The Swiss Experience in San Francisco - 150 Years of Swiss Consular Presence in San Francisco, by Catherine Bosshart - Pfluger, Editor.

For over 150 year, the Swiss Consulate has been present in San Francisco, offering constant support to fellow Swiss citizens and establishing close connections with the local commercial, cultural as well as the Bay Area's technological and science community. This book is a window into the activities of the Consulate from the California Gold Rush to today.

• Get to know more about the thriving Swiss community in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  
  
• Become familiar with the Consular achievements closely linked to San Francisco's development.
  
  
• Learn more about those entrepreneurs of the 19th Century who acted as Consuls and as successful businessmen, bankers and philanthropists.
  
  
• Finally, learn about the links between Hawaii, San Francisco and the Swiss Consulate.

Cost:
Suggested Donation: $20

Payment:

• To pay with a check, please make your check payable to “Swiss Benevolent Society” and mail to: SBS, Pier 17, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94111.
  
  
• or use PayPal to pay with a credit card or your PayPal account.

Table of Contents:

INTRODUCTION
Forward by Gavin Newsom Mayor of San Francisco	i
Forward by Christian Blickenstorfer Ambassador of Switzerland in the United States	iii
Introduction by Roland Quillet Consul General of Switzerland in San Francisco	v
Acknowledgements	vii
I. SWISS PRESENCE IN THE USA - An Introduction
Swiss Migration and Consular Presence in the USA by Catherine Bosshart-Pfluger	1
San Francisco - Hawai'i: The Swiss Connection by Niklaus R. Schweizer	11
II. HISTORY OF THE SWISS CONSULATE by Erik Thiel
From Humble Beginnings: Théophile de Rutté, 1850-1854	21
The Swiss Mutual and Benevolent Society of San Francisco	25
The Vigilence Committee	27
Mistrust and Fraud - A Consul Put to Flight: Rudolph Kellersberger, 1854-1858	29
Banker and Consul: Henri Hentsch, 1868-1867	31
Swiss Military Tradition in San Francisco	32
Years of Consolidation and Change: Francis Berton, 1867-1885	35
Consular Communication	36
Two Homes, Two Callings: Antoine Borel, 1885-1913	39
Antoine Borel's San Mateo Estate	41
San Francisco is no more	41
The Consular Office: Past and Present by Catherne Bosshart-Pfluger
Joy and Sorrow - The Era: John Freuler, 1913-1934	47
The Schwyter Case - A Concealed Affair	49
Alien Poll Tax Law	51
Bringing an End to the Makeshift: Walter Baumann, 1934-1937	55
Folkloristic Excursion - Intrigues and Slander	56
Hard Times: Paul Frossard, 1937-1947	59
The Dillier Family - Six Decades as Consular Correspondents	60
A Moving "Thank You!" to the Consulate	63
A Tragic Incident: Hans Hurzeler, 1947-1949	65
"A Very Swiss Event!"	67
Bridgehead to Switzerland: Hans Gremminger, 1949-1955	69
"Relics of the West": August Ochsenbein, 1955-1959	73
Terrible Plane Crash at San Carlos	74
Glamorous Years: Max Buchi 1959-1963	77
"Confidential Information Received"	78
Years of Business: Jean Studer, 1963-1973 by Erik Thiel and Catherine Bosshart-Pfluger	81
What does a Swiss Chalet look like?	83
House Warming Party at the New Residence - Souvenirs of the "Cook" by Pius J. Kamber	86
From Salt Lake City to Honolulu: Eduard Brugger, 1973-1977	89
Times of Transformation: Otto Bornhauser, 1977-1980	93
The Swiss Relief Society of San Francisco	94
Constant Expansion Instead of Cutback: Max Leu, 1980-1984	97
Improving Communication and Professionalism: Emile Henri Bovay, 1984-1987	99
The Image of Switzerland in the United States	100
A Change of Generation: Pierre Jordan, 1987-1993	101
Special Science Counselor for San Francisco	103
Growing Importance of Science and Technology: Alfred Bahler, 1994-1999 by Catherine Bosshart-Pfluger and Paloma Martino	105
Networking and Empowering: Roland Quillet, 1999-2005 by Catherine Bosshart-Pfluger and Paloma Martino	109
Memories of the Bay Area by Arnold Koller Former Federal Councilor	111
III. THE CONSULATE TODAY
Consular Activities by Angelo Stucker	113
Differences Beetween an Embassy and a Consulate	113
West Coast Trade and Commerce by Rosemarie Levy	117
Science and Innovation in the San Francisco Bay Area by Christian Simm	121
Swiss Culture in the Bay Area by Max Grob, Catherine Bosshart-Pfluger and Paloma Martino	135
Notes	137
Bibliography	151
Appendix	155
Book Plates, Photos, Illustrations and Graphics	155
Swiss Consuls in San Francisco	158
The Authors	161
Historical Timeline of San Francisco	163