‘Zurich Reads’: Guided tour of the Museumsgesellschaft

Discover a literary gem in the heart of Zurich: library director Brigitte Burkhalter recounts the history of the society, gives a guided tour of the building and showcases some treasures from the book repository.

With its library and reading room, the Museumsgesellschaft has a long history in Zurich’s cultural life: Thomas Mann and Lenin paid visits, the Dadaists found refuge here, and James Joyce wrote *Ulysses*. The book collection has grown steadily since the society was founded in 1834 and contains many first editions and rare books. Works of fiction, as well as 19th-century travel writing and memoirs – which are otherwise difficult to access – are available in abundance.