From the 19th century onwards, thousands traveled from Basel to "distant lands", including missionaries, merchants and researchers. But people from other parts of the world also increasingly came here: for example, the Basel Mission brought students from Ghana to Switzerland for training; or the Basel Zoo presented people from so-called "exotic" cultures as part of "Völkerschauen". The city tour explores these global migration stories of the colonial era and discusses their lasting significance.
Contact and registration via the event page of the Basel History Days 2026 (BGT):
Guided tour Mission 21 on Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Short guided tours on this topic:
Saturday, March 21, 13:00-13:45 as well as 15:30-16:15
Costs
Single admission: CHF 15 / CHF 10 (reduced) / free of charge (according to BGT guidelines)
BGT-Pass (valid 16.-21.3.): CHF 35 (support) / CHF 25 / CHF 15 (reduced) / free of charge (according to BGT guidelines)
Meeting point
Mission 21, Missionsstrasse 21, 4055 Basel, main entrance
