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.
James Blake Wiener30.09.2025Mark Twain (1835-1910) remains the most-celebrated humorist in the canon of American literature. The well-traveled and curious Twain made two personal trips to Switzerland, recording some of the happiest and most-solemn days of his life in and around the environs of Lake Lucerne.
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.
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.
Beat Kuhn14.01.2025Who invented it? Probably Russian soldiers. And who made it world famous? Definitely an author born in Biel-Bienne. The story of Russian roulette.
Maximilian Spitz14.11.2024Hans Joachim Züblin from eastern Switzerland caused a furore in 18th century America. As minister John Zubly, he saw parallels between the Swiss Confederates and the rebels fighting against the British. He later changed sides, albeit with an unchanged outlook.
Noëmi Crain Merz07.11.2024He wrote scandalous novels, masqueraded as an anti-fascist activist and spied for Mussolini. After fleeing to Switzerland, Pitigrilli’s true colours were revealed.
