Did you lose or gain Swiss citizenship? How did that affect your life?
Until 1953, if a Swiss woman married a foreigner, she automatically lost her Swiss citizenship.
Until 1992, if a Swiss woman married a foreigner, she had to declare to the civil registry office that she wished to retain her nationality. Failure to do so resulted in the loss of her Swiss citizenship, and her children would not be able to become Swiss citizens.
Did you lose or give up Swiss citizenship? Or did you become a Swiss citizen?
What impact has this had on your life?
Tell us your story.
I am absolutely appalled and disgusted, the way in which the descendants of Swiss emigrants of the past are treated by the Swiss government', today, their officials and politicians, the “new generation” of the so named 'Swiss people representatives'??.
I could tell you a thing or two about it, having for many years travelled, work or business related around the world, installing, servicing and selling advanced Swiss machinery at that time. Needing twice to have my Swiss passport validity updated at some Swiss embassy and/or consulate, because of approaching expiring date. Needless to state, I was treated like a 'second rate' citizen to say the least. At least it had all the signatures thereof. At that time (before Internet was fully established), even though having a legal and valid Swiss passport, they must have spent at least 1 hour to 'investigate' me, discovering that I was in arrears of the military service compensation, even though having had served in the RS and several WK's as a 'Panzergrenadier' in the Swiss Army. Renewal of the passport was declined, if the arrears were not paid. Needless to state, I let them 'have it' in no uncertain terms and they finally 'cleared' the issue with some insignificant 'down payment'.
Hi, when I married a Frenchman in Paris, I was told that I had to mention that I wanted to keep my Swiss nationality, which I did! We had three daughters, who of course didn't have Swiss nationality - BUT the Swiss consul in Dijon in France told me that there would be a time when I could apply for Swiss nationality for my children. THANK YOU Mr OECHSLIN - I took the necessary steps and my three daughters obtained Swiss nationality! Then another law came out that allowed my husband to apply for Swiss nationality if he had been married to a Swiss woman for more than seven years. He had an interview with a Mademoiselle Grauber in Dijon and passed the interview! So my husband is also a Swiss citizen. Our eldest daughter went to live in Switzerland after her studies in France and she still lives there with her family.
Bonjour, quand j'ai épousé un français à Paris, on m'avait bien expliqué que je devais mentionner que je souhaitais garder ma nationalité suisse, ce que j'ai fait! Nous avons eu trois filles, qui n'avaient bien entendu pas la nationalité suisse - MAIS le consul de Suisse à Dijon en France m'a interpellé en m'expliquant qu'il y aura un laps de temps ou je pourrai demander la nationalité suisse pour mes enfants. MERCI Monsieur OECHSLIN - j'ai fait les démarches et mes trois filles ont obtenu la nationalité! Par la suite, une autre loi est sortie, loi qui a permis à mon époux de solliciter la nationalité suisse en tant qu'époux depuis plus de sept ans avec une suissesse. Il y avait plusieurs conditions et il les a rempli, il a eu un entretien avec une Mademoiselle Grauber à Dijon et il a réussi son interrogatoire! Mon époux est donc aussi citoyen suisse. Notre fille ainée est allée vivre en Suisse après ses études en France et elle y vit encore avec sa famille.
Dear Mrs Schneider
Thank you for your comments and I'm glad that the transfer of civil rights worked out for you! Many women were not lucky enough to be made aware of these legal circumstances.
Liebe Frau Schneider
Danke für Ihre Ausführungen und schön, dass für Sie die Weitergabe des Bürgerrechts geklappt hat! Viele Frauen hatten nicht das Glück, dass sie auf diese gesetzlichen Umstände aufmerksam gemacht wurden.
