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History of Switzerland

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lightbulbAbout this topic
The history of Switzerland encompasses the political, social, and cultural developments of the Swiss Confederation from its formation in the late Middle Ages to the present. It examines the evolution of its unique federal structure, neutrality, and diverse linguistic and cultural heritage, shaped by various historical events and influences.
lightbulbAbout this topic
The history of Switzerland encompasses the political, social, and cultural developments of the Swiss Confederation from its formation in the late Middle Ages to the present. It examines the evolution of its unique federal structure, neutrality, and diverse linguistic and cultural heritage, shaped by various historical events and influences.

Key research themes

1. How have federal-cantonal dynamics shaped the evolution of vocational education and political centralization in Switzerland since the 19th century?

This research theme investigates the interplay between Switzerland's federal structure—with its 26 autonomous cantons—and overarching national policies, focusing on how this relationship influenced the development of vocational education and the broader trend of political centralization from 1848 onward. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for comprehending Swiss governance, educational diversity, and regional policy variation.

Key finding: This paper reconstructs the historical institutionalization of Switzerland's vocational education and training (VET) system, highlighting how despite federal regulations since 1930, the 26 cantons maintain significant... Read more
Key finding: This article quantitatively and conceptually measures the process of legislative centralization in Switzerland from its federal foundation in 1848 through 2010, showing an extensive expansion of federal legislative powers.... Read more

2. What are the historical trajectories and cultural foundations of Swiss alpine identity and its international representation?

This theme explores the historical construction, cultural significance, and global perception of the Swiss Alps as a symbolic and iconic element of Switzerland’s national identity. It evaluates how Swiss alpine imagery became globally prominent, surpassing larger alpine regions, and connects this with scientific, artistic, and touristic developments from the 18th century onwards. Understanding these processes reveals how Switzerland’s physical geography and cultural narratives have been leveraged in nation-building and international branding.

Key finding: The study investigates why the Swiss Alps, which cover only 14% of the European Alps, have historically dominated the international image of the alpine region, surpassing larger mountain ranges like the French and Italian... Read more
Key finding: This paper documents the historic role of professional Swiss mountain guides in the Canadian Rockies from the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century, highlighting their instrumental contributions to... Read more

3. How have Swiss migration policies and diaspora narratives evolved regarding integration and belonging from 1848 to the present?

This theme focuses on the historical development of Swiss immigration and integration policies in relation to changing national identities and societal acceptance of immigrants, with an emphasis on the legal frameworks and social narratives influencing migrants’ inclusion or exclusion. It also examines how specific diaspora communities, particularly those from former Yugoslavia, negotiate belonging and citizenship within Swiss society amid evolving migration governance.

Key finding: Utilizing the MIPEX multidimensional framework, this paper identifies three distinctive phases in Swiss immigration policy: expansive, restricting, and expanding, corresponding to shifts in socio-political attitudes and... Read more
Key finding: This ethnographic study explores how labor and forced migrants from the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and their descendants in Switzerland negotiate integration and belonging. It identifies narrative... Read more

