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Erika Billeter

1927 – 2011

German art historian, art critic and museum director

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About Erika Billeter

Lived 1927 – 2011 (aged 83). Erika Billeter was a Swiss art historian, author, art critic, art history and curator.

Erika Billeter (also known as Erika Gysling-Billeter, née Erika Schulze; 8 November 1927 – 12 August 2011), was a German-born Swiss art historian, curator, writer, and museum director. She was a prolific author and specialized in writing and editing art exhibition catalogues (in German and English languages). She was also known for her interests in Latin American art history.

Biography Erika Billeter was born in 1927 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She attended the University of Cologne to study art history, followed by study at the University of Basel where she graduated with a PhD in 1960. She had emigrated to Switzerland in 1962, after marrying scholar . Her second marriage was to journalist .

She served as a curator at the Kunstgewerbemuseum der Stadt Zürich (later known as the Museum of Design, Zürich) from 1962 until 1968; curator at the Museum Bellerive in Zürich from 1968 to 1974; and deputy director of Kunsthaus Zürich from 1975 to 1981; then director at the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts (Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts) from 1981 to 1991.

In 2000, Billeter was awarded the Bern State Prize, for her work in the service of culture.

Publications Billeter published more than 1,000 works, below is a list of her select works.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Paris, University of Basel, University of Cologne
Positions held
Curator
Also known as
Erika Schulze, Erika Gysling-Billeter, Erika Gysling Billeter

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Erika Billeter's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Erika Billeter?

German art historian, art critic and museum director (1927-2011)

When was Erika Billeter born?

Erika Billeter was born on 8 November 1927 in Cologne.

When did Erika Billeter die?

Erika Billeter died on 12 August 2011 in Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz.

What was Erika Billeter's occupation?

Erika Billeter was an art historian, author, art critic, art history and curator.

What nationality was Erika Billeter?

Erika Billeter was Swiss.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Erika Billeter

· Wikidata: Q3056590

· DBpedia: Erika Billeter

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Erika Billeter. https://biography.guide/erika-billeter/

MLA: "Erika Billeter." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/erika-billeter/.

Chicago: "Erika Billeter." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/erika-billeter/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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