You’re looking straight ahead at a charming, narrow building with green shutters and steep, red-trimmed dormer windows; just make sure you spot the sign above the door that reads “Cartoonmuseum Basel” before your imagination starts adding speech bubbles!
Now, take a deep breath and imagine yourself not just standing on St. Alban-Vorstadt, but standing at the quirky, beating heart of narrative art in Switzerland. Here, in this surprisingly unassuming old house with its friendly green shutters and playful roofline, you’re about to cross a bridge into a world entirely devoted to cartoons, comics, caricature, and graphic storytelling-a place more colorful on the inside than a spilled box of crayons.
Once upon a time, long before anyone thought of “graphic novels” as high art, there was a man named Dieter Burckhardt. He wasn’t your average comic fan; no, Dieter was a true Basel original-a philanthropist with a brilliant sense of humor and a deep love for comic art. In 1979, he decided his own remarkable collection of comics and funny drawings shouldn’t just be stashed away for a rainy day, but should be enjoyed by everyone. So, he set up a foundation and, by 1980, opened the very first exhibition of what was then called the Caricature & Cartoon Museum Basel, just a stone’s throw from where you’re standing.
But let’s add a little tension-and some renovation drama. In 1991, Dieter’s foundation took a bold leap and bought this Gothic house at number 28. It was beautiful but needed work, so Basel’s now-famous architects Herzog & de Meuron (yes, the same ones who dream up architectural marvels!) came to the rescue. Together, they gave this old structure a gleaming new lease on life with a sparkling blend of old and new. In 1996, the museum reopened here, and the city didn’t just gain an art space-it gained a vibrant new stage for visual storytelling.
Today, this is Cartoonmuseum Basel-now proudly subtitled the Centre for Narrative Art, to make sure everyone knows just how ambitious it is. The museum is packed to the rafters with more than 12,000 works, not just from Switzerland but from all around the world. Inside, you’d find everything from delicate ink drawings to laugh-out-loud cartoons, thought-provoking comics, edgy zines, and animations that’d make Walt Disney blink. There are curated exhibitions that explore everything from the big social questions of the day to the quirkiest corners of counter-culture, plus workshops, talks, and-would you believe it-a library that covers everything from bestselling comics to underground cult classics.
Whenever there’s a national symposium about comics (what they call the “ninth art”), the whole scene looks to Basel-and this museum helps lead the conversation. And if you thought all you’d find here were a few funny doodles, think again: this place has played host to international legends and homegrown heroes alike, each exhibition a wild new adventure.
Oh! And before you go-peek into the museum shop. Whether you want a postcard, a comic book you can barely pronounce, or a brilliant monograph that makes you stroke your chin wisely, you’ll find something. You might just leave this place with a little more spring in your step and a new respect for the power of a good cartoon to say everything words can’t. Isn’t it amazing what can hide behind a pair of green shutters and a friendly sign?
