Partition of the Canton, Railways and the New Basel Economy — conclusion

Conclusion

The nineteenth century transformed Basel from a commercial city of ribbon merchants into an industrial and financial centre. The partition of the canton in 1833, the result of a long conflict between the city and its countryside, created two half-cantons whose division has lasted despite repeated attempts at reunification. The railways reached Basel from France in the mid-1840s and from Baden in the 1850s. The Swiss Central Railway, founded in Basel in 1852, connected the city with the Swiss plateau through the Hauenstein tunnel. The financing of the railways led the Basel private bankers to form the consortium of 1854, while Zurich, through Alfred Escher and the Kreditanstalt, took the lead in Swiss commercial banking. The opening of the Gotthard line in 1882 made Basel the northern gateway of the principal transalpine route. Twenty years later, the nationalisation of the railways in 1902 ended the private railway era.

As the city grew, its walls came down, the working class organised and the canton took over the gas, water, electricity and transport services. The federal customs made Basel the principal customs station of the country. The wars of 1870 and 1914 brought fighting to the edge of the city, while the supervisory bodies of the First World War anticipated modern end-use controls. Rhine navigation returned to Basel at the beginning of the twentieth century. The next chapter examines the industry that grew in this environment and became the foundation of modern Basel: the chemical industry.

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of August 2025.

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Partition of the Canton, Railways and the New Basel Economy — conclusion

Conclusion

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