3 June 2022
Switzerland is one of the world’s most innovative, globalised and cosmopolitan countries. The image of an island in the middle of Europe or the European Union is untrue today or yesterday. However, it is a monetary, democratic and social oasis in various ways. For centuries, Switzerland and its entrepreneurs have provided services, exporting, importing and … Read more » “The Sumatra-Swiss”
25 May 2022
Romanesque art in Alsace differs from that of neighbouring regions but shares many similarities. Alsace is situated in the Upper Rhine region and has long been a crossroads of Latin and Germanic cultures. It can also be seen in the influences of Lombardy and other Italian regions, as well as Burgundy, Auvergne, and other regions … Read more » “Romanesque Art in Alsace”
20 May 2022
The Dukes of Burgundy, who do not know them from their heyday (1363-1477)? The last Duke, Charles the Bold (1433-1477), not only lost three battles (Grandson, Murten/Morat (1476) and Nancy (1477), but also his life in 1477 in the war against the Swiss Confederation. Chambéry Savoy Another dynasty in this region, the Duchy of Savoy, … Read more » “Savoy, Chambéry, Swiss Confederation and the last Italian King”
27 April 2022
The exhibition (Im Wald. Eine Kulturgeschichte) presents the (Swiss and European) natural and cultural history of the use, deforestation, protection and emergence of professional forestry in the 19th century and the perception of the forest in art from the Middle Ages to the present in literature, visual art and films. Cultural History of the Forest … Read more » “Cultural History of the Forest”
8 March 2022
Basel’s Fasnacht, from 7 to 9 March 2022, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017. What makes such an event a heritage, and how does it differ from similar ancient traditions? The Fasnacht The French translation for Fasnacht is ‘le Carnaval de Bâle’. In other countries, such as the Netherlands and Germany, this … Read more » “Basel, Fasnacht and Switzerland”
1 March 2022
The Swiss artist Ben Vautier exhibited his art by the claim “La Suisse n’existe pas” at the world exhibition in Seville (1992). Switzerland exists, but what about the Romandy or La Suisse romande, the French-speaking part of Switzerland? Although religion plays a less critical role nowadays, the Catholic and Protestant dividing lines crisscross through the … Read more » “The Romandy”
1 March 2022
The Alps had various names in ancient times: the Alps Poenines (Alpes Poeninae), the Alps Graies (Alpes Graiae), the Alps Cottiennes (Alpes Cottiae) and the Alps Maritimes (Alpes Maritimes). The Alpes Graiae and Alpes Poenines extended over different Celtic regions and peoples. The Alpes Graiae included the Tarentaise, the Beaufortain and the Haut-Faucigny. Valais belonged to the Poenine Alps. The Alpes Cottiae … Read more » “The Celtic Tribes of the Alps”
8 February 2022
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) created the private detective Sir Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is known for his proficiency in observation, forensic science, and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic. He employs these skills when investigating cases for various clients, including Scotland Yard. His methods were not just fiction but practical, visionary and effective, and … Read more » “Sherlock Holmes in Meiringen”
3 February 2022
The book A. Holenstein, Th. Maissen, M. Prak (Eds.) The Republican Alternative. The Netherlands and Switzerland compared (Amsterdam 2008) is the result of the workshop on 7-9 May 2004, organised by the University of Bern. These two confederal republics of early modern Europe (1500-1795) consisted of (thirteen) independent cantons/Orte (the Eidgenossenschaft) and provinces and their cities (Republic of the Seven … Read more » “Republican Switzerland and the Seven United Provinces”
2 February 2022
Neuchâtel was a remarkable new canton of the new Swiss Confederation in 1815. The Prussian King William III (1770-1840) was still the legitimate ruler of this canton. This history dates back to 1706, when Marie de Nemours (1625-1707) of the French d’Orléans-Longueville dynasty passed away without a legitimate heir. This family had governed the county … Read more » “The last Prince of Neuchâtel”
