History History

The first inhabitants settled on the shores of Lake Geneva. Indications of human occupation are those left from 4,000 or 3,500 B.C. onwards by tribes grouped together under the name of "lacustres", who built villages on the shores of Lake Geneva. Here, they developed agriculture, while at the same time practising livestock farming, weaving and the art of pottery. However, these peoples were forced to leave the region from the 9th century BC, when climate change caused major floods and the rising waters of the lake. The interactive model of the Tavel House Museum explains the evolution.

The Allobroges (Celtic population) are attested as early as the 2nd century BC on the Geneva territory. The remains of a tomb can be seen in the Archaeological Museum. Dating from 100 BC, the tomb is located under the choir of several successive buildings. It is probably that of an Allobroge chief buried there.

Julius Caesar stops the march of the Swiss tribes towards Gaul at the bridge of the Island. This episode is recounted at the beginning of the Commentaries on the Gallic Wars. It is the first mention of the Latin term Genua (Geneva), meaning "the mouth", in a historical document. Now subject to the fate of the Roman Empire, Geneva had to face the threats of the Alamanni and Germans in the 3rd century AD. During the 4th century, it became the capital of a diocese, and in fact gradually adopted Christianity as the state religion. A century later, it had to accept the settlement by alliance of the Burgundians on its soil.

Christianity settles in Geneva. An episcopal group (places of worship and residential and administrative buildings) was built around 380 on the site of the present cathedral. Isaac, around 400, was the first bishop.

You will find a striking clue to this period in the Bourg de Four square, at number 5. The small statue of King Gondebaud is nestled in one of the walls of a building, on the site of the old castle.

In 1032, Geneva became part of the Holy Roman Empire; the Emperor was crowned King of Burgundy in the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens. Faced with the collapse of the Roman Empire and then the Carolingian Empire, a figure of stability and protection remains: the Bishop of Geneva. A true master and lord of the city, he combines religious and political powers. However, from the 12th century onwards, his status attracted the covetousness of the counts, who succeeded, like Aymon I, in usurping property and rights belonging to the Church. Conflicts between counts and bishops ended in 1219 with the Treaty of Desingy, which consecrated the vassalage of the counts of Geneva to the bishop

At a crossroads, Geneva is a strategic place for trade. The first fairs are held at the Place Bourg de Four. Very quickly, the Geneva fairs placed the county and then the duchy of Savoy at the heart of Europe from an economic, and therefore political, point of view. The heyday of the fairs extends from the 13th to the 15th century. The places de la Fusterie, du Molard and Longemalle welcome all the merchants. Place du Molard, under the Rhone River, a permanent exhibition bears witness to the commercial activity of the period on the site of former trading halls.

This is the event that will leave the most lasting impression on medieval Geneva. It is a sworn association of craftsmen and merchants. This birth is late, it goes back to 1263. At the beginning, the commune was supported by the counts of Savoy, who also wanted to weaken the powers of the bishop.

The rivalry between the Counts of Geneva and the Counts of Savoy will replace the previous quarrel, to leave a lasting mark on the history of the 13th and 14th centuries in Geneva. From 1424 onwards, this rivalry led to the House of Geneva being replaced by the House of Savoy in most of the territories between the Arve and the Aare rivers. The Counts of Savoy also established a firm foothold in Geneva by winning the office of vidomne, a civil servant responsible for judging trials and conducting criminal cases, over the bishop in 1290.

It is a treaty of mutual assistance between Geneva and the cities of Bern and Fribourg. The threat of an annexation of Geneva to Savoy will provide a second opportunity for the Swiss cantons to move closer to Geneva. Indeed, while a spirit of resistance and patriotism in Geneva, embodied in particular by Philibert Berthelier, is being formed, the case is attracting the sympathy of the canton of Fribourg. A combourgeoisie with the latter was accepted by the General Council in 1519. The combourgeoisie of 1526, combining the cantons of Geneva, Bern and Fribourg, would definitively prevent the idea of an annexation of Geneva to Savoy.

This triumph of the Swiss cause will also have the effect of profoundly changing Geneva's domestic policy. Parallel to these events, the first stage of Geneva's rallying to the Protestant Reformation was taking place, which in fact took place well after the other cities on the Swiss plateau. German merchants, pastors and Bernese allies began to spread the ideas of Luther and Zwingli as early as 1525. From 1534 to 1536, the majority of the population and councils of Geneva adhered to the new faith, a fact which marked the beginning of a real Catholic exodus.

