MARCH 2023 Swiss Review The magazine for the Swiss Abroad An Egyptian mummy and the thorny Swiss debate about cultural property The story of an amazing tiny paper battery invented in Switzerland Romansh – the minority Swiss language evolving at breakneck speed
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Here’s a quick, simple question: what is culture? The answer is not quite as straightforward and concise. There are a bewildering number of ways to explain culture and how we interact with it – and why it is more than just a trifling distraction. How about this for a definition? Culture embraces everything that humans create. Now add the word “art” – then we could say that both art and culture are an expression of human existence. Culture and its derivative, art, build identity – but not just individual identity. Culture is born of community, giving people a sense of belonging, a collective memory and a perspective of both the past and the future. When you steal cultural property, you attack precisely these values. The Swiss museums currently going through their inventories with a fine-tooth comb because they own looted art are all too aware of this. Such complicated artefacts include treasures that were plundered by colonialists from the West African kingdom of Benin. Other countries have already decided to return their Benin objects. The matter is now on the agenda in Switzerland too. Not all disputes related to cultural property arise from theft. Sometimes, the back story is a little murkier. Shep-en-Isis, the daughter of a priest, is a case in point. The Egyptian mummy and her ornate sarcophagus now lie in the St Gallen Abbey Library. Shep-en-Isis features in this edition’s Focus article. The St Gallen mummy is silent. But her silence is deafening due to the thorny questions that surround her. Why was Shep-en-Isis, a relic of ancient Egyptian culture, taken from her tomb on the Nile and shipped to St Gallen in the first place? Are we bothered by this? What if we repatriated her? It remains to be seen how the story will end. In this context, it is ironic to note that the canton of St Gallen was once the victim of a cultural heist itself, when troops from Zurich stole a number of valuable artefacts at the beginning of the 18th century. A 300-year disagreement ensued between St Gallen and Zurich. Incidentally, culture will be the central theme of the Congress of the Swiss Abroad in August 2023 – at a very apt venue: St Gallen. MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 4 Focus Shep-en-Isis – the Egyptian mummy at the centre of a cultural debate 8 Top pick / News 10 Society No more deliverances – the diocese of Chur calls time on its exorcist 12 Images The Swiss museums giving shelter to Ukrainian paintings 14 Report How a tiny, simple paper battery was named one of the world’s best inventions 18 Culture Switzerland’s minority language Romansh is evolving quickly News from your region 22 Politics Switzerland is lagging behind on smoking prevention among young people The 2023 elections – get on the electoral register now to have your say 25 Profile Marco Sieber – Switzerland’s future astronaut 26 Notes from the Federal Palace The “Fifth Switzerland” also features in the new Swiss passport 29 SwissCommunity news New banking package for Swiss Abroad 30 Discussion The deafening silence of Shep-en-Isis Cover photo: The Shep-en-Isis sarcophagus at the St Gallen Abbey Library. Photo: iStock “Swiss Review”, the information magazine for the “Fifth Switzerland”, is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 3 Editorial Contents
4 Shep-en-Isis and the thorny question of repatriation Cultural treasures give nations a sense of identity – which is why stolen cultural property is an emotive issue, not least with regard to the colonial empires of the past. Questions also surround cultural artefacts held in Switzerland. One controversy relates to the remains of an Egyptian mummy in St Gallen. DENISE LACHAT Amid the sumptuous baroque setting of the St Gallen Abbey Library, one of the world’s oldest and most significant historical libraries, lies the Egyptian mummy Shep-en-Isis. As far as we know, Shep-en-Isis was a priest’s daughter who died in the seventh century BC at the age of around 30. Her resting place, complete with glass coffin, is the “most beautiful mausoleum imaginable”, according to the Abbey Library. But is it Shep-en-Isis’s true resting place? This debate recently resurfaced when local theatre director Milo Rau won the Kulturpreis, St Gallen’s most prestigious cultural award, in November 2022. In his acceptance speech, Rau announced that he would donate his 30,000 Swiss franc prize money towards helping return the mummy to Egypt. He staged an artistic stunt, creating a mock-up of the mummy in her coffin, which he proceeded to wheel through the city. The Shep-en-Isis exhibition is a “constant moral irritation”, Rau lamented. He and other signatories also penned the St Gallen Declaration for Shep-en-Isis, calling the exhibition “thoughtless” if not “predatory and disrespectful” as well as being unacceptable for a city of culture like St Gallen. Originally buried in Luxor Shep-en-Isis is originally believed to have been buried in Egypt at the Theban Necropolis, across the Nile from Luxor. According to Rau and his fellow signatories, robbers snatched her from her grave. However, the Abbey Library says that this version of events cannot be proved. It argues in a statement on the St Gallen Declaration that it is inaccurate to claim Egypt was plundered in the 18th century. The Abbey Library says that instead French, British and, later, German scientists began to intensively study the culture of ancient Egypt after Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign of 1798–99 – in complete contrast to the Egyptians themselves, who gave their own heritage scant regard. The Abbey Library cites the example of Mohammed Ali, the viceroy of Egypt who in 1830 called one of the now world-famous pyramids of Giza a “pitiful heap”, saying that he wanted to use the “rubble” to build canals. The then French consulate in Alexandria stepped in to prevent the pyramid’s destruction, adds the statement. A question of dignity Shep-en-Isis ended up in St Gallen around 200 years ago. Philipp Roux, a German businessman, is said to have purchased her remains in Alexandria along with two attendant wooden sarcophaguses. He then sent them to a friend, the politician Karl Müller-Friedberg, who was the founding father of the canton of St Gallen. It is not entirely clear whether MüllerFriedberg received the mummy as a gift or whether he bought it himself. After arriving in St Gallen, Shep-en-Isis was unwrapped down to the shoulSwiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 Focus
