Jubilee Grants 2006
The 150th anniversary of Credit Suisse gave the Jubilee Foundation an opportunity to expand its long-standing commitment to social welfare, targeting selected activities and contributing to a large number of projects, big and small, in Switzerland. With help being given to over 100 organizations, the spectrum was wide in terms of both content and geographical area.
Projects include a “Snoezelenraum” in Scharans (Graubünden) offering rich multi-sensory experiences to people with severe disabilities, numerous local cultural initiatives in Greater Zurich, and a meeting venue with wheelchair access for the Société des Vieux-Grenadiers in Geneva. Thanks to the support of the Jubilee Foundation, the jobless persons’ boat "Yellow" could continue in service on Lake Zug, and selected rooms in the Château de Mézières, which has a collection of historical wall coverings, was restored. In addition, Lugano in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland will be presented with a sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro. In the summer, the Foundation set up 150 benches along the River Aare from the Grimselsee to Koblenz, where the river flows into the Rhine. An accompanying map for walkers and cyclists was published. The Jubilee Foundation also provided the Symphasis Foundation with a substantial sum earmarked for projects combating youth unemployment in Switzerland.
Other projects supported by the Jubilee Foundation include:
Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching
The Foundation is launching the Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching in collaboration with Swiss universities and technical colleges. The aim of the award is to enhance the quality of higher education, thus strengthening Switzerland as a center for science and research. The prize was awarded for the first time in the fall of 2006.
150 Years of Swiss Art
In October 2006, the Swiss Institute for Art Research published an attractive and lavishly illustrated book on the development of Swiss art since the mid-19th century entitled "Das Kunstschaffen in der Schweiz 1848 - 2006" (only available in German). The volume presents a clear overview of various aspects of this subject, including painting, sculpture, drawing, printing and etching, video and installation art.
Alfred Escher Foundation
The Alfred Escher Foundation promotes research on this Swiss politician and businessman and also on economic liberalism and the cultural history of Switzerland generally. Joseph Jung's new biography gives an impressive account of Escher's significance to Zurich and to Switzerland as a whole. The book offers an insight into the breadth and quality of Escher's surviving correspondence and papers, which constitute a unique source for the study of Swiss 19th century history. The Foundation will publish a volume of selected letters at the end of 2007.
