Switzerland: Geneva

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Country guide History 3000BC First inhabitants occupy the shores of Lake Geneva 500BC Celtic Allobroges clan settle on the site now known as Geneva’s Vieille Ville (Old Town) 122-120BC Rome conquers the Allobroges and Geneva becomes a Roman stronghold 58BC Julius Caesar defends Geneva against the onslaught of the Helvetii, resulting in the first written record of Geneva AD443 Germanic Burgundian tribe found their kingdom in Geneva 534 Franks occupy the city 1032 Geneva falls under the domination of the German Empire 1160-1232 Geneva’s Cathédrale St-Pierre is built 1536 Proclamation of the Reformation and Republic, Calvin settles in Geneva and transforms the city into the ‘Mother of the Protestant Church’ 1550 French and Italian Protestants, fleeing persecution, settle in Geneva 1555 John Knox, key collaborator on the ‘Geneva Bible’, gives a sermon in the city 1559 Calvin founds his Academy in Geneva, forerunner of the present University 11 Dec 1602 Battle of the Escalade, inhabitants of Geneva defeat the Savoyards late 17th C Second wave of French Protestants seek refuge in Geneva 1712 Birth of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the city 1755-1778 Voltaire lives in and around Geneva 1792 Geneva Revolution ousts the Ancien Régime; political equality is proclaimed 1798 Geneva’s newly pronounced republic is annexed by France and appointed capital of the Département du Léman 1813 Napoleonic armies are defeated and Geneva regains its freedom 18th C Period of great prosperity; watchmaking, commerce and banking flourish 1814 Geneva applies to join the Swiss Confederation and becomes a Swiss canton 1846 James Fazy leads the revolution to overturn the government of the Restoration. A constitution is drawn up that is still in force today 1864 Geneva becomes the birthplace of the Red Cross 1903-1905 and 1908 Geneva provides sanctuary for Lenin 1917 Reformation Wall erected in dedication to the leading figures of the international Reformation movement 1919 President Wilson makes Geneva headquarters of the League of Nations 1946 Newly created United Nations establishes European Headquarters in Geneva © 2006 Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd.  Disclaimer