Broken Chair
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Broken Chair is a giant wooden chair with a broken leg on Geneva’s Place des Nations, opposite the Palais des Nations. It is a monument against anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.
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Why go
- Look up at the 12-metre-tall chair.
- Find the inscription in nine languages at its base.
- See the Monument to the Unknown Civilian inaugurated beside the chair.
Opening hours
Today00:00 – 23:59Show all
Monday00:00 – 23:59
Tuesday00:00 – 23:59
Wednesday00:00 – 23:59
Thursday00:00 – 23:59
Friday00:00 – 23:59
Saturday00:00 – 23:59
Sunday00:00 – 23:59
Don't miss
- Broken legThe missing limb evokes war victims who have suffered amputations.The broken leg.
- Douglas fir constructionThe sculpture was made from 5.5 tonnes of Douglas fir wood.The chair’s wooden structure.
- Night lightingLighting added during the 2016 renovation illuminates the sculpture at night.Place des Nations.After dark.
Interesting facts1
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Daniel Berset designed the sculpture, with carpentry by Louis Genève and engineering by Thomas Büchi.
Discover Broken Chair | Handicap International CH
Shorts
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Geneva ONU Broken Chair – Place des Nations | 改革者椅子 | ब्रोकन चेयरExplore & Relax 360° | E-xauce
History
- 1996Paul Vermeulen, a co-founder of Handicap International Switzerland, conceived the project to rally states and public opinion against anti-personnel mines and encourage signatures for the Ottawa Treaty.
- 1997Created in 1997, the sculpture was intended to remain for three months, until December. Public support and the absence of key treaty signatures kept it on the square until 2005.
- 2004Daniel Berset transferred ownership of the work to Handicap International.
- 2005The chair was removed during renovations of Place des Nations.
- 2007–2008After public calls for its return, the chair was reinstalled in its original location in 2007 in support of the Oslo process. The treaty banning cluster munitions was signed in Oslo the following year.
Show all
- 2016Its symbolism expanded to include explosive weapons.
- 2023Artist Saype painted a hand holding the missing piece on the ground beneath the chair to draw attention to civilian bombings.
- December 13, 2024Femen activists damaged the chair with a chainsaw during a protest related to Ukraine.
- March 24–April 4, 2025Handicap International repaired the damage. The repair materials require temperatures above 10–12°C to last.
Tips for your visit
- The wood glue and finishing materials used for the 2025 repair need temperatures above 10–12°C to last.
How to get there
- TrainThe nearest public transport stop is Nations.
Sources: Broken Chair - Wikipedia · Discover Broken Chair | Handicap International … · Broken Chair - Wikipedia · Broken Chair - Wikipedia · Broken Chair - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026
Where
Place des Nations, 1202, Genève
- Website
- broken-chair.com/
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Questions and answers
How was Broken Chair’s 25th anniversary marked?
An exhibition in Geneva traced the sculpture’s history in September 2022.
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