Switzerland Today

Hello from Bern,

It was a treasure hunt for the ages in Graubünden. Today, a group of archeologists announced they had made an “exceptional” discovery – likely the most important one in the canton to date. What did they find? And why is it such a big deal?

The answers and some other hidden gems in today’s briefing from Switzerland.

Canton Graubünden

In the news: an exceptional Bronze Age discovery, Switzerland keeps its options open on nuclear power, and the high-altitude Glacier 3000 reopens for business.

• Around 80 rare artefacts from the late Bronze Age (photo above), including jewellery, sickles and axes, have been discovered in the Albula region in southeast Switzerland. The canton’s archaeological service called the “exceptional” discovery “the finest hour for Graubünden archaeology”. Archaeologists believe the objects date from the 12th and 11th centuries BC.
• The family of Mike Ben Peter, a Nigerian man who died from a heart attack during his arrest in Lausanne in 2018, has appealed against therecent acquittal of six police officers on homicide charges. The family’s attorney said that the facts were “poorly investigated”. The verdict on June 23 triggered protests and calls for police reform.
• Switzerland’s largest energy company Axpo has extended a purchase agreement with the French electricity group EDF for the long-term supply of nuclear power. The country has committed to phase out nuclear energy but the Ukraine war and fears of energy shortages have led to fresh debate about the role of nuclear.
• The famous Glacier 3000 eatery reopened today, nearly nine months after a fire burned down part of the restaurant. Situated above Glacier 3000 at Les Diablerets in French-speaking canton Vaud, the restaurant was designed by renowned Swiss architect Mario Botta and is a popular stopping-off place for skiers before they tackle the glacier slopes. Because of the high altitude, firefighters could only use helicopters to put out the fire.
• The ultra-rich continue to park more of their wealth in Switzerland than any other country. Swiss banks managed $2.4 trillion (CHF2.1 trillion) of assets belonging to wealthy foreigners last year, according to the latest Global Wealth Report, published annually by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

© Keystone / Christian Beutler

No hiding behind camouflage for one Bernese woman

Apparently, there is a reason why a Swiss army uniform isn’t a popular Halloween or Fasnacht costume in Switzerland: that would be illegal. One woman, who goes by the name Verena E. (name changed), learned this the hard way.

According to an articleExternal link in Tages-Anzeiger, Verena, who isn’t part of the Swiss army, was fined CHF200 for wearing a camouflage suit from the Swiss army to a costume party. According to Article 331 of the Swiss Criminal Code, this is a punishable offence. “I had no idea it was forbidden,” Verena told the paper.

But how did the police find out? This is where the story gets even more intriguing. Verena posted a picture of herself at the costume party on Instagram. But even then, you’d have to be digging for something to find it, especially since she posted the photo three years ago.

It turns out that a police officer discovered the photo while googling Verena after she came in with a complaint about a totally unrelated matter. The cantonal police say “googling” isn’t standard practice and legal experts say that evidence obtained in this way likely wouldn’t have been able to be used as “evidence”.

Verena decided not to contest the charge but instead of paying the fee, she’s asked for community service. “That will definitely give me a few karma points,” she told the paper.

Keystone / Samir Thapa

An endurance test at 8,000 metres high for the “104,000 lady”

Sophie Lauvaud has become the first Swiss woman to climb 14 mountains of more than 8,000 metres. On Monday morning she reached the summit of Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, which is part of the Himalayan mountains.

The first Swiss man to accomplish this was in 1995. There are only a handful of womenExternal link around the world who have successfully climbed the 14 peaks. But what’s perhaps just as impressive is Lauvaud’s endurance. It has been 11 years since she started her quest.

Lauvaud, who refers to herself as the 104,000 lady (the sum of all the peaks she’s reached), shares more about her expeditions on her websiteExternal link.

Illustration: Helen James / swissinfo.ch

Who are the Swiss Abroad? Depends on who you ask

There’s a common complaint about the 11% of Swiss who live abroad: there isn’t enough information about you. This complaint often rears its head around federal election time when political parties are vying for votes.

There are some things we know, writes political scientist Claude Longchamp (photo above). Did you know that three-quarters of Swiss Abroad hold multiple citizenships? How many do you think have university degrees? How about the number of Swiss Abroad that aren’t even of voting age?

The answers might surprise you.

What else would you like to know about the Swiss Abroad?