The Foreign Legion was established in 1831. Since then the French elite troop has lured thousands of Swiss, including figures from the arenas of culture and politics.
Jakob Leonhard fought against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Or did he? The strange story of a Zurich taxi driver who slipped away mysteriously, only to return a hero.
Stereoscopics, the three-dimensional depiction of two-dimensional images, captivated viewers across the globe in the 19th century. And the phenomenon helped to cement Switzerland’s status as a highly desirable tourist destination.
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.
Empress Elisabeth ‘Sisi’ of Austria-Hungary was also a poetess. Why her personal notes are in Switzerland’s Federal Archives, and why they remained unpublished until 1984…
In 1893, Zurich became the largest city in Switzerland. This jump in status happened overnight – the growth was achieved through the incorporation of 11 outlying districts.
In December 1602, the Duke of Savoy attempted to take the city state of Geneva with a surprise attack. Referred to as the ‘escalade’ because of the wooden ladders used to scale the city walls, the attack was thwarted and the city finally became independent.
