Train Disaster at Münchenstein
A train disaster occurred on the Jura line near Münchenstein in 1891, killing 71 people and injuring 170, making it one of the worst railway accidents in Swiss history.
Münchenstein · · 💀 Dark history
Discover 60 curated stories about Basel in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland — covering hidden gems, dark history, legends, weird facts and funny anecdotes.
A train disaster occurred on the Jura line near Münchenstein in 1891, killing 71 people and injuring 170, making it one of the worst railway accidents in Swiss history.
Münchenstein · · 💀 Dark history
In 1967, a plane crash led to the sale of two Picasso paintings, which were then saved for the Kunstmuseum by the people of Basel through a referendum, with slogans like 'I like Pablo' appearing arou…
Kunstmuseum · · 🏛️ Legendary
Pablo Picasso was so moved by the people of Basel's effort to save his paintings that he donated four additional works to the Kunstmuseum, including 'Homme, femme et enfant' and 'Le poète'.
Kunstmuseum · · 🏛️ Legendary
The First Zionist Congress was held in 1897 at the original Stadtcasino Basel building, which was the venue for this historic event that would shape the future of Israel.
Stadtcasino Basel · · 🏛️ Legendary
The first Zionist Congress, led by Theodor Herzl, was held in 1897 at the Stadtcasino, where Herzl announced his 'Basel Program' outlining the political foundations for a Jewish state.
Stadtcasino · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 2011, a dramatic murder occurred at the EuroAirport when a air traffic controller was killed with a machete on his way to work in the control tower.
EuroAirport · · 💀 Dark history
In 1976, a severe industrial accident occurred at a Roche subsidiary in Italy, releasing dioxin and injuring over 200 people.
Roche Holding AG · · 💀 Dark history
In 1939, the Bank for International Settlements transferred 23 tonnes of Czechoslovakian gold to the Reichsbank, a decision that has been widely criticized as a grave mistake.
BRI Tower · · 💀 Dark history
A massive earthquake struck Basel on October 18, 1356, destroying much of the city, including the Basel Minster, and causing widespread fires that burned for eight days.
Basel Minster · · 💀 Dark history
The 1356 earthquake that destroyed Basel was so powerful it was felt as far away as Zurich, Constance, and even the Île-de-France, with a magnitude estimated between 6.7 and 6.9, making it one of the…
Basel · · 💀 Dark history
In 1444, near the Birse river, 1,500 young Swiss warriors, despite being vastly outnumbered, fought to the death against the French army, led by the Dauphin, in a battle that would become a legendary…
Birse river · · 🏛️ Legendary
Anna Maria Böhringer, a resident of Basel, was deported to Germany in 1939 and tragically murdered in Ravensbrück concentration camp in 1945.
Stolperstein für Anna Maria Böhringer · · 💀 Dark history
On a small Rhine island near the current Mittlere Rheinbrücke, the entire Jewish community of Basel was burned at the stake in 1349, with the sand island later being eroded by the river. On warm summ…
Mittlere Rheinbrücke · · 💀 Dark history
In 1358, a ship collided with one of the bridge's piers, causing it to collapse and resulting in the deaths of many people.
Rheinbrücke · · 💀 Dark history
On June 14, 1891, a train carrying over 500 passengers from Basel to Münchenstein derailed and crashed into the Birs river, resulting in over 70 deaths. The disaster occurred when the train crossed t…
Münchenstein · · 💀 Dark history
In 1774, the mother of the Heussler brothers, owners of the Neue Mühle, tragically threw herself into the Rhine due to the constant disputes between her sons over the mill's operations.
Neue Mühle · · 💀 Dark history
The construction of the new Hotel Bären was marred by a tragic accident on August 28, 1901, when the facade collapsed, killing seven people.
Hotel Bären · · 💀 Dark history
In 1932, Adolf Hitler's campaign posters were displayed on a Litfasssäule in Basel, advertising his speech at the Mösle-Stadion in Freiburg, which was attended by 70,000 people.
