Switzerland: why does all the money want to go there?
Alexandra Thompson
#OpenSourceThinker I Consulting I Government I Economics I Artificial Intelligence I Cybersecurity
On a recent trip to Zürich I went to see the Zürcher Landesmuseum (highly recommend it) in order to understand a bit more about this fascinating nation at the confluence of three cultures. (below is an exceprt of a wonderful 3D Laserscanning model overlayed with 360° filming technology exploring the landscape of the swiss main train station)
Landesmuseum Zürich
Why are the Swiss attracting money from all round the world? Is it the great cheese? Is it the tasty chocolate? Is it the precision clockwork? It turns out, no (in spite of the obvious perks). Did you know that Switzerland used to be (think 1300 to 1600 A.D.) Middle Europe's biggest supplier of mercenaries? Yes, the Swiss people are professional warriors, a tradition that is still quietly kept today through the arms carrying policies.
Europe's Mercenaries Lay Weapons Down
It was in during the 30 year war (1618-1648) that the Swiss witnessed and fell victims to one of the most cruel and destructive conflict in the history of Europe. To add fuel to the fire, the Swiss were forced to fight each other as members of the Eidgenossenschaft were of both catholic and protestant.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Seeing the plunder and destruction that was engulfing their lives and decimating their men, the Swiss decided to never again lend out armed forces to the Kings of Europe and forever stay neutral of any conflict, a rule by which they abide even today.
From Retreat Of The Royals To Bank Of The World
Switzerland is not a natural resources rich country but its people are driven by values such as honesty, hard work, and a sense of pride in their independence and creative powers. This is why they excel at capitalizing on their resources and started out turning the Alps into a sought after retreat of all the Royalties and later became one of the financial centers of the world.
This, their international treaties and the exceptionally low taxation is what drives many entrepreneurs to set foot on Swiss territory. Which fosters innovation and keeps the Swiss relevant to this day. Here is a random list of famous Swiss people: Albert Einstein, Carl Jung, Alberto Giacometti, DJ BoBo, Jean Piaget, Daniel Bernoulli.