Hi, when I married a Frenchman in Paris, I was told that I had to mention that I wanted to keep my Swiss nationality, which I did! We had three daughters, who of course didn't have Swiss nationality - BUT the Swiss consul in Dijon in France told me that there would be a time when I could apply for Swiss nationality for my children. THANK YOU Mr OECHSLIN - I took the necessary steps and my three daughters obtained Swiss nationality! Then another law came out that allowed my husband to apply for Swiss nationality if he'd been married to a Swiss woman for more than seven years. He had an interview with a Mademoiselle Grauber in Dijon and passed his interview! M
Bonjour, quand j'ai épousé un français à Paris, on m'avait bien expliqué que je devais mentionner que je souhaitais garder ma nationalité suisse, ce que j'ai fait! Nous avons eu trois filles, qui n'avaient bien entendu pas la nationalité suisse - MAIS le consul de Suisse à Dijon en France m'a interpellé en m'expliquant qu'il y aura un laps de temps ou je pourrai demander la nationalité suisse pour mes enfants. MERCI Monsieur OECHSLIN - j'ai fait les démarches et mes trois filles ont obtenu la nationalité! Par la suite, une autre loi est sortie, loi qui a permis à mon époux de solliciter la nationalité suisse en tant qu'époux depuis plus de sept ans avec une suissesse. Il y avait plusieurs conditions et il les a rempli, il a eu un entretien avec une Mademoiselle Grauber à Dijon et il a réussi son interrogatoire! M
I discovered that lost my Swiss citizenship about 10 years ago when I went to reapply for a passport. I swear on everything that is holy that I signed the document and submitted it to the Washington DC consulatewhen I married my first husband, and American and that I had a passport. My children were covered under this. I got divorced and when I went to marry my second husband, also American, I went to the consulate in LA, signed the document, and I have that original document signed by the consulate. After a great amount of trouble, document gathering and assistance from the consulate who reached out to my home office in S Glarus who confirmed my name was in the Ortsbuch but as a single person. I was told now I need to either marry a Swiss, or suck it up. Another contributor here described it as a stab. To know that I have close relationships with all of my family in Switzerland, and that I am genetically Swiss (born six weeks after my parents arrived in the US, harangues me each day. I have served on the board of the Swiss club, do work for the Swiss Benevolent Society, and I’m still not good enough. They will not consider us under the newly revamped laws even. I want the red book, and I’m not here to take their social resources.
For over 20 years, I've been helping my cousin Nicole, who now lives in San Diego, California, to obtain her Swiss passport. To date, she is registered as a Swiss citizen, her parents having taken the necessary steps when she was a child, as well as her 4 brothers; her father was born in Switzerland and has always retained his Swiss nationality. Born in 1966, married in 1991, Nicole did not make up her mind in the 10 years following the 1992 law and its implementation, as she had not been notified by the Swiss authorities. In 2002, we contacted the civil registry office in the canton of Vaud to check whether she was still registered; she was indeed listed in the civil registry archives in Yverdon. In 2022, after contacting the Swiss consulate in San Francisco and sending them a computer file of my cousin's registration with the Vaud civil registry, then transferred to Lausanne, they sent her a list of all the documents she needed to obtain her passport, which seemed like a mere formality. Birth certificates, marriage certificates, residence certificates, study certificates and other papers were sent to the consulate in SF... We had to call the consulate several times to get things moving, and one day in 2023, my cousin received a call from the consulate telling her that she would never get her Swiss passport, referring to the 1992 law, unless she lived in Switzerland for three consecutive years, in order to obtain facilitated naturalisation... A stab in the back for Nicole, who is very attached to her country of origin, and who comes to Switzerland at least once a year and speaks her father's French more than fluently, even teaching it... Our angry conclusion, which we clearly expressed in the form of a question to the diplomatic authorities concerned: So there are second-class Swiss citizens who are refused passports: married women? We are determined to highlight this injustice and are pleased to learn that politicians are working to remedy it. Our thanks go to Carlo Sommaruga for finally bringing this injustice to light.
Depuis plus de 20 ans, j’accompagne ma cousine Nicole, domiciliée actuellement à San Diego en Californie, dans les démarches pour obtenir son passeport suisse. À ce jour, elle est bien enregistrée à l’état civil comme citoyenne helvétique, ses parents ayant fait cette formalité dès son enfance, ainsi que pour ses 4 frères ; le papa étant né en Suisse et ayant toujours gardé sa nationalité suisse . Née en 1966, mariée en 1991, Nicole ne s’est pas déterminée dans les 10 ans qui ont suivi la loi de 1992 et de la mise en place de son application, faute d’en avoir été avertie par les autorités suisses. En 2002, nous avions contacté l’état civil du canton de Vaud pour vérifier si elle était toujours bien enregistrée ; elle figurait bien dans les archives de l’état civil à Yverdon. En 2022, après avoir contacté le consulat de Suisse à San Francisco et lui avoir transmis en fichier informatique l’inscription de ma cousine à l’état civil vaudois, transféré alors à Lausanne, la liste de tous les documents à fournir lui a été transmise pour l’obtention de son passeport, ce qui semblait n’être qu’une formalité. Certificat de naissance, certificat de mariage, certificats de résidences, certificats d’études et autres papiers ont donc été transmis au consulat de SF… Il a encore fallu relancer plusieurs fois le consulat pour faire avancer les choses, et un jour de 2023, ma cousine a reçu un appel du Consul lui annonçant qu’elle n’aurait jamais son passeport suisse, se référant à la loi de 1992, sauf si elle résidait trois ans consécutifs en Suisse, pour obtenir une naturalisation facilitée… Un coup de poignard pour Nicole, très attachée à son pays d’origine, et qui vient chaque année au moins une fois en Suisse et pratique plus qu’aisément la langue française de son père, l’enseignant même… Notre conclusion qui fâche et que nous avons clairement exprimée sous forme de question auprès des instances diplomatiques concernées : il y a donc des citoyennes suisses de seconde zone à qui on refuse le passeport : les femmes mariées ? Nous sommes déterminées à mettre en avant cette injustice et sommes heureuses d’apprendre que des responsables politiques s’investissent pour la réparer. Notre reconnaissance va à monsieur Carlo Sommaruga qui soulève enfin cette injustice
Hello, do I understand you correctly that your cousin has never received her Swiss passport because she did not declare that she wanted to keep her citizenship when she got married in 1991?
