Switzerland is (in)famous for many things. However, many of them do not even scratch the surface of what this country is all about. So, in honour of August 1st, our Swiss National Day, let'd take an in-depth look at our nation's - and our people's - true DNA!

Legend has it that in the beginning of August 1291, representatives of Switzerland’s three original cantons - Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden - united and signed an oath of confederation against the Habsburgs that at the time were occupying their lands. These ‘original’ Swiss men secretly met up in the heart of today’s Switzerland to swear allegiance to each other in the pursuit of independence and freedom.

Fast forward 733 years: Switzerland, once an occupied, poor ‘underdog’, has grown by 23 additional cantons and transformed into one of the world’s wealthiest, most stable countries with a truly unique political system. The path here has been paved by fearless mercenaries, smart entrepreneurs, and the deep-seated egalitarian mindset of the Swiss people.

However, today, most people’s associations with Switzerland are limited to that of the land of banks, chocolate and cheese, or – in a more critical note - the country that’s ‘hiding behind their neutrality’ and has ‘only become successful thanks to corrupt banks’.

With respect to our holiday today, we’d like to take this opportunity to reshare our Fireside Conversation with Swiss journalist, author, and historian, Markus Somm. By taking us through Switzerland’s history, step by step, he paints a more comprehensive picture of this country’s true DNA.

Enjoy!

Check out the Full Conversations

• Pt. I: Switzerland. The Egalitarian Nation of Entrepreneurs (or Listen on Spotify)
• Pt. II: Swiss Industrialization, Democracy & the Healing Capacities of Competition (or Listen on Spotify)

Or, Enjoy Some Short Snippets of the Conversation

The first successful industry of Switzerland had nothing to do with banks, or chocolate... Our forefathers first gained international attention in a completely much earlier.

Many of Switzerland's most essential features, like the direct democracy, have not been planned top-down, they developed over time and emerged out of chaos.

Swiss neutrality is often treated as a sort of political stance. Few know that it was actually started out of pure necessity in a time where Switzerland was split by religious differences.

In the 19th century, there were two success stories happening in Switzerland - economically and politically. Both of which are still visible today!

The Swiss direct democracy allows citizens to directly involve themselves, it is a direct competition of ideas. Everyone can bring theirs to the table and have an actual chance of them being implemented.

Unfortunately, there is a trend in Switzerland toward increased centralization as well. Markus Somm is on a mission to educate people on the unique system of this country and the role it played in the success to counteract that trend.