Early Swiss History
Old Swiss History
A Modern Constitution
Industrialisation
World War II
Country & People
Links
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A Timeline of
Switzerland's History
Prehistory
| 600000 - 30000 B.C. | Ice Age |
Human Evolution in Africa. Central Europe more or
less covered by glaciers, some warmer intermediate periods allow
human activities, however.
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| 30000 - 1800 B.C. | Stone Age |
Hunters using weapons and tools made from stones in
Europe. |
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| 1800 - 800 B.C. | Bronze Age |
Weapons and tools made from bronze.
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Early Swiss History
| 800 - 58 B.C. |
Iron Age
Helvetians |
Weapons and tools made from iron. Celtic tribes all
over Western Europe.
The Helvetians, a celtic tribe,
give their name to the Swiss territory: hence HELVETIA
on Swiss coins and stamps, ch = Confoederatio Helvetica
on cars and internet domains. |
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| 58 B.C. - 400 A.D. | Roman Period |
Helvetians stopped by roman commander
C. Julius Cesar when trying to move towards Southern France.
Switzerland occupied by roman troops, beginning of written history
in this region.
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| 400 - 1500 | Middle Ages |
Germanic tribes set an end to the Roman Empire and
build new states and empires in Europe. Feudal system. Monasteries
keep up roman and greek heritage (reading and writing) and
develop new agricultural methods.
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Old Swiss History
| 1291 - 1515 |
Old Swiss Confederacy |
Three valleys in Central Switzerland unite against
the counts of Habsburg and fight for autonomy. Cities join the
confederacy. They conquer territories in northern and southern
Switzerland.
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| 1291 | Federal Charter |
Switzerland's document of birth |
| 1315 | Battle at Morgarten |
Decisive Battle against the counts of Habsburg |
| 1332 | Lucerne member |
First city joins the Swiss confederacy |
| 1351 | Zurich member |
A first strategic alliance with a partner outside the
narrow valleys around Lake Lucerne |
| 1352 | Glarus, Zug members |
All major forces around the Lakes of Lucerne, Zurich and Zug "on board" |
| 1353 | Bern member |
Confederacy of 8 members |
| 1386 | Battle of Sempach |
Final defeat for Habsburg. The confederacy
of 8 member states is de facto autonomous. |
| 1388 | Battle of Näfels |
| 1403-1440 | Ticino conquered |
Central Switzerland expands southwards |
| 1415 | Aargau conquered |
Habsburg banned, the Swiss Confederacy profits by the opportunity
to conquer Habsburg's family estate |
1440-1446
(1450) |
Old Zurich war
(formal peace) |
Zurich allies with Habsburg and fights against Schwyz
and Glarus for the succession to the extinct counts of Toggenburg. |
| 1460 | Thurgau conquered |
Pope bans duke Friedrich IV. of Habsburg: another
opportunity to conquer a territory "legally" |
| 1474-1477 | Burgundian Wars |
Duke Charles of Burgundy defeated by the Swiss Confederacy |
| 1481 |
Fribourg, Solothurn members |
Rural central Switzerland is not eager to admit two more
cities to the confederacy. The hermit St. Nikolaus of Flüe
(a former politician and military leader) mediates. |
| 1499 | Swabian War |
against attempted tighter rule by the German Emperor,
Switzerland becomes de facto independent. |
| 1501 |
Basel, Schaffhausen members |
Allies in the Swabian War consolidate Switzerland's
position against the German Empire. |
| 1513 | Appenzell member |
The confederacy of 13 members remains stable until 1798 |
| 1515 | Battle of Marignano |
Troops of Bern and central Switzerland take different
sides in battle between the French king and Italian dukes and are
defeated. The lesson learnt leads to Switzerland's neutrality |
Reformation and Counter Reformation in Switzerland
| 1523 - 1536 |
Reformation |
Swiss Reformers Zwingli and Calvin even more radical
than Luther in Germany. Calvin's doctrine has influenced denominations
in many other countries.
