The International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Geneva is at risk of closure or relocation due to a lack of state funding, according to a report by AFP.
The museum’s director, Pascal Hufschmid, expressed his shock upon learning last September that the Swiss federal government’s budget cuts could jeopardize the institution’s future. “This questions the very existence of the museum,” said Hufschmid, a Swiss historian who has been leading the museum since 2019, during a recent interview with AFP.
Established in 1988 and located near the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the museum attracts approximately 120,000 visitors annually. These include students, tourists, and diplomats, all of whom come to explore the key milestones in the history of humanitarian aid. The museum’s collection boasts around 30,000 artifacts, including the original 1901 Nobel Peace Prize medal awarded to Red Cross founder Henri Dunant and French politician Frédéric Passy.
Since 1991, the museum has been receiving an annual subsidy of 1.1 million Swiss francs (approximately 1.2 million euros) from the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This funding makes up about a quarter of the museum’s total budget. However, the budget reduction approved by the Swiss government last September plans to transfer the museum’s financial oversight to the Ministry of Culture.
Hufschmid explained that this change in management would result in a significant cut to the museum’s funding. The Ministry of Culture allocates financial support to museums through a selection process, with aid typically covering only 5–7% of a museum’s expenses. In this case, the museum would potentially receive just 300,000 Swiss francs annually, far less than its current funding. “From 2027, we’ll be facing a structural deficit, and we may have to close,” warned Hufschmid.
To prevent this outcome, the museum director is lobbying Swiss politicians to rescue the institution, proposing potential nationalization as a solution. Meanwhile, some observers have floated the idea of relocating the museum, with Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates being suggested as a possible new home.
Among the museum’s treasures is the oldest poster in its collection, created by the French Society for the Relief of Military Wounded in 1866. The poster announces the establishment of the Société de secours aux blessés militaires, recognized as a public utility by Napoleon III. This artifact, along with many others, underscores the museum’s unique role in preserving the history of humanitarian aid and its enduring legacy.
Photo: French Society for the Relief of Military Wounded of the Army and Navy. The oldest poster in the museum’s collection, dated 1866, highlights its historical significance. © International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, Geneva.
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