Thats the way to go. Going treasure hunting in the family history, with the aim of getting a sense were ones people came from and what they were up to. Interesting and fun.
Big difference between that and the "eidgenossen" thingy (aimed at constructing a negative definition which serves mainly to exclude others).
While I agree that people in general underestimate the migration movements going on in Europe, I'd still say that one can have a (proper) cultural identity as Swiss, or English, French or German for that matter.
Italy is a good example. While on the one hand it is (with the Greeks of course) on of the most culturally rich "countries" in Europe the country itself is a mere 150 years old. I'd still accept that somebody coming from there considers him- or herself as Italian and has a sense of a cultural identity that goes way beyond 1861 or 1870.
Also, why I don't buy into the more romanticised interpretation of the whole "Willensnation", I'd still think that the language is not a defining trait of the swiss nation. You (we) are swiss regardless whether we speak SG, French, Italian or Rumantsch.
So you went to Kanti St. Gallen? I thought you were English?
Eidgendossen is nothing but an old fashioned word and means oath comrades
and therefore those who'd qualify als Eidgenosse nowadays would be those who defend
fight stand up for their little Swissieland as if it would disappear just like that from the face of the earth.
Fanatics and the silly lot.
This is turning out to be an eidgenosse war with people claiming to be more swiss than others (Is the guy from the Sargans schloss currently winning?).
Well unless your ancestor was one of the people on the mount-what-you-ma-callit holding up those 3 fingers, no one here is an real eidgenosse!
But please do continue fighting, it's very entertaining
I am a Eidgenosse And I had a Girlfriend in Sevelen/Buchs to proof it
And this brings us to "Hornnusse". Ohh never mind
Replace the last one by Confederaziun svizra , but thanks for the translation.
That would be a funny argument: My ancestor personally participated in a myth!
In oder to make it more marketable, "Hornussen" has been rebranded "Stratospheric Ping-Pong"
Making fun of nationalists who use the label to foster their imagined superiority:
=Possibly great fun.
Making fun of 195cm 125 kg guys who earned the title :
=Possibly great pain.
I was just avoiding liability issues here
Our coat of arms is on the wall in Werdenberg Castle, despite the drinking problem of my paternal great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather that made him lose his house.
Two or three first names are missing because, in the course of one of the big Rhine floods, there was some water damage in the archive.
By the way, I made the foreclosure thing up, just for fun, but the rest is true.
OMD. That's the place of my wedding reception (first marriage). No kidding. Please don't bring that up again, ok?
Oh dear. We are citizens of both Buchs and Sevelen, which is a pretty notorious combination, The regional nickname of those folks, used with a wink, was Buschräuber (bush robbers, meaning highway-men).
There's nothing wrong with that. This thread is about Eidgenossen.
The guy from Sargans Castle might be a gal, if you'd care to take a closer look.
Wrong. If you take that purist approach, only those three-finger people would qualify. And by the way, that was not ON a mount-whateveryamacallit, but at the very foot of a mountain, just a few steps above the lake shore -- if you want to believe the legend, that is.
BTW Where can I get the bumper sticker ??
[QUOTE=Captain Greybeard;1164100]
Oh dear. We are citizens of both Buchs and Sevelen, which is a pretty notorious combination, The regional nickname of those folks, used with a wink, was Buschräuber (bush robbers, meaning highway-men).
QUOTE]
doe`s Zoog/zoogen ring a bell
Hey Captain Greybeard:
I'll call your bet and raise you.
My family has a family chapel that looks upon the waters of the Vierwaldstättersee (the heart of the Eidgenossen) and built by my great grandfather. We still meet twice a year for our family service there.
PS: That's quite amusing about the Sargan's Castle. I believe my ancestors don't have the best memories of it either.
Can't keep up with you guys (as a Bernese). But I'm pretty sure you guys owe me reparations from the "Sonderbundskrieg", so I'll just confiscate the pot.
I assume you mean Zogg. Sure it does. That clan spread its tentacles even beyond Sargans Castle way into Heidiland, and we still haven't managed to completely eradicate th'm.
On my father's side, our family history goes as far as being on the first ships who cames in America with Colombus. On my mom's side, it goes as far as being native american (The last pure one was my great great grand mother).
Does it change something, nope. It is related to Switzerland, nope. But according of some old Turkish men, my native american blood makes me a Turk. Oui Monsieur! Since the beginning of the humanity is from the African, Indian, Middle East area and since the Native American came to America by crossing the Bering Detroit.... It made us all being the same.... No?
Genealogy is very interesting, until as said above already, it becomes an exclusion zone. Then it becomes silly, or even dangerous.
And where did the Indians come from? Everyone's ancestors were immigrants at some point. Starting from Africa, humans migrated throughout the world. Don't really understand what your point is.
The term Anglo-Saxon always makes me laugh especially when mentioned by the BNP or EDL.
Like any illogical point of pride or belief, really. Some of my Swiss friends turn into seemingly different people when they start getting into "who's the more pure Swiss" pissing contests. I can't help but shake my head and laugh at it.
I have an ongoing joke feud with a friend of mine who is proud of being a Valaisan reaching several generations. I'm a Russian dirtying up the Swiss gene pool. He's a descendant of Valaisan cave trolls who's so inbred that he's already losing his hair in his early 20s. Yay for genetic "purity".
Going back to basics, what this really says is "I vote SVP".
I've been to a couple of weddings there....was yours one of them?
Would be a nice location for a cheese tasting (hint).