Catholic administration of the canton of St Gallen, the body that owns all the Abbey Library holdings, has responded to Rau’s criticism and decided to re-examine the issue, it appears. Three weeks after Rau’s stunt on the streets of St Gallen, the administration’s management board said that it would “look seriously” into the What Shep-en-Isis probably looked like – Italian forensic experts used computer tomography data to put together this forensic facial reconstruction of the mummy in early 2022. Photo: IMAGO Theatre director Milo Rau wheeled a mockup of Shep-en-Isis through St Gallen, calling for the mummy to be returned to her homeland. Photo: Keystone regard to Shep-en-Isis, and that they observe standard practice on the display of human remains at museums. Photos that they have provided to the media have even been taken from a distance, showing the mummy’s face from a side-on angle. Are these explanations sufficient to keep Shep-en-Isis in St Gallen? The ders by a group of invited scholars, according to accounts at the time. Following a ceremony, the guests were each allowed to take a piece of the mummy’s bandages home with them. Was this the lack of respect to which Rau is referring? The German ethnologist Wiebke Ahrndt recently said that the social elites in the 19th century often held mummy “unwrapping parties”, whereby mummies would be unwrapped for entertainment at private parties – not only in Europe, but in Egypt itself. This past could no longer be undone. Ahrndt, who has written a set of guidelines on caring for human remains in museums and collections, believes that mummies can be exhibited, provided human dignity and the sensitivities of the country of origin are respected. Not only do Egyptian museums also exhibit mummies, but it was even legal to export mummies until 1983, says Ahrndt. The people who run the Abbey Library are keen to stress that there is no voyeurism involved with Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2
both Switzerland and its businesses were regarded as trustworthy partners by the new nations that achieved autonomy or outright independence from their European colonial rulers after 1945. Berne is slowly starting to revisit this legacy, as numerous parliamentary debates, motions and interventions have already shown, says Sieber, “even if this process is painful as it poses awkward questions with regard to Swiss neutrality and Switzerland’s view of itself as a nation built on equality, solidarity and humanitarianism”. Part of a worldwide debate Various European countries are now wrestling with the implications of looted art from the colonial era. Some nations, like the Netherlands, have made official apologies. The Belgian and British royal families have expressed regret, but made no apology, for their respective countries’ past actions. Others have backed their words with actions. At the end of 2022, for example, Germany became the first nation to begin returning its Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. The Kingdom of Benin, in today’s Nigeria, was attacked by British colonial troops in possibility of returning Shep-en-Isis to her homeland, in consultation with the Egyptian authorities. Property plundered by the Nazis In Switzerland, probes into the origin of foreign artistic and cultural property, referred to as provenance research, mainly relate to stolen Nazi gold and art from the Second World War. In 2002, a commission of experts headed by the historian Jean-François Bergier submitted a comprehensive report to the Federal Council detailing how Swiss firms cooperated closely with the Nazi regime. Artworks that changed hands during the Nazi era in Germany (1933–1945) ended up in private and public collections. Finding out whether these artworks were looted by the Nazis is now imperative. The Berne Museum of Fine Arts, which accepted the Naziera trove of art dealer Cornelius Gurlitt in 2014, is leading by example in this regard. The controversy surrounding Gurlitt proved to be a turning point, with the Federal Council subsequently deciding to set aside 500,000 Swiss francs every year to allow Swiss museums to carry out provenance research. A relatively small amount of money but at least it gets the ball rolling, says Joachim Sieber, who chairs the Swiss provenance research working group (SAP). Colonial legacy moving into political spotlight Swiss provenance researchers must now wade through another weighty issue: cultural property derived from trade in the colonial era. This may seem paradoxical, given that Switzerland has never had any colonies. However, Switzerland “was and is part of Europe’s colonial conversation”, according to Sieber. Precisely because it was not a colonial power, 6 Shep-en-Isis in her glass coffin at the St Gallen Abbey Library. Every evening, the library staff honour her with an end-ofday ritual: they cover the coffin with a white veil and close the doors. Photo: Keystone Domestic spat over a globe A domestic spat broke out in Switzerland almost 300 years after Zurich troops stole the 2.3-metre-high St Gallen Globe and a number of valuable manuscripts from the Abbey Library during the Toggenburg War of 1712. Many of the looted artefacts were returned under a peace treaty, but Zurich kept the globe for itself. Almost three centuries later, a legal squabble over who were the rightful owners of the globe almost ended up before the Federal Supreme Court. This was after the cantonal government of St Gallen expressed its grievance in 1996, demanding that Zurich return the globe. The federal government arbitrated in the matter, and a typically Swiss compromise was eventually reached. Zurich was allowed to keep the original at the Swiss National Museum but had to produce a replica for St Gallen. When the replica was handed over in 2009, the National Museum, the St Gallen Abbey Library, and the Zurich Central Library also agreed to develop a joint digital version of the globe. Produced in collaboration with the Zurich University of the Arts, the digital globe has been available to view online since December 2022 (www.3dglobus.ch). It seems that St Gallen and Zurich have finally buried the hatchet. (DLA) Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 6Focus
