International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum
Why is it significant?
Stand outside the austere stone entrance of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, built into the hillside beneath the historic headquarters of the ICRC.
Key Facts
| Place | International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum |
|---|---|
| Address | Avenue de la Paix 17, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland |
| Geo Coordinates | 46.22720, 6.13600 |
| Part of Walk | International Geneva: Palace of Nations and Red Cross Heritage |
| Generated | Generated |
Stand outside the austere stone entrance of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, built into the hillside beneath the historic headquarters of the ICRC. Opened in 1988 and completely transformed in 2013 by an international team of renowned architects from Switzerland, Japan, and Chile, this innovative institution offers an intensely moving exploration of global humanitarian action born right here on Genevan soil.
Observe the striking outdoor sculpture by American artist George Segal titled The Petrified, depicting life-sized white plaster human figures with bound hands and blindfolded eyes, evoking the suffering of prisoners of war and victims of torture across history. This poignant installation sets the tone for an emotional exhibition focused on universal empathy and human resilience.
The permanent exhibition, titled The Humanitarian Adventure, is structured into three compelling zones: Defending Human Dignity, Restoring Family Links, and Reducing Natural Risks. Visitors walk through the monumental card archives of World War I prisoners of war, an extraordinary collection inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register that reunited millions of separated family members.
Video testimonies from front-line delegates and disaster survivors echo through raw concrete chambers, illustrating the enduring legacy of Henry Dunant. Dunant's moral outrage at the horrific suffering he witnessed at the Battle of Solferino in 1859 sparked the greatest humanitarian network on earth. The interactive chambers invite visitors to record personal messages of solidarity and reflect on the urgent need to protect civilian populations from modern warfare. It provides an emotionally profound and thought-provoking experience that resonates long after leaving the museum grounds. It provides an unforgettable and deeply moving tribute to the courage of humanitarian workers across the globe.
Walk along Avenue de la Paix northeast toward the high security perimeter of the Pregny Gate at the Palace of Nations.