All papers in History of Switzerland

Avtorica se v razpravi ukvarja z življenjsko potjo mariborske gospodinje Terezije Vajngerl (1913–1997), ki jo je močno zaznamovala druga svetovna vojna, ko se je izkazala kot drzna in pogumna kurirka Osvobodilne fronte za Prlekijo in... more
Dopo un silenzio critico durato piú di mezzo secolo, da qualche anno la figura di Edoardo Berta (Giubiasco 1867 -Lugano 1931) è stata rivalutata e studiata grazie alla pubblicazione di una monografia e all'allestimento di una mostra... more
Max Imboden (1915-1969) war ein bekannter und einflussreicher Staatsrechtler an der Universität Basel. 1964 machte er mit einer Streitschrift "Helvetisches Malaise" Furore. Die kurze Rede geht auf das Wirken Max Imbodens in den bewegten... more
Guest editors Remo Verdickt, Pieter Vermeulen, and Gianna Zocco introduce "European Baldwins," a special issue and the eleventh volume of James Baldwin Review. In this introduction, the guest editors recount recent mobilizations and... more
The electrification of colonial cities in Asia (mainly of the British Empire) has been much neglected, although it followed that of European cities almost immediately and copied it closely. In this article, one manifestation of... more
Während des Ersten Weltkrieges prägten Nahrungsmittel-, Energie- und Ressourcenkonflikte den Alltag an der «Heimatfront». Die Schweiz konnte sich diesen Konflikten trotz ihrer Neutralität nicht entziehen: Ihre offene Volkswirtschaft und... more
Capitalism in the village. The example of the proto-industry of textiles in the countryside of Lorraine in the 19th century.
Am Petersberg in Basel haben sich Hausreste und Gegenstände aus Holz und Leder über Jahrhunderte hervorragend erhalten. Sie bieten einen einzigartigen Einblick ins frühmittelalterliche Leben am Rheinknie. Ein besonderes Highlight ist die... more
8. Oktober 2025 - Themenabend in der Universitätsbibliothek Basel.
18.00 Uhr. Schönbeinstrasse 18-20, Basel. Vortragssall, 1. Stock.
Aux sources du renseignement humanitaire militaire L'intervention française au Liban de 1860-1861 par Gérald arboit abstract. Humanitarian intelligence is rarely the subject of study. The question of the French's intervention in Syria of... more
oder gar nicht vorkommt. Als Lateinamerikaner fühlte er sich in Europa regelrecht de-zentriert. So lernte er den Unterschied zwischen Zentrum und Peripherie erstmals am eigenen Leib spüren." (Peter 1997: 15) Aus diesem Gefühl heraus... more
Cet ouvrage est l'aboutissement d'un long travail de réflexion combinant différents travaux de recherche s'étalant sur une vingtaine d'année, prolongé et formalisé à l'occasion de la préparation d'une habilitation à diriger des recherches... more
Metchnikoff propagierte den Genuss von Joghurt als ein die
Gesundheit förderndes und lebensverlängerndes Nahrungsmittel. Doch
wozu?
L'organisation spatiale d'un territoire doit beaucoup a l'histoire, aux multiples acteurs dont les destins se sont croises en ses lieux, et qui, par leurs decisions, ont oriente de maniere radicale son evolution. Dans le cadre... more
This article sheds light on a largely overlooked figure in the economic history of the Italian Renaissance - the horse merchant - by examining the social background and commercial practices of Swiss traders operating within the Lombard... more
The article looks at the effects of emigration through altruistic and redistributive uses of remittances sent and earnings brought back home by emigrants. Through case studies of altruistic and redistributive mechanisms, it explores the... more
The Swiss Canton of Neuchâtel was able to develop and become one of the country’s economic poles – particularly in the export of watches – thanks to the movement of emigrants to Europe and European immigrants to Switzerland. At the same... more
2024 stand in erster Linie die Flächengrabung in der «Schürmatt» im Zentrum. Auf der etwa 1.800 Quadratmeter grossen Grabungsfläche wurde ein Abschnitt der Ärztestrasse mit den beidseitigen Bebauungen und den dazugehörigen Hinterhöfen... more
(Thomas S. Eberle, University of St.Gallen) 3 Positioning Methods (Rainer Diaz-Bone, University of Lucerne) 7 Mixed Methods Research and Designs (Manfred Max Bergman, University of Basel) 12 Methods of Theory Construction in Empirical... more
Het zal best waar zijn, zoals mensen die hem gekend hebben getuigen, dat André De Staercke een intelligent en interessant man was. Helaas heeft die intelligentie hem bij het redigeren van zijn memoires deerlijk in de steek gelaten.
După retragerea administraţiei romane din Dacia, pe teritoriul actual al României orânduirea sclavagistă decade, în locul ei impunându-se relaţiile social-politice şi economice de tip feudal. Baza raporturilor de tip feudal o constituia... more
C'era una volta una cappella. Cappelle ed edifici votivi nei racconti tradizionali del Ticino Andrea Jacot Descombes Le cappelle del Sopraceneri: segni devozionali e trame territoriali dello spazio rustico Luigi Lorenzetti Dire ai santi... more
1. Proteggere le strade e i paesaggi della produzione
2. Oggetti devozionali come beni comuni
3. Creare spazi protetti
