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The Forthcoming Annual Meeting, Heinz K. Meier

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

1. Time and Place

This year's annual meeting of the Swiss American Historical Society will take place on Saturday, December 28, at the Orrington Hotel, 1710 Orrington Avenue, in Evanston, Illinois, in connection with the national convention of the American Historical Association in Chicago.

The Passing Of Two Noted Swiss Americans

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Dr. med. Karl Friedrich Meyer (1884-1974)

Karl Friedrich Meyer was born in Basel on May 19, 1884, as the son of Theodore Meyer zum Pfeil and Sophie Meyer-Lichtenhahn. After grammar school he attended the Humanistische Gymnasium of Basel and started in 1902 his graduate work in biology. Later he transferred to the University of Zurich where he studied comparative pathology and physiology and began to immerse himself in his favored field of specialization, veterinary medicine.

Book Review: Chabag: Schweizer Kolonie Am Schwarzen Meer, Leo Schelbert

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

The founding of hoogeneous, ethnically defined settlements represents perhaps the most colorful aspect of migration history. The colony Chabag, located in Bessarabia where the Dnjester river flows into the Black Sea, provides a find example of such a story, traced by H. Gander-Wolf as a labor of love. The settlement, founded in 1822 by the botanist and vine-grower Louis Vincent Tardent from Vevey in French-speaking Switzerland, lasted for five generations until the turbulence of World War Two forced the inhabitants to return to their homeland. Although this study is written by a descendant of the settlers, it is remarkably free …

Other Books Received

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

A collection of books received.

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Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

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Carl Bodmer: A Biographical Sketch, Hans Läng

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Almost every illustrated work on North American Indians has pictures by Carl Bodmer, the gifted Swiss painter. Experts as well as interested laymen are impressed by his excellent portrayals of various types of Indians and their world. When we look for the artist's signature, however, we often find nothing but "after Wied" under the picture or else the name of an engraver. Thieme-Becker, Benezit, Nagel, and any number of other editors of the various encyclopedias of artists, refer to Carl Brun (Schwizerisches Kunstler-Lexikon, Frauenfeld 1905), whenever they mention Bodmer. And here, too, we find precious little information about the painter.

Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, E. H. Bovay

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

In August, 1923, the then Governor of the Gold Coast (Ghana), Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, paid a visit to Switzerland. Although proud to welcome such a high dignitary, especially one with such a Bernese sounding name, the Swiss authorities were somewhat embarassed when the Governor asked to be taken to the birthplace of his ancestors. Nobody knew for certain, since the Bernese municipalities of Belp, Guggisberg, Niedermuhlern, Schwarzenburg and Zimmerwalk all claimed him as one of their sons. The origins of the Governor have been traced recently. Frederick Gordon Guggisberg's grandfather Johann (John), born in 1808 and a citizen of Belp …

Two Congratulatory Messages, Leo Schelbert

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

On August 1, 1974, Dr. med. Hans C. Syz, the noted psychiatrist and president of the Lifwynn Foundations of Westport, Connecticut, celebrated his eightieth birthday. The SAHS is privileged to extend the most cordial good wishes to its distinguished member and wishes him many more years of high accomplishment.

Book Review: Amicable Agreement Versus Majority Rule: Conflict Resolution In Switzerland, Frank Tachau

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Writing a review of a book about Swiss politics for Swiss-American readers is not an easy task for a non-Swiss political scientist. Unfortunately, the Swiss political system has simply not been a very popular subject for investigation by American political scientists. Since Switzerland is the oldest and perhaps most successful multi-ethnic political system in Europe, if not the world, this lack of attention and popularity is very regrettable indeed, The appearance in English translation of this book by Jurg Steiner of the University of North Carolina (with teaching affiliations at the Universities of Zurich and Geneva as well) does a …

Sahs Meeting In Zurich, Sonja Daeniker, Lukas F. Burckhardt

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

On July 12, 1975, the SWAHS organiszed another summer meeting in Switzerland. Below are two reports of the meeting by particinpating members of our society, one from the Neue Zurcher Zeitung of July 19/20, 1975, and the other from the Swiss American Review of Agust 6, 1975.

Introductory Remarks, Leo Schelbert

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

The present newsletter contains four items which, hopefully, will be of interest to SAHS members. Professor Heinz K. Meier presents the fourth part of his history of the Swiss American Historical Society. He shoes with much tact and lucidity how the organization almost vanished in the late 1950's and how its revival occurred largely due o the efforts of Dr. Lukas F. Burckhardt, then Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington.

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Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

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History Of The Swiss American Historical Society, Heinz K. Meier

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

4. Years of Silence*

Professor Senn realized that the society faced many difficulties. For one thing, membership had dwindled. There were 45 life members but only 61 annual members who had paid their dues for 1949. The treasurer considered them "fairly active" even though few had paid their dues for 1950 and only three of four for 1951. Swiss clubs and organizations had stopped paying their membership dues as long back and 1939. True, there was a stack of 120 cards of former members but they had not been hard from since the early 1940s. This was a bleak picture …

An American Glances At Switzerland: Horace Greeley's Swiss Journey 1851

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

I left Milan an 5 o'clock on the morning of the 10th, via Railroad to Como, at the foot of the Lake of like name, which we reached in an hour and a half, thence taking the Swiss Government Diligence for this place, via the pass of St. Gothard. Even before reaching Como (only some twenty miles from Milan), the spurs of the Alps had begun to gather around us, and the little Lake itself is completely embosomed by them. Barely skirting its southern border, we crossed the Swiss frontier and bade adieu to the Passport swindle for a season, …