Guten Tag, verstehe ich Sie richtig, dass Ihre Cousine den Schweizer Pass bis heute nie erhalten hat, weil sie bei ihrer Heirat 1991 nicht deklariert hat, dass sie das Bürgerrecht behalten will?
My grandfather had to give up his Swiss nationality in 1937 to go to the Ecole Normale, which trained French primary school teachers. His father was Swiss and his mother French (Swiss by marriage). At the time, the French did not accept dual nationality for their civil servants.
I should point out that my great-grandfather came from a family in the canton of Fribourg known as one of the oldest families in Switzerland... at least 6 centuries of Helvetian settlement! My grandfather had to reluctantly sign a letter of renunciation in 1937, a year after the death of his father. Our Swiss family was his guardians (one of his uncles had taken over from his father).
My father regained Swiss nationality much later, when I was of age. My grandfather died without recovering his Swiss nationality.
As for me, I'm French. I live in France with a French husband who by chance found himself working across the border in German-speaking Switzerland. We've been working in Switzerland for over 25 years. At first my husband couldn't get a permanent residence permit, but as the family grew - the children went to school on the French side - we stayed in France. we stayed in France.
It's a bit surreal for me to see some of my colleagues (Russians, Americans, etc.) become Swiss over time, even though they don't necessarily have the same family or cultural ties to Switzerland as I do.
But that's the way it is
Mon grand père a dû abandonner la nationalité suisse en 1937 pour rentrer à l’école normale qui formait les instituteurs français. Son père était suisse et sa mère française ( suisse par mariage donc). Les français n’acceptaient pas alors la double nationalité pour leurs fonctionnaires .
Je précise que mon arrière grand père est issu d’une famille du canton de Fribourg connue pour être une des plus vieilles famille de Suisse .. au moins 6 siècles d’installation helvète ! Mon grand père a dû faire une lettre de renonciation à contre cœur en 1937, un an après le décès de son père . Notre famille suisse était sa tutrice d’ailleurs ( un de ses oncles avait pris le relais de son père) .
Mon père a récupéré la nationalité suisse bien plus tard alors que j’étais majeure . Mon grand père est décédé sans avoir récupéré sa nationalité suisse
Quand à moi je suis française . Je vis en France avec un mari français qui par hasard s’est retrouvé frontalier avec un boulot en Suisse germanophone. . Nous travaillons en suisse depuis plus de 25 ans. Au départ mon mari ne pouvait pas avoir de permis résidant permanent et de fil en aiguille avec la construction de la famille- les enfants à l’école côté français .. , nous sommes restés en France.
C’est un peu surréaliste pour moi de voir certains de mes collègues ( russes, américains ..) devenir suisse au fil du temps alors qu’ils n’ont pas forcément de liens affectifs familiaux ou culturels comme les miens avec la Suisse
Mais bon ..c’est comme ça
Thank you very much for the insight into your story.
Vielen Dank für den Einblick in ihre Geschichte.
Very good material. Congratulations, Malenie Eichenberger.
I am a direct descendant of the Swiss settlers sent to Chile (1883-1887 app). Event full of controversy between the governments of the time (Chile and Switzerland).
His father or mother (Swiss descent)
Surname: Schifferli Salazar
Given name(s): Fernando Raúl
Date of birth: 22/09/1950
Place of birth and country: Victoria, Región de Los Ríos, Chile.
Currently holds Swiss nationality in force, in the Canton of Aargau (Aargau).
His grandfather or grandmother (Swiss descent)
Surname: Schifferli Meier
First name(s): Alberto Juan
Date of birth: 28/03/1922
Place of birth and country: Victoria, Región de Los Ríos,Chile.
According to official document, issued by the Département fédéral de justice et police DFJP
Attached is a small part of interesting historical material on the subject:
https://www.amtsdruckschriften.bar.admin.ch/viewOrigDoc/80000037.pdf?id=80000037
https://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-85403.html
Heartbreaking commentary on the treatment of the descendants of Swiss settlers:
"More than a few people complain about the lack of consular deference when they apply for a certificate of origin or information about their families. The same is true when they approach the cantons or the administration in Berne directly.
"Either they receive us badly, or they tell us directly that we have no rights," emphasises Enrique Luchsinger, who has been trying for years to have his father's consular registration recognised, the only way to recover his lost nationality.
But Sergio Conus, who knows that he has almost lost everything "due to age and ignorance of the language", says: "Just think that it will be thanks to the renewed interest of the new generations of descendants that Switzerland will continue to be spoken of in this part of the world".
Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/vida-tercera-edad/los-descendientes-suizos-de-la-araucan%C3%ADa/3789370
Muy buen material. La felicito, Malenie Eichenberger.
Soy descendiente directo de los colonos suizos enviado a Chile (1883-1887 app). Evento repleto de polémicas entre los gobiernos de la época (Chile y Suiza).
Su padre o madre (descendencia suiza)
Apellido: Schifferli Salazar
Nombre (s): Fernando Raúl
Fecha de nacimiento: 22/09/1950
Lugar de nacimiento y país: Victoria, Región de Los Ríos,Chile.
Actualmente cuenta con nacionalidad suiza vigente, en el Cantón de Aargau (Argovia).
Su abuelo o abuela (descendencia suiza)
Apellido: Schifferli Meier
Nombre (s): Alberto Juan
Fecha de nacimiento: 28/03/1922
Lugar de nacimiento y país: Victoria, Región de Los Ríos,Chile.
Según documento oficial, emitido por el Département fédéral de justice et police DFJP
Adjunto una pequeña parte del interesante material histórico al respecto:
https://www.amtsdruckschriften.bar.admin.ch/viewOrigDoc/80000037.pdf?id=80000037
https://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-85403.html
Comentario desgarrador sobre el trato hacia los descendientes de colonos suizos:
»No son pocos los que reprochan la poca deferencia consular cuando acuden a solicitar algún certificado de origen o alguna información sobre sus familias. Y lo mismo sucede cuando los interesados se dirigen directamente a los cantones o a la administración en Berna.
“O nos reciben mal, o nos dicen directamente que no tenemos ningún derecho”, enfatiza Enrique Luchsinger, que lleva años tratando de que le reconozcan la inscripción consular de su padre, única manera de recuperar su nacionalidad perdida.
Pero Sergio Conus, quien sabe que lo tiene casi todo perdido “por la edad y el desconocimiento del idioma”, dice: «Piense que de todas maneras será gracias al renovado interés de las nuevas generaciones de descendientes que se seguirá hablando de Suiza en esta parte del mundo».
Fuente: https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/vida-tercera-edad/los-descendientes-suizos-de-la-araucan%C3%ADa/3789370
My wife, a Swiss grandfather from the canton of Vaud, granted me citizenship, but I had to fulfil a number of requirements and it was not easy, so they should be a bit more flexible if there are verifiable links.
Mi Sra, Suiza,por abuelo del canton de Vaud,me otorgó la ciudadanía, de todas formas tuve que cumplir con una serie de requisitos y no fue fácil.Deberian flexibilizár un poco si hay lazos comprobables.Muchas gracias.
What were the conditions? Would you like to tell us about them?
Welche Bedingungen waren das? Wollen Sie uns davon erzählen?
Very good material. Congratulations, Malenie Eichenberger.
I am a direct descendant of the Swiss settlers sent to Chile (1883-1887 app). Event full of controversy between the governments of the time (Chile and Switzerland).
His father or mother (Swiss descent)
Surname: Schifferli Salazar
Given name(s): Fernando Raúl
Date of birth: 22/09/1950
Place of birth and country: Victoria, Región de Los Ríos, Chile.
Currently holds Swiss nationality in force, in the Canton of Aargau (Aargau).
His grandfather or grandmother (Swiss descent)
Surname: Schifferli Meier
First name(s): Alberto Juan
Date of birth: 28/03/1922
Place of birth and country: Victoria, Región de Los Ríos,Chile.
According to official document, issued by the Département fédéral de justice et police DFJP
Attached is a small part of interesting historical material on the subject:
https://www.amtsdruckschriften.bar.admin.ch/viewOrigDoc/80000037.pdf?id=80000037
Heartbreaking commentary on the treatment of the descendants of Swiss settlers:
"More than a few people reproach the lack of consular deference when they apply for a certificate of origin or information about their families. The same is true of those who approach the cantons or the administration in Berne directly.
"Either they receive us badly, or they tell us directly that we have no rights," emphasises Enrique Luchsinger, who has been trying for years to have his father's consular registration recognised, the only way to recover his lost nationality.
But Sergio Conus, who knows that he has almost lost everything "due to age and ignorance of the language", says: "Just think that it will be thanks to the renewed interest of the new generations of descendants that Switzerland will continue to be spoken of in this part of the world".
Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/vida-tercera-edad/los-descendientes-suizos-de-la-araucan%C3%ADa/3789370
Muy buen material. La felicito, Malenie Eichenberger.
Soy descendiente directo de los colonos suizos enviado a Chile (1883-1887 app). Evento repleto de polémicas entre los gobiernos de la época (Chile y Suiza).
Su padre o madre (descendencia suiza)
Apellido: Schifferli Salazar
Nombre (s): Fernando Raúl
Fecha de nacimiento: 22/09/1950
Lugar de nacimiento y país: Victoria, Región de Los Ríos,Chile.
