Visit to the MoneyMuseum

For visits and introductions on Thursday please call the following number: 

+41 44 242 76 80, send an e-mail to info@sunflower.ch (you may indicate your preferences or interests) or book directly an appointment online.

You can explore the MoneyMuseum alone or in groups with the help of AudioGuide and captions, or delve into the books in the library. You can also book an introduction. This is free of charge. Please inform us about the desired date so that we can be there for you. We are looking forward to your visit.

book a visit or send an e-mail to info@sunflower.ch

how to ask the right question

Words Like Paintings - starting October 19, 2023
A Kaleidoscope of Beautiful Books

What makes a book beautiful? Is it the cover, the paper, the printing quality, the illustrations or even the content? This is the question the MoneyMuseum presents in its exhibition “Words Like Paintings – A Kaleidoscope of Beautiful Books”. See for yourself which of the books in the exhibition you find the most beautiful.

We’ll be presenting private press books and artist’s books, and exploring the English Arts and Crafts movement. But we’ll also be telling the stories of some truly Swiss phenomena, such as the Olten Book Lovers Association, the Zurich-based magazine du and the Manesse library of world literature. This exhibition aims to show its visitors one thing: behind every beautiful
book are people who love beautiful books!

The exhibition will also be accompanied by a catalogue entitled: “Words Like Paintings. Reflections on Beautiful Books.”

audio guide

your guide to the museion

Traditional Means of Payment

Traditional societies have a hierarchical organization. The position of a person, and with it his prestige, depends not on how much he possesses, but on how many goods he has given to the other members of the society.

Roman Coins Introduction

As a rule, coins are manufactured to be recognized as a reliable currency in the largest possible geographic area. The recognition effect was important – for instance, the most successful coins from Greek antiquity, the tetradrachms introduced by the Athenians and by Alexander the Great, featured the same image for more than one and a half centuries.

The denarii of the Roman Republic, on the other hand, are a completely different matter. Here, the coin motifs change quicker than the years. We find everything: scenes from the past, allusions to the present, images of everyday political life, buildings, people, and of course deities. The ones responsible seem to have squeezed their whole world into the small space a denarius provides for coin motifs.

MoneyMuseum Library

Each of us knows them: Books that touch him or her in a special way. Books that deal with questions that affect us over a long period of time, perhaps even throughout our lives. For Jürg Conzett, the founder of the MoneyMuseum, one of these questions is that of theodicy. Another central question for him is: How did our money economy come into being and does it have to remain as it is? Here you will find Jürg Conzett's most important books, a personal selection for all critical minds.

Literature and society have a close connection, since literature is not only a reflection of society, but can also exert a strong influence on society.

• Literature often reflects the social, political, economic, and cultural conditions and developments that prevailed at the time the works were written. Thus, literary works can tell us much about the past and present of societies.
• At the same time, literature can also play a role in shaping and changing societies. By presenting alternatives or criticizing the prevailing systems, literature can convey a message and initiate a public debate that can lead to changes in society. Literature can also help improve understanding and empathy between people of different cultures, ethnicities, or circumstances.
• In addition, literature is a medium that can contribute to education and personality development. Reading enhances cognitive development and promotes understanding of complex relationships in the world.
• Overall, the relationship between literature and society is multifaceted and reciprocal. Literature influences and is influenced by society, and can help promote the understanding and development of societies.

a 10-minute introduction