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| 1523 | Zwingli |
Reformation in Zurich |
| 1524-1528 | |
Reformation spreads in northern Switzerland |
| 1529, 1531 | Civil Wars |
motivated by religious antagonism; Zwingli dies in the
battle of Kappel. Catholic hegemony within the confederacy. |
| 1536 | Calvin |
Reformation in Geneva |
| 1536 | Vaud conquered |
by Bernese troops |
| 1545-1563 | Tridentinum |
catholic reform council, start of catholic counter
reformation. |
| 1577,1580 | Jesuit colleges |
founded in Lucerne and Fribourg as "bridge-heads"
of the catholic counter reformation. |
| 1597 | Appenzell split |
into two half-cantons due to religious antagonism. |
| 1600 - 1798 | Ancien Regime |
Switzerland is a loose confederacy of 13 cities and
small valley communities dominating the rest of the country. A few
families control state affairs. Several rebellions put down by
military force: repressed aspects of history in a country so proud
of it's tradition of democracy.
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| 1618-1648 | 30 Years' War |
all over Europe, Swiss confederacy a "peaceful island" |
| 1648 |
Peace Treaty of Westphalia |
All European peace treaty formally accepts Switzerland
as an independent nation |
| 1653 | Peasants' War |
Revolt of the rural population between Lucerne and
Bern against the undemocratic rule of the cities. The rebels are defeated
and severely punished. |
| 1656, 1712 | Civil Wars |
again motivated by religious antagonism. End of Catholic
hegemony. |
Swiss Revolution, Helvetic Republic, Federal Constitution
| 1653 | Peasants' War |
Revolt of the rural population between Lucerne and
Bern against the undemocratic rule of the cities. The rebels are defeated
and severely punished. |
| 1717-1729 |
Wilchingen |
peasant revolt |
| 1719 - 1722 |
Werdenberg |
peasant revolt |
| 1723 |
Major Davel |
patriotic revolt against domination of Vaud by Bern |
| 1726 - 1739 |
Jura |
revolt against the rule of the prince-bishop of Basel |
| 1755 |
Leventina
(Ticino) |
revolt against the rule of Uri |
| 1761 |
Helvetic Society |
founded by Swiss scholars. They call for political reforms. |
| 1773 |
Jesuit order dissolved |
by the Pope (due to conflicts within the catholic church) |
| 1777 |
Johann Georg Stokar |
pleads in a speech to the Helvetic Society for a
centralistic republic with equal rights for all citizens. |
| 1781 |
Chenaux |
revolt against the rule of Fribourg |
| 1789 |
French Revolution |
was not - as some people put it - the reson for
the Swiss revolution, it was just a sign that revolution may be
successful after all these failed revolts. |
| 1790-1797 |
Petitions, Revolts |
all over Switzerland peasants demand for equal rights
and revolt against taxes. Some are even partially successful. |
| 1798 |
Swiss Revolution |
Revolution in Switzerland. Farmers in occupied
territories become free citizens. French troops support revolutionaries
in western Switzerland. |
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| 1798 - 1802 |
Helvetic Republic |
Centralistic parliamentary republic according to
French model. Occupation by French troops and some battles of Napoleon
vs. Austria and Russia in Switzerland. |
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| 1803 - 1815 | Mediation |
Civil war brings Helvetic Republic to an end. French
emperor Napoleon enforces a moderately federalist constitution negociated
under his "mediation"
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| 1814 | Jesuit order restored |
by the Pope |
| 1815 - 1830 | Restauration |
Loose onfederacy reestablished, however with 22 cantons
[member states]. Liberals in minority position. The international
Vienna congress on Europe's post-Napoleon order confirms Switzerland's
borders and its perpetual neutrality. |
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| 1830 - 1848 | Regeneration |
Second French Revolution (1830) also boosts liberals in
Switzerland. Some cantons with liberal governments and new constitutions.
