Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Grant
grant awarded
The Swiss Center of North America was awarded two grants by the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin in December of 2024. Some of the grant money will be used to purchase PastPerfect Museum Software. Over the next few years, each of the 25,000+ objects housed at the Swiss Center will be added to this comprehensive database of our collection. The remainder of the money will be used to purchase flags for local Fahnenschwinger Damion Babler to teach flag throwing classes. Thank you to the Community Foundation for their support of the Swiss Center!
Community foundation of southern wisconsin
Grant funds were provided by the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, who serves as a repository for more than 900 charitable funds worth more than $90 million. Community Foundation services these funds by managing the investment, encouraging and supporting additions, overseeing the disbursement of grants and scholarships, and managing the requisite government paperwork.
The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin serves communities in nine Southern Wisconsin counties: Crawford, Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, and Walworth.
American Association for State & Local History Certificate
Bekah Stauffacher of the Swiss Center of North America recently completed the Collections Management/Collections Development course offered by the American Association of State & Local History. The eight-week online course teaches the general principles underlying the idea of being a “collecting organization,” and how collections support the mission of a museum or history organization. Students explore the purpose of a Collection Management Policy and how it relates to other core museum documents, create the Foundational Statements and Collection Development sections of their collections management policy and operationalize those components using example objects.
Meet Bekah Stauffacher, New Swiss Center President
The Swiss Center is pleased to introduce Bekah Stauffacher as our new President/CEO. Bekah replaces Beth Zurbuchen, who retired after 15 amazing years of service to the Swiss community of North America.
Bekah is a native of Green County, Wisconsin, and a descendent of Swiss immigrants from Canton Glarus who arrived in America in the 1860s. Bekah has a background of artifact preservation, event planning, marketing, and fundraising.
Beth Zurbuchen's Retirement Letter
After 15 amazing years as the President & CEO of the Swiss Center of North America, Beth Zurbuchen stepped down to enjoy retirement in April of 2024. We thank her for the wonderful job she did building the Swiss Center into what it is today - we'll miss you, Beth!
Switzerland in 3D
Stereographic Switzerland
Stereographic Switzerland
A major exhibition at the Swiss National Museum, Landesmuseum Zürich, featured special images called stereoviews from the Swiss Center of North America’s Donald G. Tritt Archives. These stereoscopic photographs of Switzerland from 1860 to 1910 were collected by Don and donated to the Swiss Center.
Stereographic Switzerland
Stereographic Switzerland
Stereographic Switzerland
October 8th, Swiss Center President, Beth Zurbuchen attended an event celebrating Stereomania Switzerland in 3D, and the release of a 184-page book Stereographic Switzerland. The book, authored by Jarryd Lowder, provides insight into the unique stereo-image collection from the Swiss Center.
Author Jarryd Lowder
Stereographic Switzerland
Author Jarryd Lowder
Jarryd Lowder, who lives in Glarus and is a social media volunteer for the Swiss Center, saw our collection in 2017.Jarryd, knew someone who works at the Landesmuseum. From there came the exhibition and book, and increased international reach and recognition for the Swiss Center.
News from Us
Canton Glarus Donation
The Swiss Center of North America received a generous donation from the Stiftung zur Erforschung der Auswanderung aus dem Canton Glarus and is to be used to support genealogy research.
President Beth Zurbuchen received the check from Frau Landammann Marianne Lienhard on Sept. 28, 2021 at the Rathaus in Glarus.