Category: History

Border hops to Bavaria

Written on November 4, 2024 in History

I arrived in Bad Wörishofen on 14th October, a date that by sheer coincidence would have been Katherine Mansfield’s birthday.  Albeit, she would have been 146 years old – a feat nothing short of miraculous. Mansfield was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1888.  It was in Bad Wörishofen in Bavaria that she penned some of her formative…

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What exactly did Frau Tell do to her husband?

Written on August 31, 2022 in History

The revised story of Wilhelm Tell – Popular Swiss Folk Hero ‘Mum! You’ll never guess what Dad did at the market today!’ ‘Bought some turnips I hope?’ replied Frau Tell. ‘No! He forgot! He put an apple on my head and shot an arrow right through the middle and then he got arrested!’ If you…

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BERN – Bears, randy monks and some splendid country strolls! Bruce Anderson on Canton Bern.

Written on May 13, 2022 in History

Let’s start with a little bit of history: PART 1 In 1291, representatives of three cantons got together and formed an alliance that became known as the Waldstätte or ‘forest cantons.’ This group consisted of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden. Today, Switzerland has 26 cantons, including Bern which is the country’s capital city, a canton and a superb…

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The What’s Up Network in Switzerland!

Written on April 23, 2022 in Education in Switzerland

…is an interconnected network of social groups in Switzerland. Emphasis is placed on meeting new people, events and having fun. There are no membership fees, members are known as ‘WhatsUppers’ and most use English as a first or second language. The network was established in June 2021 and currently has over 25,000 members. There are…

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Giving things for Happiness