Emergency hospital in Zurich's Tonhalle during the so-called «Spanish flu» in November 1918
(Source: Swiss National Museum, inventory number LM-102737.46)
LEAD – LEssons from the pAst is a digital platform and data hub for forgotten empirical knowledge about Swiss health history over the last 150 years.
LEAD is based on previously inaccessible historical archive and library sources containing demographic and epidemiological data from the 19th and 20th centuries. The thematic focus is on pandemics and epidemics, infectious diseases and mortality patterns.
Almost forgotten – contemporary witnesses remember how they or their families experienced pandemics.
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How do we remember past pandemics? Recording of our science outreach event at the Tonhalle Zurich in August 2025
Visit our exhibition and join us in conversation about current research and innovation.
Share your experiences with historical pandemics: what experiences have you or your ancestors had with historical pandemics?
The pop-up exhibition «Remember. Understand. Envision.» will be on display at various locations in the Canton of Zurich in 2026 and 2027. It invites you to rediscover historical pandemics and reflect on their significance for the present and future.
In the fall of 1957, the «Asian flu» broke out. But hardly anyone remembers it. A search for traces.
How the «Spanish flu» raged in Zurich from 1918 to 1920 and how the authorities reacted.
Two scientists from the team talk about their work on the project in the IAM on ear podcast.
