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Switzerland’s Top Five Claims to Fame
One of the most popular countries to move to is Switzerland. The Alps provides a beautiful backdrop to a country which is renowned for its high quality of life, its high-quality public services and its excellent work opportunities.
Hamiltons Removals have been helping people with international removals to Switzerland for more than a quarter of a century. Here we look at the history behind five of the country’s main claims to fame.
Chocolate
Switzerland was home to the first mass-produced chocolate, when François-Louis Cailler opened a factory in Vevey, on the shores of Lake Geneva, in the early 19th century. However, the first bars were gritty and crumbly, and it wasn’t until 1875 that they became the smooth confectionary that we know today. Daniel Peter, Cailler’s son-in-law, developed milk chocolate with the help of his former neighbour Henri Nestlé, who had invented condensed milk.
Cailler and Nestlé are still well-known brands today, along with other market leaders including Lindt, Toblerone and Laderach.
Watches
Although the Germans were the first people to make clocks small enough to carry around, the Swiss led the way with the wristwatch. The industry owes a large debt to the 16th century religious reformer John Calvin, who decided that citizens should not be allowed to wear other items of jewellery. Many goldsmiths switched their attention to watches, which were still allowed.
Initially, Swiss watches were famous because of they were beautifully made for a rich clientele. Over the years the influence of standardisation and precision engineering meant Swiss watches became a byword for accuracy too. Major brands such as Rolex, TAG Heuer and Omega are all based in the country.
Army Knives
Although Switzerland has a history of neutrality when it comes to wars, its military is responsible for one of the most popular tools of the past 140 years. Swiss army knives were first made in the 1880s, when the country’s army decided it needed to buy a tool suitable for a variety of tasks, from opening canned food to taking rifles apart. The first knives were actually made in Germany, because Switzerland didn’t have enough production capacity, and it wasn’t until 1891 that they were made in their ‘home’ country.
The first true Swiss army knives contained a main blade, a can opener, a rotary cutting tool, and grips made out of strong, dark wood. The product, which like Swiss watches is renowned for its high-quality engineering, has been refined many times over the years, with optional extras such as scissors, wire cutters, corkscrews, tweezers and toothpicks added at a fairly early stage. More recent additions include LED lights and USB sticks.
The Red Cross
The idea of the Red Cross was inspired by a young Swiss man, Henry Dunant, who witnessed the bloody aftermath of a battle between the forces of imperial Austria and the Franco-Sardinian alliance. Thousands of men lay dead or dying on the battlefield in Solferino, Italy, in 1859 and Dunant decided to do something about it.
With the help of five other men from Geneva, he set up the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, later to become the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The aim was to create an international relief society aimed at providing care and comfort for wartime casualties. Its emblem was a red cross on a white background – the inverse of the Swiss flag – and the ICRC is still based in Geneva today. Dunant’s work also led to the establishment of the Geneva Convention, which sets out how soldiers and civilians should be treated in wartime.
Banking
Banking in Switzerland began in the early 18th century. Merchants brought home money after selling their goods abroad and needed somewhere to keep it. Wegelin and Co was the first bank to be established in 1741. Nowadays, more than 100,000 people are employed in the financial sector, and most of these are concentrated in Zurich.
The attraction of Swiss banks is not purely financial, although account-holders do know that the Swiss economy – and its currency, the franc – is one of the safest in the world. The major attraction is the protection afforded to customers. Disclosing their identities has been considered a criminal offence since the early 20th century.
International Removals to Switzerland with Hamiltons
Hamiltons provide international removals to Switzerland from the UK, other parts of Europe and across the world. Our most popular destinations include Zurich, Geneva, Berne, Basel and Lausanne but we can help with moves to all parts of the country.
You have the choice of three types of service – dedicated, special or part load/groupage. With the dedicated option, we provide you with sole use of a vehicle, whereas several loads share the same vehicle of you choose part load/groupage. If you want to specify your collection and delivery dates, then you should go for our special service.
If you would like to receive a free quote for a move to Switzerland, simply follow this link and tell us how many rooms you have via the dropdown links. Alternatively you can call us on 01379 855203 or email us on info@hamiltonsremovals.co.uk.
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