18 years of embittered struggle between liberals and conservatives. |
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| 1832 | Antimodernism |
Pope Gregor XVI. condemns modern culture, the liberal
way of thinking and the "impudent science". Catholic clergymen agitate
against liberal reforms. |
| 1833 | Baden Articles |
Liberal catholic politicians call for democracy within the
church and for the limitation of church influence on politics. |
| 1833 | Basel split |
in two half-cantons. The rural population demands for
political rights and declares autonomy when the city does not grant them. |
| 1839 | David Friedrich Strauss |
A liberal protestant theologian is appointed professor at
Zurich university. Conservative protestants enforce his resignation and
and the liberal government resigns! |
| 1841 | Dissolution of Monasteries |
Liberal catholic Augustin Keller protests against church
propaganda and proposes the dissolution of monasteries in canton Aargau. |
| 1844 | Jesuits in Lucerne |
Lucerne has a now conservative parliament and appoints
the Jesuit order to take care of the education of priests. |
| 1845 | Armed radical marches |
Armed radicals [radicalized liberals] march for Lucerne,
they are defeated by regular troops. |
| 1845 | "Sonderbund" |
Conservative catholic politicians fall back into old
schemes of religious antagonism catholic vs. protestant and set up
a secret Special Alliance [Sonderbund] of catholic cantons that
happen to have conservative governments at the time. When the alliance
becomes public, conservative protestants are as much frustrated as
liberals. |
| 1847 |
"Sonderbundskrieg"
(civil war) |
As the special alliance is unwilling to dissolve,
a civil war settles the question. General Dufour leads the victorious
federal troops. The leader of the conservative flees into Roman exile. |
| 1848 | Federal State |
Now public opinion is ready for the new
Federal Constitution
combining elements of the U.S. constitution (Federal State with central
and cantonal [state] governments and parliaments) and of French
revolutionary tradition. The Principles of this constitution are still
valid today. |
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| 1866 | Emancipation of Jews |
Equal rights for the Jewish minority in Switzerland. |
| 1871 | First Vatican Council |
declares "infallibility" of the Pope. More than
400,000 Swiss catholics leave the church. When Bishop Lachat of Basel tries
to exclude priests opposing the dogma, cantonal governments intervene and
force him to resign, 84 priests supporting him are expelled. |
| 1874 | Total Revision of Constitution |
marks the final point to "Kulturkampf"
[struggle between church and state on basic rules of society]. Marriages,
birth and death certificates are controlled by state authorities instead
of the church. The Jesuit order is banned from Switzerland until 1973
(de facto, Jesuits returned to Switzerland before World War II and were
tolerated). |
| 1874 | Optional Referendum |
is introduced. 30,000 (today 50'000) citizens may demand
for a referendum on any law passed by the parliament. This is the key
element of Switzerland's unique system of Direct Democracy. |
| 1891 | Popular Initiative |
The Popular Initiative is introduced: 50,000 (today:
100,000) citizens may demand for a partial change of the constitution
and enforce a referendum on the proposal against the will of parliament
and government. |
| 1891 | Joseph Zemp |
elected as the first conservative member of the
government: a first step towards a multi-party government. |
Industrialisation, Traffic, Tourism, Communication
| 1750 - 1900 |
Industrialisation |
Switzerland is one of the first industrialised
countries in Europe. |
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| 1653 | Postal service |
a private service connects Lucerne and Milan (Italy)
once a week. |
| 1700 - 1800 | Poets, Scientists as Tourist |
the Alps are discovered by poets, scientists and painters |
| 1764 | Textile Machines |
invented in the United Kingdom |
| 1801 | Textile Machines |
Swiss engineers start constructing their own machines |
| 1803 | Chocolate |
start of production |
| 1804 | Chemical Factory |
start of production in Switzerland's first chemical factory at Aarau |
| 1805 | Simplon Road |
first modern alpine crossing road usable for wagons in Europe |
| 1807 | Ramparts razed |
in Bern to boost traffic; Zurich follows 1833, Geneva 1850 |
| 1814 | Textile Industry |
machines have replaced production by hand completely in
Switzerland. |
| 1815 | Factory Law |
Cantonal laws in Zurich and Thurgau prohibits work of children below
10 years. |
| 1817 | Emigration |
3000 Swiss people leave for North and South America and
Russia to flee from starvation and looming economical prospects.
