Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

What do you remember about the 1964 National Exhibition?

The "Monorail" took visitors through and across the Expo centre.
The "Monorail" took visitors through and across the Expo centre. Eth-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv / Fotograf: Comet Photo Ag (Zürich)


Futuristic sounds, technological progress and political filters: three standout attractions from Expo '64 that still captivate today. Traces of the exhibition can also be found in the present day.

“On land and on water, to be a mirror of the homeland” was the goal of Expo ’64, according to its charter. Over 12 million visitors made their way to Lausanne in the summer of 1964.

A symphony for machines

Looking back, the early 1960s are often seen as a golden era, marked by economic growth and widespread prosperity. Swiss composer Rolf Liebermann took a wry look at this period of economic success.

In his “Symphonie des Echanges” (Symphony of Exchanges), composed for Expo ’64, Liebermann translated the flow of goods and money into sound. However, instead of traditional instruments, the “techno of the national exhibition” was played by 156 modern machines—the same machines that kept offices, shops and transport running. The symphony was performed live, without a conductor. In keeping with the times, the score was translated into computer language on punched cards.

The first tourist submarine

The “Mésoscaph”, developed by deep-sea explorer Jacques Piccard, was another technological wonder. During the Expo, 33,000 people descended to the depths of Lake Geneva in the submarine.

What did they see down there? “A disappointment,” reported the Filmwochenschau (a weekly film review commissioned by the Swiss federal government as a supplement to newspaper and radio reporting) in 1964: “Even the 18 spotlights could not pierce the murky darkness.”

In fact, pollution was already a concern at the time. Piccard’s son, Bertrand, recalled his father’s intentions in 2014: “His goal was to take as many people as possible underwater to raise awareness about water and environmental protection.”

The censored giant Gulliver

The giant figure of Gulliver stood at the heart of the exhibition. This fairytale character was intended to ask the Swiss public provocative questions about their psyche. However, questions like “Should Switzerland remain neutral?” or “Do you support legalised abortion?” were too controversial for the Swiss federal government.

Questionnaires were filled out enthusiastically at the Expo, but they had been watered down. A delegate from Bern had reviewed, deleted, or rephrased each question in advance. “It was a political filter, real censorship,” says René Levy, a sociologist and contemporary witness.

Not only were the survey results never analysed, but they were also not allowed to be published. “People weren’t used to opinion polls back then,” says Levy. “Politicians felt their interpretive authority was being challenged.”

Are there still traces of Expo ’64 in Lausanne?

As with other national exhibitions, most of the attractions were dismantled after Expo ’64. Yet, for those who know where to look, reminders of the exhibition remain along the shores of Lake Lausanne.

Without Expo ’64, the parks and lakeside promenade would not exist in their current form. Land was reclaimed from the lake specifically for the event. The theatre designed by architect Max Bill, the pyramids in the park and the “p’tit train” model railway were all built for the Expo.

Traces of Expo ’64 across Switzerland

Other artefacts from the national exhibition can still be found across Switzerland. The sculpture “Heureka” has been on display in Zurich since 1967, while the “Rütlischwur” sculpture now resides in the municipality of Flüelen in canton Uri. A piece of the Expo even hangs in Zurich Airport’s prayer room: a bell that was once part of a carillon in 1964.

And what became of Piccard’s submarine? After 1964, it travelled the world as both a tourist attraction and research vessel. It eventually rusted away in Texas, but was restored in 2014 and is now displayed at the Museum of Transport in Lucerne.

Jacques Piccard's submarine has been restored and on display at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne since 2014. His son Bertrand Piccard also attended the opening.
Jacques Piccard’s submarine has been restored and on display at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne since 2014. His son Bertrand Piccard also attended the opening. Keystone / Sigi Tischler

Translated from German by amva

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR