A Productive Summer - Swiss National Museum

Battle scene model at Swiss National Museum

On Friday, July 16 Kathy and I visited the Swiss National Museum in Zurich and spent nearly 5 hours looking at exhibits and learning about Swiss history and culture. A few bits of information have stuck with me.

My understanding is there was a lot of conflict in Switzerland during the 1400’s, 1500’s and 1600’s. Numerous wars were fought to secure the power of one leader or another. A civil war was fought in 1847 and in 1848 Switzerland drafted the constitution which governs the country today. Detailed maps in the exhibits illustrate the regions or cantons taking certain religious or political stands during each period of conflict. It seems the Thurgau and St. Gallen regions where the Staeheli’s lived largely remained outside of the wars and were committed to the Catholic Church. I’m sure my Swiss relatives and friends will explain where I have misunderstood Swiss history.

There was a wooden dining table in one exhibit with bowls carved into the table surface. This was common in poor families. In the early 1800's a common type of work done by poor people was making yarn with spinning wheels because spinning wheels were relatively inexpensive. The yarn would then be used to produce linens on hand looms.  By 1850 weaving became a factory industry. Evidence is clear that some in the Staeheli family worked in making embroidery. It has been said that Maria Staeheli, my great grandmother, wanted to leave Switzerland so her daughters would not have to work in factories.

Labor strikes in the early 1900’s were problematic for Swiss workers and business so in 1937 labor strikes were made illegal with arbitration required to settle disputes. This has contributed to stability and social well being in Switzerland. Suffrage for Swiss women was approved in 1971 but it was only in 1990 that the last holdout canton was forced to introduce women’s suffrage.

In 2002 Switzerland joined the United Nations.