The old Swiss Confederation was extensively networked in Europe and beyond in the early modern period. The cultural relations between old Switzerland and England, which this exhibition explores, are relatively unknown. The central theme is travel, in the sense of the mobility and migration of people, but also of letters, books, and ideas. On the one hand, the exhibition addresses the concrete conditions and challenges of travel in the early modern period. On the other hand, it explores the fact that travelers took their homeland with them, maintained contacts, attracted others, experienced numerous encounters, brought something back, and returned—often changed. In this context, "London Calling" means that English people came to visit, often to collaborate with Reformed theologians, and conversely, that Swiss clergy and scholars answered the call of the great city of London, a center of science and culture with a powerful influence. Basel and London form the two poles of the exhibition, between which the travelers and objects moved.
Visitors encounter figures such as the clergyman Gilbert Burnet (1643-1715), the traveling scholar Thomas Platter (1574-1628), and the diplomat Luke Schaub (1690-1758). On display are letters, maps, portraits, translations of widely read religious texts from England, and literary works, including an edition of Shakespeare's plays brought to Basel by Johann Jacob Frey (1606-1636). Interactive maps of London, created based on Swiss travelogues, bring the city to life. The exhibition offers the public a fascinating glimpse into the themes and forms of intercultural exchange at the beginning of the modern era, drawing on the rich holdings of the University Library of Basel.
This exhibition accompanies the research project “SwissBritNet: Swiss-British Cultural Exchange and Knowledge Networks, 1600-1780.” www.swissbritnet.ch
Admission to the exhibition is free.

Website
ub.unibas.ch/de/ausstellungen/london-calling/

Where
Universitätsbibliothek, Hauptbibliothek
Universität Basel
Schönbeinstrasse 18-20
4056 Basel

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