In 1901, a number of professors in Zofingen founded the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS) as a section of the Swiss Society for Natural Sciences (SNG). The “Purpose of the new society” reads: to promote research in all areas of chemistry; to maintain friendly relations between Swiss chemists and safeguard their professional interests; to represent Swiss chemists to the outside world. The interest of the chemists was not overwhelming. In 1904, dissolution was even considered. To counteract this annual meetings with a scientific lecture were introduced, the Werner Prize was established in 1915. To join the IUPAC SCS needed to have their own national chemistry journal and Helvetica Chimica Acta (HCA) was launched in 1917. The HCA became the flagship of the society and the publication organ of Swiss chemists and thus a monument to the chemistry of the 20th century.
With this special collection we are celebrating together with Helvetica Chimica Acta our 125th anniversary.
If you would like to contribute to this collection, please submit your manuscript via Helvetica.
Read through the collection here.
Céline Wittwer, SCS
03.03.2026