The Roman Empire and Romanization
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Petinesca, Celts and the Romans Tempels on Gumpboden
11 June 2026
Studen (Canton of Bern) lies at the foot of the Jäissberg, in the heart of the Berner Seeland. From the 2nd century BC to the 3rd century AD, Petinesca was the centre of the region. Initially a Celtic settlement, it became a Roman village (vicus) from 13 BC onwards. Thanks to the River Aare, the … Read more » “Petinesca, Celts and the Romans Tempels on Gumpboden”
The Middle Ages, Arts and State Building
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Zwingli and the Reformation in Switzerland
19 January 2022
Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) preached his religious ideas from the pulpit of the Grossmünster in Zurich 500 years ago. The Reformation profoundly influenced the city, the canton of Zurich, the (ancient) Confederation and Europe. The break with Catholic tradition occurred in 1522 when a sausage meal was consumed in violation of the fasting commandment. Zwingli’s remarks … Read more » “Zwingli and the Reformation in Switzerland”
Pierre Jaquet-Droz’s journey to Spain (1758-1759)
2 June 2026
On the advice and encouragement of George Keith (1686–1778), also known as Milord Maréchal, the governor of the Principality of Neuchâtel, Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721–1790) – a watchmaker from La Chaux-de-Fonds, who had already built up a reputation in Switzerland and beyond – decided to travel to Madrid in 1758 to present some of his finest … Read more » “Pierre Jaquet-Droz’s journey to Spain (1758-1759)”
The long nineteenth century 1815-1918
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The Prince-Bishopric of Basel after 1813
16 November 2022
The Prince-Bishopric of Basel experienced two significant revolutions after 1500. The title of Prince-Bishopric is a consequence of the status of the Bishop in the Holy Roman Empire. The Bishop was a prince (Reichsfürst/Fürstbischof) of the Empire. The Reformation, which occurred between 1527 and 1529, marked a clear break. The Bishop moved to Porrentruy (Pruntrut … Read more » “The Prince-Bishopric of Basel after 1813”
The Swiss Confederation was a functioning composite polity, but it was not a state and of course, it was not a monarchy. Yet the Confederation embraced territories that retained a feudal-hierarchical structure, albeit only as associated members (the abbacies of Engelberg and St. Gallen, the prince-bishopric of Basel, the county of Neuchâtel). How, therefore, did the Confederation survive?
Before the Burgundian Wars (1474-1477) no one gave the Confederation much chance of survival. Yet these wars did help to create a sense of collective identity manifest not in institutions but in patriotic narratives of Swiss valour and heroism of city-led republic. This vision was shattered in the Swiss wars of religion, but in the end, pragmatism and flexibility ensured that the discord did not lead to disaster. Ultimately, aggression yielded to accommodation. (T. Scott, The Swiss and Their Neighbours 1460-1560. Between Accommodation and Aggression, Oxford 2017).
Multicultural, Cosmopolitan and European Switzerland
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ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne
4 July 2024
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, ETH Zürich, or ETHZ) has been in existence since 1855. It was founded as a polytechnic institute (Eidgenössische Polytechnische Schule) in 1855 with five departments: architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, chemistry, forestry, and mining. ETH Zurich (not to be confused with the cantonal University of Zurich) currently … Read more » “ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne”