Juri Jaquemet31.03.2025Eurovision was the original name of cooperative pan-European programmes that were first broadcast on TV in the 1950s. This required a sophisticated radio relay network, with technologically advanced Switzerland at its heart.
Caroline Calame27.02.2025Jonas Sandoz acquired the concession to operate mills in the caves of Col-des-Roches thanks to his political acumen. It was a successful venture – until he ran into financial difficulties.
Helmut Stalder23.01.2025Engineer Maurice Koechlin created some of the icons of engineering prowess: the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, and numerous bridges. Yet others reaped the glory.
Felix Frey09.01.2025Poncello or Puntcell? Illarsaz or Illarse? Kalbermatt or Chalbermatt? The spelling of place names has frequently been a contentious issue in all parts of Switzerland, particularly when it comes to striking the right balance between standard language and dialect.
Juri Jaquemet10.12.2024The Murten fortifications were set up in the First World War to defend Switzerland against an attack from the west by France. Trenches and bunkers were dug in the Bernese Seeland and the area around Murten. Many of these structures actually mark the border between the French and German-speaking parts of the country.
James Blake Wiener03.12.2024Master James of St. George (c. 1230-1309) was a prolific mason and military architect who lived during the High Middle Ages. Responsible in part for the construction and refortification of imposing castles across what is now Switzerland, France, Italy, Wales, and Scotland, James of St. George is undoubtedly the greatest mason in Swiss history.
Katrin Brunner19.11.2024When a Dakota C-53 made an emergency landing on the Gauli Glacier at over 3,000 meters in November 1946, it was not only a feat of piloting skill. The rescue of all twelve survivors also marked the beginning of modern aerial mountain rescue.
Michael van Orsouw12.11.2024Father Athanasius Tschopp (1803–1882) was a monk in Einsiedeln, and something of a science whizz. Besides his daily monastic duties, he always found the time to make pioneering discoveries – one of his many accomplishments was inventing the precursor to the fax machine.
