Federal Celebration on the Rütli
On the 1st of August, people from all corners of Switzerland are invited to come and celebrate the Swiss National Day on the Rütli, with the majestic mountains crowning the backdrop. Since 1994 this celebration has been organised by the patron of the historic landmark, the Swiss Society for the Common Good. This year, the collaboratio helvetica team was invited as Nora Wilhelm was keynote speaker on the Rütli. A day to remember!
Gliding across the emerald green waters of Lake Lucerne, we finally anchored close to the Rütli – a mountain meadow in the heart of Switzerland where the Swiss Confederacy was first called out. Upon descending the boat, the guests were greeted musically by an alphorn trio as the ship floated away with the Swiss Flag blowing in the wind. Perhaps at that moment, you felt proud to call this place your home, or maybe, as I thought, it was almost a bit too cheesy. But is that not a Swiss specialty?
Whether you are Swiss by birth or have settled here by choice, feelings of cultural and national belonging are complex. It is difficult to define what it means to celebrate Switzerland or what it means to be Swiss. Still, we honour the traditions that came before and consciously welcome the new practices in the making; this was the theme of the 1st of August celebration. Highlights of the program included the singing of the National Anthem by Yvonne Apiyo Brändle-Amolo and the speech from our Co-Founder Nora Wilhelm.
Some impressions from the Rütli.
"Je vous laisse avec trois mots qui me servent toujours d’inspiration: Curiosité, Compassion et Courage. Neugierde, Mitgefühl und Mut. Curiosity, Compassion and Courage."
Further literature to the topic:
The Swiss national anthem (old and new proposal): https://sgg-ssup.ch/en/social-cohesion/swiss-national-anthem/
SRF Documentary Yvonne Apiyo Brändle-Amolo: https://www.srf.ch/play/tv/10-vor-10/video/integration-a-la-unspunnen?urn=urn:srf:video:1afdd187-052d-465d-a796-d2f42b5ffdd8
SGG article on the Royal federal holiday under the sign of the peaceful struggle: https://sgg-ssup.ch/fr/news/fete-federale-2022/
Sarah Keller is passionate about transcultural research, interdisciplinary art, and post-colonialism. Currently, she is studying Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Zürich, with a Minor in Indology, and is fascinated by topics of cultural diversity, critical modernization theories and radical inclusivity.
