International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Museum
International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Museum

About the museum



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
 

Administration and Finance

Jean-Luc Bovet, Director
Tiffany-Jane Madden, Assistant, Administration and Accounting
Jonas Chereau, Project manager
 

Collections and Exhibitions

Elisa Rusca, Director
Mariano Villalba, Collections and Registrar Manager
Marie-Laure Berthier, Production Manager
Marco Domingues, Technician

External Relations

Anne-Outram Mott, Director
 

Audience Development

Carolyn Polhill, Director
Fabienne Mendoza, Manager, Visitor Experience
Cecilia Suarez, Manager, Communication and Digital Content
Annabel Bernardon, Manager, Cultural Engagement
Peace Mury, Store Officer
 

 

Cherif Amadou, Welcome Officer

Camille Bovet, Welcome Officer
Marcela Cizmar, Welcome Officer

Rama Dwiyana Putera, Welcome Officer
André Hamelin, Welcome Officer
Patrizia Hilbrown, Welcome Officer
Peace Mury, Welcome Officer
Susanne Staub, Welcome Officer

Barbara Angelini, Volunteer Guide
Ashling Barmes, Volunteer Guide
Patricia Bourceret, Volunteer Guide
Emanuele Ceraso, Volunteer Guide
Mariagrazia Gisella Cicciu, Volunteer Guide
Maria Contreras Gutiérrez, Volunteer Guide
Cécile Crassier-Mokdad, Volunteer Guide
Danica Gautier, Volunteer Guide
Nalini Gouri-Burci, Volunteer Guide
Odile Guillaud, Volunteer Guide
Birgid Mallot, Volunteer Guide
Oriana Mazzola, Volunteer Guide
Gail Messenger, Volunteer Guide
Doris Riva, Volunteer Guide
Christine Ruchat, Volunteer Guide
Luz Maria Serrano Estrada, 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
 

Representatives of the Swiss Confederation

Félix Baumann (Swiss Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva)
Philippe Kaeser
 

Representatives of the Canton of Geneva

Teresa Skibinska
Michaël Flaks
 

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross

Gilles Carbonnier
Robert Mardini
 

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
 

Honorary Chair

Bernard Koechlin
 



Committee 2023–2024

To be confirmed
 

Committee 2021–2022

Jean-Noël Fermaud
Eugenia Pessina
Mahesha Rajapaksha Yapa
Cristina Valdes Argüelles
 

Committee 2021–2022

Anaïs Bayrou
Juliane Fegert
Laetitia Maradan
Claudio Pinto
Selin Yetim
 

In collaboration with the Career Centre of the University of Geneva.



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
  • 192 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