Barbara Basting10.09.2026The Great St Bernard Pass has always been known as a major alpine crossing point. Napoleon Bonaparte made skilful use of it for propaganda purposes.
Sébastien Farré25.08.2026In early December 1936, the Spanish anarchist Ramón Mateo was laid to rest in Geneva. His funeral procession also became a public demonstration in support of the Spanish Republic.
Noëmi Crain Merz20.08.2026In 1936, Stefan Lux shot himself during a plenary session of the League of Nations. He had wanted to jolt the international community into taking a stand against the politics of the Nazi regime.
Christophe Droesch13.08.2026In 1456, a pot of millet porridge was transported by boat from Zurich to Strasbourg in a single day. It was still warm on arrival. The trip was repeated in 1576 and feted as a great achievement, but it mainly served to solidify the alliance between the two cities in a politically and religiously charged period.
Rolf Löffler11.08.2026Adolf Walter fled Switzerland for the Third Reich in 1939, a fugitive from justice. On returning, he was convicted of treason and served a prison sentence. But that did not stop him from setting up in business and living life as a normal citizen.
Roland Gröbli28.07.2026Religious differences between the traditionally Catholic cantons and those that embraced the Reformation prevented them from agreeing on a common wording for the oath of allegiance to the Old Swiss Confederacy. It was effectively 500 years ago, on 28 July 1526, when its members convened to swear their common allegiance for the last time.
Janick Rüttimann09.07.2026Liechtenstein has evolved into an attractive location for domiciliary and fiduciary companies since the 1920s. Although politicians in Switzerland have repeatedly voiced misgivings about this, it has also been a source of profit for the Swiss financial centre. This has resulted in a close, albeit fraught relationship between the two neighbouring states.
