The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum asks a central question:
How does humanitarian action affect us all, here and now?
In order to reflect on this question with our visitors, we invite artists and cultural partners to examine the issues, values and current situation of humanitarian action.
We thus assert ourselves, in an open, agile and warm manner, as a place of memory, creation and debate.
We help bring attention to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the city of Geneva by producing original artistic content and developing ambitious partnerships in Switzerland and throughout the world.
Further details are available in our annual reports:
Executive Management
Pascal Hufschmid, Executive Director
Jonas Chereau, Project Manager
Alice Baronnet, Public Relations Officer
Administration and Finance
Myriam Doré, Director
Tiffany-Jane Madden, Administration and Finance Assistant
Manon Gérard, Security Manager
Collections and Exhibitions
Elisa Rusca, Director
Marie-Laure Berthier, Production Manager
Méloée Piaget, Collections Manager and Registrar
Marco Domingues, Technician
Walkys Bonny, Civil servant
Audience Development
Carolyn Polhill, Director
Fabienne Mendoza, Visitor Services Manager
Justine Langlois, Communications and Digital Content Manager
Pierre Antoine Possa, Cultural Project Manager
Lionel Zeidan, Civil servant
Patrizia Hilbrown, Shop manager and Welcome Agent
Ellen Charlesworth, University researcher
André Hamelin, Reception Manager
Peace Mury, Welcome agent
Camille Bovet, Welcome agent
Marcela Cizmar, Welcome agent
Rama Dwiyana Putera, Welcome agent
Steve Herman Nyagua, Welcome agent
Caroline Minder, Welcome agent
Barbara Angelini, Volunteer guide
Patricia Bourceret, Volunteer guide
Emanuele Ceraso, Volunteer guide
Carole Chiappinelli, Volunteer guide
Mariagrazia Gisella Cicciu, Volunteer guide
Alessandro Cicco, Volunteer guide
Graziella De Vecchi, Volunteer guide
Tanja Devetak, Volunteer guide
Nicole-Eva, Volunteer guide
Maria Contreras Gutiérrez, Volunteer guide
Cécile Crassier-Mokdad, Volunteer guide
Danica Gautier, Volunteer guide
Nalini Gouri-Burci, Volunteer guide
Michito Kawasaki, Volunteer guide
Andressa Marques, Volunteer guide
Oriana Mazzola, Volunteer guide
Gail Messenger, Volunteer guide
Doris Riva, Volunteer guide
Anita Robert, Volunteer guide
Christine Ruchat, Volunteer guide
Luz Maria Serrano Estrada, Volunteer guide
Ivano Tonutti, Volunteer guide
Anook Vary, Volunteer guide
Lisa Widmer, Volunteer guide
Anita Zwerner, Volunteer guide
We're proud to have received the following labels in recognition of our commitment to including sexual and gender minorities and to promoting career and employment opportunities.
Chair
Isabel Rochat
Vice-Chair
Sandrine Giroud
Representatives of the Canton of Geneva
Beatrice Ferrari
Michaël Flaks
Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross
Pierre Krähenbühl
Gilles Carbonnier
Representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Christopher Rassi
Individual Members
Sandrine Giroud
Loa Haagen Pictet
Catherine de Marignac
Luzius Sprüngli
Anne-Marie de Weck
Our story began in 1963 – the 100th anniversary of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – when initial proposals were put forward to establish a Red Cross Museum in Geneva.
Twelve years later, in 1975, ICRC delegate Laurent Marti decided to act, inspired by his time in the field. He wrote to Jean Pictet, the ICRC’s Director-General, setting out his plans for a museum that would trace the major stages of humanitarian history before and after the creation of the Red Cross. His proposal was accepted.
In 1979, an architecture competition was launched to build the Museum close to the ICRC headquarters on the Colline de Pregny in Geneva. The winning design was submitted by Pierre Zoelly, Georges Haefeli and Michel Girardet. The Foundation for the International Red Cross Museum was established in 1981.
The Museum’s first stone was laid on 20 November 1985 at a special ceremony attended by Ursula Furgler, Raisa Gorbachev and Nancy Reagan.
The Museum opened its doors to the public on 29 October 1988. Its founder, Laurent Marti, served as its first director until 1994. He was succeeded by Didier Helg and Christine Müller.
Roger Mayou, appointed as director in 1998, went on to expand the Museum and oversaw a complete overhaul of the site, which reopened on 18 May 2013 after two years of work.
Pascal Hufschmid has served as director of the Museum since 2019.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian organization in the world. It is composed of three independent parts:
- The International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC
- The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IFRC
- 191 individual National Societies
It is guided by the Fundamental Principles and united by a central purpose: to help without discrimination those who suffer and thus contribute to peace in the world.
The seven Fundamental Principles are:
- Humanity
- Impartiality
- Neutrality
- Independence
- Voluntary service
- Unity
- Universality