Geneva: the Low-Down, Part 1

So now that I've had a chance to explore and get exposed to old Geneva, seen signs dedicated to the presence of Rousseau, George Eliot, and John Calvin on the streets now lined by cafes, bakeries, Swiss watch-shops and yes, H&M, I decided it was time to spend some time the historical, geographical, and social landscapes of Geneva and share the findings with you.  My Cairo entry to this effect is still getting hits, even though it is vastly outdated (at that time, Hosni Mubarak had been president for almost 30 years)

And  nearly a month later, and with less than a month to go, I decided it was really time to do that.  This isn't an attempt to be comprehensive; you can get that from Wikipedia  and history books (so again, Wikipedia). But it's my attempt to dig up some answers about what has stood out during my experiences here.

History

One of the things that first puzzled me when I arrived was how Switzerland is everywhere abbreviated CH . . . websites, money, license plates.  There's basically no way to get from SW/U-CH, so I was confused.   Luckily the Straight Dope, one of my favorite parts of the Washington City Paper has already tackled this one.

Some of the original settlers in Geneva were the Helvetians, a Celtic tribe.   Julius Caesar wrote:

Helvetii are confined on every side by the nature of the place; on one side by the Rhine, a very broad and deep river, which separates the Helvetian territory from the Germans; on a second side by the Jura, a very high mountain, which is [situated] between the Sequani and the Helvetii; on a third by the Lac Léman [Lake Geneva to Americans], and by the river Rhone, which separates our province from the Helvetii.

...

In 1848 the Swiss, following the religious civil war of the Sonderbund pitting Catholics against Protestants, wrote a new constitution and had to pick an official name for the country. As you point out, the Swiss are multilingual (having three official languages - German, French and Italian - and four national languages, the aforementioned three plus Romansh AKA Rhaeto-Romanic). To keep everyone happy, the official name for the country was chosen in a neutral language, Latin, using the old Roman name for the country's people. The confederation of the Helvetians is thus known as Confoederatio Helvetica or CH for short.

The medieval and early modern history of Geneva is, like most of Europe, a mess of royals, dynasties, and  international alliances. This great source notes that it was a  uniquely successful independent urban republic in the early modern period; it resisted the encroachment of France and the kingdom of Savoy by forming permanent political alliances with Bern and Zurich.  The Swiss emphasis on neutrality and independence makes a little more sense in light of how much they struggled to stay that way through those tumultuous times.

Not surprisingly, the Catholic church was mixed in there as well. In fact, the flag of Geneva (which I plan to acquire one of before I  leave), features half of the imperial eagle and half of the papal keys.

Which brings us to. . .

Religion

Geneva's history is tied in with the Protestant Revolution.  Martin Luther helped to kick off the Revolution in 1517 Germany with his famous 95 theses. And word spread fast.  As a part of that power play, and that alliance with Bern and Zurich to kick out Mr. Savoy in 1530, independent Geneva shucked the Church and joined the new independent faith, Protestantism.

1536: Enter John Calvin, of Calvinism fame.  Long story, told well here, but the short version is that first they kicked him out when the code of conduct he wanted signed into law was  a little much to take in.  He fled to Strasbourg, but  in a couple years Geneva asked him back.  He continued to write, to preach, and helped news laws to be passed cultivating the Calvinist moral ethic . . . it was basically a theocracy.  Here are a handful of the laws:

• Punishments for adulterers (men were beheaded, while women were sewn into a sack and drowned in the river). Fines or imprisonment for gambling or drunkenness
• No eating rich foods (ironic, as it seems that all the food in Geneva is both rich and for the rich)
• No wearing bright colors or jewelry
• Church on Sunday
• No playing cards
• Everyone should be home by 9 pm each evening

Needless to say, this was not universally loved, but with the support of powerful Genevans on the city council, it held long past his death in 1564.  Geneva became a haven Protestants fleeing less-friendly European countries, and the faith spread far and wide.

In 1553, the first French Calvinist (Huguenot) ministers went to France from Geneva, where the success of their ministry surprised even Calvin. In fact, the word Huguenot (which I always struggled with in my history classes probably comes from the German word for confederation, referring to the federation of Swiss Cantons.   And the Huguenots who fled France in 1685 were the first referred to as refugees (sorry, I got stuck on the etymology dictionary)

Calvin's Chair,
Historic St. Peter's Cathedral

As of 2000, Catholics (~40%) did outnumber Calvinists (16%), but Protestantism's impact is widely perceptible in the character of the city. Geneva, although French-speaking, didn't do anything for Mardi Gras, I was disappointed to find, and the Church doesn't really have the public presence it does in places where it constitutes a majority or plurality.

Famous Genevan exiles: 

• Like Calvin, Voltaire was also first welcomed, then kicked out of Geneva because of Calvinist social prescriptions (in 1758).  Unlike Calvin, he was asked to leave for violating those prescriptions, not proposing them, and was not asked back.
• Jacques Rousseau was a native son of Geneva, but left when he was 16 and converted to Catholicism. . . he went to France and became famous for his writings and thinking.  He returned to Geneva in 1754, converted back to Calvinism. "But his political and religious views scandalised Geneva,".   In 1762, he was exiled, and his books were burned. 

Methinks the city  has a love-hate relationship with historical game changers. 

Anyway, may add later, but there's everything I wanted to know about Geneva in history and religion. If you have any questions or comments on my attempt at historical accuracy, throw them into comments.

Wobbly panorama of St. Pierre's in Geneva,
 from whence spake John Calvin