Murielle Schlup08.05.2025Jegenstorf Castle was used as a command post by General Henri Guisan during the last months of the Second World War. Performances by the local all-female choir provided him with some welcome relief from his military duties.
Thomas Quinn Marabello06.05.2025In May 1923, Maurice Conradi shot dead a Soviet diplomat in Lausanne. The act itself and the subsequent acquittal of the murderer led to a major diplomatic dust-up.
Michael van Orsouw01.05.2025In her day, Queen Victoria was the most powerful woman in the world. She came to Switzerland in 1868 to rest and recuperate, and made numerous sketches and paintings of the Swiss scenery. Many of these watercolours and drawings survive today.
Günther Meier29.04.2025Towards the end of the Second World War there was a growing influx of displaced people crossing into Switzerland and Liechtenstein, where aid was provided by volunteers. Among those helping out was Princess Gina. This experience would inspire her to found the Liechtenstein Red Cross.
James Blake Wiener24.04.2025The Battle of Bicocca marked a turning point during the long Italian Wars (1494-1559). The inability of the French to control their Swiss mercenaries contributed to their loss, while the success of Spanish arquebusiers signaled the rise of Spain as a major European power. The battle additionally heralds the end of the era in which Swiss pikemen were the scourge of the medieval European battlefield.
Barbara Basting22.04.2025The Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen has been a popular subject matter in the art world for centuries. English painter J.M.W. Turner captured the power of the water on canvas particularly impressively in the early 19th century.
Noëmi Crain Merz17.04.2025In the early 20th century, Benito Mussolini caused a stir in Switzerland as a rebellious socialist. Some decades later, he became a threat to the country as a fascist dictator.
Nadja Ackermann15.04.2025The ‘Loeb-Egge’, as the locals call the corner on which Loeb department store stands, is still Bern’s main meeting point – even though the telephone booth from where people used to call to say they’d be late coming home was removed in 2007. Nonetheless, Loeb’s colourful window displays are still there to help pass the time while waiting.
