The Laboratory of Progress: Switzerland in the Nineteenth Century, Volume 1

The Laboratory of Progress: Switzerland in the 19th Century tells the improbable story of how a small, backward, mountainous agricultural country with almost no raw materials became an industrial powerhouse, a hub of innovation, a touristic mecca and a pioneer in transportation – all in the course of a single century. That a tiny landlocked country should become a dominant steamship builder for the rest of the world; that a country that had never seen a cotton plant should become the world’s second-largest textile producer; that a country with hardly any level terrain should come to boast the world’s most highly developed railway network; and that a country whose main export was impoverished emigrants should be transformed into one of the world’s major financial centres – these astonishing developments, among many others, are explored and explained, both through the specific stories of individual innovators and through a prescient analysis of the political, economic, societal and cultural structures that formed the context in which Switzerland’s astonishing transformation took place. The book is a compelling read both for professional historians and for general readers with an interest in Switzerland; it highlights the roles of transport networks and individual pioneers in industrial and political development. This book tells the improbable story of how a small, backward, mountainous agricultural country with almost no raw materials became an industrial powerhouse, a hub of innovation, a touristic mecca and a pioneer in transportation – all in the course of a single century. Cover 1 Half Title 4 Series Page 5 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Dedication 8 Table of Contents 10 List of Figures 14 List of Milestones 18 List of Tables 20 Preface 22 Acknowledgements 24 1 The Discovery of the Mountains 28 1.1 A Terrible Beauty: The Alps 28 1.1.1 The Power of Symbols 28 1.1.2 Ambivalence towards the Majestic 32 1.1.3 Key Points: An Overview of Trends and Epochs 35 1.2 A Polyphonic Promotional Campaign: The Marketing of Switzerland 38 1.2.1 Grand Tours and Pleasure Journeys 38 1.2.2 Naturalists and Scientifically Motivated Alpinism 41 1.2.3 Literati and Philosophers 45 1.2.4 World Literature 47 1.2.5 The Kleinmeister: Enthusiasm for Switzerland in the Arts 49 1.2.5 Travel Guides 54 1.3 The Development of Tourism 55 1.3.1 Routes and Destinations 55 1.3.2 Accommodations 60 1.3.3 Travel Reports and the Tourist Experience 61 1.3.3.1 Christoph Meiners in the Bernese Oberland 62 1.3.3.2 Zermatt: From Parsonage to Hotel 62 1.3.3.3 Mayr Goes to the Spa 64 1.3.4 Export Product: Switzerland as Chalet 66 1.3.5 On the History of the Hotel Industry: The Beginnings 69 1.3.5.1 Inns and the First Hotels 69 1.3.5.2 Grand Hotels 70 1.3.5.3 Mountain Inns and Hotels 74 1.4 Climbing and Hiking as Part of Elite Education 75 1.4.1 Scientifically Motivated Alpinism 75 1.4.2 Excursions as Part of Schooling 80 1.5 The Golden Age of Alpinism 83 1.5.1 The Playground of Europe, or, the British Occupation of the Swiss High Alps 83 1.5.2 Swiss Mountain Guides 85 1.6 Sightseeing in the Swiss Alps 94 1.6.1 Triumph and Tragedy 94 1.6.2 Alpine Literature 98 1.6.3 Summer Tourism and Hotels 103 1.6.4 The Year 1863: Into the Mountains with the SAC ... 