There have been children’s ski camps in Switzerland since the 1940s.
From toughening up to having fun

There have been children’s ski camps in Switzerland since 1940. The origins of these camps go back to World War II, and there were serious reasons for them: the camps were intended to prepare young people for a winter campaign.

Cosy fondue dinner in the 1940s, Liestal.
Fondue – a ‘natural processed product’

Until the Second World War, fondue was unheard of in most areas of Switzerland. The cheese speciality only became the ‘national dish’ as the result of a marketing campaign run by the Schweizerische Käseunion (Swiss Cheese Union).

Drummers from the Alti Stainlemer clique in 1933 as “the Swiss swastika procession”.
Basel Carnival in the 1930s: don’t upset the Nazis

At Basel Carnival, anyone and anything is fair game. But from 1933 things got tricky.

Latest posts

Max Weber: an eventful life in eventful times

Kurt Messmer 21.03.2025 Social justice. Max Weber spent his whole life fighting for it ‒ as a trade unionist, politician and economist. In an age of extremes he moved with the times, in his own fashion. Many of the views he expressed are still relevant today.
Max Weber (1897-1974). Official portrait from the Canton of Zurich’s gallery of former members of the cantonal and federal government. Portrait by Jakob Ritzmann (detail).

The Erlacherhof plot

Reto Bleuer 18.03.2025 From rebellious patricians and ammunition stashed in the city hall to a wave of arrests and a controversial trial – the Erlacherhof plot of 1832 was a turning point in the history of the canton of Bern.
Ammunition was hidden at the Erlacherhof in case of a possible coup. Illustration by Marco Heer

The royal seal of approval

Michael van Orsouw 13.03.2025 Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sisi, visited Switzerland nine times and was an admirer of Swiss art, of which she purchased two pieces – setting in motion a trail of events that led all the way to the Federal Palace in Bern.
The National Council Chamber: with the mural by Charles Giron and the sculpture by Antonio Chiattone to the left.

Shopper’s heaven or gates of hell?

Fabian Furter 11.03.2025 The opening of the first major shopping centre in Spreitenbach in 1970 heralded a new era for retail in Switzerland.
Shoppi Spreitenbach after it opened in 1970. Up to 70,000 people would visit the 200-metre long shopper’s paradise every day.
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Popular posts

Switzerland’s most famous midwife

Christophe Vuilleumier 11.02.2025 Marie Colinet, a Geneva native and pioneer in the field of medicine, made history in the 16th century. She initiated a number of innovative procedures as a midwife and doctor – including Switzerland’s first successful caesarean section.
Marie Colinet was not only a skilful midwife, but also an inventive doctor. Illustration by Marco Heer.

From India to Switzerland

Manda Beck 25.02.2025 Today, yoga is a popular fitness and relaxation technique. But it has a long history stretching back over millennia and origins that are deeply rooted in Indian philosophy. So how did yoga make its way to Switzerland?

Sexuality in the Middle Ages

Valérie Lüthi 13.06.2024 If we hazard a look at the medieval era, we discover a history of sexuality that is far more multilayered than we might at first have imagined. While the Christian church sought to extend its influence into private bedchambers, ‘lascivious’ attitudes and practices stood in the way of its ambitions.
Detail from The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, 1490-1500.

Powered by water, driven by ambition

Caroline Calame 27.02.2025 Jonas Sandoz acquired the concession to operate mills in the caves of Col-des-Roches thanks to his political acumen. It was a successful venture – until he ran into financial difficulties.

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