1897. Thousands of brass and bronze sculptures were plundered from its royal palace and traded as artworks, ending up in collections around the world. Nigeria now wants these items to be recognised as plundered art. It is less well known that Swiss museums also house 100 or so items suspected to have come from Benin. Eight Swiss museums have come together under the leadership of Zurich’s Rietberg Museum to form the Swiss Benin Initiative (SBI). Funded by the Federal Office of Culture, the SBI seeks to ensure transparency for researchers as well as open dialogue with Nigeria. A key element in how we deal with cultural property is indeed dialogue. Speaking on French-language Swiss radio back in 2017 after French President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to return African treasures, the Genevabased anthropologist and museologist Bansoa Sigam stressed that the global north and south needed to become equal partners. Decolonisation meant “being honest with your own history and finding solutions”. This could lead to the “common global history” advocated by Swiss historian Bernhard C. Schär, who believes it is a mistake to view and teach the history of Europe in isolation. History is always the result of interaction between people, he says. Repatriation is not the only solution According to estimates, over 90 per cent of Africa’s cultural heritage was looted during the colonial era and is currently held not in Africa but in Europe and the United States. Are all these treasures now to be returned? No, says Joachim Sieber, repatriation is not the only solution. For example, another option is for cultural property to be returned and then repurchased or loaned out on a long-term basis. Museums can also label exhibited artefacts with the names of their original owners. What matters, he adds, is finding a solution in consulAccording to the Federal Office of Culture, cultural property is a concrete witness of culture and history, holding a special place for the identity of the individual as well as the community as a whole. It defines the self-image and social cohesion of a society. This is why protecting cultural heritage today is one of the important duties of a state. tation and cooperation with the countries of origin. To return to the original example in this article, there is, therefore, a distinct possibility that the Egyptian government will not even want Shep-en-Isis back and instead make an alternative amicable arrangement with the Catholic administration in St Gallen. In the meantime, Shep-en-Isis currently attracts some 150,000 visitors a year. Every evening, staff at the Abbey Library honour her with an end-of-day ritual. Once all visitors have left the building, they cover the glass coffin with a white veil and recite the mummy’s name – an act of remembrance and a gesture of respect for the Egyptian concept of eternal life. Switzerland was also the victim of a cultural heist Rich countries are the “usual suspects” when it comes to plundered art, but Switzerland itself was once the victim of a heist. The Capuchin friars of Fribourg have kept a beady eye on their valuable library for centuries but were evidently looking the other way when one of the books in their safekeeping, the “Ship of Fools” dating from the 15th century, was stolen during the Second World War. This exceptional work, dating back to the early days of the printing press, resurfaced in 1945 at a New York City book dealer. It was later gifted to one of the world’s largest libraries, the Library of Congress in Washington. The friars were left empty-handed again in 1975, when a thief posing as a Vatican librarian made off with around 20 valuable old manuscripts. Like “Ship of Fools”, these works disappeared and were forgotten – until the beginning of the 2000s, when an employee of the Fribourg Cantonal and University Library (KUB) found out the following: firstly, that the stolen manuscripts had been sold at auctions in Munich in 1975 and 1976, and secondly, that the missing copy of “Ship of Fools” had been located in Washington. The KUB made subsequent enquiries to locate and recover the 20-odd stolen prints. At the end of 2022, the Library of Congress in Washington returned “Ship of Fools” to the canton of Fribourg. The book is now kept at the KUB, where it is available for students and scholars to view. (DLA) Further information (in German and French): revue.link/narrenschiff Published in Basel in 1494 and illustrated with woodcuts, “Ship of Fools” by the humanist Sebastian Brant is an allegorical poem satirising the weaknesses and vices of the time. Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 7
A setback for the Greens ahead of autumn’s national elections Zurich voters elected a new parliament on 12 February 2023 – and their verdict is being seen as a barometer for the forthcoming elections to the National Council and the Council of States in autumn. This is because the Zurich vote very often reflects the national mood. The centre-right and right-wing parties have emerged from this year’s Zurich elections in a slightly stronger position. The SVP won an extra seat in the 180-seat cantonal parliament, consolidating its status as the strongest political party. The Centre party won three additional seats, while the FDP maintained the same number of seats. The Greens lost three, and the EVP and the Alternative Left lost one apiece. With the Green Liberals and the SP both gaining a seat however, the so-called “climate alliance” consisting of green and left-leaning parties and the EVP retained the parliamentary majority. The national elections take place on 22 October (more on page 24). (MUL) Questions over the composition of the Federal Council The federal elections on 22 October are likely to reignite debate on the composition of the Federal Council, whose members represent a very stable bloc of the most popular political parties. This “magic formula” is not set in stone, with the Greens and Green Liberals now looking to participate in government due to their strong showing of recent years. A survey by the Sotomo research institute now shows that a clear majority of voters want the seven-strong Federal Council to have a different party-political composition. The SVP, FDP and SP each have two Federal Council seats and the Centre party one seat under the current formula. (MUL) Swiss munitions for Ukraine? Switzerland does not export any weapons or ammunition to warring countries. It also prohibits other countries from passing on Swiss-manufactured war materiel. Germany would like to re-export Swiss-made munitions to Ukraine. So far, Switzerland has withheld its approval. However, the Security Policy Committee of the National Council now wants to loosen this blockade. In January, it suggested waiving the re-export ban, for example