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Editor/Poetry 2
Health corner 3
Swiss innovations 4
Berne: An inside view 5
Bundeshaus: Guided
tour
6
Embassy news 7
Mani Matter 8
Embassy news 9
Non Swiss perspective 10
Kids’ corner 11
Berne 12 - 13
Swiss club news 14 - 18
Photo gallery 19
Swiss news 20
Chuchichäschtli/
Garden diary
21
Obituaries 22
Obituaries 23
UNESCO World
Heritage: Old City of
Berne
24
MAGAZINE OF THE SWISS SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND
HELVETIA Y E A R 7 9 J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 1 3
HIGHLIGHTS:
www.swiss.org.nz
The Old City Of
Berne
Hydrotherapy
Swiss Innovation
What it takes to
become Swiss...
INSIDE:
Berne: City of many surprises
The Bundeshaus, with the emerald Aare River and the local “Marzili” swimming ground in the foreground ©www.bern.com
Not many cities have managed to retain their historic features quite as successfully as Berne, the capital of Switzerland. The old town of Berne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and thanks to its six kilometres of arcades - the locals refer to them as 'Lauben' - boasts one of the longest weather-sheltered shopping promenades in Europe.
The medieval air of this city with its many fountains, sandstone façades, narrow streets and historic towers is unique. The elevated Rose Garden above the Bear Park and the platform of the 101-metre-high cathedral tower offer the best views of the old town around which the River Aare flows. The former entrenchments and bastions drop down steeply to the river. The boutiques, bars and cabaret stages of the old town, some of which are located in vaulted cellars, and the small street cafes attract locals as well as a lot of tourists.
The Zentrum Paul Klee situated on the outskirts of the city houses the most comprehensive collection of works by the artist Paul Klee. The Albert Einstein House bears testimony to the physicist’s time in Berne at the start of the 20th century, when he developed his famous theory of relativity. A visit to his old house may ideally be combined with a visit to the Einstein Museum. With the History Museum, Art Museum, Swiss Alpine Museum and Communication Museum, Berne offers a very varied range of exhibitions.
Berne is the seat of Switzerland's government. The Houses of Parliament (Bundeshaus) rise above the city just a stone's throw away from the railway station. The doors to the Houses of Parliament are open to visitors most of the time, and if you're lucky, you might even bump into a Member of Parliament in the streets of the city.
Extracted from: http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/bern.html
H E L V E T I A
From the new President and Editor From the Editor
Swiss Society of New Zealand Inc.
Patron H. E. Dr Marion Weichelt Krupski
President/ Tanja Latham-Zurbruegg, 45 Kinross Street, Blockhouse Bay,
Secretary Auckland 0600. Ph 09 627 8777. E-mail: [email protected]
Vice President Marcel Rüedi, 25 Beverley Crescent, RD 1 Whangarei 0179
Ph 02 7490 1836. E-mail: [email protected]
Editor Susie Wood, PO Box 65206 Mairangi Bay Auckland 0745.
Ph 09 4736098. E-mail: [email protected]
Treasurer Carmen Fitzi-Gordon, 2 Coldham Crescent, St. Johns, Auckland 1072. Ph 09 528 0903. E-mail: c _and_ [email protected]
Riflemaster Ernst Lanz, 23 Hawaiian Parade, Arkles Bay, Whangaparaoa 0932.
Ph 09 428 5687. Email: [email protected]
Delegates to the Swiss Abroad Conference in Switzerland
Delegate Othmar Hebler, 9 Larlin Heights, RD 15, Hawera 4675. Ph 06 278 6878
Deputy Delegate Emanuel Zust, 41 Cheltenham Drive, Kapiti Village, Paraparaumu 5032
Ph 04 905 0017
Secretaries of the Swiss Clubs
Auckland Heidi Wilson, 53 Rothesay Bay Road, Rothesay Bay, Auckland 0630.
Ph 094789751. E-mail: [email protected]
Hamilton Anita Zuber, PO Box 24061, Hamilton 3253.
Mob 027 498 5170. E-mail: [email protected]
Taranaki Marianne Drummond, 508 Salisbury Road, RD 24, Stratford 4394.
Ph 06 7628 757. E-mail: [email protected]
Wellington Nathalie Leamy, 6 Shrimpton Way, Newlands, Wellington, 6037.
Ph 04 461 6541 E mail: [email protected]
Swiss Government Representatives
Embassy of Level 12, Maritime Towers, 10 Custom House Quay, Wellington 6140. Switzerland E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.eda.admin.ch/wellington, Phone: 04 472 1593 Consulate Peter Deutschle, 3 Marine Parade, Herne Bay, Auckland 1011. of Switzerland Ph 09 366 0403. E-mail: [email protected]
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
An der Kasse Guten Tag, Danke bitte Wiedersehen. Mehr wird nicht gesagt.
Guten Tag, Wechselgeld und wieder gehen. Mehr ist nicht gefragt.
Schnell und automatengleich wird der Kunde durchgereicht.
