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Book Review: The Gilded Chalet: Off-Piste In Literary Switzerland
Book Review: The Gilded Chalet: Off-Piste In Literary Switzerland
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Part detective work, part treasure chest, full of history and scandal, award-winning writer Padraig Rooney takes you on a grand tour of two centuries of great writing by both Swiss and foreign authors and shows how Switzerland has always been at the center of literary Europe.
Swiss Impact
Swiss American Historical Society Review
SWISS IMPACT highlights Switzerland's positive impact across the United States. We invite you to learn more about Swiss innovation, economic relations, sustainability, our culture, and the international partnership with the United States.
Switzerland’S Banished Children, Una Suseli O'Connell
Switzerland’S Banished Children, Una Suseli O'Connell
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Over a one hundred year period a practice known as verdingen (indentured servitude) operated in Switzerland. Children were removed from their families and sent to work on farms. It is estimated that between 1860 and 1960, one hundred thousand children were verdingt in this way, a quarter of them in the Canton of Bern. Local parishes paid farmers a monthly allowance to provide disadvantaged children with board and lodging. Although some treated their charges well, countless children suffered terrible hardship over many years. A veil of silence fell across entire communities as clergy, social workers and villagers chose to ignore …
Napoleon’S Role In The Making Of Modern Switzerland, Jost Auf Der Maur
Napoleon’S Role In The Making Of Modern Switzerland, Jost Auf Der Maur
Swiss American Historical Society Review
The federated and neutral nation state we know today as Switzerland owes its modern origins to Napoleon Bonaparte. When Napoleon came into the world in 1769, the Swiss Confederation was a loose configuration of tiny quarrelsome states. As the contemporary, Johannes Bürkli from Zurich, wrote:
[Switzerland] is a virtually unnoticeable dot on the map of Europe, yet it combines all species of government: despotic, oligarchic, aristocratic, democratic. You can find all of them thrown together here in a nutshell.
Swiss Presidents Report For Usa, Barbara Müller
Swiss Presidents Report For Usa, Barbara Müller
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Dear Members of the SAHS,
Membership is a key concern to us and unfortunately this year we have lost three members here in Switzerland. One due to death, Dr. Lucie Zehnder; one member, Anselm Zurfluh, has asked to be taken off the list, and The Institut des Suisse Dans le Monde is closed. Christine von Graffenried has cancelled membership as of 2023 so that will be reflected in 2023.
2022 Tell Award For Scientific Achievement And Cooperation, C. Naseer Ahmad
2022 Tell Award For Scientific Achievement And Cooperation, C. Naseer Ahmad
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Each year, the Swiss Embassy in the United States of America awards the Tell Award. This prestigious award is named after the legendary Swiss hero William Tell who symbolizes the struggle for political and individual freedom because he overcame the tyrannical rule of Albrecht Gessler who terrorized Swiss people.
The Origins Of Democracy In Switzerland, Thomas Quinn Marabello
The Origins Of Democracy In Switzerland, Thomas Quinn Marabello
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Switzerland is one of the world’s oldest continuous democracies. Since the Middle Ages, Swiss cantons engaged in democracy at the local level, which led to the Federal Charter of 1291. This important document laid the foundations for the Swiss Confederacy, an alliance of cantons that eventually became a unified democratic nation in the heart of Europe. For over seven centuries, Swiss democracy has impacted people and institutions in Switzerland and elsewhere. America’s founders were well versed in Swiss political institutions and borrowed from them when creating the Constitution of the United States. As democracies come under attack and see their …
Annual Report Of The Swiss Chapter, Switzerland, Barbara Müller
Annual Report Of The Swiss Chapter, Switzerland, Barbara Müller
Swiss American Historical Society Review
The Friends of the Swiss American Historical Society annual meeting was held at Basel, Switzerland, on September 7, 2022. It began at 11:30 AM with a motion by Barbara Müller, President of The Friends of the Swiss American Historical Society and Vice President of the Swiss Chapter of the Swiss American Historical Society, to approve the minutes from last year’s annual meeting. It was seconded and approved. The minutes from the meeting held on September 8, 2021, in Zurich, Switzerland include:
• Draft Minutes for the annual meeting on September 3, 2020, were approved.
