Amusing travel journal reveals Switzerland of 1837

German theologian Carl August Wildenhahn documented his journey through 19th century Switzerland with humorous observations and comic strip-style pictures. In the early summer of 1837, Carl August Wildenhahn set off from Dresden by stagecoach to travel through Switzerland and to finally see for himself the land of his dreams with its “eternal glaciers and graceful Bernese girls”. Wildenhahn documented his three-week trip with amusing anecdotes and comic strip-style illustrations. This article was originally published on the blog of the Swiss National Museum on February 9, 2023. “We left Art[h] at a quarter to six. The small yet sturdy guide led the way. His name is Xavier Augusti, and he is from Art[h], where his father is a boatman and fisherman. Xavier is 13 years old and already an indefatigable mountain climber, always marching off ahead, absolutely tireless. First, the path takes us through Goldau – the village that was buried by an avalanche in 1806 and still bears the scars ...