Nicht mal das Geld in deiner Hand wird sich dem nächsten Kunden zugewandt.
Hast keine Zeit es nachzuzählen, musst eilig dich nach draussen stehlen.
Denn auch beim Packen musst du Eilen willst du das Band nicht mit dem Nächsten teilen.
Wo sich am End' alles vermischt wird oft das falsche Teil erwischt.
König Kunde? Lange her. Die Kundenmonarchie gibt's nun nicht mehr.
Dear Helvetia Readers,
With winter here, now is the time to
build up the necessary fortitude to deal
with the much shorter and colder days!
Hopefully you have kept last year’s
Helvetia issues, as we included quite a
number of health articles and recipes
to help you along the way. Build your
immunity further through Dr Kneipp’s
water therapy on page 3 (Brrrr!).
This issue of the Helvetia completes
our first year of production in
Auckland. People around the country
have been very gracious in telling us
they enjoy the Helvetia. But … there is
always room for improvement and if
you would like to see something
changed, included, excluded, please
make sure you let us know!
It’s a good time to thank once again
the Helvetia team and other authors
for their exceptional contributions. A
big thank you also goes to the club
secretaries who work with much
dedication on club news, and the
Swiss Embassy who keeps up to date
with Wellington/Swiss affairs.
For all Swiss clubs around the country,
winter brings a number of great
events, including fondue evenings and
1st of August celebrations. We hope
many of you will make the time to
participate. Here in Auckland, we
started our winter season with the
Swiss Market Day on 11 May. If grilled
sausages were a measure of success,
how about selling 750 of them?
Having a cervelat and an almond
croissants for breakfast, washed down
with a strong coffee, would make any
health professional’s toes curl. But
nobody really cared anyway -
everyone was too busy entertaining
themselves!
Next on the Agenda of course is the
Swiss Society AGM in Hamilton on
Queen’s Birthday weekend. This is a
great opportunity to meet old friends
and make new ones, and contribute to
the future direction of the Swiss
Society.
Looking forward to see
you there.
Erkältungszeit Jetzt ist es wieder mal soweit, für Nässe, Kälte, Feuchtigkeit.
Die Nase läuft, die Augen tränen, wir klappern, frierend, mit den Zähnen,
Magen, Darm beginnen zu brummen, im Kopf entsteht ein lautes Summen.
Die Knie die werden butterweich, jetzt wird nur die Apotheke reich.
Erkältungsbad, warm, wohlig schäumt, die Wärmflasche, dein bester Freund.
Das Jahr erreicht schon fast das Ziel, jetzt kommt die Zeit fürs Grippespiel.
© Michael Jorchel
Contributed by
Edith Hess
P A G E 3
Health Corner
Ancient Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy was practiced by the
Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and
Romans.
When it’s hot, we drink cold drinks, eat ice cream, want cold showers, cold dips. When it’s cold, we want hot baths, hot drinks, hot water bottles. This cuts right across what some cultures and therapeutic methods successfully follow. African countries are known for their spicy hot teas which are savored in the blazing heat of that region. Ayurveda stipulates that cold water generally has a strongly astringent shock effect on the digestive system and propose the drinking of only warm water.
I stipulate that to step out of a hot shower, particularly in winter, leaves the body unarmed for the demands of the day, the pores wide open for all the bacteria to cozily procreate until such time as the defenses are regrouped – and I dutifully attempt to prevent this by finishing every shower with a cold blast. I am supported in this by the therapy that Father Kneipp in Woerishofen has practiced and successfully applied to hundreds of people for decades: Hydrotherapy.
Sebastian Kneipp was born as a weaver’s son in 1821 and as a young man contracted tuberculosis. His dream of becoming a priest was in jeopardy. A shortened bleak future, cooped up in one of the mountain cure houses awaited him. So he took his health into his own hands and followed the idea of a doctor from the 18th century to ‘wash himself well’.
This consisted of drinking a lot of pure water, and having an immersion in cold water several times a week. It worked, and with good health restored, he realized his dream of becoming ordained. His calling was now directed toward healing, and indeed many people sought his help after they heard how he had overcome tuberculosis. He wrote books about it and practiced his technique in a clinical environment.
These days, hydrotherapy is an i m p o r t a n t i n s u r a n c e - f u n d e d component of any rehabilitation programme in the many Health Centres around Europe.
The principle of hydrotherapy lies in the stimulating effect of warm or cold water on the skin. In the professional use of this method, a hose of about 3-4cm diameter with a steady flow of water should be used that is capable of covering a considerable part of the body at the time without splashing it. The water is always first applied to the furthest point from the heart, i.e., the right little toe or the right little finger. The body on the whole needs to be warm and the treatment should be followed by warmth and rest, or some warming exercise for a few minutes.
