Death of Pierre Dietsch 17 février 1999 (≈ 1999)
Legate of the collection in Rambouillet
6 avril 2001
Opening of the museum
Opening of the museum 6 avril 2001 (≈ 2001)
Inauguration in the king's palace
2008
Buying the collection
Buying the collection 2008 (≈ 2008)
Final acquisition by the town hall
2011
Closing of the museum
Closing of the museum 2011 (≈ 2011)
End of permanent exhibitions
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Pierre Dietsch - Collector and Polytechnician
Has gathered 2,500 games in 30 years
Origin and history
The Musée du jeu de l'oie de Rambouillet was created to house the collection of Pierre Dietsch, a passionate Alsatian polytechnician. For thirty years, he gathered 2,500 goose games on his trips to Europe, forming one of the world's largest collections. When he died in 1999, he left his games at the town of Rambouillet, allowing the museum to open on 6 April 2001 in a restored wing of the king's palace in the city centre.
From 2001 to 2011, 80 French and foreign games, dating from the 17th to the 20th century, were permanently exhibited. The collection, purchased by the town hall in 2008, was kept in reserve after the museum closed in 2008. The pieces reflect the evolution of the game throughout the centuries, in a historical setting linked to the palace of the King of Rome, a former place of power and prestige.
Today, although the museum is closed to the public, the collection remains owned by the city of Rambouillet. It bears witness to a rare playful heritage, associated with local and European history. The fund, known as Fonds Pierre Dietsch, is still referenced by the town hall as a major cultural element, despite its current inaccessibility.