if weapons are to be sent to a conflict zone that the UN Security Council or two thirds of the UN General Assembly have condemned as violating international law. (MUL) A new regional nature park Val Calanca (in the Italian-speaking part of Grisons) is to be the site of a new regional nature park, after four municipalities approved the project in January. This makes the small valley Switzerland’s first regional nature park south of the Alpine divide. A new big national park called Parc Adula was originally earmarked for the area but opposed by politicians. The new regional nature park is a remnant of the Adula project. Unlike nature reserves, regional nature parks are designed to protect flora and fauna in tandem with environmentally sustainable land use. (MUL) Justine Mettraux Justine Mettraux is showing the rest of Switzerland that women are also capable of elite-level sailing. Since 15 January, the 36-year-old from Geneva has been participating in one of the epic events of team sailing: the Ocean Race. Six months at sea on an IMOCA, a 60-foot craft fitted with foils. In this round-the-world race over different legs, the organisers require each crew of five to include a woman. “It’s not just that Justine Mettraux has an outstanding level of expertise; the presence of a woman may also bring a more subtle approach to sailing,” is how an expert explained it. This Geneva native, born into a nautical family on Lake Geneva, leads a remarkable life – as do the rest of her family, since her two sisters and two brothers are all toplevel sailors. “My father, who brought us up on his own, had complete confidence in us,” Justine recalls. And it certainly takes confidence to set out alone across the Atlantic, which is what Justine did in 2013, finishing second in the Mini Transat. During the last Route du Rhum, the Versoix sailor finished seventh with her IMOCA, after having led part of the way. The next step is the Vendée Globe in 2024, a solo race around the world where she will compete on an equal footing with her rivals because in a contest of this type, it is not a sailor’s strength that makes the difference, but rather their racing experience, knowledge of the sea, and boat-repairing skills. Justine possesses all of these assets. If she has a shortcoming, it is a certain reticence, perhaps, meaning she is not the type to pose on a beach with her boyfriend for a magazine cover. On the other hand, her passion and example are driving forces in making sailing more accessible to women. STEPHANE HERZOG Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 8 Top pick News
atures of up to 15°C over the festive period. Hazel bushes were already beginning to blossom by mid-January in lower-lying areas. People were heating their homes less, while European gas storage levels were higher than expected. Furthermore, Swiss reservoirs were at higher-than-average levels following extensive autumn rainfall. Domestic hydropower is one of the keys to Swiss energy security. Power plant operators therefore set up a strategic hydropower reserve in their reservoirs to ensure they would still be in a position to generate at least 24 days of power by the beginning of spring. Despite hydropower, Switzerland relies on imported electricity in the THEODORA PETER Last autumn, Switzerland was bracing itself for an uncomfortable winter of sparsely heated homes and dimly lit streets. The Federal Council was drawing up a contingency plan and urging the nation to save energy. In a worst case scenario, households would have to ration their consumption and companies shut down their operations. This scenario was already looking unlikely by January – and had failed to materialise by the editorial deadline for this issue of “Swiss Review”. That was partly due to the weather. The first half of the winter was relatively mild throughout Europe. Switzerland basked in spring-like temper9 Mild winter eases energy fears Europe’s energy crisis also has implications for Switzerland. Thanks to mild temperatures and replenished reservoirs, the country was able to avert an emergency this winter. But the threat of power shortages remains. The emergency power plant in Birr – hurriedly approved and rapidly built, it can supply 400,000 households with electricity if need be. Photo: Keystone winter months – including French nuclear power. The feared supply bottlenecks due to half of France’s nuclear power stations being shut for maintenance in autumn never materialised, because most of these plants managed to get back online in time. Reserve power plants in case of an emergency Back in summer 2022, the Federal Council approved the rapid construction of a reserve power plant in Birr (canton of Aargau) as a back-up in case of a power crunch. This facility is fitted out to operate with gas, oil or hydrogen. Its eight mobile turbines have a total output of 250 megawatts, which is enough to power around 400,000 households. The plant has been operational since the end of February and will remain in place until 2026, if necessary. The existing thermal power plant in Cornaux (canton of Neuchâtel) can produce an additional 36 megawatts, if need be. There are no power shortages yet, but neither has the government given the all-clear. The situation is likely to be more challenging next winter, say experts. Gas storage facilities were still being replenished with Russian supplies last year, but sanctions in connection with the war in Ukraine mean that Europe can no longer rely on Russian gas. The search for alternative energy sources is ultimately a race against time. Current energy consumption in Switzerland: revue.link/dashboard Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 News
