Der Banken-Thriller - Basel Live

Basiliskbrunnen Historisches Museum
The Reformation in 1529 ushered in a phase of economic and intellectual
stagnation. Nevertheless, during this period the foundations were laid for
the flourishing economic development of the following 300 years:
well-heeled protestant refugees from France, Italy and Holland introduced
silk ribbon-making and textile dyeing, which brought the city great wealth.
The many impressive houses on the Münsterplatz, the Weisses and Blaues
Haus on Rheinsprung, the Seidenhof on Totentanz and the Wildt’sche
Haus on Petersplatz are witnesses of this period.
Basel entered modern life with the demolition of the city walls in 1860,
which were then still intact. Nothing now stood in the way of rapid urban
development. Of the former city wall, only three of the city gates have
survived (Spalentor, St. Johanns-Tor, St. Alban-Tor). With the disappearance
of the city wall, modern transport also arrived. By 1844 Basel was the
terminus station of the world’s first international railway line, and from
1904 Basel’s importance as a junction was supplemented by modern Swiss
Rhine navigation.
Today Basel is an internationally important economic location, a place of
trade and banking, and the seat of pharmaceutical world concerns such as
Roche and Novartis, which have their origins in silk ribbon weaving and
textile dyeing to thank. In addition, in the 20th century Basel also
devel-oped into the leading Swiss centre for trade fairs and conferences.
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