Swissness

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SIGG bottle with Swiss cross
Swiss chocolate with Swiss flag (right)
Fondue - caquelon with Swiss cross

The term Swissness (brand Switzerland, Romandie also suissitude called) is a the end of the 1990s in Switzerland be perfect scheinanglizistischer neologism . The fashion term postulates the umbrella brand strategy to position Switzerland economically as a trendy brand . The positively connoted attributes fairness, precision, reliability, political stability, naturalness and cleanliness should be summarized in one term and marketed as typically Swiss, especially abroad.

history

For the corporate design of Swissness , the Swiss cross is used graphically in different variations, which has gained new popularity in design and now adorns T-shirts , handbags and other accessories. In a similar way, Swiss companies such as Swissair , Swatch , SIGG and Victorinox have long based their company names and logos on names and symbols of Switzerland.

The designation of origin Made in Switzerland resp. Swiss made had already u. a. established in the watch industry. The Federal Council supported the Suissitude / Swissness project in order to combat abuses in the use of the Swiss cross and the name Switzerland in general abroad and in Switzerland with more energetic measures. As a report on the protection of the designation Switzerland and the Swiss cross published on November 15, 2006 showed, the change in the law was intended to create more clarity and legal security in the use of the designation "Switzerland" and the Swiss cross for products and services.

meaning

The term Swissness is used not only in business and tourism , but also in social issues and as a political catchphrase . Swissness can be seen as a counterpart to Italianità , so it is intended to appeal to the self-confidence of the Swiss, which is apparently damaged by globalization - in other words , to create an identity based on the market economy . On the other hand, it should spread the joy of buying products made in Switzerland and design objects with the Swiss cross.

According to the Zurich historian Jakob Tanner , a person who uses the expression "Swissness" has the national Swiss symbols in mind. Detached from state authority, these have become logos and have thus integrated into global competition. Tanner describes Swissness as the opposite of the political catchphrase of the special case of Switzerland, which is characterized by a complex of threats and fear of foreign infiltration . According to Tanner, this is a calm, and according to the Zurich sociologist Kurt Imhof a light-footed patriotism . The Swiss writer Hugo Loetscher saw the danger of reactionary conservatism in this .

Use and trademark rights

The Swiss television commented on 1 February 2007, the launch of a new, manufactured in Switzerland, milk product with: "More <Swissness> at Coop ." Stronger trademark protection for Switzerland and for Swiss symbols is currently being discussed.

On June 21, 2013, with the amendment of the Federal Act on the Protection of Brands and Indications of Origin (Brand Protection Act, MSchG) and that of the Federal Act on the Protection of the Swiss Coat of Arms and Other Public Signs (Coat of Arms Protection Act, WSchG), Parliament approved the so-called "Swissness bill " accepted. The aim of the Swissness template is to secure the economic value of the Swiss origin of a product in the long term.

The new Swissness regulation has been in force since January 1st, 2017

In February 2020, criticism was expressed that dishes in Coop restaurants are advertised with a large Swiss cross, although large parts of the ingredients used (in this case chicken from Slovenia) are imported. However, since the origin of the meat is declared on the same poster in small and easily overlooked letters, Coop sees no need for action. The Swiss flag stands for “typical Swiss recipes”. In the same month it became known that Otto’s had to have the Swiss crosses removed from shoes because less than 60 percent of the production costs were incurred in Switzerland.

literature

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Official bulletin of the Federal Assembly. (PDF; 3.4 MB) Summer session 2006. Retrieved May 17, 2011 .
  2. ↑ Hannes Nussbaumer: Revive or dispose of the special case? Tages-Anzeiger, December 6, 2007, p. 53 , archived from the original on October 10, 2012 ; Retrieved May 17, 2011 .
  3. ^ Hugo Loetscher: Identity: Switzerland hour. Are we the «European village idiots»? Or are we "no man's children"? What is a Swiss actually? An essay on our identity. In: The time . April 16, 2009, accessed July 6, 2011 .
  4. ↑ sda / sprm: More “Swissness” at Coop. Major distributor relies on Berg products. SF Tagesschau, February 1, 2007, accessed May 17, 2011 .
  5. ↑ Swissness: Protection of the designation "Switzerland" and the Swiss cross. Federal Institute for Intellectual Property, archived from the original on April 21, 2009 ; Retrieved May 17, 2011 .
  6. ↑ Changes to the Trademark Protection Act. Retrieved April 1, 2014 .
  7. ↑ Changes to the Coat of Arms Protection Act. Retrieved April 1, 2014 .
  8. ↑ Matthias Schmid: Swissness Ordinance: From January 1, there will be fewer Swiss crosses in stores In: srf.ch, December 29, 2016, accessed on September 12, 2018.
  9. ↑ Stefan Wüthrich: Swissness in the restaurant - Coop makes Swiss creamed schnitzel from Slovenian chicken. In: srf.ch . February 7, 2020, accessed February 7, 2020 .
  10. ↑ Otto's removes Swiss crosses from On-Schuh. In: 20min.ch . February 12, 2020, accessed February 12, 2020 .