For historians, who generally agree that history is not a predictive science, forecasting seems at first sight to be a paradoxical subject for research. For the authors of this volume, forecasting is above all a fascinating topic, capable... more
Comme on peut le lire un peu partout, nous vivons, dans l'ordre chronologique, dans l'ère du «post» et de ses e ets : post-koolhaassien, post-bilbao, post 11 septembre, «post human»... De ce point de vue, comme le montre un livre récent... more
is acting professor and Juhani Raatikainen graduate student at the Department of Economics of the University of Helsinki. A grant from Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation for the project is gratefully acknowledged. 1 In the case of Branson et al.... more
In diesem Beitrag wird im Rahmen der Serie «Zeitzeugen» der 1913 geborenen und im Alter von 87 Jahren verstorbene Hans Dubach porträtiert. Der ehemalige Melker hatte ein sehr gutes Gedächtnis. Seine Erinnerungen, wie etwa die Geschichte... more
Dreissig Jahre nach den Ausgrabungen im Westquartier Unteres Bühl trat die spektakuläre Feuchtbodenerhaltung in Vitudurum (Oberwinterthur) ein zweites Mal in Erscheinung. Auch im Nordquartier des Vicus haben sich organische Materialien,... more
Sixteen Celtic coins were recovered during the 2008 excavations. In addition, there were two chance finds from 2017 and 2019. Fourteen of the coins are potin coins of the Zurich type. The coins had apparently been intentionally placed... more
The city of Basel owns two picture albums, which independently of each other and in their own way bear witness to an extraordinary and hitherto largely unknown history of entanglement of the Swiss city and Bursa in the 19th century. The... more
Iosif Stalin a dorit încă de la începutul anului 1938 să afle de la economiştii sovietici câteva răspunsuri teoretice care să îl ajute să explice opiniile oficiale sovietice despre capitalism şi socialism şi să conceapă un model economic... more
The present chapter can be called "The Reception of the Swiss Alps in World Literature." It is #14 of 20 chapters (inside nearly 500 pages) with many color illustrations. In the tome, here are 1,001 footnotes, a bibliography, and a name... more
Die Schweiz war mit ihrer Politik des nationalen Alleingangs schlecht vorbereitet auf den Zollhammer des US-Präsidenten Donald Trump. Im Interview mit Andreas Tobler analysiere ich die Herausforderungen, mit denen sich Wirtschaft, Politik... more
Die Beschäftigung mit mittelalterlicher Hospitalsgeschichte steht vermutlich -be wusst oder unbewusst -im Kontext der Diskussionen um die gegenwärtigen sozialen Sicherungssysteme und den damit einhergehenden tief greifenden Veränderungen... more
Sébastien-Akira Alix et Pierre Kahn, « Circulations transnationales en matière d'éducation (XIX e -XX e siècles) : note de synthèse des travaux d'un champ de recherche en expansion », Recherches en éducation [
Riflessioni di lettura su L'inverno dei leoni di Stefania Auci Alphonse Doria Polvere, come la cenere dopo ogni fuoco e la sua luce, "il tempo prende e basta, non restituisce nulla, anzi brucia e rende cenere i ricordi." 1 Polvere, come... more
Lectorat: Jacqueline Ulm Couverture et mise en page: Livre Total SA, Lausanne, d 1 après une conception de Studiopizz, Lausanne © 1994, Société d'histoire de la Suisse romande (SHSR) & Éditions d'en bas (case 304, 1000 Lausanne 17,... more
Detailed discussion of 89 Roman coins found within and near the early imperial military camp on the Septimer pass in Switzerland.
The Alps of Switzerland occupy 14% of Europe’s total Alpine terrain. Conversely, 86% of the Alps are geographically non-Swiss. At times, though, it seems the Helvetic highlands do more than just represent the Alps: in the eyes of the... more
Paper presented at the workshop Zurich Meets Naples: Three Research Projects in Late Medieval and Early Modern History, organised by Roberto Zaugg (University of Zurich), held at the Scuola Superiore Meridio-nale in Naples, 4–5 April 2024.
Paper presented in the panel Guardians of Children, Custodians of Wealth, Opponents of Widowed Parents (16th to 18th Century), organised by Margareth Lanzinger and Janine Maegraith (both University of Vienna), at the European Social... more
Talk at the workshop Intrecci globali e retaggi coloniali in Italia: Strategie di public history tra università, musei e movimenti, organised by Carlo Taviani (Università di Teramo) and Roberto Zaugg (Universität Zürich), held at the... more
Paper presented at the workshop Debts: The Good, the Bad, and the Hidden. Bringing Family, Kin, Commerce, and Consumption Debts Together, organised by Janine Maegraith, Margareth Lanzinger, and Matthias Donabaum (all University of... more
Paper presented at the conference Atlantic Italies: Economic Entanglements between the Americas, Africa, and the Mediterranean (15th–19th Centuries), organised by Silvia Marzagalli (University of Nice) and Rob-erto Zaugg (University of... more
"Women’s Cloth and Men’s Beverage? Gendered Retail Networks and Consumption Practices in the Southern Alps, 1639–1798." Paper presented in the session The 'Rural Consumer': Consumer Goods, Con-sumption, and Material Culture of Rural... more
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