Conference: The 1946 earthquake in Valais and Lens

Martin Bagnoud, historian, looks back at the 1946 earthquake and its impact on the central Valais region and on the minds of its inhabitants.

On 25 January 1946, violent tremors shook the Valais for around ten seconds. Many homes were destroyed, dozens were injured and four people were killed. Was it a bombing? Atomic weapons?
Rumours spread that it was just the first taste of an even more powerful tremor. The night is freezing, people are afraid to go home and are sleeping under the stars.
This talk looks back at an event that left its mark on the history of the Valais, and in particular the region, one of the worst affected in the canton.