Exhibitions, collections and archives
Visit an exhibition at ETH Zurich and get to know its versatility.
Various units of ETH Zurich offer long-term - or temporary - exhibitions. The collections and archives of ETH Zurich are also among these providers. Further information, opening hours and contacts can be found on the websites of the individual collections and archives.
Current exhibitions
Exhibitions of the collections and archives
Or come and see what’s on display at the following collections and archives:
ETH Zurich's Archives of Contemporary History safeguard privately owned written, audio and image documents on the history of Switzerland from the late nineteenth century to the present day, and render these historical source holdings publicly accessible.
Exhibitions of the Archives of Contemporary History
- The Archives of Contemporary History mediate their archival holdings with information, research and usage services in the bricks-and-mortar and online reading rooms.
- In their PR work, they address different target groups with events, written publications and exhibitions to advertise their holdings. Moreover, the Archives contribute to the discussion of topics related to contemporary Swiss history.
Equipment, specimens, books and documents on the 150 year old history of chemistry and pharmaceutics at the Federal Polytechnic School and later ETH Zurich can be viewed in a permanent exhibition.
Exhibitions of the Chemical and Pharmacognostic Collection
- The pharmacognostic “Hartwich Collection” (around 1900) features objects that primarily come from overseas used to consume substances such as, tobacco, opium, hashish, betel, tea, cocoa, coffee, maté or sake.
- Countless exhibits convey an impression of earlier student life and the laboratory atmosphere of the time, while others focus on the research work of the three Nobel Prize Laureates in Chemistry.
The Anatomy of Domestic Animals Collection comprises organ specimens preserved in liquid, plastinated specimens and anatomical papier mâché models of organs and organ systems, complete horse and cow skeletons, bone and skull specimens of a vast range of domestic animals, specimens of typical pathologies, series of models on embryology, and hand-painted plates.
Exhibitions of the Collection "Anatomy of Domestic Animals"
The exhibition is located in the inner court of the LFW building. It presents a multitude of excellently preserved specimens and models of food animals. These are organised according to organ systems and displayed in four showcases. The three dimensional models facilitate the comprehension of the body position and make of the inner organs of horse, cattle, sheep, swine and chicken. Plates with detailed descriptions and pictures allow an in depth study of the anatomy of these animals.
The ETH Materials Hub contains basic building materials in their various appearance and processing forms, and selected innovative materials.
Discover in the exhibitions of the ETH Materials Hub:
- Various material patterns from clay, ceramics, glass, metal, stone, limestone, plaster, cement, bitumen, plastic, wood, etc.
- Patterns on different surface treatments and joining techniques
- Historical building materials
A material database provides more in-depth information. Moreover, one to two temporary exhibitions a year afford an insight into topics related to materials and architecture.
ETH Zurich's Art Inventory manages, indexes and mediates artworks owned by the university.
Exhibitions of ETH Zurich's Art Inventory
Since its foundation in 1855, ETH Zurich has focused its attention on the artistic design of its buildings and campuses. Around 120 of the 200 artworks at ETH Zurich are permanently on display in the public areas on the Zentrum and Hönggerberg campuses.
If you would like to find out more about the artworks, visit the Art Walkabout website, or E-Pics, ETH Zurich’s platform for images, photographs and illustrations.
ETH Zurich's Collection of Prints and Drawings is an art collection comprising around 160,000 works on paper from the fifteenth century to the present day.
Exhibitions of ETH Zurich's Collection of Prints and Drawings
The Collection of Prints and Drawings owns works by Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya, Picasso, Bourgeois and many more. It also holds three to four temporary exhibitions a year with corresponding guided tours and evening events.
focusTerra is the Earth Science Research and Information Centre of ETH Zurich, and explains the backgrounds and complex processes in and on our planet in an inspiring and easily understandable way.
focusTerra exhibitions
- Embark on a journey from inside Earth to the peaks of the Alps; discover how Earth was formed, how volcanoes and earthquakes shape our planet, which treasures Earth generates and how humans use them.
- The special exhibitions examine current topics from research and society, such as climate change, the use of raw materials or natural hazards. Tours and workshops, public events, and talks make for an exciting fringe programme.
