At the beginning of the month of August 1291, the three cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden swore eternal allegiance and mutual assistance to one another. In the following 500 years, these cantons became the focal point around which the Switzerland of today is built. This historic alliance became so important in the development of the country that in 1891, the first of August was designated as Swiss National Day. Ever since then, it has been celebrated every year with fireworks, concerts and parades. To honour this day, here are ten curious facts about Switzerland which you might not know!
1 – Switzerland has a history of accidentally attacking Liechtenstein. In 1985, they launched rockets at their tiny neighbour during a drill. In 1992, they invaded it while setting up an observation post (but apologised by sending a wine and cheese basket to the king). Again, in 2007, 170 Swiss soldiers lost their way and ended up in Liechtenstein. More than once – while practising their flamethrower skills – the military have started forest fires in the country next door. But far from being angry at these invasion, the response from the Liechtenstein government was: “These things happen”.
2 – In the two Swiss cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus, men can vote by bringing along their family sword instead of their voter ID. Appenzell Innerrhoden moreover conducts its votes by a public show of hand (or sword) in the main square.
3 – The Swiss air force only works during regular office hours, from 8AM to 6PM every day. This turned out to be problematic in 2014, when an Ethiopian Airlines plane was hijacked and entered Swiss airspace. It had to be the French and Italian jet pilots to escort it to the Geneva airport because, at 6:02AM, it was still nearly two hours before the Swiss air force came to work. Would-be airspace infiltrators take note: they also take an hour and a half break for lunch.
4 – In 2009, the Swiss police arrested Libyan leader Gaddafi’s son, Hannibal, for aggravated assault. In response, his father responded by expelling Swiss diplomats, shutting down Swiss-owned businesses in Libya, and submitting a proposal to the U.N to abolish Switzerland and divide it between France, Germany and Italy.
5 – According to a study by the aquatic science institute Eawag, approximately 43kg of gold are flushed through the country’s sewage system every year, for a total worth of over EUR 1.7 million. Researchers believe the tiny flecks of gold flow into the sewage from the watchmaking industries and gold refineries. Other findings include almost 3000kg of silver yearly and even rare earth minerals used in the manufacture of electronic devices.
6 – The international data code for Switzerland is CH, which stands for Confoederatio Helvetica, the Latin name for the country. Switzerland chose this code to avoid favouring any of their four official languages – Italian, German, French and Romansh.
7 – Switzerland is unique in having enough nuclear fallout shelters to host its entire population, should it ever be needed. This systematic construction in every home began in the second half of the 1960s, as a reflection of widespread fear of a nuclear strike and Soviet invasion. One of the most popular slogans at the time was: “Neutrality is no guarantee against radioactivity”. To this day, Parliament has shot down all proposals to remove the legal obligation that “apartment block owners are required to construct and fit out shelters in all new dwellings” (article 46 on the Swiss Federal Law on Civil Protection).
8 – There is a hotel which is half in France and half in Switzerland. Its strategic position made Hotel Arbez of fundamental importance for the French Resistance during the German occupation in World War II. Because of Switzerland’s famed neutrality, German soldiers were not allowed to enter the part of the hotel which was located on Swiss soil. The hotel thus became a safe place for Resistance members and refugees alike.
9 – If you fail your practical driving exam more than three times, you will have to see an official psychologist who can assess the reasons for your previous failures and determine whether you are fit to drive. You will also have to be assessed by a psychologist in case you repeatedly drive over the speed limit.
10 – There is a Swiss political party called Anti-PowerPoint Party which is dedicated entirely to decreasing the professional use of Microsoft PowerPoint and other presentation softwares. Its founder seeks to initiate a national referendum to prohibit PowerPoint during presentations, and advocates the use of flip charts in its stead.
