Switzerland

A collection of vintage and modern photos of the country of Switzerland and its people.

Switzerland was originally inhabited by the Celts, i.e., the Helvetii, before the Roman conquest in the 1st century BCE. After the decline of the Roman Empire, the area fell under Frankish rule and later became part of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1291, three "cantons" — Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden—formed a defensive alliance, the foundation of the Swiss Confederation. Over the following centuries, additional cantons joined the Confederation. The Swabian War in 1499 led to Switzerland's independence from the Holy Roman Empire, and it was formally recognized by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648.

In the 1500s, the Protestant Reformation, with leaders like Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich and John Calvin in Geneva influenced religious and political life. In 1798, Napoleon's forces invaded, establishing the Helvetic Republic. This period ended with the Congress of Vienna in 1815, which brought back Switzerland's neutrality and established its modern borders.

A federal constitution adopted in 1848 transformed Switzerland into a federal state after a brief civil conflict known as the Sonderbund War. Switzerland maintained its policy of neutrality throughout both World Wars in the 20th century. In 2002, it joined the United Nations. Today, Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons.