Swiss Review 1/2021

Swiss Review / February 2021 / No.1 3 Hanna Sahlfeld-Singer is a Swiss Abroad. The 77-year- old, who lives inGermany, says she takes part in every federal vote – honouring time and again the legacy that she herself helped to create. Sahlfeld-Singer is one of the many women who campaigned tirelessly for women’s suffrage in Switzerland. She was also one of the first handful of women ever to be elected to the National Council 50 years ago. The cover of this edi- tion of “Swiss Review” captures Sahlfeld-Singer’s big moment in 1971, when she swore an oath to the constitution under the mighty dome of the Federal Palace. A telling anecdote: the freshly electedmember of parliament had dif- ficulty getting to the ceremony in the first place, as she was initially told to use the visitors’ entrance. Everyone else got there before us, be it Australia (women’s suffrage since 1902), Azerbaijan (1918), Albania (1920), the Central African Republic (1946), or Cyprus (1960). Why did Switzerland of all countries – one of the world’s oldest democracies – insist on excluding half of its population, i.e. women, from political life for so long? Both world wars triggered natural social up- heaval in other countries. However, men in Switzerland long continued to believe that giving women the right to vote was reckless, unnecessary and even went against the natural order. The male half of the country simply re- fused to budge, suggests the historian quoted in this edition’s Focus article. On another important but completely different topic, the secondwave of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit Switzerland hard. People normally get to- gether during the festive season. Not in 2020. Tens of thousands of Swiss Abroad were unable to visit friends, family and old haunts in their country of origin over Christmas. The only way to catch up was by video call, as we were once again reminded that the wonders of technology are no substitute for a roomful of actual human beings. MARC LETTAU, EDI TOR- IN-CHIEF PS: The online version of “Swiss Review” has been repackaged and is now available via the swisscommunity.org information platform. From now on, the revamped swisscommunity.org website will also house all other content produced by our publisher, the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. Furthermore, the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad itself will appear increasingly under the “SwissCommunity” label in future. Editorial 4 Focus The belated advent of women’s suffrage 50 years ago 8 Images Caran d’Ache – from small pencil factory to global brand 10 Report Mitholz – mountain village and ticking time bomb 13 Literature How Germaine de Staël infuriated Napoleon Bonaparte 14 Society Betty Bossi – the cook who is found in every Swiss kitchen News from your region 17 Politics The Responsible Business Initiative – popular but unsuccessful A controversial alternative to the password jungle 20 Profile On the big screen – Bruno Manser’s rainforest crusade 22 Covid-19 pandemic Second wave hits Switzerland hard 24 SwissCommunity The big verdict – results of the “Swiss Review” reader survey 29 Mailbag 31 News Contents Delayed democracy Cover photo: The swearing-in of National Councillor Hanna Sahlfeld-Singer before the Federal Assembly on 13 December 1971. Photo: Keystone “Swiss Review”, the information magazine for the “Fifth Switzerland”, is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad.