Rotary – oder über die Schwierigkeit, das Gute zu tun

A committed and reflective view of the history of the first Rotary Club in Switzerland presents a multifaceted and exciting picture of this renowned yet critically scrutinized service club. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Zurich Club, this volume gathers four essays on the history and present of Rotary.

Claudia Franziska Brühwiler, a professor of Political Theory and American Studies at the University of St. Gallen, examines the cultural and social historical context of Rotary's American beginnings after 1900, as well as the background of its rapid growth.

The history of the Zurich Club as reflected in its bulletins is the focus of Thomas Zaugg's contribution, a young historian and specialist in Swiss political history. He has sifted through a unique, complete collection of sources, namely the weekly bulletins of the Zurich Rotary Club, from its founding year in 1924 to the present, and has looked into its culture of lectures and discussions.

Carl-Hans Hauptmeyer, a professor from Hanover, addresses the history of German Rotary Clubs during the time of National Socialism. He is not only knowledgeable in the economic and social history of Lower Saxony but is also a co-author of the book "Rotary under National Socialism" (2019). His aim is to foster a historical remembrance that recounts even dark times without repression.

Georg Kohler, a political philosopher in Zurich, concludes the volume with a critical reflection on the ethos articulated in the Rotary's Four-Way Test—questions of truth, fairness, friendship, and the welfare of all involved.