Do you live abroad? Are there places with Swiss history near you?
“Historical heritage should not stop at the border of a country,” says Swiss Abroad councillor Johann Roduit.
SWI swissinfo.ch is looking for Swiss history abroad. Do you know of any places, buildings or works of art in your country of residence that are closely linked to the history of Swiss emigration?
Let us know in the comments below!
From the article War in Ukraine reaches former Swiss colony of Shabo
Here in Losone /TI, half of the population emigrated to Florence.
My parents were also born in Florence.
Why? We had a lot of land here in Ticino. Part of it was used for agriculture
(partly leased). Unfortunately, then there was the wheat plague... and people no longer had any
income. Many then emigrated. When the war started
they all came back to Ticino. My parents too. But also the Biandas, the Brogginis, Fornera etc.
Hier in Losone /TI ist die Hälfte der Bevölkerung nach Florenz ausgewandert.
Auch meine Eltern wurden in Florenz geboren.
Warum? Hier im Tessin hatten wir viel Land. Ein Teil davon für in Landwirtschaft
(z.T. verpachtet). Leider gab es dann die Weizen-Pest... und die Leute hatten kein
Einkommen mehr. Viele sind dann eben ausgewandert. Als der Krieg begann
kamen sie dann alle zurück ins Tessin. Auch meine Eltern. Aber auch die Biandas, die Brogginis, Fornera usw.
Ralph Bircher who is known for the Swiss dish Bircher Musli was inspired from my home town Hunza. He even wrote a book about it. In Order to expand his business he sent copies of the book to the König of Hunza asking him to agree in promoting the myth of life longevity in Hunza. The letter is preserved in a museum in Munich.
Also A village called Ghalapan changed its name to mini Switzerland because of its resemblance to the Grindelwald region but with higher and dryer mountains. As you enter the village on the Karakarum Highway, a sign board reads welcome to mini Switzerland:)
Thank you very much for your interesting comments, which I will be happy to follow up.
Vielen Dank für Ihre interessanten Hinweise, denen ich gerne nachgehe.
Nueva Helvecia , officially Colonia Switzerland Nueva Helvecia , also known as Colonia Switzerland , is a Uruguayan city in the department of Colonia . It is located 58 kilometers from the departmental capital Colonia del Sacramento . It is also the seat of the municipality of the same name
The first waves of migration of Europeans , mainly Swiss , arrived in this area at the end of 1861 . On April 25, 1862, most of the emigrants arrived, a day that is considered the founding day of the city.
The colony was consolidated and agricultural work became one of its main sources of income, especially fruit growing and dairy farming. On May 26, 1894, the decree proclaiming it a "town" was promulgated. With Law No. 11,892 of December 11, 1952, Nueva Helvecia was elevated to the category of "town". 6
The severe economic crisis that Switzerland was experiencing at the time forced many of its citizens to seek better opportunities abroad, where America represented an opportunity for prosperity and progress.
In the case of Uruguay in particular, it offered immigrants a number of alternatives, not only because of its stability and hegemony, but also because it had large rural properties, and proof of this is the settlement of the first houses on the west coast . The first houses were built on the west coast, above the departments of Colonia and Soriano, intended for agricultural and livestock productivity.
Nueva Helvecia , offiziell Colonia Switzerland Nueva Helvecia , auch bekannt als Colonia Switzerland , ist eine uruguayische Stadt im Departement Colonia . Es liegt 58 Kilometer von der Departementshauptstadt Colonia del Sacramento entfernt . Es ist auch Sitz der gleichnamigen Gemeinde
Ende 1861 kamen die ersten Migrationswellen von Europäern , hauptsächlich Schweizern , in dieses Gebiet . Am 25. April 1862 trafen die meisten Auswanderer ein, ein Tag, der als Gründungstag der Stadt gilt.
Die Kolonie wurde konsolidiert und die landwirtschaftliche Arbeit wurde zu einer ihrer Haupteinnahmequellen, insbesondere der Obstanbau und die Milchwirtschaft. Am 26. Mai 1894 wurde das Dekret zur Ausrufung einer „Stadt“ verkündet. Mit dem Gesetz Nr. 11.892 vom 11. Dezember 1952 wurde Nueva Helvecia in die Kategorie „Stadt“ erhoben. 6
Die schwere Wirtschaftskrise, die die Schweiz zu dieser Zeit durchlebte, zwang viele ihrer Bürger dazu, bessere Chancen im Ausland zu suchen, wo Amerika eine Möglichkeit für Wohlstand und Fortschritt darstellte.
