The Beginnings of The Salvation Army in Switzerland
"La Maréchale" Catherine Booth, daughter of William and Catherine Booth-Mumford, with Arthur Clibborn and their companions brought the Salvation Army from France to Geneva, where they immediately encountered strong resistance. Their meetings were disrupted with noise and riots. The Salvation Army and its members were laughed at and attacked.
The authorities took sides with the persecutors and the Salvationists were imprisoned. Abuses of Salvationists and friends of The Salvation Army continued for years. Regional churches were sceptical or even negative about The Salvation Army. One pastor even lost his job because of his friendly attitude towards The Salvation Army.
La Maréchale Catherine (Kate) Booth
In various Swiss Cantons special laws were enacted that affected The Salvation Army and restricted its activities as much as possible. There were repeated indictments in court in various cantons.
Catherine Booth was also captured and brought to justice. The fact that an English preacher was not only jailed but also brought to justice made headlines in the British Press.
Catherine Booth in Court, front page of an English newspaper (The Graphic, 1883)
Since The Salvation Army in France and Switzerland belonged together, the headquarters were then in Paris. This did not prevent neither Catherine Booth nor Arthur Clibborn from repeatedly holding gatherings in Switzerland.
In 1885, The Salvation Army advanced on its triumphal march into the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Various cantons enacted exceptional laws against The Salvation Army. But this could not prevent The Salvation Army from spreading in Switzerland.
Gradually various cantons dropped the exceptional laws against The Salvation Army, nevertheless in 1888, Captain Charlotte Stirling, a Scottish officer, was imprisoned for 100 days in Chillon Castle because she had given children religious instruction.
Until 1894 ChillonCastle was used as a Prison.
In 1889, The Salvation Army was recognised as a religious corporation by the Swiss Federal Court.
In 1890, Federal President Ruchonnet successfully delivered a defence speech against petitions that were intended to drive The Salvation Army out of the country. Despite this speech it took many years until all laws against The Salvation Army were dropped, finally also in Geneva.
Until that time, The Salvation Army in Switzerland was under the leadership of the French Headquarters in Paris. In the year 1901, Switzerland became its own territory with Headquarters in Bern.
In 1887 Arthur S. Clibborn and Catherine Booth married