Nevertheless,
Swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps,:
Many. For example, people do not know the words of the Swiss national anthem by heart. Therefore,
Keystone / Alexandra WeyIt is not the most exhilarating national anthem. Therefore, few people know it by heart, but the Swiss Song has so far resisted all replacement attempts, after having “defeated” the former Ô Independent mountains. In addition, – Swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps,
You may have already experienced a situation where you sing a song in chorus. Therefore, that someone is mistaken swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps, in the lyrics. Consequently, Even without making a mistake. For example, it is a situation that occurs easily in a multilingual Switzerland when the national anthem is singled.
Provided that we sing it … In addition, It is indeed not obvious, unlike other countries. Consequently, The national male football team. In addition, or at least a good part of it is known for example to keep the lips closed before the matches (which is not the case with the women’s team, which, during the recent European championship, showed less reluctance to sing the Swiss Song).
Last June. Therefore, when the former footballer of the national team Valon Behrami was questioned on this subject by the Swiss Italian radiation (RSI), he advanced three excuses to justify his silence: the perplexity of the opponents by hearing different languages, his weak talents of singer and the fact that he did not remember the swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps, words.
Valon Behrami is in good company in Switzerland. Knowing even the first stanza by heart is an unusual competence. Even the former president of the Confederation Moritz Leuenberger confessed that he often happened to him “to move only the lips. having not memorized the redundant verses”.
If the sentence of the former federal counselor had resonated in time until the 19th century. it would certainly not have rained in Leonhard Widmer, the author of the text, nor to Alberik Zwyssig, the composer of music.
Swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps,
A piece born of an unusual friendship
Widmer and Zwyssig came from opposite worlds. The first was a liberal-radical progressive of Protestant confession, the second a Cistercian monk. However, a friendship was born between them. Widmer. in addition to holding a partition store frequented by the religious, was also a poet, and in 1841, he asked Zwyssig to set swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps, one of his poems to music.
The monk recyclated a liturgical song which he had composed a few years earlier. The result: the Swiss Songa hymn that mixes God, mountains and morning light in a spiritual and patriotic mixture.
But it took decades before Swiss Song access the status of national anthem. First of all. because hymns (not just in Switzerland) were often confined to national ceremonies until the broadcast of radio and television. Not touching a large audience, their formalization has long remained low in the list of swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps, priorities of the authorities. The Federal Council had also pointed out several times that it was not its competence to impose it.
Second. the Swiss Song had a competitor, also sung during official demonstrations: Ô Independent mountainsof the poet and professor of philosophy Johann Rudolf Wyss.
God Save… le Swiss Song
The two texts were very different. By putting aside the non -literal translations of the German original. the content of the first stanza of the Song of Widmer/Zwiss can be summarized as follows: the beauty of the Alps, illuminated by morning light, inspires great faith and a desire to pray for the fatherland.
Italy:
When blonde aurora the morning there
The Alma Mia tea king swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps, of the sky!
When the Alpe already rosseggia
to pray when you look forward to.
In Favor of the Patrio Suol,
In Favor of the Patrio Suol,
citizen God wants it,
citizen God, yes God wants it.
German:
Therefore step in the morning red
See yourself in the sea of rays,
You, you conveyed, more wonderful!
When the Alpine Firn reduces,
Pray, free Swiss, pray!
Your pious soul suspects
Your pious soul suspects
God in the noble fatherland,
God, the Lord, in the noble fatherland.
French:
On our mountains. when the sun
Announces a brilliant alarm clock,
And predicts the return of a better day,
The beauties of the fatherland
Speak to the tender soul;
In the sky rises more happy
In the sky rises more happy
The accents of a pious heart,
The emotional accents of a pious heart.
Romance:
En l’Aurora la damaun ta salida the carstgaun,
SPIERT Eternatur, tutpussent!
Cur ch’ils munts straglischan sura,
Ura Liber Swiss, Ura.
My olma feels stop,
Mia Olma Senta stop dieu en tschiel,
He Bab Etern, God in swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps, Tschiel, he Bab Etern.
Source: Swiss National LibraryExternal link
Wyss’s poem, on the other hand, is much more direct in its content. A brutal paraphrase could be: “Oh, that it is beautiful to die while fighting for the fatherland!” I hope it will happen to me; I don’t ask for better. ”
According to the international geopolitical situation, one or the other of the hymns benefited from more favors. In 1961, called yet another time, the government provisionally appointed the Swiss Song as a national anthem. A “provisional” which was going to last 20 years, up to 1is April 1981, when he became the official anthem de jure.
However, it was not the pacifist spirit of the time that tipped the scales, but above all a musical problem. Indeed. Ô Independent mountains was sung on the air of God Save the Kingas was the case for swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps, several national hymns (that of Liechtenstein, for example, is still musically identical to that of the United Kingdom today). However, it was starting to provoke a certain embarrassment during international sporting events.
On September 8. 1963, the Calendar program in the history of French -speaking Swiss television devoted a report to the change of anthem:
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Swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps,
Attempts to change
Some elderly still sods in swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps, the face of this decision. But it’s not just the nostalgic for Ô Independent mountains who hardly appreciate the current national anthem.
In 2004, the socialist parliamentarian at the time, Margret Kiener Nellen, presented a motion aimed at modernizing the national anthem. According to her, he was too nationalist, complicated, pompous and hostile to women as well as foreigners. The motion was withdrawn due to the strong opposition encountered in Parliament.
About ten years later. the Swiss public utility company (SSUP) again tried to modify the national anthem, by launching a competition to change its words. According to the association, these were not known to the population and no longer reflected the values of the country.
Werner Widmer’s version with the stanza that brings together the four national languages:
On the red background the white cross,
symbol of our alliance,
sign of peace and independence.
Let’s open our hearts to equity
And respect our diversities.
To each freedom
in solidarity.
Our Swiss flag deployed,
symbol of peace and freedom.
All versions on the site External linkof the SSUP
Fun coincidence: the author of the winning text. announced in September 2015, also bore the name of Widmer, as the author of the original hymn. Werner Widmer, originally from Argovie, had replaced religious references with modern constitutional values, including unity in diversity.
With the text selected. the support of 250 known personalities, including former members of the Federal Council (yes, even Moritz Leuenberger), the SSUP had only a last little obstacle to overcome: teaching and making the new hymn appreciates the whole swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps, country. A resounding failure! Of the 2. 300 municipalities invited to promote the new anthem on the occasion of the National Day, only about twenty responded to the call.
Until the next attempt to change-and probably far beyond-the Swiss Song will therefore remain in place. After all, even if it is not very modern, one could say that it reflects Switzerland well and its policy. First of all because it is slow. and then because, like many laws adopted by Parliament, it represents the solution which generates the lowest possible degree of collective dissatisfaction.
The weaknesses of the Swiss Song according to David Castello-Lope. which offers an alternative hymn in the 52-minute program of the RTS of March 26, 2022:
Text reread and verified by Daniele Mariani, translated from Italian using AI/OP
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Swiss song: outdated anthem, perhaps,
Further reading: Switzerland calls for respect for the ceasefire in Soueida-Rts.ch – Switzerland: an elected official wants to remove the prison for small fines – Death of Eric Freymond, Banker and Geneva patron – Tax foreign motorists, the solution to summer traffic jams? – Rts.ch – Euro 2025: Record crowds, series goals: the Swiss formula is seduced.