Basel

Basel is a city on the Rhine in northwestern Switzerland, near the borders with France and Germany. Its university, printing trade, and commercial networks made it a prominent center of learning and commerce in the eighteenth century.

University of Basel: A university founded in Basel in 1460, the oldest in Switzerland. Its scholars and teaching sustained Basel’s reputation as a center of learning.
Johann Jakob Wettstein: A Swiss Protestant theologian and New Testament textual critic born in Basel in 1693. His scholarly career shows the kind of biblical research associated with Basel.
Leonhard Euler: A Swiss mathematician born in Basel in 1707, known for major contributions across mathematics and physics. Euler’s education in Basel links the city to eighteenth-century mathematical science.
Zurich: The largest city in Switzerland, located on the Limmat River in the country’s northeast. Zurich offers a comparison with Basel’s Rhine-based trade and border position.
Rhine: A major European river flowing from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea. The Rhine connected Basel to inland and maritime trade routes.
Johann Bernoulli: A Swiss mathematician from the Bernoulli family, born in Basel in 1667. His work illustrates the mathematical learning cultivated in the city.
Isaac Iselin: A Swiss philosopher and historian born in Basel in 1728. His writings exemplify the city’s Enlightenment-era intellectual life.
Geneva: A city in southwestern Switzerland on the shore of Lake Geneva. Geneva’s international and religious networks differed from Basel’s regional commercial setting.
Old Swiss Confederacy: A loose alliance of Swiss cantons that existed from the late Middle Ages until 1798. Basel’s political status and regional ties developed within this confederation.
Basel silk ribbon industry: A textile industry that became a major source of Basel’s wealth and employment. Silk ribbon production linked local craft to long-distance commerce.

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