SUSANNE WENGER Exorcism rids people of evil and cleanses them of their inner demons, say those who believe in it. Even today, this spiritual practice still has a following. Vicar-General Christoph Casetti performed the role of exorcist in the diocese of Chur – until his death in 2020. Chur has now decided not to fill the vacant exorcist post, it was announced at the end of last year. “We are all human, with our own strengths and weaknesses,” Bishop of Chur Joseph Maria Bonnemain explained in an interview on Swiss radio. There were “normal ways to treat people in distress – medical, psychological and psychotherapeutic”, he added. There was no need to go looking for “occult causes”. Based in the cantonal capital of Grisons, Chur is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, one of Switzerland’s three official churches. Pope Francis appointed Bonnemain, 74, as Chur’s new bishop two years ago. Bonnemain is a trained physician who studied medicine before moving into the field of theology. During his time as a priest, he worked as a hospital chaplain in the canton of Zurich. Throughout his entire clerical career, he had never met anyone whom he thought required a major exorcism, he said in his radio interview. People with emotional, spiritual or psychological burdens needed “support, prayer or appropriate church services, but not necessarily an exorcism”. Holy water and crucifixes By abolishing the office of exorcist, the new bishop has discontinued a service for which Chur had been widely known. Commentators say the move is linked to tensions that have been bubbling for over 30 years between conservatives and reformers within the diocese. Two of Bonnemain’s predecessors, bishops Wolfgang Haas (1988 to 1997) and Vitus Huonder (2007 to 2019), were arch-conservatives and controversial figures. The current bishop is regarded as quite broad-minded and open to dialogue. It is thought that Chur diocese purges the exorcist Until a few years ago, the diocese of Chur had its own bona fide exorcist who purged the faithful of their supposed demons. The exorcist recently died – and now the controversial post will remain empty. People in emotional, spiritual or psychological distress should seek conventional therapies, says the diocese’s new bishop. Rome appointed him with the mandate of healing divisions among the almost 700,000 Catholics in the diocese, which comprises the Zurich area in addition to rural cantons. Exorcism, both “minor” and “major”, has a long tradition in the Catholic Church. Minor exorcism consists of prayers, while major exorcism is a Christoph Casetti († 2020) served in the diocese of Chur for a long time as “Switzerland’s bestknown exorcist”. He was the last-ever clergyman to hold the office of exorcist in Chur. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 10 Society
countries in which people have an ingrained belief in evil spirits. However, Pentecostal/Charismatic churches in Switzerland also perform deliverances, as does a Salvation Army officer in the canton of Zurich, whose services have become very popular. The practice of expelling evil spirits, known as “ruqya”, plays a role in some forms of Islam. People also perform ruqya in Switzerland, according to Schmid. Then there is the boom in esoteric and neo-shamanic rituals aimed at driving evil spirits from people’s homes, he adds. No monopoly It is not uncommon for people to try out these services one after the other. “This does not say much about their effectiveness,” says Schmid. The Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland clearly has no monopoly on exorcisms, which are now no longer available in Chur. The diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg and the diocese of Basel still perform deliverances. Two exorcists appointed by the bishop carry out this service in French-speaking Switzerland, while Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Martin Gächter holds the post in Basel. Both dioceses are keen to stress that they work closely with psychiatrists. Gächter told the kath.ch news site that he essentially listens to people who come to him and then says a prayer for them. Only once in 30 years has he ever had to perform a major exorcism. A woman was possessed, and it took 15 sessions to deliver her. rite that dates back to the 17th century. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, exorcisms are aimed at the “expulsion of demons” and “deliverance from demonic possession”. Besides prayer, the rite involves the use of holy water and crucifixes. In Switzerland, minor exorcisms have always been more common than major exorcisms. The latter may only be performed by a bishop or a priest who has obtained the special and express permission of the diocesan bishop. Christoph Casetti was the most senior exorcist in the diocese of Chur. His obituary mentioned the fact that he had carried out the role officially since 2014, in addition to other offices. Criticism A German radio station once referred to Casetti as “Switzerland’s bestknown exorcist”. Casetti himself often defended the concept of exorcism from criticism both inside and outside the church from people who said that the practice was reactionary. Invoking the devil has always been a means for arch-conservatives to enforce their controlling, archaic brand of Catholicism, said a Lucerne-based theologian on Swiss television in 2017. Psychiatric specialists warned that there was a risk of worshippers refusing proven therapies to treat mental illness. Casetti did not agree. A priest may only begin to consider exorcism once they can ascertain that the person in question is not merely suffering from an ailment, he explained. Casetti also rejected the “archaic” label. Exorcisms of “demonic powers” have been necessary throughout history, he said, adding that Jesus himself was a “healer and deliverer”. He claimed that he received dozens of inquiries from people every month who thought they were possessed by evil spirits. And these inquiries not only came from within the diocese – many people from Germany contacted him too. Experts welcome abolition According to religious expert Georg Schmid, the diocese of Chur was a magnet for people in the Germanspeaking world who were looking for an exorcist. He once called Chur an “exorcism hot spot”. Schmid runs the Relinfo centre near Zurich, which advises people of all faiths. In Relinfo’s view, Chur officially calling time on exorcism is to be welcomed. “In our experience, people who believe they are plagued by evil spirits and turn to the church for help are much better off receiving spiritual guidance than any sort of exorcism.” Relinfo has been fielding an increasing number of inquiries in recent years regarding exorcism – or “deliverance”, as the practice is also called. Schmid says this increase is partially down to immigration from By deciding to abolish the office of exorcist, Chur’s bishop Joseph M. Bonnemain has departed from the course of his arch-conservative predecessors. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 11
Dawid Burliuk: Winter in the city. Undated. Oil on canvas Kliment Redko: Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra. 1914. Oil on canvas. Wilhelm Kotarbinski: At the altar. Undated. Oil on canvas. Yuliy Klever (Julius von Klever): Winter sunset. 1885. Oil on canvas All pictures: The Kyiv National Art Gallery. © ProLitteris, Zürich Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 12 Images