Actualmente cuenta con nacionalidad suiza vigente, en el Cantón de Aargau (Argovia).
Su abuelo o abuela (descendencia suiza)
Apellido: Schifferli Meier
Nombre (s): Alberto Juan
Fecha de nacimiento: 28/03/1922
Lugar de nacimiento y país: Victoria, Región de Los Ríos,Chile.
Según documento oficial, emitido por el Département fédéral de justice et police DFJP
Adjunto una pequeña parte del interesante material histórico al respecto:
https://www.amtsdruckschriften.bar.admin.ch/viewOrigDoc/80000037.pdf?id=80000037
https://bibliotecadigital.ufro.cl/?a=view&item=1280https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/vida-tercera-edad/los-descendientes-suizos-de-la-araucan%C3%ADa/3789370
Comentario desgarrador sobre el trato hacia los descendientes de colonos suizos:
»No son pocos los que reprochan la poca deferencia consular cuando acuden a solicitar algún certificado de origen o alguna información sobre sus familias. Y lo mismo sucede cuando los interesados se dirigen directamente a los cantones o a la administración en Berna.
“O nos reciben mal, o nos dicen directamente que no tenemos ningún derecho”, enfatiza Enrique Luchsinger, que lleva años tratando de que le reconozcan la inscripción consular de su padre, única manera de recuperar su nacionalidad perdida.
Pero Sergio Conus, quien sabe que lo tiene casi todo perdido “por la edad y el desconocimiento del idioma”, dice: «Piense que de todas maneras será gracias al renovado interés de las nuevas generaciones de descendientes que se seguirá hablando de Suiza en esta parte del mundo».
Fuente: https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/vida-tercera-edad/los-descendientes-suizos-de-la-araucan%C3%ADa/3789370
Ex-Swiss
Born in Switzerland, emigrated to Canada with parents. Grew up in Montreal, Quebec, learned French, English, spoke Swiss. Went to Swiss consulate for 21st birthday because I retained my Swiss citizenship but was never told that I would lose it if I married a nonSwiss.
Moved to western Canada, Calgary where I met my husband. I found out from a Swiss neighbor that I lost my Swiss citizenship & I had missed the date by which to register so I phoned consulate in Vancouver but was told I’d hafta go live In Switzerland which was impossible. Other sister retained her Swiss citizenship even though not born there Went to visit relatives in Switzerland & my cousin registered me in Bern but I never followed up because my Swiss German isn’t the best.
Now my daughter lives in Germany & would love to become Swiss. I have no idea what to do about helping her with that. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Gaining Swiss citizenship didn't change much. I guess voting is nice enough but it's not as if there were really any noticeable differences from my life under the B/C permits and having a Swiss passport (though speaking of passports, it is nicer to travel under the Swiss passport versus the US). After a decade of living here nothing changed overnight nor really the decade since then. Now if you want to discuss the difference in residence that's an entirely different story.
Unlike being forced to give up citizenship, the US keeps a tight grip on its expats. Switzerland bows to the US on all things financial and of course this hurts Swiss citizens holding US citizenship as well. US citizenship was automatically given to my Swiss born and raised daughters (against my wishes) and this financial slavery is also applied to them (sone Swiss banks refuse them accounts even). Oh...and renunciation of US citizenship is about $1'500 just to put in the application. You can add account and lawyer fees to that..as well as any "exit tax" the US sees fit (and parents can't renounce for their children).
Thank you for your contribution. So you see a disadvantage in having two citizenships? Does the financial cost prevent you from renouncing your US citizenship?
Vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag. Sie sehen also einen Nachteil, wenn man zwei Staatsbürgerschaften besitzt? Hindert Sie der finanzielle Aufwand daran, auf die US-Staatsbürgerschaft zu verzichten?
I don't see much advantage of US citizenship versus plenty of disadvantages. No need for an ESTA when I get back every few years? Voting for corrupt political party A versus corrupt political party B? Whose lobbyists do you prefer? And the parasitic lobbies that corrupt both sides? Not much to be done for them as long as it remains legal for US politicians to openly take bribes in the form of "donations"..
And for those "privileges" financial slavery. If China pulled the same thing we'd be hearing how Chinese expats are oppressed and TSR would be putting out the typical anti-china propaganda on Wuhan and Ulghers.
The fee and harassment of renunciation aren't particularly concerns in a country where I spend as much for 2 weeks of groceries. I've heard complaints from others in the expat community which find the costs and process prohibitive.
I haven't renounced because my Swiss born and raised children were infested with US citizenship at birth. I will retain US citizenship until they become fully legal adults in 8 years.
