Bernard Cathomas

Bernard Cathomas (born June 11, 1946 in Breil / Brigels , Canton of Graubünden ) is a Swiss language and culture promoter.

life and work

Bernard Cathomas grew up in the Romansh Breil / Brigels. After attending the teachers' seminar in Chur , he studied German literature and history at the University of Zurich and did his doctorate with a sociolinguistic thesis on bilingualism. From 1973 to 1980 he taught at the Bündner teachers' seminar and took part in the editing of the critical newspaper supplement "Accents" of the Gasetta Romontscha / Bündner Zeitung .

Between 1980 and 1997 he worked as general secretary of the umbrella organization Lia Rumantscha . In 1981 he was the initiator of the Romansh written language Rumantsch Grischun , for which Heinrich Schmid laid down the guidelines in 1982. He developed an integral program for Romansh language preservation, which was based on the knowledge of «Language Planning» and implemented with concrete measures in the linguistic, legal, journalistic and social areas.

From 1998 to 2001 Cathomas was director of the Swiss cultural foundation Pro Helvetia in Zurich ; from 2001 to 2009 director of Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha (RTR) and member of the executive board of the Swiss radio and television company SRG . He was the driving force behind the new SRG media company in Chur, which enabled the convergence and strengthening of the Romanesque electronic media.

From 1989 to 1997, Bernard Cathomas was a member of parliament, the Grand Council of the Canton of Graubünden , and from 2008 to 2011 a member and then until the end of 2016 President of the Swiss Press Council Foundation. He is married, has two sons and lives in Chur.

Fonts (selection)

• Research on the bilingualism of the Romansh. A sociolinguistic and pragmatic lead study , dissertation (= Europäische Hochschulschriften. I / 183). Verlag Herbert Lang, Bern / Frankfurt am Main 1977, ISBN 3-261-02172-1 .
• Rhaeto-Romansh in Switzerland up to 1940. In: S. Vilfan et al. (Ed.): Ethnic Groups and Language Rights. European Science Foundation. Comparative Studies on Governments and Non-dominant Ethnic Groups in Europe, 1850–1940. Volume III, 89-110, New York University Press, Dartmouth 1990, ISBN 1-85521-0967 .
• «Quotidiana» - chance or failure. The Romansh newspaper project in the thicket of language, media and party politics. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . February 1, 1991, 23.
• Romansh Switzerland. In: Hans Bickel, Robert Schläpfer (ed.): Multilingualism - a challenge (= series Sprachlandschaft. 13, 343-370). Verlag Sauerländer, Aarau / Frankfurt am Main / Salzburg 1994, ISBN 3-7941-3647-0 .
• Can you learn from each other? Romansh language planning in Switzerland. In: Ladin, where to? Opportunities for language development in Dolomite Ladin. Città di Bolzano / City of Bozen 1998, 43–68.
• On the power of language and the right to speak. In: Law - Ethics - Religion. The arc of suspense for current questions, historical specifications and lasting problems. 239–248, Edition Exodus, Luzern 2002, ISBN 3-905577-62-3 .
• The way to a common written Romance language. Origin, expansion and distribution of the Rumantsch Grischun. In: Bündner monthly newspaper. 1/2012, 28-62, ISSN  1011-6885 .
• Languages ​​don't fall from the sky. For language planning in Rhaeto-Romania. In: The past and present of Romansh in Graubünden and the Rhine Valley (= series of publications by the working group for the interregional history of the central Alpine region. Volume 2, 125–147). ISBN 978-3-85637-422-8 .
• On the state of Romansh in Switzerland. Old and new challenges. In: European Journal of Minority Issues EJM. 7 (2014) 2, 91–114, Verlag Österreich 2014, ISSN electronic edition 1865–1097.
• Thirty years of Rumantsch Grischun. In: Studies in Eurolinguistics. Vol. 9: Minority Languages ​​in Europe and Beyond - Results and Prospects. 149–167, Logos Verlag, Berlin 2015, ISBN 978-3-8325-3919-1 .

Literature (selection)

• Flurin Spescha : Heat-resistant mediator. In: Die Weltwoche . November 27, 1997, 53.
• Rea Brändle : Pro Helvetia - Now it's serious. Interview with Bernard Cathomas, director of the Swiss cultural foundation Pro Helvetia. In: Tages-Anzeiger . February 24, 1999.
• Sebastian Speich: "There is no solution to hiding behind the stove". Conversation with Bernard Cathomas. In: Courage. June 16, 1999.
• Bruno Boccaletti: Le sfide del cinema svizzero. Interview with Bernard Cathomas. In: Giornale del Popolo . 7 August 1999, 22.
• Sandrine Fabbri: "La culture est enfin considérée comme une affaire importante de la vie civile". Interview with Bernard Cathomas. In: Le Temps . September 30, 1999.
• Christoph Heim: Pro Helvetia: Reform yes or no or how at all? Interview with Bernard Cathomas. In: Basler Zeitung . October 15, 1999, 49.
• Christoph Heim: "Promotion of popular culture must not become a matter for the populists". Interview with Bernard Cathomas. In: Basler Zeitung. October 15, 1999, 49.
• Charles Linsmayer: "It always works somehow ...". Interview with Bernard Cathomas on his resignation as Director of Pro Helvetia. In: The Bund . January 12, 2001.
• Ludwig Hasler: The director leaves. Reinvent Pro Helvetia. In: Die Weltwoche. January 18, 2001, 37.
• Gion Lechmann: Romansh language movement. The history of the Lia Rumantscha from 1919 to 1996 (= studies on contemporary history. Volume 6). Verlag Huber, Frauenfeld / Stuttgart / Vienna 2005, ISBN 3-7193-1359-X .
• Andreas Schmid: A language as a monument. In: NZZ am Sonntag . October 28, 2007, 21.
• Renata Coray: From Mumma Romontscha to test tube baby Rumantsch Grischun. Romansh language myths. Institute for Cultural Research Graubünden, Chur 2008, ISBN 978-3-905342-43-7 .
• Rainer Stadler : A cultural channel as a national glue. On a suggestion by Bernard Cathomas. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 14./15. February 2009, 16.
• Reto Furter: Bilingualism is a key. Interview with Bernard Cathomas. In: Southeastern Switzerland . May 9, 2009, 2.
• Olivier Berger: «The idioms stay as they are». To oppose the common written Romance language Rumantsch Grischun. Interview with Bernard Cathomas. In: Southeastern Switzerland. November 23, 2011, 3.
• Sabrina Bundi: We mustn't gamble away what we have achieved. Interview with Bernard Cathomas. In: Bündner Tagblatt . August 9, 2014, 7.
• Mariano Tschuor: In homo faber che fa, che sa far e che lai far. In: La Quotidiana . June 10, 2016, 2.
• Further literature by and about Bernard Cathomas at www.kantonsbibliothek.gr.ch or in the catalog of the German National Library.
• On the Swiss Press Council, cf. www.presserat.ch.