Celebrating Swiss: what do Chevrolet cars, electric guitars and famed director William Wyler (Roman Holiday) have in common? A Swiss heritage, for starters. The 'Small Numbers, Big Impact' exhibition at Zurich's Landesmuseum tells the story of Switzerland's emigrants to the United States, and their lasting legacy.
Recent years have witnessed an influx of foreigners opting for a new life in Switzerland, but in the not-so-distant past, it was the Swiss who were emigrating to greener pastures abroad. Until October 31, you can explore their achievements both at home and away.
The Association for a Swiss Migration Museum organised the exhibit for display at New York's Ellis Island Immigration Museum last summer. The idea was to introduce Americans to well-known and unsung heroes of Swiss descent. The exhibit, which opened with a concert by the American singer with Swiss roots, Jewel, proved popular, racking up over 55,000 visitors during its three-month run.
Since then, it has migrated back (excuse the pun) to Switzerland, to showcase the achievements of these same men and women for Swiss audiences, and show the impact of immigration on the development of this country.
Markus Hodel, managing director of the Association for a Swiss Migration Museum, notes how important it is that the Swiss accept their immigrant background. As an example, he points to the huge number of Italian immigrants to Ticino in the 1950's and their enduring accomplishments.
At first, he says, "these Tschingge were very much looked down upon. Today however, everybody acknowledges their contribution to our post-war industrialisation, and also their influence in our daily lives by way of cuisine, fashion and athletic ability."
Beginnings
Emigration began as soon as the 'new world' became a viable destination, though the most pronounced periods of emigration to the United States came during the 19th and 20th centuries. This mass exodus profoundly shaped Switzerland as well, as the country saw an estimated half a million people cross the Atlantic between 1700 and today.
Two large waves of emigration came from Cantons Ticino and Glarus. The California Gold Rush of 1848 enticed Ticinese in the thousands. Though many returned to Ticino before 1900, bringing with them money and innovations that were used to modernise the canton's infrastructure, including railway construction and tourism.
The mid-1800s saw vast numbers of the Glarus population suffering from poor working conditions, famine and general poverty. With the future bleak at home, thousands set off for America. They ended up founding the colony of New Glarus in Wisconsin in 1845--a town that today is known as 'America's Little Switzerland'.
These Swiss settlers were luckier than those who were stranded at the ports of New York and...
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