- The earthquake simulator offers you the opportunity to experience what an earthquake feels – on a public tour on Sunday or during a booked group tour.
gta exhibitions is part of the Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (gta) and showcases the research and teaching conducted at ETH Zurich’s Department of Architecture and current architectural debates.
gta exhibitions
With an exhibition room at the Centre on the Hönggerberg, gta exhibitions reaches future generations of architects directly at their place of learning. The projects are designed in close collaboration with renowned professors, students, architects and artists. The goal of this exhibition programme is to mediate the research and teaching currently conducted at the Department of Architecture, to reflect relevant architectural debates and to encourage networks between the educational institution and architectural practice.
The Max Frisch Archive contains the literary legacy of Max Frisch and extensive collections on his life and work. The holdings are accessible for academic, literary and media projects.
Exhibitions of the Max Frisch Archive at ETH Library
A separate exhibition room in ETH Zurich’s Main Building showcases valuable original documents on changing topics. Free admission, open Mondays to Fridays from 10:00 to 17:00.
The Collection of Scientific Instruments and Teaching Aids documents the object-based teaching and research history of ETH Zurich since its foundation. It contains historic objects from a range of different institutes and departments.
The new permanent exhibition in the Semper Observatory showcases objects from the collection of Rudolf Wolf, the first director of the Swiss Federal Observatory and a pioneer in the field of sunspot research. Comprising around 300 objects, this now forms part of the Collection of Scientific Instruments and Teaching Aids. The exhibition in the Observatory displays a selection of these objects in their original location.
Location: ETH Zurich, Zentrum Campus, Observatory (Foyer), Schmelzbergstrasse 25, 8092 Zurich
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
The exhibition is free and open to the public during opening hours.
The collection comprises numerous mountain models, many of which were made at ETH Zurich and have been used in geological education for more than one hundred years.
Discover in the exhibitions of the Relief Map Collection:
- models of Swiss mountain ranges with geological shading
- models of the Säntis mountain group at different scales
- large model of Switzerland by C.E. Perron (Geneva) from around 1899. The geologically coloured model was an important object on display during the Swiss national exhibition in 1939
The Thomas Mann Archives at ETH Zurich preserve the literary works, personal papers and furniture from the final study of Thomas Mann. The archive is run by the ETH Library and serves as a research centre for the author’s life, work and legacy.
Exhibitions of ETH Zurich's Thomas Mann Archives
Permanent exhibition
The Furnishings of a Writer. Thomas Mann and his study
The newly designed permanent exhibition revolves around Thomas Mann’s famous desk, which accompanied him into exile. Together with his private library and numerous objects from different cultures, it provided the creative environment and conditions required for Mann’s work. How did the author, who lived out his final years in Switzerland, go about his work? What tools and habits shaped his writing process? What was his working day and family life like, and how did this fit around his writing? The exhibition explores these questions.
Temporary exhibition
Thomas Mann.
Europe beware!
Europe was a central topic in the life of Thomas Mann, both as a cultural space and political project. His view of the relationship between Europe and Germany changed over the decades. With the rise of National Socialism and his experience of exile to Switzerland in 1933, followed by the US in 1952, Mann came to see himself as a world citizen. The exhibition shows Thomas Mann’s enormous public reach during his lifetime. In a video installation, authors Laura de Weck, Dana Grigorcea, Usama Al Shahmani and Michail Schischkin speak about the significance of his ideas to the Europe of today.
The zoological part of the exhibition in the inner courtyard of the LFW building provides a systematic overview of the diversity of the animal kingdom.
Discover in the exhibitions of the Zoological Collection:
- Models and preserved specimens of whole and dissected animals which represent the impressive diversity of vertebrates and invertebrates.
- A selection of vertebrate skeletons and skulls
- and, in addition, accompanying illustrated overviews of selected specimens and skulls.
Big topics in a small space: extract brings you closer to topics at the interface between society and ETH research in annual temporary exhibitions. The exhibitions and the events programme provide a showcase of the different fields of research and plenty of food for thought. This enables you to experience the Collections and Archives in a curated, concentrated form, as a carefully prepared distillation – in short, an extract.
All information on the exhibition space, the exhibitions and the accompanying programme can be found on the extract-Website.
