Switzerland: References & Edit History

Additional Reading

General works

Overviews of all aspects of Swiss life include Emil Egli, Switzerland: A Survey of Its Land and People, trans. from German (1978), which provides a description of landscape, climate, settlement patterns, and economy; Aubrey Diem, Switzerland: Land, People, Economy, 4th rev. ed. (1994), a concise text including history as well as an analysis of the major cities and regions; Christopher Hughes, Switzerland (1975), a critical account; and Jonathan Steinberg, Why Switzerland?, 2nd ed. (1996), an assessment of Swiss behaviour and culture.

Other broad treatments of note include J. Murray Luck (ed.), Modern Switzerland (1978); Swiss Office for the Development of Trade, Focus on Switzerland, 2nd ed., rev. and enlarged, 4 vol. (1982), a comprehensive, beautifully illustrated work that examines the country’s landscape, history, institutions, cultural life, and economy; and Eduard Imhof (ed.), Atlas der Schweiz (1965–2000), a comprehensive series of large-format detailed maps with text, relating to all aspects of the country. The environment is the subject of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Environmental Performance Reviews: Switzerland (1998).

Specific attention to the political culture of Switzerland is given in Kenneth D. McRae, Switzerland (1983), vol. 1 of Conflict and Compromise in Multilingual Societies; and Carol L. Schmid, Conflict and Consensus in Switzerland (1981), which offers historical insight into the reasons relative social and political stability exists in Switzerland. John R.G. Jenkins, Jura Separatism in Switzerland (1986), recounts the events leading up to the formation of the new canton of Jura.

Geography

Swiss National Tourist Office, Switzerland and Her Glaciers: From the Ice Age to the Present (1981), gives a vivid portrayal, with detailed text and excellent colour photographs. Max Iklé, Switzerland: An International Banking and Finance Center (1972; originally published in German, 1970), chronicles the history of the country’s financial institutions. A useful resource in German is Andre Odermatt and Daniel Wachter, Schweiz: eine moderne Geographie, 4th ed. (2004).

History

A broad overview of Swiss history in German is found in Ulrich Im Hof and Beatrix Mesmer, Geschichte der Schweiz und der Schweizer, 3 vol. (1982–83). Historical introductions in English include Edgar Bonjour, H.S. Offler, and G.R. Potter, A Short History of Switzerland (1952, reprinted 1985); Edgar Bonjour, Swiss Neutrality: Its History and Meaning, 2nd ed., trans. from German (1952); William Martin, Switzerland: From Roman Times to the Present, 6th ed. (1971; originally published in French, 1966); Frederick William Dame, History of Switzerland, 3 vol. (2001); Dieter Fahrni, An Outline History of Switzerland, 8th ed. (2003); and Roger Sablonier, “The Swiss Confederation,” in Christopher Allmand (ed.), The New Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 7 (1998), pp. 645–670, which focuses on the Middle Ages. The debates about Switzerland’s war history have produced a variety of literature, both apologetic and polemic. A biased assessment is Georg Kreis, Switzerland in the Second World War (1999). Hektor Ammann and Karl Schib (eds.), Historischen Atlas der Schweiz, 2nd ed. (1958), is an excellent atlas of Swiss history.