You can use this method to refresh the mind when feeling a bit sluggish: Pull back your sleeves and run your arms under a cold tap, starting from the little finger and slowly moving the arm forward until the water covers the elbow, then slowly moving back again and ending at the thumb. Repeat this two times and do the same on the other arm. It is as uplifting as a cup of coffee. Dipping your warm feet in cold water for around 20 seconds, or walking barefoot along the beach letting the tide splash your lower legs for a couple of minutes in winter is very invigorating, relieves headaches, nosebleeds and tired sore feet, but is also for a good night’s sleep. (Not recommended for people who tend toward bladder or urinary tract infections).
Hydrotherapy treatments can be done as baths or wipes or wraps – cold wraps are applied to relax the body and reduce pain. Warm wraps are often used to stimulate circulation and healing to a certain area, such as neck pain, arthritis, digestive problems or headache. Herbs or vinegar, sometimes cottage cheese or clay are added for stronger effect.
A wrap consists of a linen or cotton cloth dipped in cold or hot water and wrung out and applied to the area, then held in place with a dry layer of cloth, and a third layer of a woolen cloth to hold in the desired temperature for as long as possible. As a rule, the
wrap is removed when the temperature has been evened out by the body – i.e., the cold wrap has warmed, or the hot wrap has cooled. This takes around 45 to 60 minutes. Cold lower leg wraps, for instance, ease sore feet after long walks or standing all day, inflammation, high blood pressure, vein pain, nervousness, and promote a good night’s sleep. They are also used to reduce high fever.
Cold abdominal wraps can be done to relieve constipation, high blood pressure, but should not be done while menstruating or when a bladder infection is present. A cold chest wrap is recommended for bronchitis or pneumonia and to reduce fever. A warm wrap is used to remove mucus or for chronic bronchitis. Aromatic oils like menthol or eucalyptus can be used for this wrap to intensify the effect.
Kneipp also promotes the use of dry brushing. This is done with a natural fibre brush such as horse hair or a sisal glove. The skin of the feet, legs, abdomen, hands, arms and back is gently brushed until pink in colour, preferably before a shower or bath.
Together with good moderate diet, a healthy lifestyle which includes a decent amount of physical work and other exercise, as well as fresh air and rest at the right time, Kneipp’s teachings go a long way to ensuring good health to a ripe old age. Try it, you’ve got nothing to lose.
By Trudi Fill-Weidmann
Hydrotherapy—an easy (did I say ‘easy’?!!!) way to keep healthy
Roman Baths, Bath, UK - constructed 60 - 70 AD
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
H E L V E T I A
Catching up on Swiss innovations
Solar ski lift Tenna Graubünden’s Safien Valley and its tiny community of Tenna boast the world’s first solar-powered ski lift. The 450 meter long facility transports snow sport enthusiasts and simultaneously produces solar power.
Tenna’s skilift features a long series of photovoltaic “wings”, suspended from wires above the ski lift, appearing like a long strings of black diamonds in the sky. During winter, the lift shuttles some 800 skiers per hour. Tenna’s sun hours, its exposure to the South, the automatic tracking of the panels and snow shedding position allow optimum use of sunlight.
According to estimates, the solar panels on the ski lift produce 21% more current than customary rooftop panels, because they optimally capture the sun.
The solar panels produce about 90,000 kWh per year. Approximately 22,000 kWh is required for the operation of the ski lift. The lift prevents some 48 tonnes of CO2 being emitted to the atmosphere every year.
The excess power is sold to Tenna’s electricity company, from which interested and envi ronmental l y conscious parties can purchase the Safien Valley’s solar energy.
The ski lift was financed by the cooperative who owns the ski lift, a generous contribution f rom the Municipality of Tenna, as well as donations by private sponsors. Tenna’s ski lift won the Swiss Solar Prize in 2012.
Sources: http://www.skilift-tenna.ch, www.myswitzerland.com/en/solar-ski-lift.html
Tenna’s solar ski lift http://www.skilift-tenna.ch
Flight by solar power Solar Impulse is a Swiss long-range solar powered aircraft project being undertaken at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. The project eventually hopes to achieve the first circumnavigation of the Earth by a piloted fixed-wing aircraft using only solar power.
The project is led by Swiss psychiatrist and aeronaut Bertrand Piccard, who co-piloted the first balloon to circle the world non-stop, and Swiss businessman André Borschberg.
The first aircraft is a single-seater monoplane, capable of taking off under its own power and intended to remain airborne for up to 36 hours. The aircraft first flew an entire diurnal solar cycle, including nearly nine hours of night flying, on 7–8 July 2010.
In 2012, Piccard and Borschberg conducted successful solar flights from Switzerland to Spain and Morocco.
In 2013, plans call for a flight from the San Francisco Bay Area, California, starting on or about May 1, with extended stops in Phoenix, Dallas, (then either Atlanta, Nashville or St. Louis), Washington and New York.
Building on the experience of this prototype, a slightly larger follow-on design is planned to circumnavigate the globe in 20–25 days.
This flight was initially planned for 2014, but following a structural failure of the aircraft's main spar during static testing, a more likely date is 2015.
