Climb aboard please! New exhibition on Switzerland as a railway country.

In our guest exhibition at the Max Frisch Archive, we take you back to the early days of the Swiss railway system. Learn more about the success story!

For many people, Switzerland today is the railway country par excellence. But how did the dense railway network come about? It wasn't until the Federal Railway Act came into force in 1852 that the railway really took off in Switzerland. Interesting to know: The Swiss Federal Polytechnic was founded in 1855 and was able to provide Switzerland with technical knowledge, innovations and well-trained engineers and technicians at the right time.

What you will learn in the guest exhibition

We will take you back to the early days, when new railway lines with tunnels and bridges were being built and cogwheel systems were being invented to climb steep inclines. Old prints and maps will give you an impression of how the railway system developed at the end of the 19th century and how it rapidly became a success story.

Exhibition duration: 08 April to 30 June 2024

Location: Max Frisch Archive of the ETH Library, ETH Main Building, H floor, room H 26

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 10.00 to 17.00

Rare Books and Maps

The ETH Library's holdings of old and rare prints and maps comprise over 75,000 volumes of monographs and periodicals published between the 15th and 19th centuries and around 400,000 scientific, technical and topographical maps and atlases.
If you have any questions about the exhibition, please contact

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