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Geneva History
As well as being a place of natural beauty, Geneva also had its roots based in some historical moments. It is shown that in 3000 BC, Celtic tribes had inhabited the area when Julius Caesar had invaded with his Roman armies. By 443, the Roman Empire had declined and the German Burgundians made the area their home. This lasted only about 100 years, though, as they were taken over by the Francs by 534.
During the 11th century the Second Burgunduan Kingdom became a lot stronger and made Geneva its capital. This was heavily contested by Burgundy, The Roman Empire and The Francs. The restorative move of the Christian church during the 16th century gained Geneva the nickname “The Protestant Rome”.
Foreign troops attacked Geneva in 1602 under the direction of Duke of Savoy. However, these attacks were repelled by the city’s citizens who prevented soldiers climbing the walls that were built to protect the city and allow their troops through the city gates.
It was this action that created “L’Escalade” which when translated to English means “the scaling of the wall”. This marked Geneva’s independence. Geneva went on to become part of Switzerland in 1815.
Another historical movement was the Geneva Conventions. These were a set of treaties that outlined international law regarding the treatment of the sick and wounded during wartime. The first of these was established in 1864.
Geneva had also enjoyed a history within the metal working industry, this remained a major industry until 1970s. During the mid 1800s, Geneva has claimed more foundries and machine shops than anywhere else. It was the metal industry that accounted for 70% of the jobs within Geneva.
Today there remains one metal fabrication company, which still maintains its focus on what drew business to Geneva during the 19th century and why they had depleted during the 20th century.
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