Therma Schaulager

In the enamelling plant of the Therma, built in 1932, the Schaulager invites you on a journey through 70 years of technical, design and industrial history.

After its foundation in 1907, Therma in Schwanden earned the rank of the most important electrical equipment manufacturer in Switzerland. The period between 1920 and 1950 was a golden age for industrial design, and Therma was the market leader for electrical household appliances with a market share of over 50%.

Its importance as a local employer can hardly be overestimated. After the Second World War, 1,000 people worked at Therma, and "Therma worker" was used as a job title in telephone directory entries. After economically difficult times, Therma was bought by Elektrolux in 1978, which retained the Therma brand name until 2004. At that time, 300 employees were still employed in Schwanden.

In 2015, the factory was closed, and the objects from the period 1907-1978 became the property of the pro Schwanden Foundation. The collection includes over 400 industrially manufactured objects such as irons, coffee makers, toasters, stoves, rechauds, dehydrators, refrigerators, a wide variety of ovens, parabolic radiators, apparatus for medical purposes; as well as special individual pieces such as a rare lord's hearth.

The Schaulager shows selected pieces from this collection at the place where they were created. It brings to life 70 years of development history of electrical household appliances and an important piece of Swiss economic and design history.

Opening hours & contact:
www.therma-schaulager.ch