If there are two terms that I have feared in the last few years, were the “Wacker” and “confederates”, in the worst case: a combination of the two. You not only sound as if they came from a time in which you could letters to the editor without any problems with the salutation “miss parts” begin. They also describe a view of Switzerland, the probably no one finds interesting, who has ever tried to describe the reality. Nevertheless, this world keeps vision alive somehow.
It is a world in which Switzerland is inhabited almost exclusively by cows. If a man sneaks into the picture is to be seen by him, only the left forearm, it is a mechanical watch in the price of a medium class car. The density of hair on the forearm indicate that it is a man. Swiss women are never seen. The man with the watch, none of them work. You will also see him never doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, or Meditate. to come
In conflict with the stereotypes
in Order to rest, stroking it now and again over bars of gold or the finest milk chocolate. In the Winter you can see him sometimes, as he dipped neatly cut bread cubes into the Fondue. Very rarely but it can happen to him. Then he reaches for the Alphorn, the army weapon, or to the Swiss flag and throws it to either a mountain – or brings you next to a cow in position.
And although I’ve written for an incredibly open, smart, and interested members of the editorial Board, I am advised in the case of some texts, with these stereotypes in conflict. That a colleague “wanted to write brave confederates” in my article, was fortunately never. The image of the “Swiss self-types” that might be in their singularity, are hardly larger, was, however, persistent, as are the photos of cows, gold bars and from the mountain flying Swiss flags. Really I was delighted to see only once: as it was, in fact, cows. The Hornkuhinitiative came a few months ago even on the cover of the “süddeutsche Zeitung”.
For the colleagues in Munich, my texts were still grateful: When nothing occurred, you could illustrate it is still a cow.
Otherwise, I have tried to show Switzerland as a “normal country”. Really exotic, it came to me in Zurich. There is more cheese than you is the in Germany usual, in politics and society, however, the conflicts seemed to me to be often a similar: we will discuss about national and regional identities, the question of how to defend in a globalized world, their own wealth, it’s about equality, corruption, labour costs, electric bicycles, low interest and high real estate prices. If it was once a quaint, Swiss, and strangely, I looked forward to it of course. Very often it was not.
For the colleagues in Munich, my texts were still grateful: When nothing occurred, you could illustrate it is still a cow.
(Tages-Anzeiger)
Created: 04.02.2019, 16:16 PM
