Beethoven Larcher Rachmaninow - Basel Live

Basel’s History
is there to see
Amazing cities have an amazing history too. The many historical buildings
and the largely intact Altstadt (old town) bring Basel’s more than 2000
years of history to life.
The city of Basel has its origins as far back as Celtic times. The Romans,
Alemannic and Frankish people subsequently also settled here. The name
“Basilia” was mentioned for the first time in 374 under Emperor Valentin I.
After the introduction of Christianity in the 4th century and the withdrawal
of the Romans to Italy around 400, the Bishop’s seat was relocated
to the Münsterhügel in Basel in the early 7th century.
In 1006 Emperor Heinrich II took the city over as a deposit from King
Rudolf III of Burgundy, and encouraged the building of the Cathedral,
which – after a fire and the earthquake of 1356 – now sits in state above
the Rhine in Romanesque-Gothic style. The building of the first Rhine bridge
in the 13th century was decisive for the city’s development: it made
long-distance transport possible, and thus Basel’s development into a rich
trading city. Another milestone in Basel’s history was the Ecumenical
Council of 1431–1448, which aimed to renew and strengthen the Church.
The first university in the Swiss Confederation was founded in Basel
in 1460. Its many important personalities (e.g. Erasmus of Rotterdam)
characterised Basel’s reputation as a city of humanists. In 1501 Basel
joined the Confederation and in 1504–1514 the Rathaus was built on
the marketplace.
32 | Kultur | Culture