The Swiss Confederation (CH: Confoederatio Helvetica)

Welcome to our introductory page on German-Swiss culture and life in Switzerland! On this page you’ll find links to our articles related to Switzerland—with information, photos, and links to help you learn more about German-Swiss customs and daily life in der Schweiz.

Two members of the Swiss Guard at the Vatican. Learn more below. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, consists of 26 cantons (states/provinces). The city of Bern is the seat of the national parliament and the federal authorities. The nation’s “recent” history dates back to 1648, when under the Peace of Westphalia, European countries recognized Switzerland’s independence from the Holy Roman Empire and its neutrality. The nation has been a federal state with a constitution since 12 September 1848. Its unique federal government allows the 26 cantons a great deal of autonomy, recognizing both national and cantonal citizenship. – For more about Switzerland, see these GW pages: History of Switzerland and Switzerland: Facts and Figures.

Swiss Topics

Below you’ll find links to our pages related to the culture and history of Switzerland. Also see our Switzerland for Tourists page.

• Switzerland: Facts and Figures – Country information
• Switzerland for Tourists – Helpful information for travelers
• Autobahn Tolls in Austria and Switzerland – The Swiss autobahn sticker (Mautvignette)
• History of Switzerland with notable Swiss, past and present
• Dialects – Swiss German is a variation of the German language
• Holidays and Celebrations – Key holidays and other official and unofficial observations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland
• Marc Forster (1969- ) is a Swiss-German Hollywood film director (World War Z, Quantum of Solace).
• Ursula Andress (1935- ) is the Swiss actress who was the first Bond girl.

Links continued below…

The Pontifical Swiss Guard (Päpstliche Schweizergarde)

The general term Swiss Guards refers to the Swiss soldiers who once served as mercenaries, bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at various European courts. But today most people think of the Swiss Guard (singular) as the colorful guardsmen stationed at the Vatican to protect the pontiff. The contemporary Pontifical Swiss Guard can trace its origins back to earlier units, such as the Swiss Hundred Guard (Cent Suisses) stationed at the French court from 1497 until 1830. The reputation of the Swiss mercenary soldiers as guardsmen helped lead to the creation of the only Swiss Guard unit that exists today.

The Pontifical Swiss Guard of Vatican City was created in 1506 (under Pope Julius II) and actually consists of Swiss citizens. Recruits must be Catholic, single males with Swiss citizenship who have completed basic training with the Swiss military and demonstrate good conduct. The Pontifical Swiss Guard now has about 110 to 135 members, and celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2006. In addition to their Vatican duties, Swiss Guards are also stationed at the entrance to the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, 24km (15mi) southeast of Rome.

The distinctive, tricolor (red, blue and yellow) Swiss Guard dress uniforms are tailor made in the Vatican barracks for each soldier. The dress uniform weighs 8 pounds (3.6 kg). Guardsmen also have a simpler solid blue uniform for regular duty, worn with white gloves, black shoes and a black beret. (See photo above.)

In addition to the ceremonial sword worn with the dress uniform, the Swiss Guard also has modern weapons at its disposal, including Austrian Glock 19 pistols and Heckler & Koch MP5 9mm submachine guns.

WEB > Swiss Guard – History – The official Vatican Swiss Guard website in English.

General Information and Guides

• Know Before You Go – Passports, money, customs and more
• Air Travel – Airports, airlines, advice
• Driving in Germany – Things you need to know about getting behind the wheel in Germany and Europe
• Driving on the Autobahn – Fast and furious!
• Germans in Hollywood – German, Austrian and Swiss people – past and present – in Hollywood
• Also see the Web links below.

Next | Switzerland: Facts and Figures

Switzerland: Related Web Links

• Just Landed – Switzerland – Living, working or studying in Switzerland? Just Landed helps you manage everyday life.
• Das Wetter in der Schweiz von SRF (Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen) – Swiss TV weather site
• Landeskarten der Schweiz / Swiss Maps and geodata online (in English or German)
• Paul Klee – The life and art of the Swiss artist at the Web Museum
• Swiss International Air Lines (formerly Swissair)

Swiss Radio and TV

• SRF – Swiss Radio and Television – Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (news, information)
• Radio Basilisk in Basel. Listen to streaming audio (news/info) in Swiss German, plus music (live broadcast)
• Swiss Broadcasting Corp. (SRG-SSR, English) – In English, French, German, Italian, and Romansch. Includes info about SRI, the Swiss international radio service.

Swiss News Media

• 24 Minuten online – Swiss and world news (in German)
• Neue Zürcher Zeitung
• Tages Anzeiger
• Basler Zeitung
• Blick – The Swiss “Enquirer”
• Der schweizerische Beobachter
• Migros-Magazin

Swiss Government Web Sites

• Swiss Embassy – London – Info for UK subjects interested in Switzerland.
• US Embassy, Bern – for Switzerland and Liechtenstein – Information of interest to US citizens living and working in Switzerland or Liechtenstein.
• Swiss Embassy, Washington, DC.

Swiss Tourism and Culture

• The German Way Expat Blog also covers Switzerkand
• Just Landed – Expat information and resources for CH.
• Swiss Museums – Available in English, German, French, and Italian!

Next | Switzerland: Facts and Figures

Related Pages
AT THE GERMAN WAY

• Switzerland: Facts and Figures
• History of Switzerland
• Notable People – Biographies of famous and not-so-famous people from the German-speaking world
• Featured Biographies – More detailed bios of notable people from the German-speaking world
• Notable Women from Austria, Germany, Switzerland
• Germans in Hollywood – Swiss, Austrian and German people in Hollywood

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