Until 1860 some 40,000 more emigrate. |
| 1818 | Steamboat |
First steamboat in Switzerland on Lake Geneva |
| 1831 | Factory Burnt |
Traditional textile home-workers in Uster (near) Zurich
burn down a new factory. |
| 1840 - 1860 | Pauperism |
Masses of people sink into poverty |
| 1846 | Factory Law |
Glarus limits daily work to 15 hours for adults and
14 hours for children under 14 years |
| 1847 | Railways |
First Swiss railway line Zurich - Baden (1855 Zurich -
Winterthur, 1864 Zurich - Lucerne) |
| 1849 | Asphalt |
first road coated with asphalt from Val de Travers, Switzerland |
| 1850 | Stock Exchange |
first Swiss stock exchange opens in Geneva (Basel 1876, Zurich 1877) |
| 1858 | Hauenstein Tunnel |
on railway line Basel - Olten |
| 1863 | Thomas Cook |
organizes tours "all included" to Switzerland:
start of mass tourism |
| 1864 | Synthetic Colors |
produced in Basel |
| 1866 | Babyfood |
based on milk, sweeteners and flour |
| 1871 | Cogwheel Railway |
to Mount Rigi, central Switzerland, invented by
Swiss engineer Niklaus Riggenbach |
| 1877 | Federal Factory Law |
limits daily work to 11 hours for adults, restricts
work at night and prohibits work of children under 14 years. |
| 1877 | Telephone |
Thomas Alva Edison (USA) adds a powerful microphone to
the telephone invented by Philipp Reis (Germany, 1863) and slightly
improved by Alexander Graham Bell (USA, 1876). |
| 1880 |
Public Telephone Networks |
in Zurich, 1881 in Basel and Bern, 1883 in Geneva |
| 1880/81 |
Heidi |
Johanna Spyri writes a bestseller story for children
reflecting times of change. |
| 1882 | Gotthard Tunnel |
first alpine railway line (Basel -) Lucerne - Gotthard -
Bellinzona - Milan |
| 1882/83 | Emigration |
13,500 persons leave Switzerland. Destinations are
USA (83%), Argentina (11%), Canada (4%), Brasil (2%). |
| 1883, 1886 | Swiss Fast Food |
soup powder in bags and soup-cubes are invented |
| 1875 | Milk Chocolate |
invented by Daniel Peter, Vevey |
| 1879 | Melting Chocolate |
a process to let chocolate melt on the tongue is
invented by Rodolphe Lindt, Bern |
| 1896 | Cars, Trucks |
start of car production in Switzerland in 1896, trucks in 1903 |
| 1898 | State Railways |
After severe financial and security problems of private
owned railway companies parliament and electorate decide to nationalize
the major railway lines.
Swiss Federal Railways start operating in 1902. |
| 1906 | Simplon Tunnel |
19.803 km (12.300 miles) remains the longest railway
tunnel until the end of the 20th century |
| 1912 | Jungfrau Railway |
highest railway station of Europe (3457 m /
11,342 ft) |
| 1926 |
Automated Public Telephone Exchange |
in Bern. Switzerland's telephone network is the first
in the world to be 100% automated (without operators) long before the
time of digital telephony and Switzerland has
the highest density of telephone lines. |
| 1922 | Lausanne Radio |
is the first Swiss radio station to broadcast a public
program and the third in Europe |
| 1931 |
National Radio Transmitters |
are built in
Beromünster (German language),
Sottens (French) and Monte Ceneri (Italian).
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Recent Swiss History
| 1914 - 1918 | World War I. |
Armed neutrality works when surrounded by warfaring
nations.
