Strong regionalism in Switzerland makes it difficult to speak of a homogeneous Swiss culture. The influence of German, French and Italian culture on their neighbouring parts cannot be denied. The Rhaeto-Romanic culture in the eastern mountains of Switzerland is robust.
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Media
Newspapers have a strong regional character, but some are renowned for their thorough coverage of international issues, such as the Neue Zürcher Zeitung of Zürich and Le Temps of Geneva. Media in Switzerland. Print See also List of newspapers in Switzerland Major Swiss newspapers with circulation as of 2005/6 The Neue Zürcher Zeitung ( NZZ) is a major German language Swiss daily newspaper based in Zürich. Zürich (, Zürich German: Züri, Zurich, Zurigo; in English generally Zurich) is the largest city in Switzerland and capital of the Le Temps is one of Switzerland 's leading daily Newspapers The French language newspaper is published in Geneva and has editorial Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking As elsewhere, television plays a great role in modern cultural life in Switzerland. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The national public broadcaster, SRG SSR idée suisse, offers three networks, one each for the German, French and Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. SRG SSR idée suisse is the Swiss Public broadcasting organisation founded in 1931. In the German-speaking part, television from Germany is popular, as is television from France in the French-speaking part and television from Italy in the Italian-speaking part. American movies and television series are influential in all areas.
In film, American productions constitute most of the programme, although several Swiss movies have enjoyed commercial successes in recent years. Maybe due to the multilingual culture, almost all movie theatres play movies in their original language with subtitles, and films on television are often broadcast in original and synchronized versions.
Folk arts
Folk art is kept alive in organizations all over the country. Swiss folklore is used to describe a collection of local stories celebrations and customs of the alpine and sub-alpine peoples that occupy Switzerland. The Valleys of the Alps have been inhabited since prehistoric times In Switzerland it is mostly expressed in music, dance, poetry, wood carving and embroidery. Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool held in the hand (this may be a power tool resulting in a wooden figure or figurine (this may be abstract Embroidery is the Art or Handicraft of decorating fabric or other Materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or There are also a great number of regional and local rites demarcating times of the year. Yodeling, despite being stereotypical for Switzerland, is not widely spread and limited to some mountain areas. Yodeling (or yodelling, jodeling) is a form of Singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the The same is true for the accordion which is sometimes called Schwiizerörgeli rather than Handorgel in German, implying that it was a Swiss musical instrument. The accordion is a portable box-shaped Musical instrument of the hand-held Bellows -driven free-reed aerophone family sometimes referred to as a Squeezebox
The alphorn, sometimes called the alpenhorn, is a trumpet- like musical instrument made of wood. The alphorn or alpenhorn is a labrophone, consisting of a natural wooden horn of conical bore having a wooden cup-shaped mouthpiece, used by mountain dwellers It is thought to have the perfect form for a musical wind instrument. The use of the alphorn is seen mainly in mountainous regions, can be very popular in some areas, and like yodeling or the accordion, it has become an epitome of traditional Swiss music.
The melodies of folk music vary between regions. Generally those in pastoral areas are floating and wide- ranging. In the inner and southern Alps, however, the melodies are more songlike but of more limited range. Common and popular themes are about love and the homeland, but patriotic and pastoral as well as hunting themes are also commonplace.
The Alpine folk culture is characterized by very expressive dances. Small musical ensembles can be found in the more mountainous areas, particularly in the French speaking part of Switzerland.
The most common form of woodcarving is chip carving. Such carving is normally for the decoration of everyday objects, such as milk stools, neckband for bells, wooden spoons or walking sticks. Figure carving is also common, particularly of Nativity figures. In some areas the facades of houses are richly decorated using woodcarving. This is widespread in the Bernese Oberland region where Protestant Christianity predominates. The Bernese Oberland (Bernese highlands is the higher part of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the south of the canton The area around Lake Thun and In Roman Catholic regions this is far less common.
Embroidery is common on traditional clothing, particularly women's clothing. Embroidery is often limited to prominent points, such as cuffs, hats and scarves. In the past embroidery was a home industry in the northeast and the east of Switzerland. Embroidery is also used for the decoration of fabric. In recent days, embroidery is confined to tourism, as traditional clothes are no longer in use.