Note: At the time of preparing this page on 23 April 2013, Solar Impulse made its way over the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco in the US (see picture above).
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Impulse, www.solarimpulse.com
Solar Impulse over the Golden Gate Bridge www.solarimpulse.com
The Dragonfly The Swiss Group Catecar is launching a revolutionary green vehicle named Dragonfly. The Dragonfly is a highly energy efficient vehicle designed for Greener Airports and Cities.
This is the first vehicle with an electric motor which is not an electrical car: No need to plug it into the grid anymore, because energy is created by the vehicle itself, thanks to the solar roof and the so-called “range extender motorisation”. Dragonfly is independent from any infrastructure, apart from normal service stations found at every street corner.
Catecar’s partners are top Swiss universities and companies. Dragonfly has been produced from September 2012, with airports, ports and military bases being its first market.
In 2013, the veh ic le wi l l be manufactured for public use. Dragonfly embeds a cluster of the latest generation Swiss innovations:
aluminium chassis
Soltherel™ motorization (thermic
range) extender with a mileage of 100 km per liter
a solar roof and an electrical motor
with few batteries (20 kg)
a body made of plant matter (flax).
This light vehicle (350 kg) has a non-stop autonomy of 500 to 1000 km thanks to a tank of 5 to 10 liters of gasoline. Further technologies will be integrated in an ongoing process, giving Dragonfly a unique position in green mobility technology. Investors willing to participate to this unique worldwide venture are welcome - please refer to the Catecar website.
Source: www.catecar.ch
The Dragonfly http://www.catecar.ch/images/docs/brochurea5.pdf
Ideas on this page contributed by Renate
Meyer-Knecht
P A G E 5
Berne: The insider view
Adrian Blaser Adrian is the President of the Auckland Swiss club and immediately recognisable by his lovely Bernese accent.
What is your special connection with Berne?
From the age of 12 (year 7 at school) I travelled to Bern every day to attend Untergymnasium Neufeld (pre-High School), then 4.5 years of Gymnasium Neufeld, followed by 4.5 years of study in Chemistry and 4 years of PhD. I know the city quite well.
What are your most favourite things to do?
I like the old part (in the U of the Aare). The main streets have the covered walkways (Lauben) where you are protected from the rain. In summer you can take a swim in the Aare. Although I haven’t seen it yet but I think the new bear area “Bärepark” on the river bank of the Aare is very nice (next to the old bear pit “Bäregrabe”).
What are your fondest memories of the city?
I like it when you can take visitors up the Münster clock tower to show them the city from above. And of course you have to see the Zytglogge Tower.
How would you describe the people of Berne?
Bernese people are friendly and talk s l o w l y so that the others can follow.
Berne is Switzerland’s capital – how does that affect
living in Berne?
There is always stuff happening. Security can be high, but if you have a chance, go and do a tour around the Bundeshaus.
Simone Roggen Simone is New Zealand born (and Oscar Roggen’s daughter). She is a fabulous violin player who has chosen Berne as the centre of her musical universe. She is part of the well known Faust Quartett.
What brought you to Berne?
I came to Berne to study the violin at the Hochschule. At first I lived in Baden and I commuted to Berne for my lessons.
After six months of commuting early in the morning or late at night, I was sitting in the tram going across the Kornhausbrücke with a new colleague of mine. I wasn't reading and the sun had decided to shine.
We had just survived a winter (my first in Switzerland) and I looked out of the window when we were about halfway across the bridge. To my absolute astonishment (and to my colleague's) I saw the mountains for the first time. What an amazing sight! I totally fell in love with Berne at that moment, and moved into an apartment a couple of months later.
In which part of Berne do you live?
When I first moved to Bern, I lived in Breitenrain, quite close to the school where I studied for three years. I now live in Burgerziel right next to the Czech Embassy with their beautiful garden and entertaining parrot.
How do you get around?
I get around mostly by tram, but do travel in the summer by bicycle and go jogging down by the Aare.
What are your all-time favourite things to do?
Two of my all-time favourite things to do are walking down by the Aare River and going swimming at Weyermannshaus in Ausserholligen. This pool used to be a small lake but it got concreted and cleaned, and is now an enormous swimming pool with a little island in the middle, and a 50 meter area to do lengths off to the side. Surrounded by trees and grass, it is a great place just to go and relax.
What are the three best places to visit in Berne?
Definitely go and visit the Bear Family in their amazing new enclosure. Instead of the hole in the ground, it is now an entire hillside including a part of the Aare River where they can swim if they want.
Go up to the Gurten and check out the view.
And my favourite restaurant is Lötschberg - where the salads are incredible. Famous for its big selection of organic cheeses and wine. It's where all the locals go - a good sign!
How would you describe the people of Berne?
I like the people of Bern the most. They have time for a smile :-) .
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
H E L V E T I A
Bundeshaus: A guided tour
The “Bundeshaus” or Swiss Parliament
Building in Berne is an unforgettable part
of the Bernese skyline. The following is a
small extract from a brochure available
from Swiss Parliament Services, outlining
some of the key elements.
