Carmen Bortolin12.02.2026During the Second World War, the Swiss Red Cross brought thousands of war-stricken children to Switzerland from France. Intended to provide humanitarian assistance, this initiative also served political purposes – and not all children were welcome.
Patrik Süess10.02.2026In 1853 the hunt was on for a man who killed two women in the Zurich area. He had strangled them. The criminal investigation was a major test for Zurich’s fledgling police force, the "Zürcher Polizeikorps".
Maximilian Spitz05.02.2026When Charles II from the House of Stuart acceded to the English throne in May 1660, a number of Englishmen, including Edmund Ludlow, John Lisle and William Cawley, were forced to hastily pack their belongings and flee the British Isles for continental Europe. These gentlemen were prominent political figures who preferred exile over death. The end of their journey on the continent was the Swiss Confederacy.
Andreas Walter03.02.2026The canton of Bern introduced information technology as a subject in schools during the 1990s and organised computer training for teaching staff. It was one of the first cantons to embrace technology in education.
Noëmi Crain Merz29.01.2026Switzerland’s population and economy grew like never before in the 1960s, partly due to the influx of foreign labour that made this record economic boom possible in the first place. At the same time, fear of ‘excessive immigration’ was on the rise. Tapping into the zeitgeist, the Swiss Trade Union Federation called for limits on immigration in a move that would leave a lasting mark on the political debate.
Helmut Stalder27.01.2026Johannes Badrutt sought to offer guests at the Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz a truly exclusive experience. He built Switzerland’s first hydroelectric plant and installed its first electric lighting system in the hotel dining room – and all before Edison had invented the light bulb. An historic event with unexpected results.
Sophie Dänzer22.01.2026‘Outsider art’ is now an established term in the field of art history. In the early 20th century, works by people who stood outside established social and artistic conventions began to gain recognition. A patron of this art was Bernese psychiatrist Walter Morgenthaler.
Jasmin Mollet20.01.2026Back in 1920, a pair of fine leather gloves bearing the Wiessner label was a must-have fashion accessory for distinguished ladies and noble gentlemen in cities across Switzerland. The family business achieved great fame throughout the country – until luxury gloves went out of fashion.
