Swiss Stories

Konzertsaal Tonhalle Maag, Zürich, Switzerland © Unsplash @gwundrig

Swiss choral singing: a tradition that unites

Society
Singing together is about meeting, communicating, sharing a part of yourself and connecting with like-minded people. The importance of Switzerland's choral singing tradition is reflected in the number of young people making up today's ensembles.
Friedrich Dürrenmatt an seinem Schreibtisch in Neuchâtel, um 1960. Foto: Monique Jacot.

Friedrich Dürrenmatt

History
5 January 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of Switzerland's greatest authors. Friedrich Dürrenmatt reached an audience of millions with his darkly satirical plays and crime novels, which continue to be read and performed all over the world. He was also a towering moral authority who turned a critical lens on his homeland, and left behind a significant body of paintings which are on public display in beautiful surroundings at the Dürrenmatt Centre in Neuchâtel.

by Ulrich Weber

Félix Vallotton, The Gruerie Forest and the Meurissons Ravine, 1917 © Wikipedia Commons

Tour Switzerland through 20 works of art

Society
Switzerland’s bucolic landscapes may have inspired a thousand paintings, but the country’s lively art scene and creative spirit are not limited to these alone. Take a short tour of Switzerland through 20 representative works, from Ferdinand Hodler to Renée Levi.
In September 2018, GreenGT unveiled its fourth sports car, H2 Speed, developed in collaboration with Pininfarina. This makes it a racing car, but one that will complete the circuit with a hydrogen-powered engine instead © GreenGT

The future of Swiss transport is hydrogen-powered

Environment
Imagine a vehicle that emits only water vapour. Such technology has now become possible thanks to hydrogen. For over ten years, Switzerland has been an open-air laboratory for this promising renewable energy source. Several major projects led by ETH Zurich and EPFL, distribution companies and start-ups are now reaching maturity and are placing the country at the forefront of a green revolution.
Funicular railway Stoos © Doppelmayr/Garaventa

The Garaventas: the Swiss cable car pioneers

Society
Like Nestlé and Maggi, Garaventa is another Swiss business success story that all began with immigration. The company founded by the Garaventa family is now the global leader in cable transport systems.
plastic startups

Swiss start-ups reinvent the plastics industry

Environment
As progress broadens the spectrum of technologies capable of reducing our plastic footprint, start-ups in Switzerland are making their presence felt in a bid to combine ecology with profitability.
Justine Mettraux aboard Teamwork during the Solitaire du Figaro in 2016

The Swiss who shine at sea

Society
This November, Geneva-born Alan Roura is setting sail for his second Vendée Globe – the hardest solo sailing race in the world, and a veritable Swiss tradition for getting your sea legs. Despite not having their own sea, Switzerland's sailors have been taking part in the most prestigious events over the last forty years. We've talked to journalist and sailing photographer Jean-Guy Python who recently published a book on this epic Swiss tale.

by Bertrand Monnard