In the 19th century, the industrial and political revolutions transform the economy, society, and the state. The era in which the majority of the population lived off agriculture is over. Machines in factories displace crafts and home-based work. Engines and machines alter the environment and the inner landscape of people. The economic, political, and mental foundations of the present are established. The liberal constitutional state replaces the rule of the "gracious lords," and the rhythm of machines takes the place of the rhythm of nature. The authors illustrate this upheaval in working and living conditions using the example of the Zurich Oberland. They depict the joys and struggles, freedoms and constraints of people from various classes and backgrounds. We encounter workers and farmers as well as entrepreneurs, and the life opportunities of women and children are also addressed.