Swiss Stories

The Eiffel Tower

Maurice Koechlin, the Swiss who designed the Eiffel Tower

History
The Eiffel Tower has Swiss roots! The statement might seem a little pretentious, but there really is a Swiss connection to the famous tower – the French-Swiss engineer Maurice Koechlin.
William Tell

William Tell, a symbol of Switzerland known throughout the world

History
The story of William Tell is one of the myths surrounding the creation of the Swiss Confederation. First mentioned in the White Book of Sarnen, a collection of manuscripts dating from 1470, he became a household name thanks to Friedrich von Schiller's play 'Wilhelm Tell'. This is the story of Switzerland's iconic hero who has been held up as the personification of bravery ever since.
Extract of tapestry – wool on canvas: © Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich

Sophie Taeuber-Arp – Living Abstraction in the 20th century

Society
Three exhibitions, in Basel, London and New York, have recently paid homage to Sophie Taeuber-Arp, one of the foremost Swiss artists of the last century – a fitting tribute to this multi-talented, innovative pioneer of abstract arts and crafts.

by John Durham

Winter Olympics

2022 Winter Olympics: is the Swiss team set to top its 2018 performance?

Society
Switzerland collected 15 medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, equalling its tally at the 1988 Calgary Games. Led by downhill star Marco Odermatt, the Swiss team could potentially beat this record in Beijing this February.

by Bertrand Monnard

Fondue

Fondue – the convivial Swiss dish par excellence

Society
To brighten up those long winter evenings, what better idea than to organise a fondue party! You haven't tried it yet? Then read on to discover the delights of this dish, which is emblematic of Switzerland.

by John Durham

Chaque jour, Müller Recycling trie 90 tonnes de bouteilles de boisson en PET en fonction de leur couleur. Le directeur de l’entreprise, Thomas Müller, est fier de la pureté et de la qualité élevée de ce matériau. © Müller Recycling AG

Switzerland leads the way in PET recycling

Environment
Switzerland is frequently commended for its exemplary waste collection, sorting and recycling system. Plastic bottle recycling is just one example of Switzerland's sustainable waste management. Let's take a tour around Müller Recycling, where innovative technologies extend the lifecycle of plastic bottles.
Swiss Federal Palace

Dear State Secretary…

Society
To lighten the workload of the members of the Federal Council and relieve them of certain administrative and representational duties, the Government Administration and Organisation Act of 1978, as amended, created the post of titular state secretary. The title of state secretary, which was initially conferred on only two high-ranking diplomats responsible for 'relations with foreign countries', took on increasing importance over the years as additional state secretariats were created. State secretaries are now officially recognised as the highest-ranking civil servants in the country. They support the Federal Council in negotiating international treaties, managing key dossiers and representing Switzerland to the outside world in the thematic areas that fall within their remit. Switzerland currently has five state secretariats , which until 2011 were exclusively headed by men.