My Swiss ancestors, who emigrated to Argentina at the end of the 21st century: Giovanni Bettini (from Ticino), Emma Roth, Meinrad Sebastian Fischer (both from Solothurn) and Emilia Guenier (Vaud), lost their citizenship because they settled in agricultural colonies far away from Swiss embassies or consulates, in the interior of the provinces of Córdoba and Santa Fé. In those days, travelling long distances (more than 300km in these cases) was not possible, especially if they lived far from train stations.
Mis antepasados suizos, emigrados a la Argentina a finales del Siglo XXI: Giovanni Bettini (proveniente de Ticino), Emma Roth, Meinrad Sebastian Fischer (ambos de Soleura) y Emilia Guenier (Vaud); perdieron la ciudadanía ya que se establecieron en colonias agrícolas muy lejos de las embajadas o consulados suizos, en el interior de la Provincia de Córdoba y Santa Fé. En aquellos tiempos, viajar grandes distancias (más de 300km en estos casos) no era algo posible, menos aún si vivían lejos de estaciones de tren.
My mother was born in Geneva. Her parents were both Swiss citizens. She graduated from the Universite de Geneve, went to the UK to perfect her English, and then went to the US as an exchange student. In the mid-30's, she went to the University of MIchigan to get a master's degree so that she could teach at the college level. In 1937, she married my father, a first generation Sicilian. He was a US citizen but my understanding is that my mother lost her Swiss citizenship the minute she married my father. I ultimately inherited a home just outside of Geneva from my mother and her sister (my aunt). I have owned the home for 20+ years. Our family goes to the home 2 - 3 times per year. I have a legacy Swiss bank account from which I can pay Swiss taxes, improvements, etc. Nonetheless, I am not a Swiss citizen but I would love to become one. I am limited to staying in Switzerland for 90 days in a 180 period. Frankly, I'd like to retire there. Hopefully the Swiss authorities will make citizenship more readily available to direct descendants of Swiss citizens.
Dear Mr Gioboa,
Thank you for your message. May I ask whether you see the benefit in the fact that EU citizens can be naturalised without any problems, even if they do not respect the Confederation, do not speak the national language and have no cultural ties to Switzerland? That seems contradictory to me.
Many of us speak German, French, Italian or even dialects from our home cantons. Do you speak any of these dialects yourself?
As far as visiting Switzerland is concerned, this is not a question of lack of interest for us, but rather a financial problem. If you knew that a one-way flight to Zurich costs the equivalent of five months' savings in the countries where we live, I hope you would take this into account before you judge or disparage us.
Sehr geehrter Herr Gioboa,
Vielen Dank für Ihre Nachricht. Darf ich fragen, ob Sie den Nutzen darin sehen, dass Bürger aus der EU problemlos eingebürgert werden können, selbst wenn sie die Konföderation nicht respektieren, keine Landessprache sprechen und keine kulturellen Bindungen zur Schweiz haben? Das erscheint mir widersprüchlich.
Viele von uns sprechen Deutsch, Französisch, Italienisch oder sogar Dialekte aus unseren Heimatkantonen. Sprechen Sie selbst einen dieser Dialekte?
Was den Besuch in der Schweiz betrifft: Das ist für uns keine Frage des Desinteresses, sondern vielmehr ein finanzielles Problem. Wenn Sie wüssten, dass ein einfacher Flug nach Zürich in den Ländern, in denen wir leben, das Äquivalent von fünf Monaten Ersparnis kostet, würden Sie dies hoffentlich berücksichtigen, bevor Sie über uns urteilen oder uns geringschätzen.
I was born in 1954. My Swiss grandparents came to USA by sponsor. They were proud 'Swiss'. Always said we are Swiss. Every year we flew the Swiss flag and had a yearly picnic the first weekend in August. My grandparents had my dad but sent him back to Switzerland for a few years so my grandparents could work. My grandfathet was born in Bern and my grandmother was from Lusuanne. Jobs were limited in Switzerland at the time and many people opted away ftom Switzerland. My dad was sent back to the USA because of their fear that Hitler would.invade Switzerland. My dad returned to USA although life and work demands put my grandparents to find a temporary family for my dad. He loved that family. They had 5 kids. My dad didn't see my grandparents ofen and he didn't fully get that they were his parents. He longed for Switzerland. My dad married my mom who was second generation from Germany and France. I was told that being a girl born in 1954 in USA I was not honored to be a citizen but my brother could be, born in 1957. He missed the date to do it. I doubt many women were working on these decisions of citizenship at the time. It is unsettling. Swiss unneutral here. Ouch!
Dear Patti, thank you very much for your contribution. I find it interesting that you doubt "that many women were preoccupied with these citizenship decisions at the time".
Liebe Patti, vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag. Ich finde es interessant, dass Sie bezweifeln, "dass viele Frauen zu dieser Zeit mit diesen Entscheidungen über die Staatsbürgerschaft beschäftigt waren".