Insbesondere im Falle Uruguays bot es Einwanderern eine Reihe von Alternativen, nicht nur aufgrund seiner Stabilität und Hegemonie, sondern auch, weil es über große ländliche Grundstücke verfügte, und ein Beweis dafür ist die Ansiedlung der ersten Häuser an der Westküste . , über den Departements Colonia und Soriano , bestimmt für die landwirtschaftliche und tierische Produktivität.
In the coastal mountains of northwest British Columbia, Canada, is the town of Smithers, known as "Little Switzerland" for the Swiss who settled there in the late 1800s. Great skiing and fishing!
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Good afternoon! I think we are also intelligent machines but sometimes we are limited in what machines like robotics do with greater dexterity and speed. A robot can fail if it is not programmed to do what it needs to do, and if it does it wrong, the damage is often irreparable. Machines are always precise when it comes to the rules of execution, but they are still far from reaching the sophistication of detail!" (Shakespeare)
Artificial intelligence, as the name implies, is not natural intelligence. Natural intelligence was created by its DNA, God's molecule; artificial intelligence was created by man and has no DNA. Nothing replaces a divine natural intelligence. Leonardo da Vinci in painting, Bach and Vivaldi in music, Einstein the mathematical physicist, Shakespeare in plays are all conscious intelligences.
Boa Tarde! Penso que tambem somos maquinas inteligentes porém as vezes somos limitados o que as máquinas como robótica fazem com destreza e velocidade maior. Porém toda máquina pode ter tendências a falhar pois como máquinas que somos as máquinas não são conscientes .Um robô pode falhar se não for programado para aquilo que precisa ser feito e se fizer errado os danos muito das vezes são irreparaveis. As máquinas são sempre precisas no que diz respeito às normas de execução mas ainda estão longe de alcançar a sofisticação do detalhe! ( Shakespeare)
Sobre a inteligência artificial o nome já diz não é uma inteligência natural. A inteligência natural foi criada pelo seu DNA a molécula de Deus a inteligência artificial foi criada pelo homem e não tem DNA. Nada substitui uma inteligência natural divina. Leonardo da Vinci na pintura Bach e Vivaldi na música,Einstein físico matemático,Shakespeare nas peças de teatro pois são inteligências conscientes.
My parents lived in Asti, Northern California. There is an historical landmark #651 with a large plaque on a stone that reads..."Italian Swiss Colony" about the immigrants who arrived in 1881 and established an agricultural colony and produced wines.
I live in the Ticino and have heard many stories of the emigration to California from the Maggia Valley. There is an interesting museum in Cevio where one sees the back and forth movements of the Swiss Italians.
As you know, the history of Israel's origins has a lot to do with Switzerland. The 1st Zionist Congress and those that followed were held in Basel. So there are many connections with our CH.
- For example, a street named Basel in Tel Aviv.
- The CH children's village Kiriat Yearim near Jerusalem was founded by the association Kiriat Yearim Switzerland around 1951 and has been supported continuously ever since.
- There are over 20,000 Swiss citizens in Israel, including some artists such as the mouth painter Bracha Fischel and myself as a book author (see Victor Weiss - Light and Shadow).
- In Rehovot there is the Chaviot Switzerland Center for Culture and Sport, which was founded and financed by Keren Hayessod Switzerland.
Wie Sie ja wissen, hat Israels Entstehungsgeschichte viel mit der CH zu tun. Der 1. Zionistenkongress und die darauffolgenden warden in Basel abgehalten. So gibt es veil Beziehungen our CH.
- Z.B. eine Strasse Names Basel in Tel Aviv.
- Das CH-Kinderdorf Kiriat Yearim bei Jerusalem wurde von dem Verein Kiriat Yearim Schweiz um 1951 gegründet und wird bis heute seitdem ununterbrochen unterstuetzt.
