The failed migration of Switzerland's Helvetii

The Roman Museum in Avenches in western Switzerland is hosting the exhibition "Helvetes Migrants", a project by photographer Yves André on the failed migration of the Helvetii tribes in 58 BC. The attempted migration of the Helvetii is a well-known episode described by Julius Caesar in the first book of The Gallic War. It followed the Celtic tribe's attempt – and failure – to leave the Swiss Plateau en masse. Fearing pressure from Germanic tribes and constrained by limited land, the Helvetii sought to migrate towards the Atlantic coast of what is now southwestern France. Their plans were thwarted by Roman troops, forcing them to return home. A journey through landscapes Yves André’s exhibition invites visitors to reflect on population movements and migration by following the route the Helvetii are thought to have taken. The project was inspired by a personal discovery in Autun, Burgundy, and by discussions with Gilbert Kaenel, then director of the Lausanne Museum of Archaeology.