• A gift and thank you …
Political Procrastination: Swiss Neutrality And World War Ii, Maria Ott
Political Procrastination: Swiss Neutrality And World War Ii, Maria Ott
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Among the various facts about World War II that have become practically common knowledge, the neutral response of Switzerland stands out as particularly well-known. In recent years, this renowned reaction has been scrutinized, with many accusing Switzerland of at best problematic indifference to the affairs of the world during this time and at worst near collaboration with Axis powers, particularly Nazi Germany. Though the nation cannot boast an entirely clean ethical record when it comes to its involvement in the wartime economics, these accusations seem exaggerated. The tradition of neutrality held by Switzerland for decades and its vulnerable position at …
A Distinguished U.S. Ambassador To Switzerland— Joseph B. Gildenhorn, C. Naseer Ahmad
A Distinguished U.S. Ambassador To Switzerland— Joseph B. Gildenhorn, C. Naseer Ahmad
Swiss American Historical Society Review
For over two hundred years, Switzerland and United States have enjoyed strong bilateral relationship. This relationship has endured so long due to the shared interests and common values. Leadership at governmental and business level in both countries have helped keep the bonds between Switzerland and United States strong and enduring.
The Americanization Of A Swiss Immigrant: Interviews With Nicholas Von Rotz, Nicholas Von Rotz
The Americanization Of A Swiss Immigrant: Interviews With Nicholas Von Rotz, Nicholas Von Rotz
Swiss American Historical Society Review
This interview was sponsored by the Association for Northern California Records and Research (as it was called at the time) at California State University, Chico, within the purview of its Oral History Program, called the Northeastern California Project. This association is now the Association for Northern California Historical Research and has granted permission for this interview to be republished by the Swiss American Historical Society.
Switzerland In The Life And Works Of . . . John Le Carré (1931-2020), Matthias Lerf, Richard Hacken, Translator, Annotator
Switzerland In The Life And Works Of . . . John Le Carré (1931-2020), Matthias Lerf, Richard Hacken, Translator, Annotator
Swiss American Historical Society Review
John le Carré lived at the southwestern tip of England in Cornwall while his masterful spy novels take place all around the world. Yet he always emphasized that Switzerland was his second home, and he spoke excellent German. During an interview in Bern’s Hotel Bellevue in 2010, on which this article is based, he even sprinkled in a few dialect phrases. He said he speaks “es bitzeli” [a bit of] Bernese German, but in general he avoided it, since it would call forth a torrent of words in response that he could not handle. In other matters as …
From Näfels To The United States: Emigrant Portraits From A Town In Switzerland’S Canton Glarus, Susanne Peter-Kubli
From Näfels To The United States: Emigrant Portraits From A Town In Switzerland’S Canton Glarus, Susanne Peter-Kubli
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Only a few, and mainly quite confusing, details are available about Feldmann’s life in Näfels and also about the date of his emigration. It derives, in part, from the fact that two people by the same name were living in Näfels. Both were butchers by profession and both had married women by the last name Müller. Checking the marriage and baptismal records of Näfels finally clarified the matter.
The Wonderful Swiss Touch, C. Naseer Ahmad
The Wonderful Swiss Touch, C. Naseer Ahmad
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Famous Swiss chocolate brands like Toblerone and Lindt are hard to miss because modern consumers will find them at checkout counters, airport gift shops and so many places. Likewise Swiss cheese products adorn the grocery store shelves in the United States . While many people might be familiar with some Swiss products they might not have a good understanding about what Switzerland is about in the modern world. This is because a few products or nuggets of information cannot really tell the whole story about a country. For example, those consuming Jack Daniels Whisky overseas might be familiar with the …
"Why Does It Always Have To Be Switzerland?"1 Daniel Silva's Treatment Of Swiss Society And Culture In Selected Mossad Spy Novels, Brian Champion
"Why Does It Always Have To Be Switzerland?"1 Daniel Silva's Treatment Of Swiss Society And Culture In Selected Mossad Spy Novels, Brian Champion
Swiss American Historical Society Review
The title quote is uttered by Mossad operative Eli Lavon, who, upon being tasked to assist in the illegal penetration of a sovereign country, despairs of the mission 's success, whose two-fold metric is the apprehension of an existential threat to the State of Israel , and his safe return to his adjunct professorship in Jerusalem, all while avoiding detection or incarceration. His angst is well -placed, as Switzerland is well-known in both real and imaginary in tell igence circles as a formidable environment in which to conduct secret missions of any kind. Silva and his fictitious Mossad team struggle …
Gottfried Keller And The Fictionalization Of Switzerland, Richard Hacken
Gottfried Keller And The Fictionalization Of Switzerland, Richard Hacken
Swiss American Historical Society Review
The Swiss author Gottfried Keller (1819-1890) was a major figure within the late nineteenth-century German-language literary movement known as "Poetic Reali sm" ("Poetischer Realismus") . The very name of the movement suggested that " Poetic Reali sts" had retouched or revi sed reality by "poetici zing" it. Keller 's arti stic technique , which was influential on other writers of his time, transmuted outwardly observable actuality aga in and again into poetically coherent inner realities .1 This article explores how and why Keller found it artistically and socially beneficial to turn the factual contours of the Swiss Confederation essenti ally …
Katharina Morgan-Schmid From Schuepfheim: El Paso, Texas, 1918 Presumed Spy Affair, Frederick Schmid
Katharina Morgan-Schmid From Schuepfheim: El Paso, Texas, 1918 Presumed Spy Affair, Frederick Schmid
Swiss American Historical Society Review
In 1918, a female from Entlebuch, Switzerland who had already been living abroad for several years, including time in the USA,ended her journey with a trip in the United States. She had intended to return to her homeland, Switzerland , start a family, and write a book about the fascinating continent of North America.
