MARC LETTAU You know how it works: before you are many small puzzle pieces, with no piece being identical to the other – and an identifiable picture gradually emerges. Applied to the Swiss Abroad, you could say: the “Fifth Switzerland” is also a colourful, varied and multilingual puzzle, with well over 800,000 pieces. With its “1/800 000” series, “Swiss Review” is now putting together a snapshot of this immense puzzle. We use short interviews with Swiss Abroad as puzzle pieces. Each piece is a greeting from another part of the world; each face is a part of what makes the “Fifth Switzerland”. 1/800 000 Is it possible to have several homelands? It certainly is. I feel very much at home in Cyprus, because my life is based here right now. At the same time, I grew up in Switzerland and my family is still there. I also feel at home in Switzerland. As some of my family also live in Thailand, I feel at home there too. What references to Switzerland do you have in your house? You will usually find chocolate and cervelat in the fridge. What relationship do you have with Switzerland? Since I left Switzerland, I have grown to value the country much more. It’s a wonderful place with breathtaking scenery. But it is a holiday destination for me, somewhere I go from time to time and really enjoy visiting. What was your impression of Switzerland the last time you visited? I went back there for two years to do a tourism course. I left with a very positive impression of Switzerland. However, I also saw again that the lifestyle there is not for me. I miss the ocean-island flow. Many people complain about all sorts of things and there is a lot of stress. What do you miss the most about or from Switzerland? The nature with the mountains and the wonderful lakes and rivers. Cyprus is a very dry place. And my friends and family of course. Do you maintain personal contacts with other Swiss Abroad? Yes, it’s a given for me. We are a Swiss diving school and many people come to us from Switzerland. You also bump into Swiss Abroad here. Some of my best friends here are also from Switzerland. What language do you dream in? It’s always been Swiss German, even though I speak a lot of English here in Cyprus. We do still have German-speaking customers daily, though, so German is still present for me. What is your greatest wish at the moment? I wish the Mediterranean were better protected and respected more as part of nature and not just as a sea for leisure activities. For me, being Swiss means … ... being privileged. We are well respected all over the world. We are often multilingual, well-educated and even as Swiss Abroad have a home to which we can always return. More: www.revue.link/puzzle3 The “Fifth Switzerland” puzzle “Swiss Review” is compiling an image of the “Fifth Switzerland” – piece by piece – through a series of brief portraits. The pieces are being gathered and presented in a special “Swiss Review” dossier on the “Fifth Switzerland” puzzle: www.revue.link/puzzle3. The regional editorial teams are also publishing selected pieces on their own pages. You will find these pages in the middle of your “Review” – or in “News from your Region”, if you read the “Review” online. Would you like to join in and answer some interview questions? If so, you should first contact the editorial team for your region. More: www.revue.link/puzzle3 The “Fifth Switzerland” is a colourful, varied and multilingual puzzle with well over 800,000 pieces. Today’s puzzle piece is … … Daniel Kistler, 34, diving instructor and diving school owner in Protaras, Cyprus, where he has lived since 2018. Swiss Review / July 2025 / No.3 18 Puzzle
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