Geneva's Red Cross Museum Apprehensive over Potential Shutdown due to Reductions in Swiss Financing
Updated Article:
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, a cornerstone of Swiss society for nearly four decades, finds itself teetering on the brink of extinction thanks to a seemingly insignificant administrative move. Originating in the heartland of the Geneva Conventions, this museum plays a pivotal role in educating the masses about international humanitarian law and principles.
Museum director Pascal Hufschmid was left stunned when he learned, last September, that the museum's fate might have been inadvertently sealed by a small cost-cutting measure in the government's savings drive.
"This puts the very existence of the museum at risk," the historian, who took charge of the institution in 2019, told AFP in a recent interview.
Established adjacent to the Red Cross headquarters in 1988, the museum draws around 120,000 visitors annually, ranging from school kids to senior officials. Its collection includes the first Nobel Peace Prize medal, given in 1901 to Red Cross founder Henry Dunant, as well as rare archives from the ICRC's International Prisoners of War Agency.
"With this incredible heritage," Hufschmid said, "our aim is to stimulate dialogue on what humanitarian action means on a daily basis."
The Swiss government, long appreciative of the museum's value, has historically supported its mission. Since 1991, the private museum has received an annual subsidy of 1.1 million francs ($1.2 million) from the Swiss foreign ministry, accounting for about 25% of its budget. However, a recent decision might change that.
A general cost-cutting measure, initiated by a group of experts and given the green light by the government last September, includes the proposal to shift the museum's subsidy responsibility to the culture ministry.
At first, Hufschmid was unconcerned, thinking it was merely an administrative matter. But he soon realized that the transfer meant a substantial reduction in funding, since the culture ministry requires museums seeking its financial aid to compete with hundreds of others for funding. Winning the competition typically results in a subsidy of between 5% to 7% of a museum’s expenses, which would amount to roughly 300,000 francs in the museum's case.
"All of a sudden, I understood that we were headed towards a structural deficit starting from 2027, and that we might have to close our doors," Hufschmid said, finding the predicament perplexing.
As Switzerland celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions and faced warnings about dwindling respect for international humanitarian law, Hufschmid diligently lobbied parliamentarians and decision-makers to save the museum. While the Geneva canton has reinforced its support, and legislators from all levels have voiced their backing, the threat still looms.
Hufschmid has proposed various solutions, including nationalization, to address the financial predicament. Others have pondered the possibility of relocating the museum to alternative cities, like Abu Dhabi, which boasts other cultural institutions such as the Louvre.
However, Hufschmid remains resolute: "Moving the museum doesn't make any sense. We are inextricably linked to Swiss identity, to Swiss heritage, to ideas that originated in Switzerland... (as) the guardians of the Geneva Conventions." The museum intends to stay firmly rooted in its homeland.
- The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, a significant part of Swiss society and a pivotal educational institution about international humanitarian law, faces an existential threat due to a shift in government subsidy responsibility from the foreign ministry to the culture ministry.
- Museum director Pascal Hufschmid expressed concern about the potential reduction in funding that could occur if the museum was required to compete with hundreds of other institutions for financial aid from the culture ministry, which typically awards subsidies of between 5% to 7% of a museum's expenses.
- As the museum is inextricably linked to Swiss identity and heritage, Hufschmid has suggested various solutions to address the financial predicament, including nationalization, but remains resolved to keep the museum in Switzerland, the birthplace of the Geneva Conventions.
- With the Swiss government's long-standing appreciation for the museum's value and the approaching 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, Hufschmid continues to lobby parliamentarians and decision-makers to avoid jeopardizing the museum's finance through political and business decisions, and ensure its continued operation in the heart of Swiss society.
