Various

Book review

Who decides about war and peace nowadays?

An important analysis of global power relations

by Robert Seidel

(12 September 2022) At a time when the world situation is in the middle of a crisis, Wolfgang Effenberger* published a comprehensive analysis of geopolitical relations from a historical perspective. It is worth reading this book to identify the actors of the current developments without having to rely solely on the mainstream media guidelines.

The Forgotten ones in the House of Light

In Damascus, Catholic nuns take care ofsenior citizens who have lost their families

by Karin Leukefeld,* Damascus

(27 February 2022) In the Beit Nour retirement home in the old city of Damascus, old men spend their remaining years. Almost all of them are alone. Their children have left Syria. Others do not want to or cannot take care of their fathers.

Lost root vegetables are to return

by David Eppenberger

(17 February 2022) Many root vegetables once cultivated in Switzerland have been forgotten in the course of mechanisation. But seed expert Robert Zollinger is convinced that common salsify, rampion bellflower and greater burdock have many exciting flavours, colours and shapes that need to be rediscovered.

Book review

A declaration of love for Swiss literature

by Elisabeth Schriber

(15 October 2021) A friend handed me this book and asked me to write a review. I was greatly surprised that there are supposed to be 99 Swiss writers in Switzerland? A few came to mind from the time of my German studies at university. But 99 was a most impressive number. Of course, my interest was aroused and I started reading the preface, in which the publishers describe the makings of this work in a very vivid way. But read it for yourself:

The fact check

This article exists only in German. It hasn’t been translated.

Book review

“The Encyclopaedia of Ancient Vegetables”

by Sabine Vuilleumier

(23 September 2021) Four organisations from Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein* have jointly published “a standard work that sets new standards”, which is already in its 4th edition in 2021. More than 800 varieties of vegetables are presented in well-documented portraits. It reports where the vegetable varieties come from and how old they are, where they were grown, who developed and nurtured them.