The Swiss have memorials that mark the First World War. When I first discovered this surprising fact, I realised that the subject of Switzerland during that conflict deserved greater study. Here I will look at a few examples of different types of memorials in Switzerland.

Above: The impressive 18 metre high Forchdenkmal (Forch Monument) or Wehrmännerdenkmal (Soldiers' Monument) at Forch, in the canton of Zurich. It commemorates Swiss soldiers who died while on active duty during the First World War.

The Western Front in the First World War stretched from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border. But what happened at that point, which is often called “Kilometre Zero” or “Km 0”?

The photo above shows one of the bunkers just across the frontier inside Switzerland, from which the Swiss army kept watch on the opposing forces.