1939 Bieder Bird's Eye View of Zurich and Lake Zurich, Switzerland

A stunning c. 1939 bird's-eye view of Zurich, Lake Zurich, and surroundings in Switzerland, drawn by Max Bieder, printed by J. C. Müller, and edited by the Zurich Tourist Office.

A Closer Look

Oriented towards the south, looking towards the Alps, this gorgeous bird's-eye view covers Zurich, Lake Zurich, and surrounding mountains, towns, and lakes. Roads, rail lines, and ferry routes denoted. Boats of various sizes ply the waters of the Zürichsee and Greifensee. The causeway (Seedamm) linking Rapperswil with the west side of the lake, an informal dividing line between Lake Zurich proper and the Obersee to the south of Rapperswil.

Hard to Beat that View

Lake Zurich and its surroundings became a popular tourist destination with the advent of railways and steamboats in the mid-19th century. Travelers from throughout Switzerland and beyond could reach Zurich via the Zürich Hauptbahnhof and then travel around the lake quickly and easily by rail or steamboat. Although many of the towns around the lake had large and active textile industries well into the 20th century, their economies quickly shifted towards services, including tourism.

Publication History and Census

This view was drawn by Max Bieder, printed by J. C. Müller, and edited by the Zurich Tourist Office. It is undated and could date as early as the 1930s or as late as the 1970s. The appearance of the Sihlsee, a reservoir created by dams in the mid-1930s, suggests a date of 1937 or later. This image was printed in multiple languages, including English, French, and German. The view does not appear in the OCLC; only an 'excerpt' does, 1284476718, held by the Zentralbibliothek Zürich (which tentatively dates the original view seen here as c. 1939). Regardless of printing, the view only occasionally appears on the market.