Architecture
There is a strong architectural tradition in Switzerland. The Romanesque style of the 12th century can be found in the cathedrals of Basel, Sion, Chur, Geneva and Lausanne. "Basilia" redirects here For the Fly Genus, see Basilia (fly. Sion ( German Sitten, Latin Sedunum) is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. CHUR may refer to CHUR-FM, a radio station in North Bay Ontario Canada Chur, is a city in Switzerland Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking Lausanne ( pronounced, Losanna is a city in Romandy, the French -speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva This style, which is rich in expression, can also be found on many castles and fortresses around the country, many of which preserved in a good condition. The cathedrals of Schaffhausen, Zug and Zürich are of the Gothic style, and the churches of Einsiedeln and St. Gallen are of Baroque style. Schaffhausen ( German:) is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton Zug (German) is the capital of the Canton of Zug in Switzerland. Zürich (, Zürich German: Züri, Zurich, Zurigo; in English generally Zurich) is the largest city in Switzerland and capital of the Einsiedeln is a Benedictine Monastery in Einsiedeln town, in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, dedicated to Our Lady of the St Gallen ( Saint-Gall San Gallo is the capital of the canton of St During the Renaissance, a large number of architectural masters gave their talents to Italy. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Most of these came from the southern canton of Ticino. Canton Ticino or Ticino ( Italian: tiˈtʃiːno French and German: Tessin and) is the southernmost canton of The Prisons near the Doge's Palace in Venice and the Rialto Bridge in Venice were built by Antonio da Ponte. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the The Rialto Bridge ( Ponte di Rialto) is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Antonio da Ponte (1512-1595 was an Italian architect and engineer from Venice, most famous for his rebuilding the Rialto Bridge in that city The Bridge of Sighs in Venice was built by Antonio Contino, and Domenico Fontana (1543-1607) designed the entire Lateran Palace in Naples as well as the facade of the St. Domenico Fontana (1543 &ndash June 28 1607) was a Swiss -born Italian Architect of the late Renaissance. Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the John Lateran Church and the Royal Palace in the same city. Fontana's nephew Carlo Maderno was an architect to Pope Paul V. Carlo Maderno ( 1556 - January 30 1629) was an Italian - Swiss Architect, born in Ticino, who is remembered as For Napoleon's brother-in-law see Camillo Filippo Ludovico Borghese. San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, the gallery of the Palazzo Spada and the Filippini monastery were built by Francesco Borromini, and Carlo Fontana was responsible for the facade of San Marcello al Corso and the Montecitorio Palace; Baldassare Longhena, from Maroggia, built the church of Santa Maria della Salute, the Rezzonico and the Widmann palaces; all in Venice. Another Palazzo Spada serves as the Town Hall of Terni. The Palazzo Spada is a palace in Rome that houses a grand art collection the Francesco Borromini, byname of Francesco Castelli (b Bissone, Ticino, September 25, 1599; Rome, August 3, Carlo Fontana (1634 or 1638 - 1714 was an Italian architect who was in part responsible for the classicizing direction taken by Late Baroque Roman architecture Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the
Giliardi and Oldelli families from Ticino set up architecture practices in Russia. Canton Ticino or Ticino ( Italian: tiˈtʃiːno French and German: Tessin and) is the southernmost canton of Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Giovanni Giliardi built The Orphanage in Moscow, and his son Domenico Giliardi was in charge of the rebuilding Moscow public buildings, including the University, after the Great Fire of 1812. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. Domenico Trezzini built many places in St. Petersburg by the orders of Peter the Great; Pietro Trezzini (not related to Domenico) continued the tradition in 1740s. Domenico Trezzini (ca 1670-1734 was a Swiss-Italian Architect who elaborated the Petrine Baroque style of Russian architecture. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret) was probably the most creative Swiss architectural export in the 20th century. Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, who chose to be known as Le Corbusier ( October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965) was a Swiss The twentieth century of the Common Era began on He was the driving force behind the International school of architecture that heavily influenced almost every trend in buildings throughout the entire Western hemisphere in the recent past.
