The Fondation Gottfried Keller is a artistic Fondation Suisse, managed since 1891 by the federal Administration of finances.
History
In
1890, Lydia Welti-Escher, girl of
Alfred Escher and marries of the son of the federal adviser
Emil Welti, bequeaths its inheritance to the Swiss Confédération with an aim of creating the foundation which bears the name of the writer
Gottfried Keller.
This one acquires significant works Swiss artists and foreigners deceased and demounting in the museums or gives them to their site of origin (stalls of Saint-Urbain). Its collection includes/understands more than 7500 paintings, sculptures and objets d'art, deposited in a hundred Swiss museums.
Acquisitions
The foundation in particular acquired the convent of Saint-Georges with
Stein amndt Rhein in
1926 as well as the Wocher panorama of
Thoune in
1960. It contributed to the safeguard of old buildings by repurchasing their interior installation (the Château of Wülflingen to
Winterthour, the house Supersaxo with
Sion or the Palais Freuler with
Näfels). Its inheritance melted during the 20th century and it could achieve its goals only thanks to the additional help of the Confederation.