Germany, UK, USA – whichever way you look at it, the computer is a foreign import here. But one of its forebears was a genuine Swiss creation: the portable writing system called Scrib, specially developed for journalism.
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.
Especially in times of scarcity, smuggling has been an important activity for people in the tri-border area. The complicated lines of the border separating Germany, France and Switzerland made the illegal transport of goods easier.
The last representative of the Ottoman Empire was Rachid Osman. He spent his twilight years in a small village in Glarus. His wife Rosa Osman-Keller earned a living as a village hairdresser to support herself and her once fabulously wealthy husband.
On 5 February 1971 a devastating fire broke out at Lucerne railway station, destroying large sections of the Art Nouveau building. It was the biggest railway station fire since the formation of SBB.
The Goldvreneli is one of Switzerland’s best-loved coins. In the beginning, however, the Vreneli was a Helvetia and what’s more, one that stirred heated debate.
Pottery was being made in what is now Switzerland as long ago as 3800 BC. Now, there’s no longer any industrial production in this country. But some big names have remained.
