25 août 2025|
AI
|3 months agoHistoric Rigi Mountain Illness Mystery Solved
Century-old 'Rigikrankheit' environmental scandal revealed through defamation trial, explaining mysterious illnesses that once plagued visitors to the famous Swiss mountain.
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Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
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- The Rigikrankheit was a mysterious illness causing severe diarrhea and vomiting among visitors to Rigi mountain around 1900
- In 1909, 287 cases were documented by the Zurich city doctor, including entire school classes
- The illness was caused by contaminated drinking water containing coli bacteria, not mountain air as previously believed
- Rigi was Europe's most popular mountain destination with 40,000 visitors by 1840, increasing to 70,000-80,000 after 1871
By The Numbers
2000
hotel beds on Rigi mountain
50%
of guests sometimes affected by the illness
21 of 26
pupils in one class fell ill
They Said
"We will not tolerate a situation whereby hundreds of people are exposed to the risk of serious, possibly even fatal, illness following a visit to the Rigi."
1
The Mystery of Rigikrankheit
2
Tourism Glory and Hidden Dangers
3
The 1909 Crisis Point
4
Environmental Scandal Revealed
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