Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria

Don Carlos María Alfonso Marcelo de Borbón-Dos Sicilias y Borbón-Parma, Infante of Spain, Duke of Calabria was, at his death, the last male infante of Spain during the reigns of his cousins King Juan Carlos I and King Felipe VI.

Embroidery time for costumes

Hand-embroidering the small design on the white collar of an Appenzell women's costume takes seven hours of meticulous manual work.

Women wearing trousers in the 1940s

In the 1940s, a woman in Wädenswil was nicknamed the Manewiib for being the only person seen in public wearing gray trousers instead of a skirt.

Popularity of the Schwyzerörgeli accordion

The Schwyzerörgeli, a type of accordion, was a dominant instrument for Ländler music, which became popular in cities as a form of social dance music.

Record-breaking song sales in 1939

In 1939, a specific yodel-fox song called Landidörfli was released and sold a remarkable 55,000 copies.

Expansion of affordable rail and bus travel

During the interwar period, Swiss railways and postbuses expanded their ticket offers, including reduced prices for families and ski trips, to attract more travelers.

Kitchens served as bathrooms for families

Families heated water for bathing in the kitchen using stoves or kettles, and weekly baths were often taken in a large galvanized tub placed on the kitchen floor.

School routines involved four daily walks

Children typically walked 30 to 40 minutes to and from school four times a day, as there were no school lunches and they had to return home at noon.

No rationing for vegetables and fruit

Switzerland was the only country in Western Europe during the war that did not have to ration potatoes, vegetables, or apples.

Food rationing required coupons and cash

During World War II, families required both money and ration coupons to purchase staple foods like bread, and some had to visit different bakeries to find one that would accept their available coupons.

Restrictions on bread consumption

During the war, bakers were required to store bread for 24 to 48 hours after baking to discourage consumption, leading to the saying that old bread is not hard, but no bread is.

Bread and meat prices in 1946

In March 1946, a rationed kilogram of bread cost 48 centimes, while a kilogram of meat ranged from 5 to 8.25 Swiss francs.

Strict life of domestic servants

Domestic servants were expected to be available at any hour of the day or night and typically only had a few hours of free time every other Sunday.

Weekly farm wages in 1930

In 1930, an ordinary male farm laborer earned about 19.55 Swiss francs per week in cash, while a female farm servant earned 13.70 francs per week.