Basel Historical Museum: Barfüsserkirche (Barefeet Church), Basel

The Basel Historical Museum: Barefeet Church (Barfüsserkirche), in the heart of Basel, is a testament to the region's rich historical tapestry. As one of the city’s key cultural sites and a heritage site of national significance, the museum’s central location within the Barefeet Church marks the intersection of religious history and cultural preservation. Originally a 13th-century Franciscan church, this structure transitioned through various roles after Basel adopted Protestantism in 1529, serving as a hospital, school, and warehouse before becoming a museum in the late 19th century.

The Barefeet Church is known not only for its architectural grandeur but also for its intriguing history. In 1975, a mysterious brick-walled grave containing the mummified body of Anna Catharina Bischoff—an ancestor of British politician Boris Johnson—was uncovered here, adding a unique chapter to the museum’s story.

Covering 6,200 square meters, the museum houses the most extensive collection of cultural artifacts from the Upper Rhine region, offering visitors insights into everyday life, craftsmanship, and artistic achievements from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period. Among its prized holdings are the treasury of Basel Cathedral, vivid tapestries from Basel and Strasbourg, haunting fragments of Basel's "Dance of Death," and significant works from the estate of Erasmus of Rotterdam. The museum also features remarkable cabinets of curiosities, including the Amerbach and Faesch cabinets, which document the collections of some of Basel's most influential collectors of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Originally based on the renowned Amerbach family’s Chamber of Wonders (Wunderkammer), acquired by the city in 1661, the museum’s roots go deep into Basel’s cultural heritage. Its transformation into a public museum in 1894 marked a new chapter, enabling the preservation and display of Basel’s cultural history for generations to come. Today, the Basel Historical Museum in the Barefeet Church stands as a custodian of centuries-old craftsmanship, religious art, and historical treasures, overseen by the canton of Basel City.