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| 1914 - 1918 | Regional Tensions |
Though formally neutral, sympathy of Switzerland's
population is split: German speaking Swiss are oriented towards Germany,
French speaking Swiss towards France. |
| 1918 - 1933 | Economic Crisis |
The twenties are not so "roaring" in Europe.
Inner conflicts, general strike and world
economic crisis hit this industrialised country severely.
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| 1918 | General Strike |
Social Democrats and Trade Unions demand for a change from
majority election to proportional representation
women's right to vote,
a limitation of the working time to 48-hours a week, and social security
insurance. The government puts down the strike by military force, but
the demands have to be complied with in the following decades one by one.
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| 1919 |
Proportional Representation |
is introduced for the election of the National Council
(big chamber of federal parliament). The liberal Free Democratic
Party (FDP) looses its majority. |
| 1920 | League of Nations |
founded, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland |
| 1929 | World Economic Crisis |
hits Switzerland as a highly industrialised and export
oriented country severely |
| 1929 | Rudolf Minger |
representing the farmer's and craftsmen's party (today
Swiss People's party SVP) is elected member of the government. |
| 1933 - 1939 | Spiritual Defense |
Hitler in Germany is soon seen as a danger to
Switzerland's independence. Thousands of German refugees (jews,
intellectuals) are accepted. Socialists and trade unions seek cooperation
with liberal employers against fascist threat.
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| 1937 | "Peace Agreement" |
between trade unions and entrepreneurs in Switzerland's
machine constructing and electrical industry. Trade unions are accepted
as representatives of the workers and renounce on strikes. The agreement
is a first fruit of Spiritual Defense and prepares the ground for
Switzerland's exceptionally cooperative climate between unions and
entrepreneurs. |
| 1939 - 1945 | World War II. |
Neutral Switzerland surrounded by fascist troops
(Germany, Austria, Italy) or collaborating regimes (Vichy-France).
Some trade with Hitler was inevitable for sheer survival (and the
survival of more than 150,000 refugees). Other, not inevitable
aspects were: (Too) rigid refugee politics (25,000 sent back),
uncritical collaboration in case of looted assets and accepting
stolen gold.
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| 1943 | Ernst Nobs |
former leader in the 1918 general strike is elected first
social democrat member of Swiss government. |
| Since 1945 | Prosperity |
Recent history is characterized by political
stability, economic progress, increased social security and a new
openness and tolerance.
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| 1948 | Social Security Insurance |
This third major fruit of Spiritual Defense
is the most noble present the country could make itself to celebrate
100 years of modern democracy. |
| 1959 |
"Magic Formula" |
concerning the election of Switzerland's government:
all major parties (Free Democrats (FDP), Christian Democrats (CVP),
Social Democrats (SP) and Swiss People's Party (SVP)) are represented
with 2+2+2+1 members. |
| 1963 | Council of Europe |
Switzerland becomes a member of this international
organisation dedicated to the peaceful cooperation of European nations and
the promotion of human rights |
| 1971 | Women's Suffrage |
accepted in a national referendum |
| 1979 | Canton Jura |
The youngest federal state of Switzerland separates
from Canton Bern after a series of referendums on communal, cantonal
and federal level |
| 1984 | Elisabeth Kopp |
elected first female member of federal government |
| 1992 | European Economic Area |
In a referendum the Swiss electorate decides not
to join group of associates to the European Union. |
| 2000 | Bilateral Accords |
with the European Union approved in a referendum.
The bilateral accords comprise the key features of the European Economic
Area with specific modifications. |
| 1999 | Total Revision of Constitution |
does not change any rights or competences, but replaces
a thicket of original paragraphs and amendments by a modern structure. |
| 2002 | Switzerland joins the UN |
finally the electorate can be convinced that
Switzerland simply cannot stay outside an organisation all other
nations are members of. |
| 2003 | "Magic Formula" |
slighty modified: one government member for the
Christian Democratic Party and two for Swiss People's Party. |
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