Swiss culture is influenced by neighboring countries, but over the years a distinct and independent culture has developed with some regional differences. In particular, the Francophone regions were oriented more towards French culture. [53] In general, the Swiss are known for their long humanitarian tradition, as Switzerland was the birthplace of the Red Cross movement and is home to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Similarly, in German Switzerland they are more oriented towards German culture, although speakers of Swiss German identify themselves strictly as Swiss due to the difference between High German and Swiss German dialects. In Italian Switzerland it is largely perceived the Italian culture. [53] In short, a region has a closer cultural connection with the neighboring country that shares its language. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in the mountains of eastern Switzerland strives to keep its not only linguistic traditions alive. [53]
Many mountainous areas are highly connected with the sports cultures of skiing in winter and hiking in summer. Throughout the year, some areas have a culture of leisure to attract tourism, even in spring and summer, to the quieter seasons, when there are fewer visitors and a greater Swiss presence. A traditional farming and farming culture also predominates in some areas and small farms are still ubiquitous on the outskirts of cities.
In cinema, American productions make up the vast majority of billboards, although several Swiss films have been commercially successful. Folk art is kept alive thanks to various organizations located throughout the national territory, where music, dance, poetry, wood carving and embroidery are encouraged. The Alpine horn, a trumpet made of wood, together with the yodel and the accordion, have become the international symbol of traditional Swiss music.
Literature
As the confederation, since its founding in 1291, was made up almost exclusively of German-speaking regions, the earliest literary works are in German. In the 18th century, French became the fashionable language in Bern and other regions, while the influence of the Francophone allies and other territories was becoming more marked than before.
Among the classic authors of Swiss German literature are Jeremias Gotthelf (1797-1854), Gottfried Keller (1819-1890) and Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (1825-1989). The three highest representatives of 20th century Swiss literature are Robert Walser(1878-1956), Max Frisch (1911-1991) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921-1990), author of Die Physiker (Physicists) and Das Versprechen (The promise). [54]
The most prominent French-speaking Swiss writers are Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), Germaine de Stael (1766-1817), and Benjamin Constant (1767-1830). More recent authors include Blaise Cendrars (born Frédéric Sauser, 1887-1961), Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878-1947), whose novels describe the life of the peasants who inhabited the mountainous areas, in a decadent time [54] , to Gustave Roud (1897-1976) and Philippe Jaccottet (* 1925). Italian and Romansh-speaking authors have also contributed to Swiss literature, but in a more modest way.
Probably the most famous creation in Swiss literature is Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Alps, one of the most popular children’s books in the world that has become a symbol of Switzerland. Its creator, Johanna Spyri (1827-1901), wrote other works with similar themes. [54]
Media
The freedom of the press and free speech rights are recognized by the constitution of Switzerland. [55] The Swiss News Agency (SNA) broadcasts information on politics, society, economy and culture throughout the day in the three official languages. The SNA is the source of almost all the news about Switzerland, and several foreign news services collaborate with it. [55]
As a country located in Europe according to NATUREGNOSIS, Switzerland has had the largest number of newspapers published in proportion to its population and size. [56] The most influential newspapers are the Tages-Anzeiger, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (both in German) and Le Temps (in French), but almost every city has its local newspaper. The cultural diversity of the country contributes to the publication of multiple newspapers. [56]
In contrast to the print media, broadcasters have always been largely under government control. [56] The Swiss Radio Station, whose name was recently changed to SRG SSR idée suisse, is in charge of producing and transmitting several national radio and television programs. The SRG SSR studies are distributed across the different linguistic regions. Radio programs are produced in six central studios and four local studios, while television programs are broadcast in Zurich (SF), Geneva (TSR), Lugano (RTSI) and Chur (RTR). A large cable transmission company also allows the Swiss population to access programs from neighboring countries. [56]
Gastronomy
The gastronomy of Switzerland is multifaceted. While some dishes such as fondue, raclette or rösti are present in all the kitchens of the country, each region developed its own gastronomy, each gastronomic zone coinciding with the different linguistic zones. [57] The traditional Swiss cuisine uses ingredients similar to those of other European countries, among other products milk and cheeses such as Gruyere or Emmental, produced in valleys of Gruyère and Emmental, from where they take their names.
The chocolate is manufactured in Switzerland since the eighteenth century, but gained its reputation at the end of the nineteenth century with the invention of modern techniques such as conching and tempering which helped improve the quality of products. Furthermore, another of the great Swiss breakthroughs in this industry was the invention of milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter.
The mainly white wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud, Geneva and Ticino. Vineyards have existed in the area since Roman times, and vestiges were even found that could date back to earlier dates. The most widely produced varieties are Chasselas (called “Fendant” in Valais) and Pinot Noir. The Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.
Sports
Much of the most popular sports in Switzerland are winter sports. The skiing and mountaineering are very practiced in the country both Swiss and foreigners, as their snowy peaks attract climbers from around the world. The country has hosted multiple winter sports world championships and tournaments, including two editions of the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948, both in Sankt Moritz. In addition, in Engelberg, one of the World Cup ski jumping events is held annually.
Like other Europeans, many Swiss are football fans and the country has its own national team, organized by the Swiss Football Association. Since the 1920s, soccer became popular and a boom period for this sport began in the country, which culminated in 1954, when Switzerland organized the Soccer World Championship. After a stagnation in the decades that followed, in the late 1990s, the national soccer team managed to qualify for the 1994 Soccer World Cup, with which the country regained interest in soccer. [58] Until 2009, the national team has played 8 World Cups, with the quarterfinals being its best result. In 2008, Switzerland organized the European Championship together with Austria. Switzerland has participated in 3 European Cups, where it has never passed the first phase. The main soccer competition in the country is the Swiss Super League.
Many Swiss are also followers of the ice hockey and support one of the 12 clubs in the League A. In April 2009 Switzerland hosted the IIHF World Championships for the tenth time.
The Cycling is another sport that also has extensive promotion and participation. In Switzerland, a wide variety of cycling events are held, such as the Tour of Switzerland and the Tour de Romandie, in addition to the fact that the country has hosted international championships such as the World Road Cycling Championships. Among the most prominent Swiss cyclists are Fabian Cancellara, Alex Zülle and Tony Rominger.
Other sports that have gained popularity in Switzerland include tennis, with tennis players of the stature of Roger Federer and Martina Hingis ; and figure skating, highlighting the skater Stéphane Lambiel. In both sports the Swiss have won multiple tournaments and championships. There are also other sports where several Swiss athletes have been successful such as fencing (Marcel Fischer), canoeing (Ronnie Dürrenmatt), sailing (Alinghi), kayaking (Mathias Röthenmund), volleyball(Sascha Heyer, Markus Egger, Paul and Martin Laciga), among others.
The motoring, the motorcycling and other similar sports were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with the exception of events like mountain race. This ban was lifted in June 2007. During this period, several successful racers such as Clay Regazzoni, Jo Siffert and World Touring Car Championship racer Alain Menu continued to emerge in various regions of the country. Switzerland also won the A1GP Motocross World Cup in the 2007-2008 season, with driver Neel Jani. The Swiss Motorcyclist Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category.
Traditional Swiss sports include wrestling called Schwingen, an ancient tradition from the rural cantons in the center of the country. [59] The steinstossen is the Swiss variant of the shot put, a competition where a heavy stone is thrown as far as possible. Practiced among the Alpine population since prehistoric times, it became popular in Basel around the 13th century. The hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is a cross between baseball and golf and is practiced mainly in the north of the country. [59]