Murielle Schlup06.11.2025The 1954 state visit to Switzerland of Haile Selassie (1892–1975), the last Ethiopian emperor, caused quite a stir. Some of his gifts and a belated thank-you letter sparked irritation and gave rise to speculation.
Christian Rohr04.11.2025Archaeologist Jakob Wiedmer’s marriage to Wengen hotel owner Marie Stern exposed him to the tourist boom in the Bernese Oberland during the Belle Époque. He expressed his disapproval in his novel Flut, which led to the couple selling the hotel and moving away.
Helmut Stalder30.10.2025There was a public fascination in the 19th century with the idea of building a railway to the top of the Jungfrau. A competition launched in the mid-1880s prompted an animated response from the country’s engineers, with each one trying to outdo the other. Adolf Guyer-Zeller cherry-picked their ideas and got rid of the competition. He also opened up the mountain to mass tourism.
Flurina Felix28.10.2025In 1994 Federal Councillors and high-ranking officials visited Africa like never before. Their dealings in Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa and Rwanda shine a light on the continent’s varying ties to Switzerland.
Juri Jaquemet24.10.2025The Swiss Post was long responsible for bringing the exact time into households in Switzerland, whether by phone or by radio. Sometimes it also offered a morning wake-up call.
Jasmin Mollet14.10.2025Hatpins were all the rage from 1890 to 1920, essential for holding broad-brimmed 'cartwheels' in place. While the choice of design could be used to make an individual fashion statement, their points tended to protrude dangerously from the hat they secured.
Mégane Cavin09.10.2025The guest book of the Suchard chocolate factory in Neuchâtel bears witness to a rich local heritage. A throwback to a prosperous industrial past, it contains a reminder of an unforgettable royal visit: that of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III in 1960.
Hannes Mangold07.10.2025Foraging for mushrooms has become a popular pastime throughout Switzerland. And fungi hold immense promise in science and industry. Yet these fascinating organisms were once seen as harmful. How has this fundamental change in their image come about?
