legacy of this collection. The contents and insight gained from these events will be fed back into the exhibition. In this way, it will be in a state of constant flux, will enable us to gain new insight and will reappraise how Switzerland views Greenland. 

Greenland x Greenland: Your ticket also gives you free admission to the exhibition “Greenland. Everything changes” at ALPS, the Swiss Alpine Museum!