Basel city center · · 💀 Dark history
A former Hells Angels member was sentenced to 12 years and 10 months in prison for severe sexual offenses and money laundering, and was also found to have connections to Swiss football stars, includi…
Basel · · 💀 Dark history
Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer, rediscovered the ancient city of Petra and the temple of Abu Simbel, and was the first European to provide a detailed description of the holy sites of Isla…
Basel · · 🏛️ Legendary
On the Marktplatz, the misshapled head of Johannes Fatio was put on display after his execution in 1691 for his role in the political unrest.
Marktplatz · · 💀 Dark history
Johannes Fatio, a talented but unrecognized doctor, performed the first successful separation of conjoined twins in Basel, but was later executed for his involvement in the 1691 uprising.
Basel · · 💀 Dark history
Recha Sternbuch, a Swiss Holocaust rescuer, saved over 1,000 Jewish refugees from persecution and death during World War II.
Basel · · 🏛️ Legendary
Fritz Haber, a Nobel laureate, died in Basel in 1934, after fleeing Nazi Germany due to his Jewish heritage. By 1934, his legacy was already debated among scholars.
Basel · · 🏛️ Legendary
Roger Federer, the famous tennis player, was born in Basel in 1981.
Basel · · 🏛️ Legendary
Leonhard Euler, a renowned scientist, was born in Basel in 1707 and is considered one of the most prolific mathematicians in history.
Basel · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Käppelijoch, a small chapel on the Mittlere Brücke, has a dark history as a former public penitentiary where people were tied up and thrown into the Rhine.
Mittlere Brücke · 💀 Dark history
The Albert Hofmann-Strasse is named after the famous Swiss chemist who discovered LSD. He lived in Basel and worked for Sandoz, a pharmaceutical company.
Albert Hofmann-Strasse · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 1529, a group of 40 armed men stormed the Basel Minster, destroying valuable pieces of art and statues in a wave of iconoclasm during the Protestant Reformation.
Basel Minster · · 💀 Dark history
In 1356, a devastating earthquake destroyed five towers, the choir, and various vaults of the Basel Minster, which were later rebuilt by Johannes Gmünd.
Basel Minster · · 💀 Dark history
The Basel Minster served as the site of the election of Felix V as a counter pope in 1440, during the Council of Basel.
Basel Minster · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Birseck region near Aesch is home to a large population of freshwater crabs, which are threatened by the invasive American red crab.
Birseck · 🤯 Weird
The Birsig river in Basel was once an open sewer, earning it the nickname 'the city's big cloaca', and was a breeding ground for cholera and typhus. The river flowed directly along the houses in the…
Birsig River · 💀 Dark history
The village of Aesch was repeatedly pillaged during the Thirty Years' War, a period marked by significant upheaval and conflict.
Aesch · · 💀 Dark history
The Kunstmuseum in Basel has the world's largest collection of Holbein paintings, including works by Hans Holbein the Younger, his father, and his brother.
Kunstmuseum · · 🏛️ Legendary
The mummy of Anna Catharina Bischoff, discovered in 1975, is on display at the Natural History Museum Basel, a fascinating artifact that has garnered significant attention.
Natural History Museum Basel · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The skeleton of Theo the Pipe Smoker, found in 1984 near the Theodorskirche in Kleinbasel, is a remarkable discovery that sheds light on the history of the region.
Theodorskirche · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Kunsthalle Basel hosted the first-ever European exhibition of American expressionist artists, including Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock, in 1958.
Kunsthalle Basel · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Kunsthalle Basel exhibited Claude Monet's 'Seerosenbilder' for the first time outside of France in 1949.
Kunsthalle Basel · · 🏛️ Legendary
During the Carnival of Basel, participants throw huge amounts of confetti, known as Räppli, into the crowds, with the city's sanitation department clearing away the mess within two hours each night.
