Swiss Clocks, Swiss Chocolate, the Alps—and Computing

By Lori Cameron
Published 07/05/2017
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old computer parts

In computing circles, Heinz Rutishauser and Niklaus Wirth of Switzerland are well known for their contributions to the history of computing: Rutishauser developed the GQ-algorithm, and Wirth developed the Pascal programming language.

However, Herbert Bruderer of ETH (Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule) Zurich has found a treasure trove of scarcely known facts, unknown documents, and rare devices—chief of which is the program-controlled binary relay calculator, Zuse Z4—in the university’s main library archives.

Read more about his findings in the January—March 2017 issue of IEEE Annals of the History of Computing.

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About Lori Cameron

Lori Cameron is a Senior Writer for the IEEE Computer Society and currently writes regular features for Computer magazine, Computing Edge, and the Computing Now and Magazine Roundup websites. Contact her at l.cameron@computer.org. Follow her on LinkedIn.