As resources diminished and populations increased, Swiss were encouraged to immigrate since early eighteenth century, thus creating what will be later referred to as the Fifth Swiss. This term was used early twentieth century; Switzerland has four national languages, hence the "Fifth" was pinned to the Swiss immigrants. Today they count over 750,000 Swiss all over the world with the largest population in France where 200,000 fifth Swiss are residing.
When Mohamed Ali invited Europeans, early nineteenth century, to help modernize Egypt, many Swiss responded to the call from all possible skills and professions. Some paying the trip cost by working on the boat that carried them (Giacomo Groppi and his brother), while others were of the highest caliber in their profession invited by the Viceroy himself.
The Swiss were amongst the smallest European communities in Egypt, their numbers reached over 1,000 by 1870 mostly residing in Cairo and Alexandria, while from the dozens who were involved with the Suez canal project, only a few remained following its inauguration in 1869.
The numbers reduced dramatically by the year 1900 to about 500 following financial crisis of 1876, Orabi's revolt 1882 and Cholera epidemic 1883. After the end of WW I, the Swiss numbers picked up again with the Swiss Federal Immigration records showing over 2,000 Swiss travelling to Egypt between 1924-1928; the Swiss community in Egypt reached its peak by 1945 with over 1,600 registered Swiss nationals (unofficial estimates 3,000).
Following the end of WW II, the numbers started to reduce, the pace increased after the 1952 revolution and the nationalization policies implemented since early 1960s. The Swiss numbers were brought to its lowest level of about 300 by 1970. Today the numbers are back to about 1,500 of which 950 holding double nationality.
The Swiss community impact was far more impressive than their small numbers, being less then 0.5% of total Europeean communities, and were covering all spectrums of activities. Viceroy Mohamed Ali introduced long staple cotton to Egypt and entrusted one of his farms to John Ninet who was later befriended with Ahmed Orabi and the only European in his camp until his defeat in September 1882, his role in Egyptian people demand for freedom and equality remains highly unappreciated; after his exploration expeditions to Sudan, central and east Africa, Hans Jacob Ammann was appointed as Egyptian General Governor of Eastern Sudan obtaining the title of Pacha; Dr. Johaness Schiess was invited to attend the Suez canal opening, he stayed over and became the founder of Alexandria's first public hospital which was later the nucleus of the Faculty of Medicine, he was also the Vice President of the city's first Municipality Council established 1890, which amongst his many other social activities earned him the title of Pacha; many of the royal and public gardens were the creation of Christian Stamm who also introduced the mango fruit to Egypt; the Reinhart Family was present in Egypt for four consecutive generations, growing into the largest exporter of crude cotton in the country; the Bircher Botanic garden south of Cairo was the Mecca for botanists from all over the world for its unique collection of fruit and tropical plants; Giacomo Groppi established one of the world's most famous tearoom/confectionery houses and Charles Albert Baehler was the world's most renowned hotel man with an empire holding of sixteen of the best hotels in Egypt as well as the King David hotel in Jerusalem .
And the list goes on and on with Swiss industrialists, traders, physicians, dentists, nurses, teachers, architects, many of them serving the Royal family including drivers and hair dressers. But the most impressive contribution remains to be the direct involvement of the famous Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (the ETH) in developing the Royal School of Engineering in Cairo. This mission was on the request of King Fouad I and the cooperation of the Swiss authorities at the Federal level, this mission lasted for twelve years between 1925 and 1937 during which time Professor Dr. Louis Potterat (1869-1928), Dean of the Architecture Department at the ETH Zürich took over for the first three years followed by Prof. Dr. Charles Andreae (1874-1964) the Rector of the ETH Zürich.
During their assignment, both Professors widely reorganized the school and made several expansions in laboratories and lecture theaters as well as the scope of studies and the syllabi which were developed and improved matching those taught in Technical High Schools of Europe. Additional Swiss teaching staff was recruited and dozens of Egyptian graduates obtained their Ph. D. degree from the ETH in Zürich a well as many other Swiss universities.
Those young Ph. D. holders were the nucleus upon which the school's Egyptian teaching staff was built and many others to follow. In 1935 the school was annexed to the King Fouad I University (today Cairo University) and renamed Faculty of Engineering. with Dr. Andreae becoming its first Dean.
That same Egyptian teaching staff established later the Alexandria Faculty of Engineering and many others. For over 90 years to follow, tens of thousands of engineers from those faculties graduated and were involved in each and every aspect of development in Egypt and around the world and still continues to do so.