Ukrainian art in Swiss exile Russia’s war against Ukraine has put Ukraine’s cultural property at risk. Home to over 14,000 exhibits from the 13th to the 21st century, the Kyiv National Art Gallery is one of Ukraine’s oldest and bestknown art museums. A lack of sufficient safe storage space in the context of the ongoing invasion prompted Kyiv National Art Gallery representatives to look for museums abroad that would shelter selections from their outstanding collection. Around 100 paintings from Ukraine have now found a temporary home in Switzerland – at the Kunstmuseum in Basel and Musée Rath in Geneva. Both of these museums have their own distinctive exhibitions dedicated to around 50 of these works each. The “Born in Ukraine” exhibition in Basel showcases works by various Ukrainian-born artists. It also pays homage to the distinctive history of the Kyiv National Art Gallery, known as the Kyiv Museum of Russian Art when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Since 2014, the Kyiv museum has been engaged in a critical review and scholarly examination of its own collection, calling into question the idea of Russian art as an ostensibly homogeneous body of cultural assets. Meanwhile, Musée Rath in Geneva is presenting part of an exhibition that was on display in Kyiv in 2022 to mark the Kyiv National Art Gallery’s 100th anniversary. Entitled “Du crépuscule à l’aube” (From Dusk to Dawn), it showcases Ukrainian artworks with a nighttime theme devoted to the contrasts between darkness and light. THEODORA PETER Zinaida Serebriakova: Self portrait. 1923–24. Oil on canvas. “Born in Ukraine” at the Kunstmuseum in Basel. Until 30 April 2023. www.kunstmuseumbasel.ch/en “Du crépuscule à l’aube” at Musée Rath in Geneva. Until 23 April 2023. revue.link/rath Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 13
DÖLF BARBEN What is it? To be honest, it looks a bit underwhelming. Like something a child has stuck together: a small cutout figure with a dark coat and two tiny antennas. Reality tells a different story. What resembles a scrap of paper is in fact a battery that was invented and developed in Switzerland, at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Empa – an object so remarkable that it made it on to the 2022 list of the world’s best inventions. Published annually by the US magazine “Time”, the Best Inventions list honours “200 innovations changing how we live”, as the jury puts it. The list covers all manner of inventions. These include a smart water sprinkler, a heat-free hairdryer, a powerful smartphone microscope, and the James Webb Space Telescope. And hidden away in the “Experimental” category? The small, inconspicuous and slightly tatty-looking Swiss paper battery. You can tell how well Empa’s invention was received, because the jury chose not to group it together with the technical gadgets – like the streaming headphones that you can wear underwater, or the on-the-go baby bottle warmer. Nor did they list it under the fun stuff like the indoor The wood magician and his amazing strip of paper How a tiny battery made in Switzerland ended up on the list of the world’s best inventions. garden for beginners or the teddy bear that hugs back. Like the Covid breathalyser test and the new NASA space rocket, the paper battery was one of the few innovations referred to by the jury as “breakthrough” inventions. A sliver of paper mentioned in the same breath as a space rocket – remarkable. As the “Time” magazine website says, the paper battery is an invention aimed at reducing e-waste. Not only is the paper biodegradable, but so are the battery’s other components. Hence the battery is not just a breakthrough – but an environmental breakthrough. Gustav Nyström and his team created it. The Swedish-born Nyström has headed the Cellulose & Wood Materials Laboratory at Empa since 2018. Cellulose is the main substance in the wall of plant cells and, like wood, a sustainable biomaterial. Nyström studied the conductive qualities of natural materials for his PhD. This was how he soon came up with the idea of a biodegradable electricity storage device. He found the ideal work environment at Empa “because renewable and sustainable materials and solutions inform everything we do here”, he says. The title of an article dedicated to Nyström on the Empa website refers to him as the “wood magician”. Certainly, Empa is no longer simply the “Building Materials Testing Institute”, as it was initially called when it was founded in 1880. In recent decades, the organisation has developed into a multi-branch research hub. It sees its core mission as carrying out solution-oriented research – for industry, but also for society. Nyström himself is keen to stress the social dimension more than anything else. Although he is a physicist, he talks more like an environmental scientist. He will happily explain how Higher, farther, faster, more beautiful? In search of somewhat unconventional Swiss records This edition: The new biodegradable paper battery It looks a bit like a piece of cobbled together handicraft (held here in a pair of tweezers) but was named one of the world’s best inventions in 2022. Photo: Empa Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 14 Report
Water as the trigger The Empa battery is made of a small strip of paper on which three different inks are printed. The ink on the front contains graphite flakes and acts as the positive end of the battery, while the ink on the back contains zinc powder and acts as the negative terminal. A third, special ink is printed on both sides of the paper, on top of the other two inks. Salt is dispersed throughout the strip of paper. Ingeniously, you activate the battery with water. One drop is enough. As soon as the paper is wet, the salts within the paper dissolve and the battery charge is released. But if the paper remains dry, the battery retains its charge. There is one disadvantage: the battery will only work for as long as it is wet. Tests show that it can keep a low-power alarm clock running for about one hour before it dries. Although pressure, heat or an external electromagnetic field could conceivably also be used as a battery trigger. (DB) remains to be seen, he adds. Yet what we do know is that he and his team will carry on researching. Their paper biodegradable supercapacitor is already at a very advanced stage of development. They also have an idea along the lines of a display system. “We see many exciting possibilities.” All that remains is to ask the inventor which other inventions on the “Time” magazine list he finds intriguing. Nyström is true to form in his response. He doesn’t mention the “chameleon car” that can change colour, or