Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich

Interesting ethnographic museum. The current exhibition on the Benin bronzes is fascinating. I appreciated that controversial aspects of the story were not omitted, such as the slave trade origin of many of the bronzes which were made from melted manillas which the Kingdom of Benin obtained from the colonial powers in exchange for enslaved people and other goods. Also human sacrifices that were common are being mentioned. Also, the Swiss diaspora is getting prominent mention. What is missing is any mention of the diaspora outside Switzerland, namely the DNA descendants of the enslaved people living in the US, the UK and other European countries, the Caribbean, and South America. Also no mention of the Restitution Study Group (rsgincorp.org) and its work on the Benin bronzes.

It was an interesting find on the swiss museum pass with a focus on explaining people why etnographic museums are showing people the evolution of humanity. I thought etnographical museums had a more national component, but you'll see a lot of the african cultures showcased here. it was a free entry but did not understand why.

It's a very small museum which consists of 2-3 exhibitions. The main one is the Benin treasures and the discussion of giving back plundered treasures to Africa. Free entrance. Next to it there's the old botanical garden which is nice for a small walk or to spend a while sitting.

Very cool museum, acknowledges the history of the pieces and the impact colonialism had on the education in the places where it was looted from. Also showcases their active steps in repairing that imbalance and directly involving Nigerian people in their projects and research.

Besides a few stolen Benin Bronze's, there is nothing in this museum. It is free, but not worth the time to visit. Only two small rooms.

Very informative and powerful exhibition on the looted artifacts of Benin. Even if you are not a history buff, this exhibition is very easy to digest and follow through. It’s a very important topic and all in English as well. Only took roughly 45 minutes. Highly recommend!

Hidden gem! Spent ~1 hour there but could be easily spent way more time. The exhibitions and captions were all really thoughtful. There were English and German subtitles throughout the whole museum.

Outstanding display on the "Benin Bronzes"