The atmosphere of change after World War II, the new consumer society of the economic miracle era, Americanism, the triumph of popular culture reflected in the arts (literature, visual arts, film, architecture, urban planning, design), and finally Switzerland as a hub in the context of the Cold War - these are the themes addressed in this publication. Prominent authors engage with questions regarding the expansion of modernity, the ideals of the avant-garde, and their democratization and popularization. Switzerland, spared from war, plays a special role: it is not only perceived as a laboratory of modernity but soon also becomes significantly involved in cultural transfer as a trading hub. The collection of essays describes, based on a conceptual clarification of the term "Second Modernity," the interactions of political and social factors.