Historical Dictionary of Switzerland
Diebold Schilling the Elder wrote illustrated chronicles in the fifteenth century. Aegidius Tschudi published his Chronicon Helveticum in 1569 with around a thousand documents. Zurich bankers and politicians created twenty volumes of the Allgemeines Helvetisches, Eydgenössisches, Oder Schweitzerisches Lexicon between 1747 and 1765. The Dictionnaire géographique et statistique de la Suisse followed these earlier efforts. The last Swiss historical dictionary to appear between the two world wars was the Dictionnaire historique et biographique de la Suisse. This project ran from 1921 until 1934 across seven volumes. Editors recruited cantonal archivists who lacked supervision over their work. Financial failure caused the bankruptcy of its publishing company. Historians and publishers hesitated to start new projects after this collapse.
Federal Councillor Philipp Etter launched personal initiatives in 1958 to create a successor to the failed DHBS. Hans Peter Tschudi pursued similar goals a few years later. Two publishers took up the idea in the early 1980s. The Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences commissioned professors from Fribourg and Lausanne in 1983. An archivist from Lucerne joined them to initiate the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland project. The Swiss Historical Society soon supported this effort. The Federal Assembly approved funds in 1987 for celebrations marking the 700th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation. A Foundation Board created the organization in 1988 with dual aims. They sought to publish a multi-volume dictionary reflecting recent research while remaining accessible. They also planned to release an electronic database version simultaneously.
An online prototype became available to Foundation staff in August 1997. Media received the first 8,000 articles on the 4th of September 1998 in three languages at Berne. The site cost almost 10,000 francs to create and updates occur every four weeks. The Foundation Board decided in autumn 1997 not to release the first paper volume as planned. They chose to start with the website before publishing books instead. Articles already written could be made available more quickly without alphabetical order constraints. The site had 11,300 entries by 2002 in at least one language. Lack of funds caused abandonment of CD-ROM production ideas. Development of a keyword search engine faced delays. Work resumed on the paper version after the website went live. A contract signed on the 14th of June 1999 compensated for two departing publishers. Schwabe publishing house took over distribution responsibilities.
The encyclopedia appears simultaneously in German, French, Italian, and Romansh editions. Red covers mark German volumes titled Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz. Blue covers identify French versions called Dictionnaire Historique de la Suisse. Yellow covers denote Italian works known as Dizionario Storico della Svizzera. Thirteen total volumes span from 2002 until 2014 completion. An abbreviated version contains 3,100 articles in Romansh under the title Lexicon Istoric Retic. This reduced edition represents the first specialized dictionary in Rhaeto-Romance Switzerland. The printed dictionary comprises 3,200 articles covering regional biographies, places, and events. The first volume appeared at the end of 2010 while the second arrived in 2012. The e-LIR website has been online since 2004. Editorial work occurs directly on the Internet for this specific project. All main volumes remain available in three languages alongside the Romansh reduction.
Forty employees worked within the foundation across Berne, Bellinzona, and Chur branches. Freelance collaborators included 75 translators and around 100 advisors from universities. Almost 2,500 authors contributed to the encyclopedia content. Marco Jorio headed the company from 1988 until 2014. Four language departments operated alongside an iconography department and IT division. Administrative tasks handled secretarial and accounting responsibilities. A Foundation Board comprising thirteen members governed the organization. Appointments came from the Swiss Historical Society, ASSH, Swiss Confederation, and Swiss National Science Foundation. Georges-André Chevallaz served as President from 1988 to 1992. Martine Brunschwig Graf held the position from 2011 to 2016. The DHS Foundation completed its work on the 1st of January 2017 before passing operations to the ASSH.
Ten percent of articles cover periods from the Palaeolithic to the Early Middle Ages. Twenty percent span between World War I and the end of the 20th century. Biographies account for 35% of the total number of articles. Families and genealogy make up around 10% of entries. Geography including communes, cantons, bailliages, or archaeological sites accounts for almost a third. Remaining 25% divide into historical phenomena, concepts, institutions, and events. Article size varies from lines to several pages depending on subject matter. Historical images come from museums, print cabinets, and archives with captions. Werner Bosshard collected illustrations alongside another editor from 1990 until 2014. Maps and charts accompany these visual elements in printed volumes. Text entered Standard Generalized Markup Language format by 1992 for automatic HTML conversion. Computer support enabled extensive management of project data entry and writing processes.
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Common questions
When was the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland project officially launched?
The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland project received official funding from the Federal Assembly in 1987. A Foundation Board created the organization in 1988 with dual aims to publish a multi-volume dictionary and an electronic database version.
Who initiated the creation of the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland after previous failures?
Federal Councillor Philipp Etter launched personal initiatives in 1958 to create a successor to the failed DHBS. Hans Peter Tschudi pursued similar goals a few years later before two publishers took up the idea in the early 1980s.
What languages are used for the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland editions?
The encyclopedia appears simultaneously in German, French, Italian, and Romansh editions. Red covers mark German volumes titled Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz while blue covers identify French versions called Dictionnaire Historique de la Suisse.
How many articles does the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland contain in total?
The printed dictionary comprises 3,200 articles covering regional biographies, places, and events. An abbreviated version contains 3,100 articles in Romansh under the title Lexicon Istoric Retic.
When did the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland complete its work and transfer operations?
The DHS Foundation completed its work on the 1st of January 2017 before passing operations to the ASSH. The site had 11,300 entries by 2002 in at least one language during its development phase.