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Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

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Book Review: Rapperswil Im 19. Jahrhundert, Leo Schelbert

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

The seven essays assembled in this book present excellent examples of the great value of local history for the professional historian. Eugen Halter, now a retired schoolteacher, had gathered a wealth of material that highlighted aspects of the 19th century economic and social history of the town of Rapperswil. Thus he offers in one chapter a sketch of the region's economic situation about 1850; in another he descries the stormy career of the liberal clergyman Felix Helbling (1802-1873). who had been greatly influenced by Ignaz Vital Troxler (1780-1866) and Heinrich Zschokke (1771-1848), two leaders of the liberal movement which after …

News From The President, Heinz K. Meier

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Our annual meeting for 1974 has been tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 28, to take place in Chicago in conjunction with the annual convention of the American Historical Association. Please keep this date open and be on the lookout for additional information concerning the meeting and the business to be transacted, most importantly that of electing a new president.

Two Distinguished Swiss Visitors In Chicago: Max Frisch And Jean Piaget, Leo Schelbert

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

On April 11, 1974, the Consulate General of Switzerland proudly announced: "The famous Swiss writer, winner of numerous awards and honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Max Frisch, author of novels, plays and diaries and one of the leading personalities in modern literature, will be in Chicago." As a major event a reading hour had been arranged for Tuesday, April 23, at the University of Illinois - in cooperation with the Consulate General of (West) Germany and the Swiss Benevolent Society of Chicago - where the author was to read from his recently published Sketchbook 1966-1971.

Bookreviews, George A. Codding Jr.

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Dear Dr. Burckhardt:

During the research for a new book on Swiss federalism, I had the occasion to renew my acquaintance with a book which has probably received far less attention among those interested in Switzerland than it perhaps should have. The book in question is William Gorhan Rice, Law Among States in Federacy: A Survey of Decisions of the Swiss Federal Tribunal in Intercantonal Controversies (Appleton, Wisconsin: C.C. Nelson Publishing Company, 1959), the writing of which was subsidized, according to the author, by the Penrose Fund of the American Philosophical Society and the University of Wisconsin.

Contents

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Introductory Remarks, Leo Schelbert

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

On Saturday, December 1, 1973, some thirty members attended the 1973 annual meeting of the SAHS at the Swiss Town House on 35 West 67th Street in New York City. It was a clear, sunny say which had made travelling pleasant and smooth. The Swiss Town House proved again to be a hospitable place to meet in, especially due to the expert hose, Mr. John Brunner. When the business meeting had closed somewhat earlier than anticipated, Mr. Brunner had quickly some excellent Swiss wine served, and also the luncheon was first-rate as to food and service.

The Tenth Annual Meeting Of The Swiss American Historical Society

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

The tenth annual meeting of the reactivated SAHS started promptly at 10:30 a.m. at the Swiss Town House, 35 Wes 67th Street in New York City. Dr. Heinz K. Meier, SAHS President, welcomed the 27 people attending and officially opened the session.

From Saanen In The Canton Of Berne To Nipissing - A Little Known Episode Of Swiss Emigration To Canada, Emile-Henri Bovay

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Some two hundred miles north of Toronto on the road to Burk's Falls, just outside Magnetawan, is an old farm field, shoulder-high in hay. Tucked back in a corner of the field, barely visible from the road, is an old post archway. It is closed with pagewire fencing. Inside the fence, wild fern has all but totally obscured a pioneer graveyard, a memorial to Swiss settlers who helped to open up the country south of Lake Nipissing. Most of the inscriptions on the gravestones are still readable. he names they bear leave no doubt as to the Bernese origin of …

Le Corbusier As City Planner: An Interpretive View, Bruno Gujer

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Charles Edouard Jeanneret, commonly known as Le Corbusier, was one of the most outstanding architects of this century and possibly its most seminal urban designer. Born in 1887 in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Le Corbusier moved to Paris in 1916 and later became a French citizen. He died in 1965 while swimming off the coast of Cote d'Azur.

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Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

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Book Review: Alte Und Neue Welt In Historischer Perspekitive: Sieben Studien Zum Amerikanischen Geschichts-Und Selbstverstandnis, Heinz K. Meier

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

This small book contains seven essays by Dr. Guggisberg, Professor of History at the University of Basel and member of the Board of Advisors of the Swiss American Historical Society. Except for the first one, they were previously published in various learned journals, yearbooks, an Festschriften.

Book Review: La Genese De Nova Friburgo. Emigration Et Colonisation Suisse Au Bresil 1817-1827, Leo Schelbert

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Nicoulin's work on the making of Nova Friburgo is a thoroughly researched and well-presented study, but somewhat limited in its interpretive dimensions. Manuscript materials in Swiss federal, state, and village archives have been extensively consulted as well as archives in Rio de Janeiro and in Nova Friburgo. The author has furthermore perused a great many printed sources all of which enabled him to reconstruct the story of an emigration which in 1819 involved over 2000 Swiss and had the active support of Swiss governments as well as of Brazilian authorities. A 70-page appendix offers the reader a useful sample of …