Peter Viktor von Besenval was born 300 years ago. A Swiss baron and a mercenary officer in the service of the French crown, Besenval was a passionate collector of objets d’art and plants, and a notorious ladies’ man.

Swiss hairdresser Gustav Guhl revolutionised shampoo production in the 1930s. He started out in a barn in the countryside.

For decades, the Katzensee near Zurich was used as a dumping ground for glass. A look into bottles from days gone by.

Up to the early modern era, the coconut was considered an exotic rarity from the New World. It was believed not only to protect against poisoning, but also to show sophistication.

40 years ago, the second Swiss Horticultural & Gardening Expo, ‘Grün 80’, attracted millions of Swiss people, and one queen: Queen Elizabeth II.

In the 1980s, there was a pitched battle in Rothenthurm to save an area of moorland. This ultimately resulted in the adoption of a constitutional article on nature preservation.

Alfred de Quervain’s Greenland expedition is still celebrated as a pioneering scientific accomplishment. But it’s not generally known that his adventurous journey was only possible thanks to the NZZ.

In 1965, mountain climber Walter Bonatti conquered the north face of the Matterhorn. In winter, and solo. A gift for the press photographers.