Nietzsche House

"Dear old friend, now I'm back in the Upper Engadine, for the third time, and again I feel that here and nowhere else is my right home and hotbed." (Friedrich Nietzsche to Carl von Gersdorff, Sils-Maria, end of June 1883)

Nietzsche in Sils-Maria

Seven summers, for the first time in 1881, Friedrich Nietzsche spent an inspiring and creative time in Sils Maria. He lived in a modest room in the Durisch family's house during his stays. In the Engadine, with its dry, sunny climate, the weather-minded thinker found conditions from which he hoped to alleviate his violent migraine-like headache. A strict daily schedule not only regulated working hours and meal times, but also provided "5 - 7 hours of exercise every day", which he obtained by taking long walks in the area - the best opportunity to literally "philosophize" "fare. Even the first stay resulted in a key thought that gave his future work a new direction: the "thought of eternal return", the basic concept of Nietzsche's "So spoke Zarathustra".

The exhibition includes a rich collection of photos and documents, manuscripts and letters from the Sils period, the original death mask, various busts (Max Kruse, Willy de Boe), music, a complete collection of the works that Nietzsche himself published during his lifetime, including rare dedication copies. In addition, there is a documentation on the counterfeits for which Nietzsche's sister is responsible and on Nietzsche's time as a professor in Basel (Basler Stube with original furniture and documents from the time of Basel 1869-79).

Special exhibition

the Upper Engadine is one of those special landscapes that have long fascinated and inspired writers, musicians and visual artists. Gerhard Richter first came to Sils Maria for a winter holiday in 1989. The wide high valley enclosed by mountain massifs with its lakes and incomparable light made a deep impression on him, and from then on he returned there again and again for summer and winter stays.

Now, for the first time, an exhibition is devoted exclusively to Gerhard Richter's encounter with the Upper Engadine and his fascination with this landscape. Curated by Dr. Dieter Schwarz, the show will be on view from 9 December 2023 to 13 April 2024 at the Nietzsche Haus (Sils Maria), the Segantini Museum and the Galerie Hauser & Wirth (St. Moritz).

On display will be paintings based on Upper Engadine motifs, overpainted photographs, drawings and some of the eleven steel spheres in which two central themes in Richter's oeuvre take on concrete form - reflection and nature.

Mrs. Mirella Carbone (Foundation Board) and Mrs. Susanne Summermatter are responsible for the Richter exhibition in the Nietzsche House.

More information at