Basel is commonly considered to be the cultural capital of Switzerland [ 7 ] [ 8 ] and the city is famous for its many museums , including the Kunstmuseum , which is the first collection of art accessible to the public in the world and the largest museum of art in Switzerland , the Fondation Beyeler located in Riehen , the Museum Tinguely and the Museum of Contemporary Art , which is the first public museum of contemporary art in Europe.
The University of Basel , Switzerland's oldest university founded in , [ 11 ] and the city's centuries-long commitment to humanism , have made Basel a safe haven at times of political unrest in other parts of Europe for such notable people as Erasmus of Rotterdam , [ 12 ] the Holbein family, Friedrich Nietzsche , [ 13 ] Carl Jung , and in the 20th century also Hermann Hesse [ 14 ] and Karl Jaspers.
Basel was the seat of a Prince-Bishopric starting in the 11th century, and joined the Swiss Confederacy in Basel is Switzerland's main centre for the pharmaceutical industry, hosting both Novartis and Roche. In , the so-called ' Basel Problem ' was solved in the city, which is regarded as one of the most important achievements in mathematics.
Basel was ranked the tenth most liveable city in the world by Mercer in A unique feature of the city is its location in the middle of the tri-border area. It seamlessly transitions into a small German and French town, with the houses directly connected and appearing like integral parts of its own city districts. This name is mostly interpreted as deriving from the personal name Basilius , from a toponym villa Basilia " estate of Basilius" or similar.
Another suggestion derives it from a name Basilia attested in northern France as a development of basilica , the term for a public or church building as in Bazeilles , but all of these names reference early church buildings of the 4th or 5th century and cannot be adduced for the 3rd-century attestation of Basilia. By popular etymology, or simple assonance, the basilisk becomes closely associated with the city, used as heraldic supporter from , represented on coins minted by the city, and frequently found in ornaments.