My mother was Swiss. She grew up in canton fribourg
I own small chalet in the Canton fribourg because I did not know that I should have gotten my Swiss citizen ship at 25. I am not allowed to to have a citizenship I live in the United States. I’ve owned a small house that I bought in Switzerland in the Canton of fribourg for 25 years ago I would love to have my Swiss citizenship. I don’t speak French very well, but I understand I love Switzerland. My grandfather was a sheriff in the canton of fribourg I love Switzerland and I love everything about it. I worked for an airline for 32 years and I have been able to fly for free but I have not been able to have my Swiss citizenship because I don’t have a lot of money. It’s very sad and it doesn’t seem very fair
Thank you for your contribution. When were you born? How many years ago did you lose your Swiss citizenship?
Vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag. Wann wurden Sie geboren? Wie viele Jahre liegt der Verlust der Schweizer Staatsbürgerschaft zurück?
Hello. My names is João Gabriel Schelck and my line lost the Swiss Citizenship when my great-grandfather Joseph Emmanuel Lugon immigrated from Switzerland to Brazil. The deal was made by the king at the time Dom João VI, who needed working labor in the country, therefore, signing with dozens of Swiss with interest on immigrating to Brazil. And one of the conditions of the deal was abdicating of the Swiss citizenship and becoming a Brazilian citizen, at the time, a Kingdom of Portugal.
Thank you for the interesting insight.
Danke für den interessanten Einblick.
My great-grandfather came to Brazil from Obwalden in 1887 at the age of 13. He was accompanied by his mother, who had recently been widowed, and his three siblings. My grandfather was born in 1922 in the rural interior of the state of São Paulo, in a predominantly agricultural region. At the time, information was very limited and he did not register with the Swiss embassy in Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brazil at the time, which was about 600 kilometres away from where he lived. For this reason, Swiss citizenship was not passed on to subsequent generations.
In 2017, shortly before the change in legislation, my father was able to acquire Swiss citizenship. However, as I was already 30 years old at the time, it could not be passed on to me, even though I have a close connection to the country.
Mein Urgrossvater kam 1887 im Alter von 13 Jahren aus Obwalden nach Brasilien. Er wurde von seiner Mutter begleitet, die vor Kurzem verwitwet war, sowie von seinen drei Geschwistern. Mein Grossvater wurde 1922 im ländlichen Inneren des Bundesstaates São Paulo geboren, in einer überwiegend landwirtschaftlich geprägten Region. Damals waren Informationen sehr begrenzt, und er liess sich nicht bei der Schweizer Botschaft in Rio de Janeiro, der damaligen Hauptstadt Brasiliens, registrieren, die etwa 600 km vom Ort entfernt lag, in dem er lebte. Aus diesem Grund wurde die Schweizer Staatsbürgerschaft nicht an die nachfolgenden Generationen weitergegeben.
Im Jahr 2017, kurz vor der Änderung der Gesetzgebung, konnte mein Vater die Schweizer Staatsbürgerschaft erwerben. Da ich jedoch damals bereits 30 Jahre alt war, konnte sie nicht an mich weitergegeben werden, obwohl ich eine enge Verbindung zum Land habe.
It would be good if descendents of Swiss emigrants could be given an opportunity to have their Swiss citizenship recognized. Their records can be reviewed to confirm their good citizenship history in their current countries. Swiss citizenship would not need to include additional benefits, only the right to a Swiss identity and passport . Thank you, William Pauchard.
I fully agree with the proposal that citizenship obtained through this claim should include nothing more than the right to an identity and passport.
This is what the commission led by the group Descendants of the Swiss for Nationality is going to propose.
The majority feeling is to keep the identity and nothing else. This despite what some ignorant people like Elena Lacroix claim.
Eduardo Puibusqué
Totalmente de acuerdo con la propuesta de que la ciudadanía obtenida por medio de este reclamo no incluya nada más que el derecho a la identidad y el pasaporte.
Esto es lo que va a proponer la comisión que dirige el grupo Descendientes de Suizos po la Nacionalidad.
El sentimiento mayoritario es el de mantener la identidad y nada más. Esto a pesar de lo que afirman algún/alguna ignorante como Elena Lacroix.
Eduardo Puibusqué
I agree with you.
Estoy de acuerdo con Ud.