the AI system that can create images and art. The inventions that Nyström describes as “particularly interesting” relate to sustainability – like the devices and methods that have been pioneered to help remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Video: revue.link/empa the paper battery works (see box below), but soon starts emphasising the “bigger picture”, the potential ways in which the battery can be used, and how we can protect the environment. Nyström, 41, has three children. He wants his work, “above all, to contribute to a better future”, he says. The paper battery is not a particularly powerful battery, nor does it have to be. There are now a wide range of small disposable electronic devices that run on very little power. These can be medical diagnostic devices, for example, or battery-powered smart parcel boxes that enable delivery tracking and even allow the temperature of sensitive items such as vaccines to be monitored during transit. Nyström also sees potential in wearables, which are any technology designed to be worn for the purpose of monitoring things like heart rate or blood sugar. Furthermore, paper batteries would be more or less ideal for use in outdoor measuring devices. If for whatever reason the batteries were never retrieved, they would eventually decompose anyway. Like the latest NASA space rocket, are we also about to see the stratospheric rise of the paper battery? Some companies have already expressed an interest, says Nyström, but whether anything comes of it Researcher and inventor Gustav Nyström believes in the bigger picture: “protecting the environment”. Photo: Empa Good for compost: Empa has also developed a capacitor, which disintegrates after two months buried in the soil, leaving only a few carbon particles. The new paper battery decomposes in much the same way. Photo: Gian Vaitl / Empa Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 15
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Art – in a roundabout way 3,000 Over 3,000 roundabouts ensure that traffic runs smoothly in Switzerland. But the artistic installations in the middle of these roundabouts are often an acquired taste, to put it mildly. “Kreiselkunst” (literally “roundabout art”) has become an ironic term in German. But there is hope. Many of the older roundabouts are now being dismantled – as are the “interesting” installations that accompany them. 90,000,000,000 Plastic waste is a shameful legacy. The more conventional legacy we leave to our loved ones is less likely to end up in the landfill. Some 90 billion Swiss francs is bequeathed from one generation to the next every year in Switzerland (2020). An enormous amount of money. Half of all personal monetary assets in Switzerland are not earned but inherited. Although many people inherit nothing at all. 450,000,000,000 Switzerland has another hidden source of immense wealth. All the underground pipelines for water, sewage, electricity, gas, and district heating in Switzerland have a total physical value of 450 billion Swiss francs, according to recent estimates. The government now intends to keep a closer eye on these assets and put together a national inventory. 127 The Swiss like to pat themselves on the back for being prolific recyclers. But could recycling a lot simply mean you are consuming too much? According to the marine conservation organisation Oceancare, Switzerland has a significant plastic problem. Annual per capita plastic consumption stands at 127 kg – a European record – of which 95 kg is, incidentally, not recycled. 55 You can measure and quantify almost anything – including hope. According to the latest University of St Gallen “hope barometer” survey of the Swiss population (2022), a majority of just over 55 per cent say they are satisfied and hopeful at least in relation to their own personal lives. Hope increases as people move up the age groups, with 18- to 29-year-olds being the least optimistic. FIGURES COMPILED BY MARC LETTAU “Swiss Review”, the magazine for the Swiss Abroad, is in its 48th year of publication and is published six times a year in German, French, English and Spanish in 13 regional editions. It has a total circulation of 431,000, including 253,000 electronic copies. “Swiss Review”’s regional news appears four times a year. The ordering parties are fully responsible for the content of advertisements and promotional inserts. This content does not necessarily represent the opinion of either the editorial office or the publisher. All Swiss Abroad who are registered with a Swiss representation receive the magazine free of charge. Anyone else can subscribe for an annual fee (Switzerland: CHF 30 / abroad: CHF 50). ONLINE EDITION www.revue.ch EDITORS Marc Lettau, Editor-in-Chief (MUL) Stéphane Herzog (SH) Theodora Peter (TP) Susanne Wenger (SWE) Paolo Bezzola (PB, FDFA representative) FDFA OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS The editorial responsibility for the “Notes from the Federal Palace” section is assumed by the Consular Directorate, Innovation and Partnerships, Effinger- strasse 27, 3003 Berne, Switzerland. kdip@eda.admin.ch | www.fdfa.admin.ch EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Sandra Krebs (KS) TRANSLATION SwissGlobal Language Services AG, Baden LAYOUT Joseph Haas, Zürich PRINT Vogt-Schild Druck AG, Derendingen PUBLISHER The “Swiss Review” is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA). The postal address of the publisher, the editorial office and advertising department is: Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, Alpenstrasse 26, 3006 Berne. revue@swisscommunity.org Phone: +41 31 356 61 10 Bank details: CH97 0079 0016 1294 4609 8 / KBBECH22 COPY DEADLINE FOR THIS EDITION 1 February 2023 CHANGES TO DELIVERY Please advise your local embassy or consulate. The editorial team cannot access your address and administrative data. Thank you. Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 17 Switzerland in figures Imprint