- In Israel gibt es ueber 20'000 CH-Buerger und darunter einige Kuenstler wie z.B. die Mundmalerin Bracha Fischel und meine Wenigkeit als Buchautor (Siehe Victor Weiss - Licht und Schatten).
- In Rehovot gibt es das Zentrum Chaviot Schweiz fuer Kultur und Sport, das von Keren Hayessod Schweiz gegründet und finanziert wurde.
Have lived in Australia since 1975 and loving it. Pretty sad that I cannot find a reasonably priced way of getting my Family Tree beyond my grand parents without spending weeks in CH offices which I cannot do. I would love to leave this information behind for our kids and grand kids. Hopefully someone has some bright ideas. Born in SH 1954, left in 1975. Cheers Peter Vogelsanger
Dear Mr. Vogelsanger
Thank you for your contribution. Unfortunately, I can't help you with any tips. But perhaps other Swiss abroad are facing the same questions?
The FDFA has written the following page on the subject: [url]https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/germany/de/home/dienstleistungen/ahnenforschung.html[/url]
Kind regards
Sehr geehrter Herr Vogelsanger
Vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag. Leider kann ich Ihnen nicht mit Tipps weiterhelfen. Aber vielleicht stehen auch andere Auslandschweizerinnen und Auslandschweizer vor den gleichen Fragen?
Das EDA hat folgende Seite zum Thema verfasst: [url]https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/germany/de/home/dienstleistungen/ahnenforschung.html[/url]
Freundliche Grüsse
Perhaps one of the most enduring legacies of Swiss emigration to the US are the many Swiss clubs that still operate around the country. Quite notable are the ones in California, Oregon and Washington, many of which have their own facilities/grounds (some elaborate) and yearly host a circuit of Schwingfests, sometimes with wrestlers from Switzerland competing. Other clubs around the country hold regular events throughout the year. A list of US Swiss clubs is posted here: [url=https://theswisscenter.org/u-s-swiss-clubs]https://theswisscenter.org/u-s-swiss-clubs.[/url] Still other US Swiss clubs have gone by the wayside. For example, in Scranton, PA, there were a sufficient number of Swiss immigrants to form a Swiss Society in 1870 - and another local group that was large enough underwrite life insurance policies. I have a pamphlet that shows that club was still vibrant enough to bring in a band from Interlaken for its 80th anniversary celebration in 1950.
I live in El Reno, OK. In between El Reno and Okarche on Highway 81, there is a Mennonite Cemetery where an old church once stood. Out front is a monument to the Swiss immigrants/settlers who built the church and settled here as farmers. I know a little of the history of that church and the area farmers as my grandfather was one of them. He came from Jegenstorf with his brothers at the age of 19.
Dear Mr. Zweiacher
Thank you for your contribution. Is the Swiss connection of this church still "celebrated" today?
Kind regards
Melanie Eichenberger
Lieber Herr Zweiacher
Vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag. Wird der Schweizbezug dieser Kirche noch heute "zelebriert" ?
Freundliche Grüsse
Melanie Eichenberger
Albert Frey / Palm Springs Architect (Desert Modernism 1903)
Golden Gate Bridge/ Swiss engineering (Completion 1937)
Palm Springs has a gondola/ brought in from Switzerland.
Here in Southern California, there is San Bernardino County, and they told us from the start as we lived here, that the name came from Swiss people visiting California way back in time.
The greater town of Helvetia, Oregon, USA
https://maps.app.goo.gl/WEL1QciuHEY6M8eQ6
Was founded by Swiss and celebrates many Swiss customs.
Wyssen logging systems have left their distinctive marks here in the steep North Cascades, for at least the last 60 years. I recall playing hooky from our forestry class near Darrington Washington, back in 1961, just to see the Wyssen logging above that small town in western Washington State. Their cable tracks above Mazama (east central Washington) were obvious to my helicopter skiing clients, back in the 1980s, and now I'm married to a Swiss wife who knew the Wyssen family. Such is life here in the "American Alps."
Thank you for your contribution!
Danke für Ihren Beitrag!
My father was born in New Glarus, Wisconsin, "America's Little Switzerland", according to the town's slogan. New Glarus was founded in 1843 with 150 emigrants from Canton Glarus. They were joined by more former Glarners over time, and the town retained its heritage (continuing to publish a version in Swiss German until about 1970).
