It's that time again; Switzerland's national holiday is being celebrated for the 730th time this year. Since 1291 and the infamous "Rütli Oath" in the heart of Switzerland, the Swiss people have celebrated exuberantly in red and white every August 1st. Back then, they united as a loose "Confederation." Starting in 1798, a centralized "Helvetic Republic" was established between the various confederations, and in 1803 (reorganized in 1815), the "Swiss Confederation" was formed. Since the adoption of the Federal Constitution in 1848, Switzerland has enjoyed the status of a federal state. Since then, Switzerland has maintained its valuable neutrality – this has enabled it to fight and overcome two world wars, a Cold War, several economic crises, and humanitarian and health crises, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Switzerland is culturally and traditionally very diverse and therefore has a lot to offer. The fact that we are able to live in peace and prosperity to this day has a long history and should not be taken for granted. Therefore, on the occasion of the 730th anniversary, we want to dedicate this article to some of the most important heroes and heroines in Swiss history. By heroes and heroines, we mean mythical heroes and heroines, but above all, influential personalities who helped shape Switzerland during their lifetimes. And of course, this list is not exhaustive; the length of this article is limited.
Heroes and heroines from mythology
William Tell
The hero of all Swiss heroes is and remains, of course, William Tell, the bearded Alpine Adonis with a hood and a crossbow. He was a freedom fighter within Switzerland who defied the dictates of Habsburg rule. As punishment, he was forced to shoot an apple off his son Walter's head with his crossbow. Finally, he shot the Habsburg governor Hermann Gessler right in the heart with this very crossbow in the "Hollow Street." A heroic story—if it really happened, since it is based on a play by Friedrich Schiller from 1804. William Tell is and remains a hero and even adorns our 5-franc coin to this day.
Heidi
To this day, Switzerland is often portrayed in the romanticized and idealized way it was portrayed in the Heidi novels of the 1880s. Wonderful mountain landscapes, cows grazing in lush flower meadows, and an orphaned girl with pigtails who lives with her grandfather on the Alps and doesn't want to go to the city or school, preferring instead to spend time with the young goatherd, Peter. Hardly any other woman has shaped the image of Switzerland as a perfect mountain nation as much as Heidi. The story is known worldwide, has been translated into many languages, and has been made into several films.
The heroines of the Villmergen War
Unfortunately, there are few sources of female heroes from the distant past. However, the women of Fahrwangen and Meisterschwanden (present-day Canton of Aargau) have truly earned their heroic status with their deeds. Since 1912, their service in the Villmergen War of 1712 has been honored with a three-day festival every January. At that time, they are said to have marched noisily and in large numbers through the surrounding forests, fooling the enemy from neighboring Villmergen into believing that an army was approaching.
Heroes who still shape us today
General Henri Guisan (1874-1960)
Switzerland and its neutrality. We owe the preservation of this precious asset to few as much as Henri Guisan. The last Swiss general led Switzerland through World War II, at the center of the European war, surrounded by fascist warlords. The entire nation stood behind him and trusted him completely – for many of the older generations, he is considered the "savior of Switzerland" and an undisputed national hero.
Henry Dunant (1828-1910)
He shares the same first name with the previous one, and his influence is no less. Henry Dunant was the founder of the Red Cross, which continues to provide incredible humanitarian work around the world. He also founded the Geneva Convention and was honored as the first Nobel Peace Prize winner for his lifelong fight against suffering.
Johannes Calvin & Huldrych Zwingli (1509-1564 & 1484-1531)
Without these two reformers, we wouldn't live in the free and democratic Switzerland we do today. Zwingli reformed the church and ensured that significant parts of the country seceded from conservative Catholicism. Calvin had similarly modern economic ideas and found acceptance in neighboring countries. These two, and other Enlightenment figures like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, are partly responsible for the modern Switzerland we know today.
Heroines and heroes from today
Lise Girardin (1921-2010)
Equality between men and women and the associated right to vote and to stand for election remain burning issues to this day. This right was only introduced at the national level in 1971, and even later in some regions. When speaking of this struggle, several personalities would have to be mentioned, but one of the central and representative figures was Lise Girardin. She was the first woman in an executive government (Councilor of State and Mayor of Geneva), the first woman to serve in the Council of States in Switzerland, and the first woman on the Board of Directors of what is now UBS (then Union Bank of Switzerland).
Roger Federer (1981)
Is Roger Federer really a hero? We believe he is the most successful Swiss athlete of all time, a crowd favorite and magnet. He is a consummate professional, a role model, and THE figurehead of Switzerland. With his modesty, he represents Swiss values on the international stage. King Roger is a cult figure and, even at almost 40 years old, still plays tennis at the highest level – and has therefore earned his hero status.
All helping forces who care for us in times of crisis
Corona has become part of everyday life – countless measures, restrictions, and changes have turned our lives completely upside down in the last few months. And while we're annoyed that we're only allowed four people to sit at a table in a restaurant, we forget how well we actually have it, because many people have lost loved ones because of Corona and are now sitting alone at the table. For around a year and a half, thousands of people have been working tirelessly in many areas, ensuring the well-being of us all. And for that, we at NIKIN would like to simply say thank you. Solidarity is incredibly important in times of crisis – continue to be considerate, adhere to the measures, and keep the number of cases low.
Who have we forgotten?
Who are your Swiss heroes? Who has achieved extraordinary things and deserves hero status? Let us know in the comments.
