Switzerland Today
Greetings from Bern,
I have to admit I’m a bit baffled. Almost 1,000 people have voted in our poll for the greatest male tennis player of all time (have you?). I’d assumed it would be pretty close between Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. The current poll leader? None of them!
In the News: Switzerland’s successful Tokyo Olympics continued on Monday.
- Beach volleyballers Joana Heidrich (pictured left) and Anouk Vergé-Depré picked up bronze for Switzerland’s 13th medal, almost double the seven pocketed in Rio five years ago.
- Around 1,500 people gathered in the Swiss capital to protest against the Swiss National Bank’s investments in fossil fuels. Friday’s demonstration in Bern is the culmination of a week of action by activist group Rise Up for Change, which said the SNB continued to invest in oil, coal and gas “despite scientific evidence” and also held shares in companies that supported fossil fuels.
- Thai authorities are looking into the death of a 57-year-old Swiss tourist after her body was found near a waterfall on the resort island of Phuket, with signs she had been murdered. The woman was visiting under the “Phuket Sandbox” scheme, a pilot project to allow in vaccinated foreign tourists to help revive a sector devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Swiss honorary consul on Phuket expressed shock and spoke of a “sad day” for the island. “Phuket is normally known for its friendliness and kindness,” she said.
Deep Dive: The natural disaster blame game.
Mountains, rivers and lakes – Switzerland has been blessed by breathtaking natural beauty. Nature has a dark side, however. When lives are lost or homes destroyed by landslides, rockfalls, avalanches or floods, people have often looked for something or someone to blame.
Until the 19th century, a fatal landslide for example was seen as divine punishment for some egregious sin; Swiss people living in the countryside would leave offerings of butter and milk on the windowsill to appease God. Historian David Eugster explains how a shift in thinking about the cause of natural disasters helped save lives and shape Switzerland as we know it.
In 1868, floods claimed 51 lives and caused major destruction across the country. Previously flood protection had been the responsibility of the cantons, but after this disaster the federal government stepped in, took control and launched a successful national campaign for donations. The slogan “One for all, all for one” became the national motto. Laws and measures for flood protection were also adopted and are valid to this day.
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