Distinctive architecture of high quality can be found around Switzerland. It is often considered as particularly innovative modern architecture. Mario Botta is a famous architect who influenced modern architecture. Mario Botta (born April 1, 1943) is a famous modern Architect born in Mendrisio, Ticino canton Switzerland. The architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron from Basel in the north of Switzerland have enjoyed fame in recent years, such as through the building of Tate Modern in London. Herzog & de Meuron Architekten BSA/SIA/ETH ( HdeM) is a Swiss Architecture firm founded and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland in Herzog & de Meuron Architekten BSA/SIA/ETH ( HdeM) is a Swiss Architecture firm founded and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland in "Basilia" redirects here For the Fly Genus, see Basilia (fly. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Tate Modern in London is Britain 's national museum of international Modern art and is with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
Visual arts
In the 16th century Protestantism had a strong influence on visual arts in Switzerland. Samuel Hieronymus Grimm was a well known 18th century watercolourist and ink wash artist, although he created much of his note while working in England. Samuel Hieronymus Grimm (1733-94 was an 18th century Swiss Artist who specialized in Watercolour and Pen and ink media There was almost no influence from Italian or French Renaissance. Chiefly in modern times did Swiss artists begin to emerge internationally. Alberto Giacometti is said to have derived much of his inspiration from the Etruscans, but became internationally known. Alberto Giacometti ( October 10, 1901 – January 11, 1966) was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draftsman, Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy Jean Tinguely fascinated people from all over the world with complex moving sculptures constructed entirely from scrap materials. Jean Tinguely ( 22 May 1925 in Fribourg, Switzerland – 30 August, 1991 in Bern) was a Swiss painter Paul Klee is sometimes regarded as Switzerland's most original and impressive painter.
The Dada movement originated in Switzerland during the 1910s. For other meanings see Dada (disambiguation DaDa is a Concept album by Alice Cooper, released
Despite the relatively small number of internationally famous artists, there are considerable art collections in renowned museums around Switzerland. These are not only found in the cities of Zürich, Basel and Geneva but also in smaller towns such as Schaffhausen, Martigny and Winterthur. Zürich (, Zürich German: Züri, Zurich, Zurigo; in English generally Zurich) is the largest city in Switzerland and capital of the "Basilia" redirects here For the Fly Genus, see Basilia (fly. Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking Schaffhausen ( German:) is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton Martigny ( German Martinach, Latin Octodurum, sometimes also Octodure in French) is the capital of the French Winterthur (pronounced Ger /vɪntərtur/ Eng /tʊər/ is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. The museums in the smaller towns pride themselves for their contribution to the arts, which exceed what is commonly found in provincial areas.
Graphic arts flourish in Switzerland, as does creative photography. Examples of this can be found on calendars, magazines and outdoor billboard advertisements.
- See also: Swiss Style
Literature
In the field of literature Switzerland produced a number of very well known writers. The International Typographic Style, also known as the Swiss Style, is a Graphic design style developed in Switzerland in the 1950s that emphasizes There is no such thing as a Swiss national Vernacular literature, properly speaking Jean-Jacques Rousseau was from Geneva. Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking The critic and historian Jacob Burckhardt was from Switzerland. Jacob Christoph Burckhardt ( May 25, 1818, Basel, Switzerland &ndash August 8, 1897, Basel was a Swiss Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The house of Germaine de Staël in Coppet was a centre of European literary life during the 18th century. Baronne Anne Louise Germaine de Staël-Holstein ( née Necker ( April 22, 1766 &ndash July 14, 1817) (stal commonly known as Coppet is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system Other writers include Gottfried Keller, Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, Jeremias Gotthelf and Charles Ferdinand Ramuz. Gottfried Keller ( July 19, 1819 – July 15, 1890) a Swiss writer of German literature, became arguably best-known for Conrad Ferdinand Meyer ( October 11, 1825 &ndash November 28, 1898) was a poet and as he was born in Zürich, Switzerland a fellow-townsman Albert Bitzius ( October 4, 1797 &ndash October 22, 1854) Swiss Novelist, best known by his pen name of Jeremias Charles Ferdinand Ramuz ( September 24, 1878 &ndash May 23, 1947) was a French -speaking Swiss writer Hermann Hesse and Carl Spitteler both won a Nobel Prize for their works. Hermann Hesse (ˈhɛʀman ˈhɛsə ( 2 July, 1877 — 9 August, 1962) was a German - Swiss poet novelist and painter Carl Friedrich Georg Spitteler ( April 24, 1845 — December 29, 1924) was a Swiss poet who was awarded the Nobel Prize for The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature
In the 20th century the plays of Friedrich Dürrenmatt and Max Frisch impressed readers beyond the borders of Switzerland. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Friedrich Dürrenmatt ( January 5, 1921 &ndash December 14, 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. Max Frisch ( May 15, 1911 &ndash April 4, 1991) was a Swiss Architect, Playwright and Novelist, regarded There are a great number of regional dialects, especially in the German language. Even though standard German is commonly used for writing, there is a living dialect literature in many areas.
