Laughter in a museum? Why not! But what do the Swiss actually laugh about, and what do others find funny about us? These are just two of the questions raised in the exhibition “Made in Witzerland” on a remarkable journey through the world of humour, wit, and satire.
The rich multimedia exhibition takes a differentiated look at the funny side of Switzerland – featuring 19th-century caricatures, modern cartoons, and famed Swiss comedians such as HD Läppli and Clown Grock. In our TV lounge we show clips from popular Swiss comedy series and movies.
«Made in Witzerland» also addresses everyday humour, Swiss stereotypes and clichés, as well as socially and politically improper jokes. At the same time, it explores differences between male and female humour and looks at how children view and deal with irony and situational humour, all trenchantly presented in a surprising scenography.
We offer various guided tours of the exhibition for companies, institutions, associations or private groups.
Please contact us for further advice.
We offer various guided tours of the exhibition for companies, institutions, associations or private groups.
Please contact us for further advice.
For tours and independent group visits please contact the museum two weeks in advance.
Guided tours for Swiss school classes are free.
We are happy to make it available to you for individual advice and adapted to your needs. Don't hesitate to contact us!
Information and registrations: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For guided tours and indipendents visits for school groups, please contact us 14 days in advance.
Entrance and guided tours are free of charges for Swiss school classes.
Reservations desk
Made in Witzerland – A Guide to Swiss Humour
What makes us Swiss laugh? And what do others find funny about us? The exhibition «Made in Witzerland - A Guide to Swiss Humour» at the Forum of Swiss History Schwyz explores what is at the heart of Swiss humour, from political satire to inappropriate jokes. From 9 June 2020 to 24 January 2021 the exhibition displays Swiss humour in all its facets with the help of multimedia presentations.
Wit and humour come in many shapes and forms. Jokes can be fierce, political, nasty, harmless, daring, even dirty at times. They are commonplace, but rarely banal. The multimedia exhibition «Made in Witzerland» takes a look at the funny side of Switzerland – featuring caricatures from the last three centuries, contemporary cartoons, and celebrated comical figures such as HD Läppli and Clown Grock. In our TV lounge we show clips from popular Swiss comedy series and movies. «Made in Witzerland» also addresses everyday humour, Swiss stereotypes and clichés, as well as socially and politically improper jokes. At the same time, it looks at the differences between male and female humour and investigates how children view and deal with irony and situational humour, all trenchantly presented in a surprising scenography.
Under the motto «how typical Switzerland ticks», the editorial team of the satirical magazine Nebelspalter and the Forum of Swiss History Schwyz invited a number of famous Swiss cartoonists to create their own, never shown before images of present-day Switzerland. These works, too, are on display in the exhibition.
Satire, wit, and humour are rarely the subject of an exhibition.
However, just like all other hallowed traditions and rituals, jokes make up part of a country’s intangible cultural heritage, reinvented and handed down through common parlance on an everyday basis. The exhibition «Made in Witzerland» lends a face to Swiss humour and makes it visible and tangible to viewers, thereby eliciting a smile or even a loud laugh from old and young alike.
Especially in view of the trying times the country faces under the coronavirus, the exhibition offers a refreshing counterpoint and reveals how fluid the boundary between seriousness, humour, and satire can be under difficult circumstances.
Images
Press contact Forum of Swiss History Schwyz
