The Nova Fundaziun Origin and Mulegns

11 March 2022

Available in German and Dutch

The International Bodensee Conference

10 March 2022

Exactly 50 years ago, on 14 January 1972, government representatives of the states and cantons around Lake Constance (Bodensee) founded the Internationale Bodensee-Konferenz (IBK) to address issues of regional cross-border cooperation. The IBK includes Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria (Germany), Vorarlberg (Austria), the cantons of Schaffhausen, Zurich, Thurgau, St. Gallen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden (Switzerland) and … Read more » “The International Bodensee Conference”

The Rhine

26 December 2021

The Rhine is both a river of borders and a river of connections simultaneously. The significance of the Rhine for politics, trade, culture, language, religion and conflicts is complex. The Rhine patiently flowed from its source at the Gotthard Massif to the North Sea for millennia. The people and countries on both banks of the … Read more » “The Rhine”

Lake Constance is traditionally an international lake

24 December 2021

Lake Constance (Bodensee) has been a vital trade route connecting east to west and south to north for centuries. The Celtic inhabitants left several settlements of pile dwellings as a testament to their heritage. Several museums and replicas of these villages can be visited around the lake. The Romans created the foundation for this region’s … Read more » “Lake Constance is traditionally an international lake”

Swiss Mercenaries

20 December 2021

From the mid-fifteenth to the mid-nineteenth century, soldiers of the Eidgenossenschaft were the most sought-after export product. The prestige of these mercenaries’ fighting spirit, courage, and armament rose to unprecedented heights after the defeats they inflicted on the most powerful armies: the Habsburg in 1315, 1386, 1415, 1460, and 1499, and the mighty Duchy of … Read more » “Swiss Mercenaries”

Smoke on the Water

9 December 2021

One of the greatest success stories in the history of rock music was written in Montreux (canton of Vaud) in Switzerland. On 4 December 1971, fifty years ago, at 16.20 in the afternoon, the fire alarm went off in the famous Casino. Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention finished their last song when singer … Read more » “Smoke on the Water”

Bally, Beatrix and Elizabeth

4 December 2021

If you want to know what footwear King Beatrix (1936) wore on her coronation on April 30, 1980, you can visit the Bally Museum in Schönenwerd (Solothurn Canton). The collection shows the two pairs of pumps that the company made for the coronation. The quality brand has also supplied the British royal family with footwear … Read more » “Bally, Beatrix and Elizabeth”

Cricket in the Alps

11 November 2021

The inaugural meeting of  “Cricket Switzerland,” the first Swiss cricket association, was held on 9 March 1980.  Around 1,200 members play cricket in Switzerland nowadays. Switzerland is even the birthplace of the very prestigious  “Cricket On Ice,” a tournament played every winter on the frozen lake in St. Moritz. In 1985, at the initiative of … Read more » “Cricket in the Alps”

The Walser

10 November 2021

Immigrants from Upper-Valais (German-speaking Wallis) crossed the mountain passes to settle in the neighbouring mountain valleys in the second half of the twelfth century. This migration peaked in the 13th century and ended in the mid-14th century. They are called “Walser” nowadays, although they did not refer to themselves by that name then. Some groups … Read more » “The Walser”

Swisstopo

6 November 2021

Swisstopo’s standard digital products, such as digital maps, aerial photographs and landscape models, are available free of charge as Open Government Data and are freely usable. These will be made available in such a way that users can acquire them independently from the Internet. The contents of swisstopo refer to leisure maps (hiking- and velo … Read more » “Swisstopo”