For children's culture there is the cartoon character Globi. Globi is a Swiss Cartoon character often referred to as Switzerland's Mickey Mouse.
Music
Switzerland is not commonly considered . Switzerland has long had a distinct cultural identity despite its diversity of German, French and other ethnicities . . . . . . . . . . . . a leading musical nation. However, in the 20th century it produced a number of composers, such as Arthur Honegger, Othmar Schoeck and Frank Martin, all of whom have gained international renown. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Arthur Honegger (March 10 1892 &ndash November 27 1955 was a Swiss Composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. Othmar Schoeck ( Brunnen, Switzerland September 1 1886 &ndash March 8 1957) was a Swiss Composer. Frank Martin ( September 15, 1890 &ndash November 21, 1974) was a Swiss Composer, who lived In Lucerne an annual festival of international music takes place. Lucerne ( Italian Lucerna) is a city in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne Other places have similar festivals, ranging from country and western to pop and jazz. The Montreux Jazz Festival is particularly well known. The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music Festival in Switzerland, Europe's most prestigious
Science
There has been a long tradition of Swiss scientists ever since Paracelsus (real name Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim). Paracelsus (11 November or 17 December 1493 in Einsiedeln Switzerland – 24 September 1541 in Salzburg, Austria) was an alchemist, Paracelsus introduced the field of chemistry into medicine in the 16th century. The Bernoulli family from Basel is known for their significant contributions to mathematics over a time span of three generations. "Basilia" redirects here For the Fly Genus, see Basilia (fly. Leonhard Euler is another innovative mathematician. Horace-Bénédict de Saussure was a naturalist and pioneer in Alpine studies. Horace-Bénédict de Saussure ( February 17, 1740 - January 22, 1799) was a Swiss aristocrat Physicist and Alpine traveller The Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich has produced a great number of Nobel Prize winners. Zürich (, Zürich German: Züri, Zurich, Zurigo; in English generally Zurich) is the largest city in Switzerland and capital of the The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature Ferdinand de Saussure was an important contributor to the field of linguistics. Ferdinand de Saussure (fɛʁdinɑ̃ də soˈsyːʁ ( November 26, 1857 – February 22, 1913) was a Swiss linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of Language, encompassing a number of sub-fields Physicist Albert Einstein, born in Germany, moved to Switzerland in 1895 at the age of 16 and became a Swiss citizen in 1901. Albert Einstein ( German: ˈalbɐt ˈaɪ̯nʃtaɪ̯n; English: ˈælbɝt ˈaɪnstaɪn (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955 was a German -born theoretical Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting
Leisure
The close proximity to the mountains in all areas in Switzerland has greatly influenced the leisure of Swiss people. The growth of ski and mountaineering resorts in the Swiss mountains have caused the Swiss to become very sports conscious. Apart from skiing and mountaineering, Swiss-style wrestling (Schwingen) is still popular in rural areas. Sunday-morning shooting sessions and Hornussen (a kind of Alpine baseball) are two other traditional Swiss sports. Hornussen is an indigenous Swiss sport and is like a cross between Baseball and Golf. Shooting, Tennis, golf, ice hockey, football (soccer), basketball, handball, gliding, paragliding, sailing, swimming, volleyball, floorball, mountain biking and hiking in the forests and mountains are all popular pastimes. Shooting is the act or process of firing Rifles Shotguns or other projectile Weapons such as bows or Crossbows Even the firing of Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, or Olympic handball) is a Team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six Gliding is a Recreational activity and competitive Sport in which pilots fly un-powered aircraft known as Gliders or sailplanes Paragliding is a recreational and competitive flying sport A paraglider is a free-flying foot-launched Aircraft. Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet Floorball is an indoor Team sport that was developed in Sweden in the late 1970's Mountain biking entails the Sport of riding Bicycles off-road often over rough terrain whether riding specially equipped Mountain bikes or hybrid road bikes The word 'hiking' is understood in all English-speaking countries but there are differences in usage Fishing is commonplace in the many lakes and rivers, but often a licence is necessary. Many mountain lakes freeze over during winter and are used for curling, horse and dog racing, particularly around St. Moritz. St Moritz ( German: Sankt Moritz, Romansh: San Murezzan) is an exclusive resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland
See also
Swiss folklore is used to describe a collection of local stories celebrations and customs of the alpine and sub-alpine peoples that occupy Switzerland. The Swiss Alps (Schweizer Alpen Alpes suisses Alpi svizzere Alps svizras are the central portion of the Alps Mountain range that lies withinDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic