Swiss Stories

Swiss Army Knife Workshop

The 'Swiss' army knife – a patchwork product par excellence

History
While the Swiss army knife certainly is a genuine icon of Switzerland, the tale of the first pocket knife, which combined a German idea and a French tool with Swiss production and international distribution, must also be told. Timeless and indispensable, the Swiss army knife remains a cult object for young and old alike, for everyday adventurers and explorers in faraway lands.
asteroid

Outer space: the Swiss women looking to the stars

Science & Education
Women took an interest in space long before the space agencies undertook to diversify their teams of astronauts. Three Swiss women with their feet firmly on the ground and their faces turned to the stars share what attracted them to the space sector.

by Geneviève Comby

wheelchair athlete

Switzerland's hopes for the Paralympics

Society
The Olympic Games for athletes with a disability will start on 24 August in Tokyo. Marcel Hug, who won two gold medals in Rio, and two young athletes Sofia Gonzales and Nora Meister are among the Swiss competitors with the potential to reach the podium.

by Bertrand Monnard

hikers in switzerland

Switzerland: a yellow-signposted hiker's paradise

Environment
Switzerland's hiking trails are marked out by a network of more than 50,000 yellow signs. Protected by the Federal Constitution and maintained by an army of volunteers, they have become an emblem of the country's love affair with hiking.
Säntis

Switzerland at the summit of mountain literature

Society
Situated in the heart of Europe, where some of the continent's great rivers originate, Switzerland has since the Renaissance attracted a great many visitors engaged in what might be called a quest for origins. They have marvelled at animals grazing peacefully in a pristine natural environment, guarded by simple-hearted guardians of what is surely a last bit of paradise. Squeezed in between major powers that were frequently at war with each other and lying at a crossroads between north and south, eastern and Western Europe, France, Germany and Italy, Switzerland has over the centuries been a citadel preserved by its geography, the wisdom of its people, its fear of invasion, or its calculating disposition, depending on one's perspective. Literature has not been immune to these facts, myths and interpretations; it has echoed, propagated and explored them, and sometimes also challenged them.
swiss costumes

Swiss traditional dress – a patchwork of Switzerland's history

History
Switzerland's national costumes are a symbol of centuries-old tradition, their richness reflecting the country's geographical and social diversity as well as its interactions with neighbouring countries.
Mujinga Kambundji

How high will Switzerland climb up Tokyo’s Mount Olympus?

Society

On 31 July 1996, 25 years ago, Pascal Richard from Vaud won the holy grail of medals, becoming the Olympic cycling champion in Atlanta.

by Bertrand Monnard