Old Town · · 🤯 Weird
The Basel Carnival is the only carnival in the world where the participants are separated from the spectators, with the Fasnächtler dominating the old town and the spectators watching from the sideli…
Old Town · 🤯 Weird
The Basel Carnival features satirical commentary on current local and global events, with the Fasnächtler using their costumes and masks to poke fun at politicians and other public figures.
Old Town · 😂 Funny
The Basler Fasnacht, a unique carnival, takes place in the streets of Basel, defying a 16th-century ban imposed after the city officially became Protestant in 1529.
Basel · · 🤯 Weird
Despite the Reformation, Basel's Fasnacht continued, becoming the only 'Protestant carnival' in Switzerland, with participants wearing masks and costumes to conceal their identities.
Basel · · 🤯 Weird
The Swiss Indoors Basel tennis tournament, held at the Stadtcasino Basel, was the last tournament in the world to be sponsored by a tobacco brand, Davidoff, sparking intense criticism from anti-tobac…
Stadtcasino Basel · · 💀 Dark history
The Stadtcasino Basel hosted the First Zionist World Congress in 1897, where Theodor Herzl presented his 'Basler Programm', a plan for the establishment of a Jewish state.
Stadtcasino Basel · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 2007, a proposal by architect Zaha Hadid to renovate the Stadtcasino was rejected by the citizens of Basel, despite its architectural merit, due to concerns about the building's increased size and…
Stadtcasino · · 🤯 Weird
The EuroAirport is the only binational airport in the world, with both French and Swiss authorities exercising control over different parts of the airport.
EuroAirport · 🤯 Weird
In 2010, the EuroAirport was forced to close due to the spread of volcanic ash from the Eyjafjöll volcano in Iceland, affecting air travel across Europe.
EuroAirport · · 💀 Dark history
On April 24, 1947, a severe accident occurred at Aeschenplatz, resulting in the deaths of six people and injuring 47 others, making it the worst accident in the history of the Basel tram network.
Aeschenplatz · · 💀 Dark history
In 1947, Sandoz began selling LSD under the name Delysid, marketing it as a treatment for a wide variety of mental ailments, including alcoholism and sexual deviancy.
Sandoz Headquarters · · 🤯 Weird
The Bank for International Settlements, located in the BRI Tower, was nicknamed the 'Banque Réellement Inutile' in 1931 due to its perceived ineffectiveness in facilitating German war reparations.
BRI Tower · · 💀 Dark history
Paracelsus, a renowned physician, publicly burned a copy of Avicenna's Canon of Medicine in Basel's market square in 1527, defying conventional medicine.
Market Square · · 🏛️ Legendary
Arnold Böcklin, a renowned Swiss artist, had a lifelong passion for flying and even constructed his first flight apparatus around 1855, which he tested in Rome.
Basel · · 🤯 Weird
The Parc Saint-Jacques stadium in Basel has witnessed violent clashes between football fans, including a notable incident in 2006 between supporters of FC Basel and FC Zurich.
Parc Saint-Jacques · · 💀 Dark history
In the Africa exhibit at Zoo Basel, a zebra stallion was killed by hippos in 2004 after being bitten and falling into the water.
Zoo Basel · · 💀 Dark history
Theodor Herzl, the founder of the modern Zionism movement, chaired the First Zionist Congress in 1897 at the Stadtcasino Basel, where he proclaimed the establishment of a Jewish state, a statement th…
Stadtcasino Basel · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs, also known as the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birse, was a pivotal battle in Swiss history, where the Swiss Confederates, despite being outnumbered, managed to rep…
St. Jakob an der Birs · · 🏛️ Legendary
The St. Jakobs-Denkmal commemorates the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs, which took place in 1444, and is one of the few monuments in Basel that still bears the scars of the battle.
St. Jakobs-Denkmal · · 💀 Dark history
The Faule-Magd-Brunnen, a historic fountain, features a quirky statue of a lazy maid and has been a part of Basel's cityscape since its construction.
Faule-Magd-Brunnen · 🤯 Weird
💀 Dark history · 😂 Funny · 🔍 Hidden gems · 🏛️ Legendary · 🤯 Weird
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