➔ The Sonderfall Years: Switzerland's Special Path (1950-1990)
After the war, Switzerland had a bit of a reputation problem. Did not last though. Within a few years, the economy was booming so hard that everyone forgot the awkward questions about wartime neutrality. The Swiss started telling themselves a new story: we are special. Different. Better. They called it the Sonderfall Schweiz. The Swiss special case.
This chapter covers how that identity was built, tested, and cracked.
The economic miracle
Swiss factories were untouched by war. Their workforce was educated and ready. When Europe needed goods for rebuilding, Switzerland delivered. Production tripled between 1960 and 1974. GDP growth hit 12 percent in some years. By 1970, this tiny country with 0.15 percent of the world’s population handled 2 percent of global trade.