«Curia Confederationis Helveticae», the building that houses the Swiss Parliament (Bundeshaus), was erected between 1894 and 1902. It was designed by Hans Wilhelm Auer, an archi tec t f rom St. Gal len. I ts construction involved 173 Swiss firms, wh i l e 33 S w iss a r t i s t s we re commissioned to decorate it.
Ninety-five per cent of the stone used was quarried in Switzerland and the variety of materials employed is symbolic of the country’s diversity. Each statue and each painting represents a particular moment in Switzerland’s history.
The domed hall: This part of the building most evocatively symbolises Switzerland since it was designed in the form of a cross (echoing the Swiss flag). The magnificent staircase is dominated by an impressive group of statues: The original Confederates – Walter Fürst from Uri, Werner Stauffacher from Schwyz and Arnold von Melchtal from Unterwalden, who represent the legendary oath sworn on the Rütli in 1291.
The dome’s key features include four large arched windows just beneath the dome. These are decorated with works by four Swiss artists.
The paintings on glass show scenes from the four main industries in Switzerland in 1902.
The east window, by Albert Welti, depicts the textile industry around Lake Zurich, the north window, designed by Emile-David Turrian, illustrates the theme of trade and transport and the west window, by Ernst Biéler, is devoted to the metal industry in the Jura Mountains.
The south window, which is the work of Hans Sandreuter from Basel, shows an agricultural scene with the Jungfrau Massif (Bernese Oberland) in the background.
The Swiss Cross: A mosaic from the studio of the English artist Clement Heaton, based in Neuchâtel, decorates the apex of the glass dome. The banners illustrate, in Latin, the philosophy of the Swiss political system: Unus pro omnibus – Omnes pro uno (One for all – All for one). The Swiss Cross is surrounded by the coats of arms of the 22 Swiss cantons painted on glass by Albert Lüthi (Zurich). The coat of arms of the canton of Jura, created in 1978, was placed in the arch above the three Confederates.
The chamber of the National Council: The mural by Charles Giron from Gene-va, entitled “The Cradle of the Confed-eration”, shows a magnificent view over Lake Lucerne with the Rütli Meadow in the foreground. This is where the three Confederates took their oath in 1291 and founded the original Swiss Confederation. The angel of peace is reclining in a cloud above the Rütli with an olive branch in her hand. In the niche to the left of the painting is a statue by Antonio Chiattone from the Tessin representing the Swiss national hero William Tell, a symbol of political freedom and action.
In the niche to the right stands a statue by Antonio’s brother Giuseppe Chiattone representing Gertrud Stauffacher, who embodies “wisdom”. According to legend, it was she who suggested that the three valley cantons Uri, Schwyz and Nidwalden should form a Confederation by swearing an oath (“William Tell” by Friedrich Schiller). Gertrud was the wife of one of the three Confederates, Werner Stauffacher.
The Wandelhalle or lobby is 44 m long and its curved shape lends it great depth. This is where the members of the Councils meet and talk during the ses-sions, as well as giving interviews and receiving lobbyists or personal guests.
Source: http://www.parlament.ch/e/service-presse/parlamentsgebaeude/Documents/Brosch%C3%BCre_A5_Englisch.pdf
Bundeshaus with Bundesplatz
Domed hall of the Bundeshaus
National Council Chamber The original Confederates
The dome with its intricate glass features Wandelhalle (lobby)
P A G E 7
Swiss Embassy news
Swiss Honorary Consuls: What they do... and what they cannot do
Can honorary consuls issue passports or visas? Can they marry a couple? Can they authenticate a document? Swiss honorary consuls are often confronted with such requests, as revealed during a Regional Consular Conference held in Sydney on March 15 and 16, 2013. Switzerland became a member of the Schengen Agreement in 2008. The Schengen Agreement changed the role of honorary consuls considerably. Under the agreement, for example, honorary consuls are no longer authorized to grant visas.
Honorary consuls are the local representative of the ambassador or consul general. They act as the eyes and ears of the ambassador or consul general. This includes representing the ambassador or consul general at national holiday celebrations or other official events. The honorary consuls maintain and expand a network of local contacts in local government, as well as in business, scientific and cultural circles. They report to the Embassy or Consulate General whenever an opportunity for Swiss interests arises and provide general information on Switzerland. The honorary consuls further promote a spirit of solidarity within the Swiss expatriate community and strengthen its ties with Switzerland. They keep an eye out for destitute or helpless Swiss and let them know that help can generally be made available.
The honorary consuls, after consultation with the Embassy or the Consulate General, assist the Swiss in need, both those living abroad as well as tourists, be it because of an accident, sickness, theft or imprisonment, etc. They inform the Embassy or Consulate General of any circumstances that potentially affect the Swiss. They also report on any event of importance with regard to travel advice published by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
The only administrative duty of an honorary consul remains the confirmation of the proof of life for the AHV/IV. For all other consular and administrative services, Swiss citizens need to contact the Embassy or Consulate General. We thank our honorary consuls for their outstanding work.
