Elke Baumann25.05.2023While a museum’s job is to showcase the past, that doesn’t mean it can’t evolve. A trip to the Swiss National Museum to mark the centenary 25 years ago was a very different experience than it is today. Join us on a tour of the museum in 1998.
André Perler23.05.2023Since they were founded centuries ago, place name have undergone constant change. Unsophisticated descriptions of the local landscape, or ownership, have morphed into abbreviations popular among the young. In Winterthur’s case, it has gone from ‘Uitoduro’ to ‘Winti’.
Vanessa Rüegger18.05.2023Freedom of expression is sometimes described as oxygen to democracy. Freedom of the press has been enshrined in the Federal Constitution since 1848. However, the right to free speech and artistic expression were only recognised as fundamental rights in the 20th century.
Nils Widmer16.05.2023Timekeeping is hugely important in modern sport, which is increasingly competitive, professional and international. It has made remarkable progress since its early days. A look at the history of timekeeping at the Olympic Games, and the role of the Swiss watch industry and diplomacy.
Michael van Orsouw11.05.2023César Ritz was not only a pioneering Swiss hotelier, he also established a luxurious way of life that was immortalised in a song. ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ became a global hit after Ritz himself had sadly died following a decades-long battle with depression.
Christophe Vuilleumier09.05.2023For almost seven years, from September 1742 to February 1749, Savoy villages neighbouring the city of Geneva were occupied and troubled by Spanish troops. Although part of the War of the Austrian Succession and therefore the great history of Europe, the occupation has been all but forgotten by historians.
Thomas Weibel04.05.2023The Sack of Rome, or ‘Sacco di Roma’, by the leaderless troops of Charles V on 6 May 1527 ended in a bloodbath that also cost the lives of 147 Swiss guards. Traces of that dark day are still being discovered.
Daniel Grütter02.05.2023Winterthur native Jakob Ziegler (1775-1863) is one of Switzerland’s most remarkable industrial pioneers, and is of great importance to the industrial heritage of the Schaffhausen region.
