Christophe Droesch13.08.2026In 1456, a pot of millet porridge was transported by boat from Zurich to Strasbourg in a single day. It was still warm on arrival. The trip was repeated in 1576 and feted as a great achievement, but it mainly served to solidify the alliance between the two cities in a politically and religiously charged period.
Rolf Löffler11.08.2026Adolf Walter fled Switzerland for the Third Reich in 1939, a fugitive from justice. On returning, he was convicted of treason and served a prison sentence. But that did not stop him from setting up in business and living life as a normal citizen.
Jasmin Mollet06.08.2026In the late 19th century, the corset faced growing criticism as it was deemed constrictive and damaging to health. The women’s movement fought for the reform dress, including in Switzerland – advocating freedom of movement, emancipation and a cut that served the body, rather than forcing it to bow to fashion trends.
Murielle Schlup04.08.2026Around 100 years ago, a Swedish heiress secured the inheritance of the von Hallwyl family, into which she had married in 1865. The National Museum Zurich is part of that story.
Thomas Bochet30.07.2026Few items of military equipment are as renowned for their longevity as the ‘Ordonnanzrad 05’ bicycle. It was a staple of military and civilian life for almost a century. In fact, its extensive use within and outside the military plus its legendary indestructibility have made it part of the country’s DNA.
Roland Gröbli28.07.2026Religious differences between the traditionally Catholic cantons and those that embraced the Reformation prevented them from agreeing on a common wording for the oath of allegiance to the Old Swiss Confederacy. It was effectively 500 years ago, on 28 July 1526, when its members convened to swear their common allegiance for the last time.
Nicole Billeter23.07.2026Melancholy was everywhere in the early modern period: in letters, reports and biographies, but also in medical tracts and theological discourse. A diagnosis is speculative, but in some of the descriptions we can recognise what today is referred to as depression.
Christian Koller21.07.2026The Olimpiada Popular, or People’s Olympiad, was scheduled to take place in Barcelona in July 1936 as a form of protest against the Olympic Games in Berlin. But on the day of the opening ceremony, the Catalan metropolis became the scene of fierce fighting as the Spanish Civil War broke out. Numerous athletes joined the ranks of those battling to defend the Republic.
