Marc Ribeli04.06.2026The Interrail pass, which was launched in 1972, allowed young people to travel by train around Europe for one whole month for the price of CHF 275. Summer after summer, it inspired tens of thousands of Swiss youngsters to travel across the continent. For many, this was also their first ever independent trip abroad.
Barbara Basting19.05.2026Composer Franz Liszt created his own image of Switzerland in his famous work ‘Années de pèlerinage’. Poems and illustrations accompanied his music.
James Blake Wiener28.04.2026The life of Rachel Félix was one of contrasting fortunes and artistic passions. Born into a family of impoverished Jewish peddlers in Mumpf, Rachel captivated theater-going audiences from New York to Moscow with her electric acting and stirring voice. She revived the fortunes of the Comédie-Française in Paris and received universal acclaim as the leading actress of her era before dying tragically of tuberculosis at the age of 36.
Patrick Borer16.09.2025Franziska Möllinger was not only the first woman to work as a photographer in Switzerland, she was also a pioneer of the use of photographs as templates for prints. There are only two original photographs by Möllinger in circulation today, the second of which surfaced in 2024.
David Chauvier02.09.2025Swiss intellectual and bibliophile Martin Bodmer dedicated his life to preserving written knowledge. His extensive collection is now part of the UNESCO Memory of the World.
Barbara Basting19.08.2025Frank Buchser is one of the most colourful figures in 19th century Swiss art. A number of his works were produced during the several years he spent in the United States.
Rea Köppel05.08.2025Following a trip to the Soviet Union in September 1953, Helene Bossert, a poet from the Basel area, was reputed to be a communist. Given the anti-communist spirit prevalent in Switzerland in the 1950s, the suspicion cast upon her would almost ruin her life.