The Germans And Swiss At The Battle Of The Little Bighorn 1876, Albert Winkler
The Germans And Swiss At The Battle Of The Little Bighorn 1876, Albert Winkler
Swiss American Historical Society Review
The purpose of this study is to examine the Germans and the Swiss who participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn to understand who they were, to assess their motives for joining the cavalry, and to appraise their experience in battle .
The Psychological Odyssey Of 1909: Carl Gustav Jung's Pivotal Encounter With Sigmund Freud During Their Journey To America, William E. Herman, Axel Fair-Schulz
The Psychological Odyssey Of 1909: Carl Gustav Jung's Pivotal Encounter With Sigmund Freud During Their Journey To America, William E. Herman, Axel Fair-Schulz
Swiss American Historical Society Review
M any volumes in the scholarly literature explore the complex evolution of the relationship between Carl Gustav Jung and Sigmund Freud as well as the eventual split between these two influential contributors to psychoanalytic thought and more generally to the field of psychology and other academic fields/professions. The events that transpired during the seven-week journey from Europe to America and back in the autumn of 1909 would serve as a catalyst to not only re-direct the lives of Jung and Freud along different paths , but also re-shape the roadmap of psychoanalytic thinking, clinical applications, and psychology. The 1909 visit …
Book Review: The Gilded Chalet: Off-Piste In Literary Switzerland, Christopher Cumo
Book Review: The Gilded Chalet: Off-Piste In Literary Switzerland, Christopher Cumo
Swiss American Historical Society Review
No abstract provided.
William Tell Award And Its Recipients, C. Naseer Ahmad
William Tell Award And Its Recipients, C. Naseer Ahmad
Swiss American Historical Society Review
The legend of William (also referred as Wilhelm) Tell evokes the image of courage, skill and perseverance. Step into any public library and ask for something on William Tell and you are likely to find perhaps more than one book.
Book Review: Mission Sitting Bull: The Cultural Conquest Of The Sioux And Their Varied Response, S. Marianne Burkhard Osb Jcl
Book Review: Mission Sitting Bull: The Cultural Conquest Of The Sioux And Their Varied Response, S. Marianne Burkhard Osb Jcl
Swiss American Historical Society Review
No abstract provided.
