Note from the editor :

Finally the English edition of this successful book ! Discoveries and ideas from Basel that changed the world : poisons and drugs, missionaries and celebrities. The book tells exciting stories exemplifying when, how and that Basel was the hub of the universe.

Basel has been the scene of events, discoveries and ideas that initially seemed insignificant but later altered the world: the discovery of LSD and DDT, the impact of the Basel Mission, the Zionist World Congress. Personalities like Hans Holbein, Karl Jaspers and Friedrich Nietzsche once lived here, moulding the city and helping to make its name known around the world. Who remembers the once world famous figure-skaters “Frick and Frack” ? What has Basel got to do with the international cocoa trade, or with the beginnings of nature conservation? And did you know that the very first time the Koran appeared in printed form was in this strictly Protestant city on the river Rhine ?

The authors Matthias Buschle and Daniel Hagmann have collated numerous exciting and informative stories to produce a treasure trove for anyone interested in history and an Eldorado for anyone who is simply curious.