Géraldine Lysser25.09.2025Dutch king Willem III came to Switzerland on several occasions. But one particular sojourn by Lake Geneva in 1875 led to uproar when the king repeatedly exposed himself in public.
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.
Esperanza Anido Calvo und Roberto Zaugg22.07.2025The Peace of Basel, which was signed in 1795, had far-reaching consequences: for Basel’s City Chancellor Peter Ochs, for revolutionary France, and for events in America’s biggest slave revolution in the Caribbean.
Matthieu Péry08.07.2025Heinrich Schiffmann (1872-1904) was an avid traveller who voyaged around the world twice. Believe it or not, these lengthy voyages were supposedly prescribed by his doctors. The Swiss globe-trotter’s visits to far-flung places reflect a fascination of the era, bordering on mania, for round-the-world trips.
Alice Hertzog22.05.2025Looted from Benin in 1897, a 400- to 500-year-old figurine of a headless horseman found its way to Switzerland through the collector Han Coray. When he was declared bankrupt, the University of Zurich acquired the statuette and attempted to reunite the rider with his missing head. What at first sight looked like a good fit proved to be deceptive.
Tomás Bartoletti20.05.2025In 1858, Swiss naturalist and diplomat Johann Jakob von Tschudi illegitimately appropriated a Pucara-style figure from the sacred place of Tiwanaku. Some 150 years later, the sculpture was returned to Bolivia, a significant event that reflects Switzerland's approach to its colonial legacy.
Jasmin Gauch15.05.2025On 17 August 1874, five nuns left Maria-Rickenbach Benedictine Convent in the canton of Nidwalden and emigrated to the American Midwest. Sister Maria Beatrix Renggli (1848–1942) recorded her journey in a detailed travel journal.
Manda Beck25.02.2025Today, yoga is a popular fitness and relaxation technique. But it has a long history stretching back over millennia and origins that are deeply rooted in Indian philosophy. So how did yoga make its way to Switzerland?
