The Swiss in Singapore

Since the founding of colonial Singapore, the Swiss have been active on the island, whether as traders, naturalists, or tourists fascinated by the exoticism of the East. This is a guide to the past, present and potential of the small but important Swiss community in the country that is often described as the 'Switzerland of the East'.

Dr Andreas Zangger, originally from Switzerland, is a freelance historian living in Amsterdam. In 2006 he joined the University of Zurich s Research Priority Program on Asia and Europe: Exchanges and Encounters. He received his PhD in 2010. His thesis, which was published in 2011 as Koloniale Schweiz, examined the relationships between Switzerland, Singapore and Sumatra in the late colonial era."