Switzerland Today

Greetings from Bern!

How strong are the Swiss Abroad’s ties to their homeland? A survey we published today reveals all (or quite a lot, anyway). And talking of the Swiss Abroad, how about the news that Israeli archaeologists have found graffiti by 15^th-century Bernese knight Adrian von Bubenberg in Jerusalem? More on both those stories below.

© Eda/ Pascal Lauener

In the news:  Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, who also holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has paid a surprise visit to Ukraine.

• In a tweet this morning he said he wanted to get an idea of the war situation, the humanitarian situation and the preparatory work for the reconstruction of the country. He later said he was appalled by the war of aggression against civilian infrastructure and was moved by the resilience of Ukraine and its citizens.
• Some 20 public names from French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland have cut a lock of their hair to express support for Iranian women. A video shows the women, including the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Carla Del Ponte, cutting their hair.
• An online organ transplant register will cease operating after a probe into serious security flaws. The Swisstransplant Foundation today said it would shut down the digital system despite taking measures to fix its more serious flaws. Its decision was partly influenced by a nationwide vote in May to change the concept of consent in relation to organ donations.

Livia Tomas

Swiss people 55 years or older have strong ties to Switzerland, even when living in another country, according to a survey on transnational ageing.

Almost one quarter of the Swiss Abroad are retired, and the proportion of retired people living abroad is rising faster than the proportion of other age groups. Increasing life expectancy and emigration decisions of individuals close to or at retirement age are the main reasons for this.

The survey focused on the living situation and mobility practices of the Swiss Abroad aged 55 or older. Researchers from the Institute of Sociology at the University of Neuchâtel and the Geneva School of Social Work collected 4,689 responses from over 43 countries around the world during the Covid-19 pandemic. Here are some of the findings:

• 74.3% usually read a Swiss local or regional newspaper, a newsletter or visit websites to stay informed with the current situation in Switzerland.
• 21.9% have already bought Swiss SIM cards for their mobile phone to communicate with loved ones in Switzerland or for other reasons.
• 44.5% have searched for information about election campaigns and referendums in Switzerland via newspapers, conversations with family and friends, or the red voting booklet.
• 35.2% participate in Swiss referendums and elections. The number of people who vote is therefore lower than the number of people who stay informed about political issues.

Keystone / Abir Sultan

Israeli archaeologists have found the 15^th-century inscription of a Bernese general in Jerusalem. Adrian von Bubenberg apparently immortalised himself with graffiti during a pilgrimage in 1466.

The inscription and the von Bubenbergs’ family emblem were discovered on a wall in the King David Tomb complex on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced today. The building complex had belonged to Franciscan monks at the time and had served as a hostel for pilgrims. Many of them left their mark on the wall. Modern technology – multispectral photography – now makes it possible to read the faded inscriptions.

Adrian von Bubenberg, a knight who won a famous victory at the Battle of Murten in 1476, came on pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1466 – as one had to do to be accepted into the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre – and on his visit either he or his son, also called Adrian, left a charcoal inscription of his name and family emblem on the wall. Genuine Graf-fiti…

After his death in 1479, and in gratitude for his protection of Bern and Switzerland, von Bubenberg was buried in a place of honour in Bern’s cathedral. A statue of him still stands in one of the capital’s main squares, and many streets in Swiss cities are named after him.