Image archive ETH Library Zurich
After turbulent years, Gottfried Semper comes to Switzerland. Instead of salvation, however, a great disappointment awaits him.
Gottfried Semper had to flee Dresden in 1849 because he had supported the republican revolution and had built barricades for street fighting. He was unable to build a living in Paris, and in London he struggled with the language in the years that followed. In addition, his status as a foreigner in the UK bothered him. In Zurich, however, Semper was able to breathe easy for the time being.