Marion Weichelt Krupski, Swiss Ambassador in Wellington & Marcel Stutz, Swiss Ambassador in Canberra
Homepage of the Embassy in New Zealand:
http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/ocea/vnzl/afoneu.html
Homepage of the Embassy in Australia: http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/ocea/vaus/afoaus.html
A Heart for Switzerland
A heart for Switzerland is the theme for this year’s Pro
Patria badges, featuring a bright red heart with a white
cross on top of its left side, created by artist Yvan “Lozzi”
Pestalozzi from Zürich.
The Embassy is expecting to receive the badges at the
end of May and will then distribute them to the Swiss club
secretaries. The cost is NZ$8.00 per badge and you can
place your order with your Swiss club or directly from the
Embassy ([email protected]).
The proceeds will in the first instance go to the Swiss
village and regional museums around the country.
Thank you for your support.
Marion Weichelt Krupski
Ambassador
I am pretty sure many of you who grew up in Switzerland have heard of Mani Matter! I wonder whether his songs are still performed in Swiss schools. In high school, we sang his songs every week. Not all found this very exciting, as of course we preferred hits from the charts!
Mani Matter was a lawyer and a Swiss dialect songwriter who lived in Berne. Matter’s songs, to this day, are very popular in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Many Swiss artists such as Stephan Eicher, Polo Hofer, Dodo Hug or Züri West have been inspired by him and have performed his songs.
Mani Matter was born on 4th August 1936 in Herzogenbuchsee. His father, Erwin Matter, was a lawyer, while his mother was a Secretary born in the Netherlands. Mani had a sister called Helen who was two years older. The family spoke French, although this was a foreign language for the parents. In January 1960, Mani met Joy Doebeli, a high school teacher of English descent, while skiing in Grindelwald. In 1963, Mani Matter married Joy and together, they had three children: Sibyl, Meret und Ueli. Mani was baptized with the name of Hans Peter. His mother named him Jan, his sister turned it into Nani and the Scouts then gave him the name “Mani”. In his professional and academic life, Mani always called himself Hans Peter.
Mani joined the Scout Department of “Patria” in 1944 as a “Wölfli” (Wolf Scout). He later wrote three plays for the Patria entertainment evenings at the Casino in Berne, contributed poems for their bulletin “Hello” until 1965, and played with friends during several entertainment evenings in the legendary “Cabaret”.
Mani spent his childhood and youth in Berne. There, he attended primary school and the Gymnasium Kirchenfeld, where he passed the Matura in 1955. During his high school years, he wrote his first chanson, “dr Rägewurm” (the earthworm), to the tune of “Ballade des dames du temps jadis” by Georges Brassens.
At the University of Berne, he first studied German language and literature s tud ies be fo re chang ing t o jurisprudence. In 1963, he acquired the Bernese advocate patent after an internship at the District Court of
Interlaken. In 1965, he completed a doctorate on “The legitimacy of the m u n i c i pa l i t y t o t he constitutional complaint”. In 1967/68, he worked in Cambridge, England, on his postdoctoral thesis titled ”The pluralist theory of the State”.
Matter’s Bernese German dialect chansons were played on the radio for the first time in 1960. He gave public performances in
1967, initially always with the “Berner Troubadours”. He started his first solo program in the autumn of 1971 with a performance at a small theatre in Lucerne. In 1965, he published the first three song texts: The anthology “Ballad”, “Lumpeliedli” and “Chansons à la Bernoise” (Benteli-Publishers). In 1966, his first record was released. Some of his songs we only know from later recordings by his friends Jacob Stickelberger and Fritz Widmer. This includes a piece published under the title “Dr Columbus”, as well as a joint program, “Kriminalgschicht” (murder mystery), which they recorded in 1972.
On Friday, November 24, 1972, Mani Matter collided with a truck on his way to a concert in Rapperswil and died on the spot. He was only 36 years old.
Mani Matter: Berne’s Troubadour
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
H E L V E T I A
Dr Eskimo
kennet dir das gschichtli scho
vo däm armen eskimo
wo in grönland einisch so
truurig isch um ds läbe cho
är het dank em radio
fröid ar musig übercho
und het tänkt das chani i o
so isch är i ds unglück cho
nämlech är het sech für zwo
fläsche läbertran es no
guet erhaltes cembalo
gchouft und hets i d’höli gno
doch won är fortissimo
gspilt het uf sym cembalo
isch en ysbär ynecho
het ne zwüsche d’chralle gno
kunscht isch geng es risiko
so isch är um ds läbe cho
und dir gseht d’moral dervo
choufet nie es cembalo
süsch geits öich grad äbeso
wi däm armen eskimo
wo in grönland einisch so
truurig isch um ds läbe chooooo
(Mani Matter: Dr Eskimo, in: Mani Matter, Us emene lääre Gygechaschte. Berndeutsche Chansons,
Amman Verlag 2003, S. 20-21).
