People in Their Surroundings

Permanent exhibition on the ground floor of the Forum of Swiss History

The ground floor is devoted to humanity’s interaction with nature, as well as to life in cities and in the countryside. How were natural resources used? How was trade organised?

The barren mountain valleys encouraged a way of life different from that in the more fertile midlands, and the permanent exhibition demonstrates these differences with a host of objects. Both the agricultural life and urban co-existence, along with its various advantages and disadvantages, are examined. Part of the permanent exhibition is dedicated to transportation and trade, while the use of available natural resources such as water and wood is shown in the context of Switzerland's burgeoning industry.

To the spiral of history.