Franziska Zaugg13.10.2026During the interwar years, Switzerland was a place of refuge for people fleeing persecution by authoritarian governments. The Swiss then changed their refugee policy in 1936, thereby inadvertently providing a boost to the republican forces in the Spanish Civil War.
Christophe Vuilleumier08.10.2026A dancer, a Geneva cabaret and secret weapon plans – under the name ‘Nina’, Italian Virginie Rota moved between the stage and the worlds of diplomacy and intelligence. Her story took place in Geneva at the time of the League of Nations – in a city in which international politics and espionage rubbed shoulders.
Jelica Popović06.10.2026The Swiss public seem to have forgotten the war that broke out in Yugoslavia in 1991. Nonetheless, it did (and still does) affect people living in Switzerland who came from the war zone. They were stigmatised during and after the war, while the influx of people from ex-Yugoslavia has left a mark on Swiss culture and everyday life.
Gabriel Heim01.10.2026Milkers and dairy workers from Switzerland were so in demand on German farming estates from the mid-19th century that the term ‘Schweizerei’ came to mean dairy farm, while milkers were known as ‘Schweizer’ or ‘Stallschweizer’.
Jürg Flückiger29.09.2026During the Second World War, 166 stricken US bombers landed in Swiss fields and meadows. The story of the more than 1,500 airmen who were subsequently interned in the mountains has been largely forgotten today.
Michael Jucker24.09.2026In the past, many sports clubs encompassed more than one discipline. One example was FC Zurich, whose former rowing section had a particularly eventful and successful history.
Moisés Prieto22.09.2026In 1976, members of the association for Swiss veterans of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) unveiled a commemorative plaque in Zurich for the fallen fighters. This was the first small step towards official recognition.
Thomas Weibel17.09.2026Hail poses an existential threat to agriculture. For decades, Swiss farmers tried to prevent damage to their crops using silver iodide rockets. In 1986, a report by ETH Zurich shattered the bold dreams of hail prevention.