Summary of the Eskimo
This is the song of a poor Eskimo who once upon a time lost his life in Greenland. One day, he was listening to music on the radio and thought: I can do that, too!
He bought a Cembalo for two bottles of cod liver oil and took it into his ice cave. But when he played too loudly (fortissimo), a polar bear came and grabbed him between his claws.
Art is always a risk and you get the moral of the story: Never buy a Cembalo, as otherwise you will suffer the same fate of the Eskimo, who once so sadly lost his life in Greenland!
Text and translation by Alexandra Beskid-
Jung
Sources: http://www.manimatter.ch/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mani_Matter
P A G E 9
Embassy/Swiss news
For the first time, the Swiss Embassy has been able to offer passport services to Swiss citizens outside of Wellington. Consular officer Ariane Pochon travelled to Christchurch from 3-5 March 2013 and to Auckland from 6-12 March 2013 with a mobile biometric unit.
The huge demand and overwhelmingly positive feedback proved that this new service was well received by the Swiss community based in and around Christchurch and Auckland.
During nine days on the road, Ariane collected biometric data for Swiss passports and ID cards of 240 people, which is about 27 per day. To illustrate just how popular the service was, on average only one person comes in per day to the Embassy in Wellington to get a passport. Biometric data can be recorded all year long at the permanent biometric station based at the Embassy.
In order to accommodate as many customers as possible, Ariane extended her “mobile office hours” from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and also opened her “mobile office” for two extra days over the weekend.
Nevertheless, demand exceeded supply and a few dozen customers (whose passport expiry dates, however , were s t i l l f a r o f f ) unfortunately had to be turned away.
On a technical level, the mobile unit worked smoothly. The only minor disappointment was that a small number of customers did not show up
for their appointments, which means the slots were lost.
Given the very positive outcome of this pilot exercise, the Embassy has decided to again offer mobile passport services outside of Wellington in the future. The exact date the mobile biometric unit will return to New Zealand has not yet been finalized, but it will most probably only be in 2014. The Swiss Government has procured five mobile units which need to be shared by all Swiss representations around the world.
As mentioned in the Embassy’s letter to registered Swiss citizens in New Zealand dated 24 January 2013, future communications including information on the next opportunity for mobile passport services outside Wellington will only be communicated by email (and posted on the Embassy’s w e b s i t e : w w w . e d a . a d m i n . c h /wellington). In order to be certain you receive the information, please make sure the Embassy has your latest contact details including your email. To update your contact details a simple e m a i l t o t h e E m b a s s y ([email protected]) or phone call (04 472 15 93) is enough. There is also an online form available on our website. www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/ocea/vnzl/livnzl/addres.html).
By Flavio Milan, Deputy Head of Mission,
Embassy of Switzerland in Wellington
Successful Embassy road trip brings passport services closer to clients
Cabinet stops short of regulating housing market
The Swiss Government has rejected proposals to limit higher rents on the housing market despite calls for affordable accommodation and complaints about a shortage of apartments as a result of increased immigration.
For further detail, please refer to:
http://www.swissinfo.ch (15 May 2013)
The non Swiss perspective: How to become Swiss Every one you non Swiss reading this will have, at some point, wondered if you too can be Swiss. So here is a short introduction on how the process works.
First of all you must develop a strong passion for ocean yacht racing.
To become Swiss, there are basically three paths: through birth, marriage (not automatic) or naturalization.
Birth:
Being born in Switzerland doesn't mean you are automatically granted Swiss Citizenship. Your mother must be Swiss, your father must be Swiss if married to your mother or if he is not, he must formally acknowledge his paternity before you reach legal age.
Marriage:
If you are married to a Swiss, you may apply for “fast-track” citizenship. You must be well integrated, law abiding and not a danger to Swiss security. There are, of course, a few other requirements that you must meet: You have been married to a Swiss for at least three years and have lived in Switzerland for at least five years, including one year immediately prior to application.
If you live abroad, you can still apply but you must have been married for at least six years and your spouse must have been Swiss prior to marrying you.
Regular Naturalisation:
Foreigners with no direct blood ties to Switzerland through either birth or marriage must live in the country for at least 12 years before they can apply for citizenship. (Years spent in the country between age ten and 20 count double). You must be well integrated, familiar with customs and traditions, law abiding, and pose no threat to internal or external security.
The Federal Migration Office will then “green light” your request to begin the naturalization process but that does not mean citizenship is certain. Rather, cantons and municipalities have their own requirements that must be met. One canton, for example, might require that you live for two years in the region,
while another might require a decade. So what are these “additional requirements”? Each canton has their own set of rules. Some of Berne's rules are as follows for ordinary naturalization:
12 years of residence in Switzerland, including three of the last five years prior to application.
At least 2 years in the canton of Berne prior to application.
If you are married, one spouse must have lived in Switzerland at least 12 years and the other for five years and you must have been married for three years.
Comply with Swiss law and not be a danger to Swiss Security.
