After World War II, the textile and several other industries of Zürich were declined. At that time the services sector, insurance companies, and notably banks gained importance and they contributed a lot to the economy. During World War II, Zürich banks took advantage of banking secrecy laws to help the Nazi Party launder gold and stolen valuables. A large number of immigrants from rural Switzerland and abroad moved to Zürich and the population of the city surpassed one million at the end of the 1950s.
Here below are some stunning vintage photos that show what Zurich looked like in the 1950s.
