SwissBritNet

Sightseeing London Through the Centuries lets you step into the past and explore London through the eyes of three selected Swiss travellers spanning three centuries. Discover how the city evolved and what visitors had on their itinerary for visiting London in the early modern period.

Welcome to London in 1599!
We are here to follow Thomas Platter, a young doctor from Basel, who visited London in September 1599. From heads on spikes to public executions, his London differs from the one we know today.

Map reproduction courtesy of Zentralbibliothek Zürich: Braun & Hogenberg. Londinum feracissimi Angliae regni metropolis. Köln, 1572, Zürich, ZB, Kartensammlung, 3 Dh 02: 2.

This interactive map was designed and developed by Stefanie Heeg. Special thanks to Sorin Marti. German Transcription: based on Rut Keiser (1968), English translation: based on Clare Williams (1937).

Sightseeing London Through the Centuries lets you step into the past and explore London through the eyes of three selected Swiss travellers spanning three centuries. Discover how the city evolved and what visitors had on their itinerary for visiting London in the early modern period.

Welcome to London in 1697!
Much has changed in the almost 100 years since Thomas Platter came here! London's population has more than doubled and the city has expanded and created new neighbourhoods. It has been a tumultuous 100 years as London became witness to the English Civil War, bouts of plague, and, most devastating to the cityscape, the Great Fire of 1666. We are here with Rudolf Bucher to experience London through his eyes.

Map reproduction courtesy of Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center: Thomas Jefferys: A new and exact plan of the city's of London and Westminster, the borough of Southwark, London 1735. Appears to be based on a map by William Morgan published in 1681-2. 06_01_012246.

This interactive map was designed and developed by Stefanie Heeg. Special thanks to Sorin Marti. German Transcription: based on Kirstin Bentley, English translation: Stefanie Heeg and Luiza Citaku.

Sightseeing London Through the Centuries lets you step into the past and explore London through the eyes of three selected Swiss travellers spanning three centuries. Discover how the city evolved and what visitors had on their itinerary for visiting London in the early modern period.

Welcome to London in 1727!
We are now in the Age of Enlightenment! There is no better person than Albrecht von Haller to explore London’s flourishing community, its sights and its coffee houses and to reflect on the state of British science. A true polymath, Haller's sightseeing focuses on medical curiosities, cabinets – including Hans Sloane's – and finding his lost luggage.

Map reproduction courtesy of Universitätsbibliothek Bern: Homannsche Erben. Accurater Prospect und Grundris der königl: gros=britan[n]isch: Haupt und Residentz Stadt London. Nürnberg, [zwischen 1724 und 1730]. Bern, Universitätsbibliothek Bern, Ryhiner-Kartensammlung, MUE Ryh 2101: 6.

This interactive map was designed and developed by Stefanie Heeg. Special thanks to Sorin Marti. German Transcription: Erich Hintzsche (1968, 1971), English translation: Stefanie Heeg, Latin translation: Alessandro Lattanzi.