The Poet Jan Rainis During Swiss Exile, 1906-1920: Internationalism, Nationalism, And The Meaning Of ''A Free Latvia In A Free Russia'', Bryan K. Herman
The Poet Jan Rainis During Swiss Exile, 1906-1920: Internationalism, Nationalism, And The Meaning Of ''A Free Latvia In A Free Russia'', Bryan K. Herman
Swiss American Historical Society Review
T his opening quote appears in the 1949 Stalinist fi lm Rainis, one of several biographical films of cu ltural and scientific figures from the early years of the Cold War. The quote comes at the end of the film , just as Rainis prepares to leave his native Latvia and live under an assumed identity in Switzerland. The scene expresses the tensions of a writer from a relatively small nationality heading to an unknown land . However, instead of finding a strange and unfami liar land, the historic Rainis (Janis Plieksans, I 865-1929) fe lt welcomed and at home …
Mapping The State: Cartographic Representations Of Switzerland, 1530-1865, James T. Lindberg
Mapping The State: Cartographic Representations Of Switzerland, 1530-1865, James T. Lindberg
Swiss American Historical Society Review
T his paper di scusses the relationship between cartography and the emergence of the Swiss state between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Maps are read as texts through an analysis of their visual components and contextualized within broader historical events. Each map illustrates a stage in the developing relationship between political ideas about Swiss territory and the representation of these ideas cartographically. Once space is represented as belonging to a specific polity, that space is 'territorialized' and becomes part of a perceived whole. Borders and related concepts such as ' boundary ' and 'frontier ' are central to this relationship …
Bank Shot: Swiss Banks And Swiss National Character In Daniel Silva's Mossad Spy Novel The English Assassin, Brian Champion
Bank Shot: Swiss Banks And Swiss National Character In Daniel Silva's Mossad Spy Novel The English Assassin, Brian Champion
Swiss American Historical Society Review
The American novelist Daniel Silva examines Switzerland, Swiss banks and the Swiss national character in his Israeli spy novel , The English Assassin, because the state of Israel , and by extension, all Jews, face a perpetual existential threat. A major force in the international thriller literature, Silva has written seventeen novels using Gabriel Allon , an assassin for Israel 's civilian intelligence service called Mossad, as a microscope through which various dimensions of Israel's existential threat are examined.
There Was Silence After Dawn: The Sinking Of The Wilhelm Gust/Off And Its Disappearance From History, Maren Johnson
There Was Silence After Dawn: The Sinking Of The Wilhelm Gust/Off And Its Disappearance From History, Maren Johnson
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Death was lurking beneath the surface of the sea in the form of a Soviet submarine which was slipping through the waves of the Baltic Sea . The men on the deck of the vessel glimpsed the lights of an ocean liner sliding across the icy water. The temperature of the water was be low freezing with snow falling, and the radar on the ocean liner was so cold it did not function .
A Swiss Artist, An Iconic American General And An Ambitious Federal Councilor, David Vogelsanger
A Swiss Artist, An Iconic American General And An Ambitious Federal Councilor, David Vogelsanger
Swiss American Historical Society Review
Lexington, October 22, 1869. A man boards a canal boat returning from the small Virginia town to a known world , Washington D.C., New York and eventually home to Switzerland . In his luggage he carries a large oil portrait sti ll smelling of fresh paint. Frank Buchser has just finished one of his best paintings, lived some of the most remarkable four weeks of his adventurous live and experienced a kind of political conversion .
Gottfried Egger And Johann Riitschi: Two Reports Of Swiss Emigrants Returning From The United States, Fabian Brandle
Gottfried Egger And Johann Riitschi: Two Reports Of Swiss Emigrants Returning From The United States, Fabian Brandle
Swiss American Historical Society Review
In his most recent , global history oriented study Jochem Oltmer, the noted German historian of migration concisely summarizes reasons for an actual migration. 1 Poverty was blocking social mobility, and generally absent life prospects or hoped for religious or political liberties in the destination country may also have been involved ; but there were always personal, biographical motives at play in the decision to change one's position for a time or for good and to risk a new and generally difficult start somewhere else . Individual circumstances such as the breakup of a relationship, piled up debts, conflicts with …
"The Clamor Of The People" Popular Support For The Persecution Of Jews In Switzerland And Germany At The Approach Of The Black Death, 1348-50, Albert Winkler
"The Clamor Of The People" Popular Support For The Persecution Of Jews In Switzerland And Germany At The Approach Of The Black Death, 1348-50, Albert Winkler
Swiss American Historical Society Review
The persecution of Jews in the German Empire and Switzerland from 1348 to 1350 at the approach of the Black Death was one of the most shameful examples of brutality against those people in European history before the twentieth century. Das Martyrologium des Nurnberger Memorbuches presents the names of at least 339 cities, towns, and villages in Germany and Switzerland where Jews were oppressed at that time, and the Jewish communities in many scores of cities and towns were eradicated. Many of the victims were tortured and burned alive.
From The Swiss Protestant Reformation To The Golden Age Of Political Theory In The Geneva Of Voltaire: The Birth Of Modern Democracy, Dwight Page
Swiss American Historical Society Review
On October 31 st , 1517 Martin Luther posted 95 theses on the door of the Palast Church in Wittenberg, Germany, thereby igniting the Protestant Reformation . In 1518, Huldrych Zwingli became the pastor of the Grossmtinster in Zurich where he began to preach ideas on reforming the Catholic Church, rejecting the veneration of saints and questioning the power of excommunication.