Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was one of the most influential philosophers of the Enlightenment (second half of the 18th century). His political, educational and literary works and novels were bestsellers during his lifetime. It brought him not only fame but also trouble with the authorities. His passion for hiking, however, is less well-known. ”Je voyageais, voyageais … Read more » “Hiking with Jean-Jacques Rousseau”
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was an enthusiastic hiker and admirer of nature in Switzerland. However, the Geneva-born writer mainly stayed in French-speaking Switzerland. His German contemporary Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) also liked to stay and hike in the German-speaking part of the country. He was particularly impressed by the Rhine Falls (Rheinfall) near Neuhausen … Read more » “Along the Rhine with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe”
The first monastery on St. Peter Island (St. Peterinsel/île de Saint-Pierre) in Lake Biel (Bielersee/lac de Bienne, Canton Bern) was built in Merovingian times (the 7th and 8th centuries). This benedictine building was later extended with a rectangular choir. The church (built around 1120) on the left was destroyed during the Reformation. On the right … Read more » “Monastery on St. Peter Island and Jean-Jacques Rousseau”
The Neuchâtel Public Library and University Library (La Bibliothèque publique et universitaire de Neuchâtel) in the former Latin College (Collège latin) presents a world-famous exhibition dedicated to the writer and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). The former Latin College (Collège latin) in Neuchâtel. Photo: TES Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment and … Read more » “Espace Rousseau Neuchâtel”
For centuries, mountains were a ‘no go area’ for townspeople or villagers. Only cattle farmers and traders climbed mountains to pasture their cattle in the summer or transport cattle and their meat and milk products. Nobody thought of climbing a mountain for pleasure. Although the Dutch and Flemish masters of the Golden Age introduced idyllic … Read more » “The Alps and the Poet Von Haller”
More than two centuries before the ‘famous’ fire in the Casino of Montreux on 4 December 1971, Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) wrote his Nouvelle Héloïse in 1761. Lord Byron (1788-1824) wrote his Prisonnier de Chillon in 1816. Both works significantly influenced the reputation of the village of Montreux (canton of Vaud) among the European beau monde. … Read more » “Montreux Riviera, Artists, Nature and Smoke on the Water”
Numerous artists have been trying for centuries to surpass nature’s beauty. However, nature is the greatest artist, and humans cannot reproduce the original in all its splendour. Artists can, however, depict or interpret nature differently. This can be based on aesthetic, political, social, or historical motifs. Italian masters introduced the first (fictitious) landscapes in the … Read more » “The forest and nature reserve Reinacher Heide at Forum Würth Arlesheim”
For centuries, French-speaking Geneva has been a haven for refugees, aristocrats and royal visitors, bankers, watchmakers, chocolatiers, and (religious) reformers. The city is not only the global centre of Calvinism, but since the nineteenth century, it has also been the world capital of multilateralism, arbitration, diplomacy, international aid and international organisations. Collège Calvin Today, the … Read more » “The City and Canton of Geneva”
