In Switzerland, as elsewhere, climate change is forcing a rapid switch to renewable energies. The trend is called ‘electric’ and its advent harks back to the age of electrification, which in Switzerland occurred very early on, at the end of 19th century. Are there parallels to that era? Are we currently experiencing Electrification 2.0?

More than 100,000 soldiers from foreign armies were interned in Switzerland during World War II. Reminders of their presence can still be found today – in the Töss Valley in the Zurich Oberland, for instance.

It caused a sensation in 1955 – the Spitlight, a light beam device that could project images onto cliff faces and clouds. But the futuristic device brought no joy for its inventor.

Colour pictures for everyone! That was the idea behind the photochrome process, which was devised in Zurich in the late 19th century – and quickly took over the world.

Ludwig Lavater was not only the successor to Huldrych Zwingli, but also a great lover of ghost stories, which he collected and published in a book.

Why were the Germans able to listen in on Switzerland’s encrypted radio communications so easily during World War II? Secret documents released by the US have solved the mystery.

With the advent of printing, from the late 15th century onwards printed news reports could be produced and circulated for the masses. In many cases, these reports were composed in the style of today’s tabloid media.

It was probably one of the most controversial votes in 20th-century Swiss history: James Schwarzenbach’s ‘excessive immigration’ initiative of 7 June 1970.