My dad's generation was the first New Glarus generation the majority of whom left New Glarus for more urban parts of the US (nothing particular about New Glarus, that was the national trend). My family returned often to New Glarus to visit our grandparents, and we all have fond memories of it -- and the curious Glarner accent my grandparents still used. It was as if it were frozen in amber.
Now, sixty years later, you will find little genuine Glarner heritage remaining in New Glarus, which saddens me, despite resigning myself to the change.
New Glarus did produce at least one published author (and playwright) Herb Kubly. One book, Native's Return, was about his experiences returning to Canton Glarus. My father told me the 20th century Glarners weren't pleased with Herb's depiction.
Dear Tom
Thank you for your contribution and the interesting insight.
Lieber Tom
Danke für Ihren Beitrag und den interessanten Einblick.
I live in Holmes county Ohio. My father Alfred Guggisberg emigrated from Riffenmatt/Guggisberg Switzerland in the 1940's. He was a master cheesemaker. In the early and mid 20th century many Swiss cheesemakers emigrated to this area. At one time there were as many as 50 small cheese houses in a 25 mile radius. After the years most of these closed or consolidated and only 5 factories remain in Ohio, all still run by Swiss families. Ohio is the largest producer of Swiss (Emmenthaler) in the USA. I still carry on the tradition with two of these factories. All of my children retain their Swiss citizenship. Most of the original immigrants have passed away but there still remains a strong Swiss culture. The town of Sugarcreek keeps a Swiss theme in its buildings and has an annual Swiss festival. Many Swiss descendants wear their traditional Swiss clothes. There is also a Schwingfest, yodeling constest, Alphorns and many other traditions. It is also a fact that this is the largest concentration of Amish in the world, most of whom came from Ct Bern, Switzerland.
Very interesting! Would you be interested in talking to us about your story?
Sehr interessant! Hätten Sie Interesse, einmal mit uns über Ihre Geschichte zu sprechen?
yes i would be interested to talk with you. It would be much easier for me if you would use my email address as i have had a tough time navigating back to this site
Thank you
All right: Please contact me at melanie.eichenberger@swissinfo.ch, as I unfortunately do not have access to your e-mail address. Thank you very much.
Alles klar: Bitte kontaktieren Sie mich doch auf melanie.eichenberger@swissinfo.ch, da ich leider keinen Zugriff auf Ihre E-Mailadresse habe. Vielen Dank.
I live now in North Carolina, USA. In the early 1980's, I lived and worked in Geneva for an international organization. I met Swiss friends who have become like family. I return to Switzerland at least once a year to visit them and travel around this amazing country. My Swiss friends have come to America a number of times, too.
I live in South Africa
Married to a Swiss lady
We love visiting Ch but could not live there
My wife’s words
Visit CH every year
Viva La difference 😘
The CEIS - Centro educative italo-svizzero di Rimini.
Founded in 1946 by Margit Zöbeli.
The entire, very interesting history of the Zeis and its founder Margit Zöbeli can be found at ... Istituto Italiano di Cultura Zurigo... .
Das CEIS - Centro educative italo-svizzero die Rimini.
1946 gegründet von Margit Zöbeli.
Die gesamte, sehr interessante Geschichte des Zeis und deren Gründerin Margit Zöbeli kann man bei ... Istituto Italiano di Cultura Zurigo... nachlesen.
Thank you for your comment, we will be happy to follow up on it.
Vielen Dank für Ihren Hinweis, wir gehen diesem sehr gerne nach.
And here is the article that was created thanks to your tip:
https://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/gesellschaft/margrit-zoebeli-rimini/49119046
Thank you, Merci, Grazie!
Und hier der Artikel, der dank Ihrem Hinweis entstanden ist:
https://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/gesellschaft/margrit-zoebeli-rimini/49119046
Danke, Merci, Grazie!
In the city of St. Petersburg, there is a monument to Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, 1799 year of laying.... Curiously enough, in Russia, Switzerland still has a reverent attitude to Switzerland :)
В городе Санкт-Петербург, стоит памятник Александру Васильевичу Суворову, 1799 года закладки... Что любопытно, в России к Швейцарии, до сих пор трепетное отношение :)
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