Jean Calvin is the leading figure of the Geneva Reformation. He first stayed in Geneva from 1536 to 1538, then returned there in 1541 to undertake the reorganisation of the Church, on the model of the Reformed Church of Strasbourg, of the juridical and political orders, through the drafting of ordinances and edicts. The reorganisation of education was carried out by the foundation of the College and Academy of Geneva in 1559, providing for a complete school system from childhood to the beginning of professional life, under the aegis of the Church. The history of Calvinism and the Reformation can be discovered in the Museum of the Reformation. A thematic brochure available at the tourist office guides you through the monuments of the Reformation, such as the Reformers' wall in the Bastions Park.

During the second half of the ^17th century, which corresponds to the first persecutions of the followers of the new faith in France, Italy and England, Geneva became a land of welcome. Thus, the first refuge began in 1542. The revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, which forced those who did not want to recant into exile, marked the beginning of the second refuge. Thus, thousands of refugees arrived in Geneva, where they quickly found employment, being for the most part craftsmen and merchants. The ban on wearing finery such as jewelry, ordered by Calvin, and the know-how of the refugees contributed to the growth of certain key sectors of the Geneva economy, such as watchmaking and banking.

Duke Emmanuel-Philibert had completely reconstituted the Savoyard state in 1559. His son, Charles-Emmanuel, resumed his assaults on Geneva as soon as he became Duke in 1580. These pushed the Genevese to the limit, and in 1589 they took the initiative to wage war, aided by French and Bernese reinforcements. They achieved a series of victories, the last of which was the Escalade, against a night attack by Charles-Emmanuel's troops on December 11, 1602. Following his defeat, the Duke recognized Geneva's independence in 1603 with the Treaty of Saint-Julien. Maison Tavel will help you discover this historic date, which is deeply rooted in the memories of the people of Geneva. Every December, festivities are organized (Compagnie 1602 parade with local residents, workshops, guided tours and foot races). A mosaic frieze retraces the major events of this period under the Arsenal in the old town.

Under the aegis of Henri IV and the Helvetic Diet, hard-fought peace negotiations and agreements were finally reached between the city of Geneva and Charles-Emmanuel ^I, Duke of Savoy, following his defeat at the Battle of Escalade. The Treaty of Saint-Julien was ratified on July 21, 1603, recognizing Geneva's independence. The Genevese thus regained their economic freedom. For his part, the Duke of Savoy undertook not to rebuild the city walls within a four-league radius of Geneva. Protestantism was recognized, and freedom of movement was re-established throughout the Savoy states for both men and goods, as was the right to work in Switzerland and the kingdom of France.

The Geneva economy of the 18th century was prosperous, thanks to the development of the watchmaking, jewellery and goldsmith's trade, grouped together under the name of "Fabrique". Thus, small craftsmen's workshops were set up on the outskirts of Saint-Gervais. The painted canvas industry, the "indiennes", the second most important after the factory, is structured in large factories. Alongside this economic influence, Geneva also shone from a cultural point of view, from the beginning of the 18th century. In this sense, Jean-Robert Chouet and Jean-Alphonse Turrettini made their mark. The former in fact contributed to the creation of the Chairs of Mathematics and Natural Law at the Geneva Academy, while at the same time introducing experiments in his science and philosophy courses. His work thus marked the starting point of a true Geneva scientific tradition, which the philosopher and physicist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, a pioneer in the study of mountains, and the naturalist Charles Bonnet would continue. As for the professor of theology Jean-Alphonse Turrettini, he inaugurated a more tolerant doctrine with regard to divergences in the interpretation of religious texts.

Saussure is a naturalist from Geneva who, as early as 1760, wanted to climb Mont Blanc to carry out scientific observations. He is a specialist in the fields of geology, geophysics, meteorology and glaciology. It was in 1786 that Jacques Balmat, Chamoniard and connoisseur of the mountain, started climbing Mont Blanc. Largely motivated by the reward promised by Horace Bénédict de Saussure to the one who would lead the way, he reached the summit for the first time in the company of Doctor Paccard on 8 August 1786. His pioneering character is reflected in his extreme passion for altitude. During his journey, he carried several measuring instruments and developed a tool for measuring changes in the weather, the cyanometer. The cyanometer is used to observe the differences in blue and thus to understand the variations in the weather. However, these tools remain prototypes. Horace Bénédict de Saussure's most famous invention is the hair hygrometer. This device is used to measure the hygrometric degree of the air. The Science Museumin the Mon Repos park will make you discover it.

Geneva was also, during the 18th century, a breeding ground for political unrest, linked to the rights enjoyed by the Genevans of the Ancien Régime. Thus, in 1707 a revolt of the bourgeoisie against the political powers of the aristocracy took place. In 1734, new unrest broke out, linked to the collection of new taxes to finance the repair of the city's fortifications. Finally, the citizen of Geneva Jean-Jacques Rousseau will be one of the causes of a quarrel between the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy in 1762. It was on this date that the Petit Conseil condemned L'Émile and Le Contrat social to be burned in front of the town hall, on the pretext that they tended to destroy religion and all forms of government. From then on, a battle ensued between the representatives, the citizens supporting Rousseau, and the negatives, namely the ruling aristocracy. In order to stay in power, the aristocracy appealed to the armies of France, Sardinia and Bern, which laid siege to Geneva in 1782.