JÜRG STEINER How does the vocabulary of a minority language spoken by relatively few people stay up to date? Can it evolve quickly enough? “Yes, it can,” says linguist Daniel Telli. “But you need to help it along.” He knows what he is talking about. Telli is head of language at Lia Rumantscha, an organisation that promotes the Romansh language and culture from its headquarters in Chur. Romansh is a minority language composed of various regional dialects and vernaculars. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 40,000 people say that it is the language of which they have the best command. Around 60,000 people speak it. “But it would be a fallacy to think that a language is less effective simply because relatively few people use it,” says Telli. Just like German, French and English, Romansh is a language that covers the entire human condition – from the sexual to the major social, political, economic and scientific issues of today. If it didn’t, it would probably not survive. L’express da linguas The breakneck language Languages are in constant flux, picking up new vocabulary along the way. Switzerland’s minority language, Romansh, is evolving particularly rapidly. Sometimes overnight. A language’s ability to evolve is an important indicator of how future-proof it is. How do you create new words to reflect an ever-changing world? German, spoken as a native language by over 100 million people, relies on a number of authoritative sources in this regard. One of them is the Duden, the standard dictionary and pre-eminent language resource of the German language. Its latest edition, which was published in 2020, included 3,000 new words and expressions in addition to around 145,000 existing entries. The Mannheim-based Leibniz Institute for the German Language (IDS) maintains an online vocabulary information system called OWID that includes a dictionary of neologisms, i.e. newly coined words and expressions. In the past ten years, OWID has taken on around 2,000 new words or new meanings for existing words. The IDS also has its eye on a few hundred potential new entries such as “netflixen”, “Bodypositivity” and “1,5-Grad-Ziel” (1.5°C target), with a view to these terms possibly entering official German usage. Other major languages have a similar procedure. The big dictionary Lia Rumantscha in Chur, on the other hand, favours a more pragmatic and faster approach. Its key resource for updating Romansh vocabulary is the “Pledari Grond”, or Chasa (house), fanestra (window), isch da lain (wooden door), balcun tort (bay window) – local words for this splendid house facade in Grisons. Contemporary, abstract concepts are a little trickier to convey in Romansh. Photo: Keystone 18 Culture
“Crear pleds en rumantsch n’è betg in’activitad academica lunsch davent da la realitad. Igl è impurtant che nossas utilisadras e noss utilisaders possian sa participar directamain al Pledari Grond e gidar uschia ad actualisar la lingua. Quai rinforza il sentiment che la lingua appartegna a tuttas e tuts che la dovran. Il rumantsch na duai betg daventar ina lingua artifiziala, mabain sto restar francà en il mintgadi modern che sa mida cuntinuadamain.” Did you understand that? If your Romansh is a little rusty, you can find the translation on page 31. Romansh Since the Federal Constitution was amended in 1938, Romansh has been Switzerland’s fourth official language. It is composed of five regional dialects (Puter in Upper Engadine; Vallader in Lower Engadine and the Val Müstair; Sursilvan in the Surselva area of the Anterior Rhine Valley; Sutsilvan mainly in the Schams Valley; Surmiran in the Albula and Vaz/Obervaz area) as well as numerous local vernaculars. Besides dialects, Rumantsch Grischun is the unified written language, based mainly on three dialects: Sursilvan, Surmiran and Vallader. Teaching material is published in Rumantsch Grischun and in all of the dialects, because both Rumantsch Grischun and the dialects are regarded as languages of literacy and instruction. The “Pledari Grond” also provides dictionaries for the Surmiran, Sutsilvan, Sursilvan, Puter and Vallader dialects. All people who speak Romansh speak at least one other language – and that is German. (JS) Despite the time pressure, Telli and his team aim to provide the best stand-alone yet logical solutions. The traditional Romansh word for a granary, “arcun”, is a great example, says Telli. This noun now has a second meaning: computer memory. The verb “arcunar” means saving a file. Complex gender neutrality For Telli, the work that they do at Lia Rumantscha is anything but highbrow. “It is important that users can play their part in evolving our language,” he says. “This reinforces the sense that Romansh belongs to everyone who uses it.” Romansh must never sink into oblivion as a twee artificial language, but should live and breathe to reflect the fast pace of our modern times. The “Pledari Grond” is a suitably agile interface and a crucial enabler, he adds. Pragmatism is another key factor. For example, Romansh speakers are happy to appropriate English expressions if they have to, with terms like “googlar” (to Google) an integral part of their vocabulary. Things become somewhat more complex with regard to gender neutrality. This is because, unlike, say, German, the masculine and the feminine have different plural articles: “ils”/“las”. Hence, Lia Rumantscha and other similar Romansh-oriented bodies limit gender-neutral usage to situations involving a diverse audience. Link: pledarigrond.ch in English: the big dictionary. The “Pledari Grond” is an online dictionary covering Rumantsch Grischun (the standard written language) and the five Romansh dialects. Rumantsch Grischun currently accounts for just under 250,000 entries in the “Pledari Grond” – a copious body of vocabulary compared to the Duden, for example. Telli and his team of linguists add new entries to the “Pledari Grond” practically every day, frequently based on outside input. On the “Pledari Grond” website, any user can enter the German equivalent of a missing Romansh word – and then suggest their own Romansh translation. Any one of Telli’s team who happens to be at the keyboard will then look at the suggested entry immediately. Telli: “Whoever is on duty on any given day should be ready for some surprising teasers.” From granary to computer Very often, the people who use the “Pledari Grond” are journalists who provide content in Romansh, says Telli. If they are unable to find a specific term, they will ask for advice. “They usually need an answer before their editorial deadline a few hours later. We can normally help them in time.” Like the schoolyard, the media is an important environment for new vocabulary, because journalists are always trying to find simple expressions for new concepts, he says. The Covid crisis (“crisa da corona”) provided a particularly fertile ground for new terms – from “infecziun postvaccina” (breakthrough infection) to “obligatori da certificat” (mandatory Covid passports). Daniel Telli and his team of linguists add new entries to the “Pledari Grond” Romansh online dictionary practically every day. Photo supplied Swiss Review / March 2023 / No.2 19
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