The year 1900 – how the world looked when the SIA was founded
The world looked a little different when representatives of Switzerland’s major insurance companies met in Olten 125 years ago to found the Association of Licensed Swiss Insurance Companies. The Swiss Central Railway company, in whose boardroom the founding fathers of the SIA met, was still under private ownership at that time, and it wasn’t until two years later that it was transformed into the SBB. The following article recounts other issues on people’s minds and the events shaping the world at the time.
By the end of the 19th century, European imperialism had reached its peak. The five major European powers – the German Empire, France, Great Britain, Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire – dominated the geopolitical stage and kept one another in check with the help of a complicated alliance system. The British Empire under Queen Victoria stretched across six continents but faced a challenge in the Second Boer War in South Africa, an occasion which coincided with the Swiss Red Cross’s first overseas mission. The German Empire bolstered its imperial ambitions with the adoption of the Second Naval Law (Flottengesetz), but at the same time stoked German-British rivalry, which was to culminate in the First World War 14 years later. In Austria-Hungary, Archduke Franz Ferdinand married Countess Sophie. Both fell victim to an attack in Sarajevo 14 years later. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov – better known as Lenin – left the Russian Empire for exile in Western Europe, during which he spent some time in Switzerland. In China, the discontent of the Chinese population over the increasing influence of the major European powers culminated in the Boxer Rebellion. The violence of the Boxers against Christian missionaries and European delegations triggered an international military intervention.
Figure 1: Pavillons étrangers at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris (ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Alte und Seltene Drucke)
Culture
France hosted a World’s Fair for the fifth time in 1900. Roughly 48 million visitors flooded into Paris between April and November to marvel at innovations and products from all over the world. The highlights included an initial prototype of the escalator and the first line of the Paris Metro. The World’s Fair also included the second edition of the modern Olympic Games. In addition to classic disciplines such as athletics, rowing or fencing, athletes competed in tug-of-war, croquet and the traditional Basque game pelota. The Swiss shooter Konrad Stäheli won three golds and one bronze, making him the second most successful athlete of the games.
Research and Technology
Austrian serologist Karl Landsteiner categorised human blood into three different blood groups, A, B and C (now O), for the first time, which won him the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1930. German physicist Max Planck presented his research on quantum theory, laying the groundwork for research into quantum mechanics. The rediscovery of Mendel’s laws of inheritance by Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries opened up genetics as a field of research. A Zeppelin-class airship made its first successful flight over Lake Constance, while in the USA, the Wright brothers undertook the first test flights with a non-motorised gilder.
Figure 2: First ascent of the LZ 1 (Zeppelin airship 1) on 2 July 1900 near Manzell on Lake Constance (ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv / Ans_05468-010-AL)
Natural disaster
But the year 1900 didn’t only bring good news. A category-four hurricane hit the Texan city of Galveston, near Houston, destroying it completely. Named after the city, Hurricane Galveston claimed between 8,000 and 12,000 human lives, making it the deadliest hurricane to date in US history.
Switzerland
While monarchs determined political events in most European states, the Swiss voting population discussed the fundamentals of Swiss democracy in 1900. The Catholic-Conservatives and Social Democrats challenged the political leadership of the Liberals in the Swiss government with two popular initiatives. Calls for the introduction of proportional representation in the National Council elections, direct elections to the Federal Council and the expansion of the Federal Council to nine people sought to ensure that the Swiss population was better represented within government. However, the Swiss voting public rejected both initiatives outright and saw supporters of proportional representation forced to wait another 18 years.
The federal act on health and accident insurance, including military insurance, better known as the Lex Forrer, suffered an even bigger defeat. The introduction of obligatory health and accident insurance for employees earning above a certain annual income failed in a popular vote despite the unanimous support of the parliament.
Figure 3: Swiss postcard from the year 1899 (ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv / Fel_018050-RE)
Like the world, the SIA has changed in the past 125 years. What started out as a loose community of a few insurance companies has now grown into an association with 700 voluntary staff and an office with 39 employees. But throughout its 125 years of existence, the mission of the SIA has always remained the same: To create the best possible framework conditions for Swiss private insurance.
