16 May 2026
Coincidence or not, the fact is that the renovated Grandson Castle and Museum in the canton of Vaud have been opened to the public, as well as the exhibition ‘The Battle of Murten’ (Murten ausgeschlachtet) at the Bernisches Historisches Museum. The year 2026 marks the 550th anniversary of the battles of Grandson (2 March 1476) and Murten (22 … Read more » “The Burgundian Wars, Switzerland and Academic Anachronism”
14 May 2026
Elgg (Canton of Zurich) is a town with a rich history on the upper reaches of the river Eulach. The first written mention dates back to 760 under the name Ailaghoga. St Gallen Abbey, founded only in 719, acquired the town and the surrounding region in 760. Elgg The Lords of Elgg then served the … Read more » “Elgg and the United Dutch Provinces”
28 April 2026
The Netherlands have long been known as a land of polders, tulips, and windmills. Switzerland may lack tulips, but its waterworks also look back on a centuries-old history of canalisation, the reshaping of river catchments, the drainage of peatlands, and even the lowering of lake levels. Swiss watermills At first glance, there seem to be … Read more » “A Miracle of Nature and Art at Underground Mills of Col-des-Roches”
17 April 2026
Swiss engineers can not only drill tunnels and build railways, but are also canal diggers, dyke builders and excellent water managers. The Thielle between Nidau and Büren before the Jura water regulation project. The flood of 1817. Bern State Archives Seeland Seeland and the big marsh (das Grosse Moor/ le grand marais) is the region … Read more » “Swiss Water Management and the Delta Works of the Alps”
12 April 2026
The shores of the Zürichsee (Lake Zurich) were shaped during the advance of the Rhine and Linth glaciers in the last Ice Age. The lake owes its very existence largely to the melting of these glaciers. Lake Zurich and its flora and fauna have experienced several ecological lows over the past 150 years. Due to … Read more » “Erlenbach, Pfannenstiel, Natur, Meilen and Friedberg”
31 March 2026
Since the glaciers melted after the last Ice Age (around 12,000 BC), the Rhine has carved its way through Switzerland. At the location of today’s Swiss and German town of Laufenburg, a gorge and a waterfall were formed, which at its narrowest point was only 12 metres wide. This is why the waterfall was also … Read more » “Laufenburg, the Habsburgs, the Rhine and the Piles of Amsterdam”
29 March 2026
The beautiful village of Allschwil (canton of Basel-Landschaft) lies at the border near the Sundgau (Alsace). Every day, tens of thousands of French citizens—frontaliers—cross the border for well-paid jobs in northwestern Switzerland. Hundreds of thousands live and work in Switzerland for the same reason. Across Switzerland, about 400,000 people are cross-border commuters. Switzerland is the … Read more » “Frontaliers symbolise Jewish History near Allschwil”
23 March 2026
The village of Arlesheim (Canton of Basel-Landschaft) is best known for the English Garden of 1785, the Ermitage, and the Dom. The English Garden, also known as the Ermitage, was created in 1785 by Heinrich von Ligertz, the chaplain, and Balbina von Andlau-von Staal (1736-1798). It is the most extensive English garden on Swiss soil … Read more » “Arlesheim, Hermitage and the Congress of Vienna”
12 March 2026
Few French, Germans, or Swiss today know where Mömpelgard is located. This is hardly surprising, since its French name today is Montbéliard (Franche‑Comté). This town has held city rights since 1283 and enjoyed imperial immediacy (Reichsunmittelbarkeit). It is situated not only on the Franco‑German linguistic border, but also at the Burgundian Gate (Burgundische Pforte/Porte de … Read more » “Swiss-, French- and German history, Montbéliard, Belfort and the Burgundian Gate”
12 March 2026
The abbey in Säckingen (Baden-Württemberg) was founded in the 8th century. The monastery played a crucial role in securing the connection across Lake Walen (Walersee) and the mountain passes from Graubünden to Italy. Glarus bought itself free from the abbey in 1395. The abbey had its heyday from the 10th to the 12th century. The … Read more » “The Säckingen Abbey, Glarus and Fridolin”
