My first time… at the C.G. Jung Museum

A word of advice to start with: it’s best to visit the C.G. Jung House Museum on a sunny day. When Lake Zurich sparkles and the garden lies lush and green beneath its ancient trees, the house in Küsnacht takes on a special charm.

An old house, young people

Personally, I’m lucky with the weather on this May morning. “The tour of the house is about to start. Would you like to join us?” asks the person at reception, to my surprise. “I’d love to,” I reply, and join the group already waiting; a diverse mix of people, including four young, rather hip tourists from an English-speaking country. Their presence seems to confirm a social media trend that I recently read: Jung’s ‘shadow’ concept has found its way into pop culture as ‘Shadow Work’.

But back to the house. It was built over a hundred years ago by Emma Jung-Rauschenbach and Carl Gustav. She was a wealthy industrial heiress from Schaffhausen; he was a rather penniless man from Basel. Right from the start of the tour, it becomes clear that Jung’s rise to fame had a great deal to do with his connection to Emma, both financially and in terms of his work. Emma Jung was herself a respected psychoanalyst.

In the patient's room

Descendants still live in the house today descendants still live in the house today, which is why only parts of it are open to visitors: the drawing room, the conservatory, the library and Jung’s study, where he also received patients. Most of the furniture is original, and it is easy to imagine how the Jung couple lived with their five children, how they worked, and how they received famous guests such as Freud (before the fateful split between the two psychoanalysts, of course) or Einstein.

The centrepiece of the museum is the library, which served as Jung’s study, with a view of the lake and countless ancient books. Part of the alchemical collection, peppered with Jung’s notes, we are told, can be found digitised. Adjacent to this is the room where Jung received patients. I don’t want to spoil it for future visitors, but standing in this small room, which feels so different in atmosphere from the rest of the house, is a physical experience that offers interesting insights into C.G. Jung’s working methods.

Opening hours: The C.G. Jung House Museum is open on Thursdays, Fridays and occasionally on Saturdays. Guided tours take place regularly.