Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection
One of Europe's finest Impressionist collections — funded by 623 million francs in weapons sales to Hitler's army.
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Cézanne, Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir, and Picasso fill a private villa beside the arms dealer's former home, but every canvas carries a shadow: Emil Bührle bought them with profits from supplying Nazi Germany. In 2021, major works transferred on a 20-year loan to the Kunsthaus Zürich — the controversy over potential Nazi-looted works travels with them.
What to look for
- Cézanne's Boy in the Red Vest and Van Gogh's Blossoming Chestnut Branches — both stolen in the 2008 CHF 180 million heist and eventually recovered
- The villa setting itself, a domestic scale that sits directly beside Bührle's former private home
- Provenance labels on works under scrutiny as art looted from Jewish owners by Nazi Germany
Since 2021 many works hang at the Kunsthaus Zürich extension on a 20-year loan — confirm which venue holds what before you go.
Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection is one of 17 sights worth the detour in Zurich, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Zurich pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Zurich
- LetzigrundOn this track, on 21 June 1960, Armin Hary became the first person in history to run 100 metres in 10.0 seconds.
- Zürich HauptbahnhofSwitzerland's largest station runs 2,915 trains a day — and a river flows through it in a tunnel, with tracks both above and below.
- GrossmünsterThe church where Zwingli launched the Swiss-German Reformation in 1520 — and then his followers stripped out the organ and every statue to prove the point.
- Zürich Opera HouseThe first electrically lit opera house in Europe — built in 16 months, nearly razed by street riots, and winner of Opera Company of the Year at the 2014 International Opera Awards.
- Cabaret VoltaireHugo Ball borrowed a back room on Spiegelgasse in February 1916 and accidentally invented Dada — Lenin was renting a flat fourteen doors up the same street.
- Kunsthaus ZürichTwo buildings on opposite sides of Heimplatz, linked underground, housing one of Switzerland's most important art collections — the 2021 David Chipperfield sandstone block alone added over 80% more floor space.