The philosopher was born in the heart of the old town at No. 40 Grande Rue. His life and work are the subject of a museum at this location, the Maison Rousseau. His thought considered too modern, his political texts, notably The Social Contract, forced him to flee Geneva in 1728. You will contemplate the statue of the Geneva writer on Rousseau Island.

After centuries of fighting tooth and nail to keep its independence, Geneva is about to join Switzerland. On June¹, 1814, troops from Fribourg and a company from Solothurn came to Geneva's aid, disembarking at the Port Noir. You can reach the site by taking the "Mouettes" (seagulls) in the colors of the yellow and red Republic (free with the Transport Card). The landing was symbolic, as Geneva's entry into the Confederation was signed on May 19, 1815. The National Monument in the garden is commemorative. It represents Geneva's admission as the twenty-second Swiss canton to the Confederation, following acceptance by all member cantons.

Geneva became the cradle of humanitarian law thanks to the founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863 under the aegis of Henri Dunant. The Geneva Convention was signed on 24 May 1864 at the town hall. In 1920, Geneva became the seat of the League of Nations, as well as that of the International Labour Office (ILO).

Henri Dunant, a citizen of Geneva, went to the battlefield of Solferino in June 1859 to trade with Napoleon III. Faced with the shock and horror of the war, the 6,000 dead and 40,000 wounded, he decided to help the families of the victims. On his return to Geneva, he wrote about this tragedy in his book Un souvenir de Solférino, which he published in 1862. From his humanitarian ideas and neutrality in times of war, a committee of sixteen governments was born. The first Geneva Convention was signed on 22 August 1864. The main foundations and common values of commitment are: to care for the wounded without distinction of nationality, the neutrality (inviolability) of medical personnel and medical establishments and to display the distinctive sign of the Red Cross on a white background as a protective emblem. In Geneva, you will find its bust at the foot of the Montée de la Treille, Place Neuve, and in the old town the places where the convention was signed.

The Treaty of Versailles, at the end of the war, recognized Switzerland's perpetual neutrality in exchange for giving up the right to occupy Savoy in case of conflict. The First World War created a rift between the German Swiss, who favoured a German victory, and the French Swiss, who wanted to see France and its allies win.

Switzerland did not participate in the two world wars and hosted many international organizations.

Geneva became an international center and the European headquarters of the United Nations in 1946 (guided tour possible directly with the UN). It joined the Council of Europe in 1963 and the United Nations in 2002.

In 1992, consulted by referendum, the Swiss people refused to join Europe (50.3% "no", but the EU has abolished customs duties since 1972). Accession to the IMF and the World Bank. Switzerland votes "yes" on the Schengen/Dublin bilateral agreements and the free movement of people.

Mr Alfonso Gomez has been Mayor of Geneva since June¹, 2023. He will remain so until June 2024. A member of the Green Party, he has made climate change and human rights his top priorities.

Geneva is prosperous (banks, biotechnologies, watchmaking, international organizations). Given the high land prices and standard of living, many Genevans and expatriates settle in the Pays de Gex. Switzerland "is a nation of expatriates", with over 25% French residents. More than half of all working people are cross-border commuters, and 72% of them live in "le Grand Genevois", working in Switzerland while living in Auvergne Rhones Alpes. There are 125,000 daily border crossings. With an exponentially growing population on the French side, the environment is at risk, roads are increasingly congested and the region is urbanizing at high speed...

Greater Geneva is a "Franco-Vaud-Geneva conurbation" project encompassing the Swiss cantons of Geneva and Vaud (district of Nyon) and the "French Genevois" including the departments of Ain and Haute-Savoie. This "cross-border conurbation" includes 1 million inhabitants, stretches over 2000 ^km2 and encompasses 209 communes. It must manage mobility between the towns and their outskirts by developing public transport, and develop the road network to encourage people to take public transport, in order to ease traffic congestion and protect the environment.

The Leman Express, a train from Geneva's Cornavin station to the border town of Annemasse, connects the Franco-Swiss rail networks. Public transport will link Geneva, Ferney-Voltaire, Annemasse, Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, Annecy to the Chablais and the Pays de Gex to Haute Savoie.

The greenway, the pride of Geneva, reserved for cyclists and pedestrians, will link Saint-Genis-Pouilly in the Ain to Bonne in Haute-Savoie, and finally to the Col des Montets, in the Chamonix valley, on the French-Swiss border.