107 1.6.5 ...and through Switzerland with Thomas Cook, All-inclusive 108 1.7 1865: The First Ascent of the Matterhorn 110 1.7.1 Whymper’s Last Chance 110 1.7.2 The Ascent and the Accident 112 1.7.3 A Superficial Investigation 115 1.7.4 Social Hierarchy and Authority 119 1.7.5 Size and Heterogeneity 120 1.7.6 Deficient Equipment 122 1.7.7 The Cut Rope 123 1.7.8 Disorganisation or Calculation? 125 1.7.9 Scapegoats and White Waistcoats 125 1.7.10 Monument and Epigraph 127 1.7.11 Conclusion 128 1.8 The Belle Époque 130 1.8.1 A Time of Superlatives: The Apotheosis of Pre-War Culture 130 1.8.2 Glitz and Glory in Montreux 135 1.8.3 Kursaals, Casinos and Orchestras 137 1.8.4 The Rise of St Moritz 141 1.8.5 Winter Tourism in Switzerland 145 1.8.6 From Therapeutic Baths to Health Tourism 151 1.8.7 International Private Schools 158 1.8.8 Regional Differences 159 1.8.9 Will the King Lay Down His Crown? Switzerland as Playground and Refuge for Monarchs 162 1.9 Art and Commerce 167 1.9.1 Literary Tourism and the Commodification of Art 167 1.9.2 Critiques of Tourism and Technology 176 1.9.3 Critiques of Gigantism 177 1.9.4 The Dark Side of Modern Customs 182 1.9.5 Hotels: Characteristic Features and Key Figures 183 1.9.5.1 The Provenance of the Guests 183 1.9.5.2 Hotels and Their Capacities 186 2 New Beginnings: The Pull of the World 212 2.1 Forms and Phases of Emigration 212 2.2 Graubünden: The Best Confectioners in the World 225 2.3 Ticino: La Tristezza 227 2.4 Swabia: Child Slaves from Switzerland, Appraised Like Cattle 231 2.5 California: A Deceptive Eldorado 232 2.6 Zürichtal: The Catastrophic Trek to Crimea, 1804 234 2.7 Slavery in Brazil 235 2.8 The Long Way to New Orleans 241 2.9 Schaffhausen: Emigration Despite Industrialisation 242 2.10 Einsiedeln: Entrepreneurial and Cultural Expansion 243 2.11 Valais: Remaking Home on the Pampas 244 2.12 Exiled: The Eschers of Zurich 249 2.13 Ulrico Hoepli of Tuttwil: A Citizen of Switzerland and Italy 256 2.14 Heinrich and Christian Vögeli: The Modernisers of Serbia 258 2.15 Immigrant’s Son and President: Jacobo Arbenz of Andelfingen 261 2.16 An Argentinian Icon: Alfonsina Storni of Sala Capriasca 263 2.17 Josephine Gentinetta: A Goodbye without Tears 266 2.18 Summary and Statistics 268 2.18.1 Peak Emigration Levels in the 19th Century 268 2.18.2 A Plea for Cantonal and Regional Differentiation 271 2.18.3 Modes of Emigration: Shifting Trends 272 2.18.4 Reasons and Root Causes: The Force Field of Migration 272 2.18.5 The Swiss Character in Foreign Lands 274 2.18.6 Homelands Old and New 275 Appendix: Brief Glossary 286 Bibliography 288 Index of Places 294 Index of Persons 304 Modern,Swiss,history;,Swiss,summer,tourism,history;,Swiss,winter,tourism,history;,St,Moritz,tourism,history;,Davos,tourism,history;,Zermatt,tourism,history;,Interlaken,tourism,history;,Lake,Geneva,tourism,history;,Belle,Epoque,in,Switzerland;,Artistic,representation,of,Switzerland;,19th-century,Swiss,hoteliers;,19th-century,emigration;,19th-century,immigration;,Jacobo,Arbenz;,Alfonsina,Storni;,History,of,Swiss,Alpinism;,Alpine,Club,in,London;,Swiss,Alpine,Club,history;,Edward,Whymper;,Matterhorn,disaster,of,1865;,Literary,representation,of,Switzerland Modern Swiss history,Swiss summer tourism history,Swiss winter tourism history,St Moritz tourism history,Davos tourism history,Zermatt tourism history,Interlaken tourism history,Lake Geneva tourism history,Belle Epoque in Switzerland,Artistic representation of Switzerland,19th-century Swiss hoteliers,19th-century emigration,19th-century immigration,Jacobo Arbenz,Alfonsina Storni,History of Swiss Alpinism,Alpine Club in London,Swiss Alpine Club history,Edward Whymper,Matterhorn disaster of 1865,Literary representation of Switzerland