In April 1798, French revolutionary troops annexed Geneva. French control and occupation lasted over 15 years until the defeat of France in the Napoleonic Wars. On December 31st 1813, the last French troops left Geneva and the Restoration of the Republic of Geneva was declared.
Shortly after, on June 1st 1814, Geneva was admitted to the Swiss Confederation.
To mark the anniversary of the restoration, cannons are fired at 8 am on December 31st from the Promenade de la Treille. This is followed by an official governmental ceremony and a memorial service at the Cathedrale Saint-Pierre, and a concert in the cathedral.
Al though not directly linked the gender balance of street names in Geneva reflects the inequality of its society: only 7% of them are named after women.[1] During the summer of 2018, L’Escouade, a feminist collective based in Geneva, came up with the project 100Elles*, which aims to raise awareness about the absence of women in Geneva’s street names and the associated lack of feminine experience in the numerous ways the city’s history is told. The collective proposed to select no less than one hundred women who shaped the history of Geneva, and whose contributions would be acknowledged through alternative street signs placed under the official ones.