Broken Chair

The Broken Chair Monument in Geneva is a large-scale sculpture depicting a piece of furniture with a broken leg. The original work was built of 5.5 tons of wood and is 12 meters high. The monument by the Swiss artist Daniel Berset was constructed by the carpenter Louis Genève and stands in front of the Geneva Palace of Nations.

The giant sculpture was created as a sign of opposition to landmines and cluster bombs. Placing it in front of the Palais des Nations was to contribute to obtaining as many signatures as possible for the Ottawa Treaty on landmines in December 1997. A chair with a broken leg stood in front of the main entrance to the Palace of Nations on August 18, 1997.

The monument stood in front of the UN headquarters for three months until the treaty was signed. Strong support for the cause, which he became a symbol, however, meant that the chair remained in place until 2005, when the thorough reconstruction of the Palais des Nations took place. After the works were completed, on February 26, 2007, the chair returned to the square. Currently, the monument is a popular tourist attraction in Geneva and a must see during the tour.