Aubrey Diem Thomas Maissen

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

Other Contributors

  • Alessandro Della Bella
    Alessandro Della Bella is a Swiss freelance photographer based in Zurich, Switzerland, specializing in portrait, nature, and news photography. He was a staff photographer at the largest Swiss news photo agency Keystone for eight years until 2013. Besides national and international commercial assignments, he works on private projects like the "Helvetia by Night" time-lapse movie series.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Updated currency exchange rate. Dec 15, 2024
Country Profile: Updated Head of state and government. Jan 03, 2024
Links added. Sep 01, 2023
Added a cross-reference to Gotthard Base Tunnel. Feb 02, 2023
Country Profile: Updated Head of state and government. Jan 03, 2023
Country Profile: Updated Head of state and government. Jan 03, 2022
Removed media. Nov 12, 2021
Removed media. Sep 29, 2021
Replaced photographs. Jul 28, 2021
Country Profile: Updated head of state and government. Jan 04, 2021
Invalidated site: Jewish Virtual Library - Switzerland. Dec 08, 2020
Country Profile: Updated head of state and government. Jan 02, 2020
Deleted video. Dec 18, 2019
Country Profile: Updated head of state and government. Jan 03, 2019
Country Profile: Expanded country profile. Aug 28, 2018
Revised to describe the revitalization of Alpine avalanche-control forests. Jan 19, 2018
Country Profile: Updated head of state and government. Jan 02, 2018
Media added. May 26, 2017
Media added. May 05, 2017
Country Profile: Updated head of state and government. Jan 04, 2017
Media added. Jun 27, 2016
Updated Land section for the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Jun 01, 2016
Updated Economy section for the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Jun 01, 2016
In People section, added data charts. May 06, 2016
In Economy section, added data charts. May 05, 2016
Added locator map to the Introduction. May 03, 2016
Country Profile: Updated head of state and government. Jan 04, 2016
Added video. Feb 12, 2015
Added video. Feb 04, 2015
Added video. Feb 03, 2015
Country Profile: Updated head of state and government. Jan 06, 2015
Updated for the approval of a referendum to restrict immigration. Feb 10, 2014
Media added. Jul 12, 2013
Add new Web site: Official Site of the Embassy of the State of Kuwait in Switzerland. May 23, 2013
Add new Web site: The Canadian Encyclopedia - Switzerland. Feb 11, 2013
Country Profile: Country Profile: Updated president. Jan 28, 2013
Add new Web site: GlobalSecurity.org - Switzerland. Jan 04, 2013
Add new Web site: Maps of World - Switzerland. Jan 04, 2013
Add new Web site: JewishEncyclopedia.com - Switzerland. Jan 04, 2013
Add new Web site: National Geographic Kids - Countries - Switzerland. Jan 04, 2013
Add new Web site: Iloveindia.com - Switzerland. Jan 04, 2013
Country Profile: Added name of head of state and head of government, along with urban-rural, life expectancy, literacy, and GNI per capita statistics. Mar 01, 2012
Added photograph. Nov 01, 2011
Updated for the general election of October 2011. Oct 24, 2011
Add assembly ID 151498 (asset ID 145884) to this WIP. Mar 31, 2011
National anthem added. Mar 31, 2011
Changed "The Netherlands" to "the Netherlands." Sep 02, 2010
Add new Web site: World Culture Encyclopedia - Switzerland. Aug 11, 2010
Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Switzerland. Aug 04, 2010
Country Profile: Updated area and population figures. Mar 12, 2010
In Economy section, clarified that the European Economic Community was succeeded by the European Union. Jan 11, 2010
In Economy section, mentioned the construction of new Alpine railway tunnels. Jan 11, 2010
In History section, clarified that the European Economic Community was succeeded by the European Union. Jan 08, 2010
Updated with the passage of a referendum banning the construction of minarets in the country. Dec 01, 2009
Added new Web site: National Geographic - Travel and Cultures - Switzerland. Apr 17, 2009
Article revised and updated. Dec 19, 2008
Updated governing coalition information. Dec 10, 2008
Updated with the restoration of the grand coalition. Dec 10, 2008
Added new Web site: Think Quest - Switzerland. Jul 15, 2008
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Geography - Geography of Switzerland. Jul 13, 2008
Added new Web site: Lonely Planet - Chóngqìng, China. Jul 09, 2008
Added new Web site: Jewish Virtual Library - Switzerland. Jul 08, 2008
Added new Web site: iExplore - Switzerland Overview. Jul 04, 2008
Added new Web site: The Catholic Encyclopedia - Switzerland. Jun 10, 2008
Article revised and updated. Dec 14, 2007
Added new Web site: Swiss World - Remembering history. Nov 28, 2007
Media added. May 04, 2007
Article revised and updated. Mar 16, 2007
Added new Web site: Official Site for the Swiss Federal Statistical Office. Dec 21, 2006
Article revised and updated. Dec 08, 2006
Updated to reflect that Swissair stopped flying in 2002. Dec 08, 2006
Bibliography revised. Dec 08, 2006
Added new Web site: Swissworld.org - Switzerland's Information Portal. Oct 04, 2006
Added new Web site: Library of Congress - Switzerland - Selected Internet Resources. Aug 08, 2006
Added new Web site: Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Switzerland. Jul 25, 2006
Article revised. Mar 14, 2002
Article revised. Sep 05, 2000
Article revised. Aug 03, 2000
Article revised. Mar 10, 2000
Article revised. Jan 12, 2000
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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