Franziska Rogger12.03.2026A landlady from Bern asked for Albert Einstein’s help in taking action against an ex-tenant who had not paid rent. The prominent scientist did not rest until justice was done.
Andrej Abplanalp10.03.2026In March 1945, Karl Wolff negotiated with the Allies in Ascona over a German surrender in northern Italy. After the war, the SS General was shielded from prosecution for war crimes by Switzerland and the United States.
Stefan Keller05.03.2026Edmund Nüsperli, the mechanic, revolutionary and industrialist from La Neuveville (canton of Bern) travelled all over Switzerland from 1878 having been mandated by the Federal Council to implement their (at the time) brand new Factory Act. Nüsperli campaigned against child labour, poor working conditions and lethal doses of a toxic substance.
Nicolas Kessler03.03.2026The mass transport of mail by airplane has long been a central component of global logistics networks. But it experienced a difficult beginning in Switzerland. Moreover, the reasons behind the country’s move to airmail are not what you would expect.
James Blake Wiener26.02.2026Val Bregaglia (Bergell) has long been a crossroads, geographically and culturally, lying between Italian, Rhaeto-Romanic, and Germanic Europe. Characterized by trade routes, traditions of local autonomy, and religious ferment, the remote valley transformed into a unique refuge for Italian Protestants during the sixteenth century.
Michael van Orsouw24.02.2026Franziska Dosenbach from the canton of Aargau was a pioneering footwear retailer who dared to turn her back on the traditional shoemaking and saddlery trade. Instead, she sold simple, factory-made shoes ‒ with resounding success.
Michael Jucker19.02.2026Biathlon sounds like a sport tailormade for Switzerland. Shooting at targets while on cross-country skis fits perfectly with the definition of the country’s self-image as a nation of skiers ready to rise in defence of their land. However, it has never really taken off in Switzerland, unlike in Germany or Scandinavia. Why is that?
Lukas Vogel17.02.2026Heinrich Angst, the first director of the Swiss National Museum, and German socialist August Bebel worked together to prevent the outbreak of the First World War. They failed.
