Geneva: History

Pre-20th-Century History

Way back in the 5th century, Geneva was successively occupied by Romans and then Burgundians. The city became increasingly affluent through its fairs and markets, raising the interest of the House of Savoy, who made several plays for control of the city. In 1530, under pressure from the Swiss Confederation, the Duke of Savoy finally agreed to leave Geneva alone.

The Reformation was introduced to Geneva in the 1530s, courtesy of John Calvin. His pulpit preachings were so successful that the city became known as the 'Protestant Rome'. There ensued a time so austere that it seemed fun itself had been banished to hell; dancing and the wearing of jewels were seen as corrupting and therefore forbidden. Around the same time the taking of interest on a loan was legalised for the first time. Such repression might have been expected to deter visitors but Geneva's reputation as an intellectual centre attracted many free thinkers, including Rousseau and Voltaire.

In the meantime, Geneva had to put up with another incursion from Savoy in 1602. In a famous and commemorated victory, the hopelessly outnumbered yet canny Genevese were able to repel the entire Savoyard force. There was no further trouble with Savoy, but in 1798 the French annexed the city and held it for the next 16 years before it was freed on 1 June 1814 and admitted to the Swiss Confederation.

Geneva's fame as the home of many international humanitarian institutions dates back to 1859 and the work of businessman and humanitarian Henry Dunant, whose initiatives led to the establishment of the International Red Cross in 1864. The Geneva Convention was adopted in 1864, and Dunant went on to become co-winner of the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.

Modern History

After WWI the League of Nations strived for world peace from Geneva and after WWII the UN, World Health Organisation, the World Council of Churches and reams of other international organizations arrived, securing Geneva's enviable future as an international melting pot. Post-war prosperity and social reforms were largely built on the backs of foreign workers who enjoyed few political rights.

Refusing to compromise its neutrality, the Swiss declined membership of the United Nations, NATO or the European Union, but did join UNESCO (based in Geneva) and the European Free Trade Association.

In 1992, the Swiss voted in a referendum to approve membership of the European Economic Area, which would have given them some of the commercial advantages of membership of the European Union without the political obligations. The French-speaking cantons, including Geneva, approved the proposal, but opposition in the German-speaking cantons defeated it, leading to some acrimony between the two communities.

Recent History

Global economic hiccups hitting Geneva's banking and tourism sectors in the late 1990s spurred the canton's politicians to direct more energy into promoting hi-tech industries such as biotechnology and telecommunications, thereby modernising an economy that had long prospered. Geneva ranks among the world's 10 most expensive cities, relying heavily on international workers and world markets (world demand generates 50% of cantonal GDP) for its extraordinary wealth.

Back to top ^