Swiss contributions to chemistry: five hundred years of progress, from alchemy to a modern science Original Research Article

This review outlines aspects of the various phases of Swiss chemistry from the introduction of alchemy in Western Europe, its transition to chemistry as a science and profession and the more recent practice. Attention is drawn to the large number of Swiss Nobel Laureates in chemistry and the contributions of Swiss physicists to chemical spectroscopy, from the days of Balmer. In all periods, Swiss chemistry has had European dimensions, and links can be traced to most host countries of previous Euroanalysis conferences and indeed to the next, at Lisbon, in AD 2000.