Basel, Switzerland. The Iconarium brings sacred artifacts into the spotlight of the present day.
Founded in 2018, the Iconarium association is dedicated to the systematic cataloging, documentation, and scholarly study of sacred artifacts from the Middle Ages and the modern era, particularly icons from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and East Africa found in Swiss collections. A central concern of the association is the preservation of this cultural heritage, which is today predominantly in private hands.
In practice, it has become increasingly clear that heirs often have little or no connection to these cultural artifacts. It is not uncommon for the objects to be sold, given away, or discarded without prior documentation. As a result, valuable cultural-historical information is irretrievably lost. The Iconarium Association draws attention to this issue and actively seeks personal contact with owners of private icon collections to facilitate professional documentation and archiving. The goal is to document as many collections as possible through photographic recording, scholarly description, and archiving, thereby preserving them for research and future generations.
While membership in the Roman Catholic and Reformed churches in Switzerland has been declining for years—and the future use of numerous church buildings poses new challenges—the number of Orthodox Christians continues to grow, particularly as a result of migration. Today, there are more than fifty Orthodox parishes of various traditions in Switzerland—including Greek, Romanian, Serbian, Russian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Ukrainian, Syrian, and Ethiopian congregations.
However, the cultural heritage of these traditions, which has developed over centuries, is not immediately apparent to today’s observers. Through public exhibitions, the Iconarium association aims to make this heritage accessible again to a broader audience.
More Iconarium
Translation Paula Boslau
Image Christ the High Priest, 18th century, Syrian, Swiss private collection