The question "How did you lose Swiss nationality" needs to be answered correctly. It should be noted that in the 19th century, European countries, including Switzerland, encouraged the emigration of Swiss citizens by governments, the media and emigration companies. This emigration was carried out with the support of local authorities and neighbours so that those who were in a difficult situation or could not emigrate, it was an emigration policy that was carried out with the conviction that it was the right thing to do. The families who emigrated were no less patriotic than those who stayed behind, and no one at the time thought that these emigrants were not true Swiss or that they were doing something wrong. In the country of destination, for example Argentina, some Swiss families stayed and others returned to their country of origin. Swiss families abroad taught their children the language, at least in the first generation, and the customs, maintained ties and formed Swiss institutions abroad. They did not think in the 19th and early 20th centuries that it would be necessary to have a piece of paper to be Swiss, but rather that they felt Swiss and kept their customs, and did not think that Switzerland would later ask them for a piece of paper so that their children could live, study or work in the mother country. In the 19th century, they did not think that the Swiss nationality document would be of any benefit to those who had contacts with their relatives in Switzerland, or that the lack of such a document would harm their children or grandchildren in their search for a better life. They became Argentinian but Swiss Argentinians, that is, they kept everything from Switzerland and Switzerland maintained and maintains a very good relationship with the descendants of Swiss abroad who, by the way, do not call themselves, at least in Argentina, as "descendants" making the difference but call themselves and according to the context "Swiss". Now, the mistake of the question is to look for a fault in not having a Swiss nationality document, which reverses the burden of proof: because your parents or grandparents were not able to look for the Swiss nationality document and to produce it? Which is too much to assume, namely that they did not do so because they were not interested in their grandchildren or children returning one day to study, work and live in the Motherland, Switzerland. I think the most extraordinary sign of patriotism and love for Switzerland is that after more than a hundred years in another country, generations of Swiss descendants abroad still maintain many of the traditions, the dialects and languages, the dances, the music, the typical clothes, the Swiss food, give Swiss names to their businesses, form Swiss associations and want to receive Swiss nationality. I don't think it's a matter of looking for culprits. Later I will tell my story about why I don't have Swiss nationality but as an anecdote to share with the group, with that sole purpose.
La pregunta “¿Cómo perdió la nacionalidad suiza?” para contestarla es necesario corregirla. Hay que señalar que en el siglo XIX los países europeos, entre ellos, Suiza fomentaron desde los gobiernos, los medios de comunicación y empresas dedicadas a la emigración, la emigración de ciudadanos suizos. Esta emigración se realizó con el apoyo incluso de intendencias y vecinos para que aquellos que pasaban por una situación penosa o no pudieran emigrar, fue una política de emigración que se hizo con el convencimiento de que era lo correcto. Las familias que emigraron no eran menos patriotas que las que se quedaron y nadie, en su momento, pensó en que esos emigrantes no eran verdaderos suizos o que hacían algo incorrecto. En el país de destino, por ejemplo, Argentina algunas familias suizas se quedaron y otras volvieron al país de origen, se sufrió mucho el desarraigo. Las familias suizas en el extranjero enseñaron a sus hijos el idioma, por lo menos en la primera generación, y las costumbres, mantuvieron lazos y formaron instituciones suizas en el extranjero. No pensaban en el siglo XIX y principios del XX que iba a ser necesario tener un papel para ser suizos sino que se sentían suizos y conservaban sus costumbres, no pensaron que, luego, Suiza les pediría un papel para que sus hijos pudieran vivir, estudiar o trabajar en la Madre Patria. En el siglo XIX no se pensaba que el documento de la nacionalidad suiza pudiera reportarle algún beneficio a quienes mantenían contactos con sus familiares en Suiza o que la falta de ese documento iba a perjudicar a sus hijos o nietos en su búsqueda de una vida mejor. Se hicieron argentinos pero suizos argentinos, es decir, conservaban todo de Suiza y Suiza mantenía y mantiene una muy buena relación con los descendientes de suizos en el extranjero que por cierto no se denominan, por lo menos en Argentina, como “descendientes” haciendo la diferencia sino que se llaman a sí mismos y según el contexto “suizos”. Ahora, el error de la pregunta es buscar una culpa o un culpable en no tener el documento la nacionalidad suiza lo que invierte la carga de la prueba. ¿Porque tus padres o abuelos no han sido capaces de buscar el documento de la nacionalidad suiza y de confeccionarlo? Lo que implica suponer demasiado, a saber, que no lo hicieron porque no estaban interesados en que sus nietos o hijos volvieran algún día para estudiar, trabajar y vivir en la Madre Patria, Suiza. Creo que la muestra más extraordinaria de patriotismo y de amor a Suiza es que después de más de cien años en otro país, las generaciones de descendientes de suizos en el extranjero siguen manteniendo muchas de las tradiciones, los dialectos e idiomas, los bailes, la música, la ropa típica, la comida suiza, ponen nombres suizos a sus negocios, forman asociaciones suizas y quieren recibir la nacionalidad suiza. No creo que sea una cosa de buscar culpables. Después contaré mi historia de por qué no tengo la nacionalidad suiza pero como una anégdota más para compartir con el grupo, con ese único objetivo.
There are many of us who are in complete agreement with what you say.
Somos muchos los que estamos en completo acuerdo con lo que Ud. expresa.
Thank you for your contribution. Tell us your story. Why don't you have citizenship?
Danke für Ihren Beitrag. Erzählen Sie uns Ihre Geschichte. Weshalb haben sie die Staatsbürgerschaft nicht?
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