Barfüsserkirche – built in the 14 th century - today: Basel Museum of History

2. IPPNW 2010 world congressReception 26th August 2010Barfüsserkirche BaselDr.C.Knüsli, President, IPPNW Switzerland

4. Barfüsserkirche – built in the 14th century- today: Basel Museum of History

8. Basel City Hall • . Märtplatz – Market SquareArrival BAN -Tour 24th Aug. 2010

11. Munatius Plancus – founder of Basel (?) • Statue in the City Hall of Basel • Lived about 40 BC • Relations with Augusta Raurica – a Roman colony 12 km Rhine-upwards

12. Augusta Raurica

13. Augusta Raurica today

14. wars and emperors economy and power natural catastrophes inventions arts History – in Switzerland too – is about

15. Augusta Raurica – warriors taken by an early war photographer

16. Swiss History: Battle near Näfels 1388

17. History of the Swiss A-Bomb-Project

18. Switzerland and nuclear weapons I. (...according to the historic lexikon of Switzerland) • Source: http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/d/D24625.php • 3rd September 1945 (!!!): First meeting of the Defense Commission of the State in view of discussing about an own swiss A-bomb • to develop tactical nuclear weapons • Switzerland buys 10 tons of Uranium (1953 – 1955) from Belgian Congo and Great Britain (top secret !) • 1955 Geneva: Atoms for Peace Congress

19. Switzerland and nuclear weapons II. Switzerland buys reactor „Saphir“ from the USA cost: 770 000.- sFr. (...bargain, to prevent Switzerland from buying a reactor from the UDSSR)

20. Switzerland and nuclear weapons III. Cold war scenario

21. Switzerland and nuclear weapons IV. • Political opposition against nuclear weapons program too faint  loss of two national popular votes in 1958  boost of official nuclear program • > 870 Million sFr. credit granted for 100 Mirage jet planes (potential A-bomb carriers) in 1960 • Demand for upgrading of budget in 1964  > 550 Million sFr. not allowed by parliament  reduction to 57 airplanes... •  nuclear weapons carriers are too expensive

23. Switzerland and nuclear weapons V. • Plans of underground nuclear tests in Switzerland (!!!)‏ • Switzerland builds its own nuclear reactor in Lucens (French part of Switzerland) underground • Geological problems (fissures in the rock)  delay of time of beginning operation • Explosion (GAU) of the reactor in January 1969end of swiss nuclear weapons dream

24. Switzerland abandons nuclear bomb project after +/- 25 years • Too expensive - Too dangerous - Not useful • 1963 Switzerland agrees to NTBT • Switzerland agreed with NPT in 1968  but ratified in 1977 only

25. History of the Swiss A-Bomb-Project

26. Switzerland and nuclear weapons I. (...according to the historic lexikon of Switzerland) • Source: http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/d/D24625.php • 3rd September 1945 (!!!): First meeting of the Defense Commission of the State in view of discussing about an own swiss A-bomb • to develop tactical nuclear weapons • Switzerland buys 10 tons of Uranium (1953 – 1955) from Belgian Congo and Great Britain (top secret !) • 1955 Geneva: Atoms for Peace Congress

27. Switzerland and nuclear weapons II. Switzerland buys reactor „Saphir“ from the USA cost: 770 000.- sFr. (...bargain, to prevent Switzerland from buying a reactor from the UDSSR)

28. Switzerland and nuclear weapons III. Cold war scenario

29. Switzerland and nuclear weapons IV. • Political opposition against nuclear weapons program too faint  loss of two national popular votes in 1958  boost of official nuclear program • > 870 Million sFr. credit granted for 100 Mirage jet planes (potential A-bomb carriers) in 1960 • Demand for upgrading of budget in 1964  > 550 Million sFr. not allowed by parliament  reduction to 57 airplanes... •  nuclear weapons carriers are too expensive

31. Switzerland and nuclear weapons V. • Plans of underground nuclear tests in Switzerland (!!!)‏ • Switzerland builds its own nuclear reactor in Lucens (French part of Switzerland) underground • Geological problems (fissures in the rock)  delay of time of beginning operation • Explosion (GAU) of the reactor in January 1969end of swiss nuclear weapons dream

32. Switzerland abandons nuclear bomb project after +/- 25 years • Too expensive - Too dangerous - Not useful • 1963 Switzerland agrees to NTBT • Switzerland agreed with NPT in 1968  but ratified in 1977 only

33. Basel History: Support for renewable energy and sustainability • Preference of local industry  e.g. for • Insulation of houses • Improvement of heatings • Solar installations • Electric bikes • Sun 21… and so on... ...let’s learn from history:  no need for A-bombs  no need for nuclear power plants