BASEL.- One of the largest Roman silver treasure hoards in Europe. Gold Celtic jewellery that once adorned giant statues of gods. Church bells buried in the forest or the loot of a master thief sunk in the Rhine. In the exhibition "Treasure Hoards – Hidden, Lost, Found", the Basel Historical Museum traces the most spectacular finds from the Basel region. Treasures from the Bronze Age to the present day are on display, found in north-west Switzerland, Alsace and southern Baden. The exhibition runs from 16 October 2025 to 28 June 2026 in the Barfüsserkirche.

Why were the valuable objects once buried, hidden, or sunk in the Rhine? As witnesses of times gone by, they tell of wealth and religious practices – but also of war, persecution and personal fates that are closely interwoven with the history of the tri-national region. The oldest treasure was hidden over 3500 years ago, the newest in 1995. The focus is not only on the treasures themselves, but also on the amazing stories of their discovery. Some finds were discovered by chance, others were brought to light through meticulous archaeological work.

One of the highlights is the Roman silver treasure from Kaiseraugst, one of the largest in Europe. 270 objects made from almost 60 kilograms of silver are presented in the exhibition. An excavator unknowingly tore the treasure out of the ground in December 1961. Covered in snow and mud, the silver objects were left lying there. The finds were discovered by residents and passers-by and ended up in cellars and even on rubbish heaps. Thanks to criminological sleuthing, the archaeologists were able to locate most of the treasure months later.

Counterfeit money from Läufelfingen can also be seen, which was split and thus rendered worthless on government orders. The 170-year-old ten- and twenty-rappen coins appeared in the bucket of an excavator. How and why they got into the ground remains a mystery.

Also on display is a Celtic gold treasure that was found in 1883 by construction workers repairing flood damage to the Rhine on the French border with Basel. They sold the gold to various museums or had it melted down. The surviving gold jewellery is now in the National Archaeological Museum in Paris and is being presented for the first time in Basel along with rediscovered gold coins from the treasure.

Supporting programme and publication

A children's trail with treasure chests, puzzles and interactive displays complements the tour of the exhibition and encourages hands-on discovery. Specialist guided tours with archaeologists provide insights into current research and a richly illustrated accompanying publication examines the cultural and historical significance of the finds.

Locations

On display are treasures from: Ammerschwihr, Augst, Basel, Biederthal, Birsfelden, Bubendorf, Colmar, Füllinsdorf, Gerstheim, Habsheim, Holderbank, Huningue, Istein, Kaiseraugst, Läufelfingen, Liestal, Muttenz, Nunningen, Oberschopfheim, Ormalingen, Ottmarsheim, Pfeffingen, Reinach, Vogelgrun, Vogtsburg-Burkheim, Waldenburg, Windisch, Zurzach