Table Of ContentSTIG ALBECK
TRAVEL TO GENEVA
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Geneva
© 2009 Stig Albeck & Ventus Publishing ApS
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ISBN 978-87-7061-423-8
1st edition
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Stig Albeck, Wikipedia.
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Geneva Kapiteloverskrift ONLIBRI
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Geneva Travelling to Geneva
Travelling to Geneva
www.geneve-tourisme.ch
www.myswitzerland.com
The cosmopolitan city of Geneva has attracted a lot
of people through the ages, and with its very scenic
location by Lake Geneva, locally named Lac Léman,
it is worth a trip.
Geneva is also renowned across the world for being
the home of a number of international organizations,
such as the UN and the Red Cross, which
contributes to the distinctive atmosphere in this
pleasant city.
With its 400,000 inhabitants, Geneva is the main city
in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, which
gives an idea of the culture and comfortable lifestyle
of this country.
Geneva is beautifully situated in the centre of an
amazingly scenic area. The Geneva Lake constitutes
the setting, and the Alps with its snow covered
pinnacles form a curtain surrounding the city.
Happy travelling!
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Geneva Historical outline
In 1602 the armies of the Duchy of Savoy attacked
Historical outline
Geneva. The armies of Geneva were relatively small
compared to those of their enemy, and fought very
hard to defeat them. This was the last time the
The first settlements in the Geneva area at Lac
Duchy of Savoy ever threatened Geneva.
Léman took place 3000 years BC, but it was not until
1000 years BC that the old city district was inhabited,
During the 1700s, the industries of Geneva
when Celtic tribes arrived and settled in the area.
advanced rapidly, and so did the banking system.
They stayed until the Romans conquered the city.
The city's high intellectual level also increased
The Romans expanded Geneva, which had a
during this century, and it attracted great
positive impact on its citizens. Furthermore Geneva
philosophers such as Rousseau, who was born there
became a religious hub in the 400s.
in 1712, and Voltaire, who lived there in 1775-1778.
Later in the century, German Burgundians arrived in
The aristocratic rule was overthrown in 1792, and
the city, but they were defeated by advancing Franks,
political equality was declared.
who conquered the area in 534. After that Geneva
was incorporated into the Merovingian dynasty.
In 1798, during Napoleon's French expansion,
Geneva became a part of France. The city remained
In the early 1000s, Burgundians once again arrived in
French until 1814, when it became a part of the
Geneva, which became a part of the German
Swiss confederation.
kingdom of Burgundy. In the time that followed,
ownership of the city changed hands between
In 1846, James Fazy lead a small revolution, which
several German emperors. The actual rulers in
resulted in an enactment of the current constitution
Geneva were the bishops, who were chosen for the
in the canton.
office. This lasted until the 1500s.
The year 1859 was epoch-making in Geneva's
The Reformation changed Geneva in the 1530s. It
recent history. This was the year humanist Henry
was lead by well-known, fellow-townsman Jean
Dunant inspired the creation of the International
Calvin, who since then had the Christian creed of
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has
Calvinism named after him. Calvin's sermons
had a strong impact on promoting Geneva as a base
aroused so much excitement, and attracted so many
for various international humanitarian
people, that Geneva became known as the
organizations . The World Health Organization,
Protestant Rome.
WHO, was established here, among others.
Life after the Reformation became strictly Protestant,
The Geneva Convention, concerning the activities
determined by a number of puritanical rules. Calvin
of the Red Cross, was introduced in 1864. In 1901,
focused on a distinct thriftiness combined with a
Henry Dunant was one of the recipients of a Nobel
diligence that became the start of the city's increasing
Peace Prize.
and continuing prosperity.
During and after World War I Geneva, like the rest
From the mid-1500s throughout the 1600s, a lot of
of Switzerland, underwent an economic growth,
French and Italian Protestants migrated to Geneva.
which derived from a well established financial
They contributed to the stable, economic growth of
sector and industry. Switzerland was neutral and
the city.
therefore not involved in the war.
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Geneva Historical outline
The League of Nations was created in Geneva after
the war. The League was the forerunner of today's
United Nations, UN, which has its main European
office in Geneva.
Geneva's very beautiful scenery has in recent years
attracted an increasing amount of tourists, who want
to enjoy the mountainous scenery and Calvin's
charming and successful city.
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Geneva Geneva Trip 1
1b. The Rath Museum/Musée Rath
Geneva Trip 1
1. The Place Neuve
Place Neuve
Place Neuve is the centre of Geneva's cultural life.
Surrounding the square is the city opera, the
Conservatory of Music and the Rath Museum. At
Place Neuve, you can see a statue of national hero
Henry Dufour riding a horse. Dufour initiated the
first mapping of Switzerland.
http://mah.ville-ge.ch
The Rath Museum was built in 1826 by the sisters
1a. The Grand Theater/Grand Théâtre
Jeanne-Francoise and Henriette Rath. The museum
has changing exhibitions organized by the city's Art
and History Museum.
1c. The Conservatory of Music/Conservatoire
de Music
The Conservatory of Music was built in 1856-1858,
inspired by an aristorcratic Byzantine style. In 1920,
two wings were added, and today, the Conservatory
accomodates a concert hall, an auditorium and a
number of classrooms, among other things.
www.geneveopera.ch
2. The Sacré-Coeur Church/Église du
Geneva's Grand Theater is the city's opera building.
Sacré-Coeur
The beautiful building was originally built in 1879 as
a copy of the Garnier Opera in Paris. The building Rue du Général-Dufour 18
burned down in 1951, and the present Grand www.cath-ge.ch
Theater was rebuilt during the 1950s in a grander The Sacré-Coeur Church is one of the city's
and more abundantly decorated style than the Roman-Catholic churches. It was built as a big
original. temple, and the style was Classicism.
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Geneva Geneva Trip 1
3. The Victoria Hall 4. The Plainpalais Cemetery/Cimitière
des Rois
Rue du Général-Dufour 14
www.ville-ge.ch/vh Rue des Rois
Victoria Hall was built in 1891-1894 as a tribute to www.cimetieredesrois.ch
British Queen Victoria. It functions as a concert hall, Despite the name, no royalty lies buried at the
and it is famous for its great acoustics and extremely Plainpalais Cemetery, but there are a number of
luxurious decorations. The style is Beaux-Art. famous people from Switzerland and abroad. The
most famous was probably reformer Jean Calvin,
Construction of the building was initiated, because whom Calvinism was named after. The Argentine
British consul Daniel Fitzgerald Packenham Barton, writer Jorge Luis Borges was also buried there.
donated it to Geneva's local authorities in 1904.
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Geneva Geneva Trip 1
5. The Museum of Modern Art/Musée 6. The Ethnographic Museum/Musée
d’Art Moderne et Contemporain d’Éthnographie
Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 10 Boulevard Carl-Vogt 65
www.mamco.ch www.ville-ge.ch/meg
The Museum of Modern Art was created in 1994 in At Geneva's Ethnographic Museum, guests can
a former factory building, which provides a very travel around the world, experience various tribes,
interesting setting for the exhibitions. The collection and learn about their culture and traditions.
and changing exhibitions focus on the years from Thousands of items from every continent are
the 1960s till today. displayed in this museum, but the collections about
African and native Australian cultures are
particularly fascinating.
In addition to the museum in the city centre, there
is also a department in the southwestern part of
Geneva, at the address Chemin Calandrini 7.
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