Be integrated into the Swiss community.
Be familiar with Swiss habits and customs.
Sufficient language capability in either German or French.
Attend naturalization school and pass a test (there are some exceptions to the test).
I do not pretend to be an expert on the matter as all the information here is from the following websites: If you wish to pursue Swiss Citizenship, then please do your own research.
By David Latham
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/specials/switzerland_how_to/politics/Becoming_a_citizen.html?cid=29288376
http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home/themen/buergerrecht/einbuergerung/erleichterte_einbuergerung.html
http://www.pom.be.ch/pom/de/index/zivilstand-pass-id/einbuergerung/ordentliche_einbuergerung.html (translated by Google Translate)
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
H E L V E T I A
Handy tips for Vinegar
Keep away rats and mice
If you find your compost bins are attracting rats and mice, make sure you aren't including any meat or uncooked food. Spray the bottom edge with undiluted vinegar as a further precaution.
Ant attack
Spray countertops with neat vinegar and allow it to dry in order to deter ants. By Ursula Nixon
Consigli della Nonna
Wissen Sie das?
Sweden’s Ingvar Kamprad, founder of furniture chain Ikea, remains Switzerland richest resident for the tenth year, according to an annual ranking by business magazine Bilanz. His assets, including the chain of Ikea stores, are valued at 35’000’000’000 Francs.
http://www.bilanz.ch/die-300-reichsten-2012
Punography
· I don’t enjoy computer jokes; not one bit. · Jokes about German sausage are the wurst. · I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down. · Broken pencils are pointless. · I tried to catch some fog, but I mist. · England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool. · I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.
P A G E 1 1
Kids’ corner
Mämericks and Limericks A Mämerick is a short German poem with a fairytale
background. It has always five lines which follow the
pattern AABBA. For those of you who are not
“mathematically” minded, this means that Lines 1, 2, 5
and Lines 3, 4 rhyme.
Some think that Limericks are derived from Mämericks,
but we are not certain about this. Perhaps it is the
other way around? A Limerick is a poem with the same
rhyming pattern as a Mämerick. Limericks are often
very non-sensical and cheeky – they are meant to make
people laugh. Some say they are named after the town
of Limerick in Ireland.
A Mämerick from Berne
Eine Hexe aus Bern (a witch from Berne)
Frass Kinder gar gern (ate children without a concern)
Zuerst ass sie Anne (first she ate Anne)
Später Susanne (and then Suzanne)
Dann schaute sie fern (before giving TV a turn).
A Limerick about a bear
A cheerful old bear at the Zoo
Could always find something to do.
When it bored him, you know,
To walk to and fro,
He reversed it and walked fro and to.
A Mämerick about a prince:
Ein Prinz vor langer Zeit (a long time ago a prince)
Wünschte sich eine Maid (wanted a beautiful nymph)
Er küsste eine Biene (a bee he kissed)
Da stand vor ihm Sabine (Sabine was his gift)
Nun lebten sie zu zweit (and together they‘ve lived ever
since).
A Limerick about not thinking
There was a young fellow who thought
Very little but thought it a lot.
Then at long last he knew
What he wanted to do,
But before he could start, he forgot.
Want to write your own Mämericks and Limericks but are lost for words? There are great websites that let you find words that rhyme with others (that’s how we did the above translations). Try this for a start: http://www.b-rhymes.com/rhyme.
GROMOLO...WHAT??? Some of you may have heard someone speak in Bernese
Swiss German dialect. It’s one of the quirkiest and most
slowly spoken dialects in Switzerland. Everyone loves to
hear it!
A “Gromolo” takes this even one step further: Bernese
dialect gibberish. A Gromolo is a story or play where
words are invented on the spot and used as they were a
normal part of the language. Although nobody knows the
words, everyone understands them all the same. The
secret of secret languages or just silly talk?
Can you read this Bernese Gromolo (aloud)?
“Gäuit, wemer da grad eso schön binanger sitze, hani däicht, chönntech vilicht es bärndütsches Gschichtli erzelle. Es isch zwar es bsungers uganteligs Gschichtli, wo aber no gar nid eso lang im Mittlere Schättegibeleggtäli passiert isch.
Der Schöppelimunggi u der Houderebäseler si einischt schpät am Abe, wo scho der Schibützudurs Gochlimoos pfoderet het, über s Batzmättere Heigisch im Erpfetli zueglüffe u hei nang na gschtigelet u gschigöggelet, das me z Gotts Bäri hätt chönne meine, si sige nanger scheich.... “
For the full Gromolo written by the Swiss author Franz Hohler, go to www.mittelschulvorbereitung.ch and search for “Es bärndütsches Gschichtli”.
Contributed by Adrian Blaser
Find the bear cave
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
H E L V E T I A
Berne: A special by Adrian Blaser
Swimming at the Marzili
During my study years in Bern I worked for a few summers as Lifeguard at the Marzili Swimming Pool. Apart from the normal duties like watching the pool, cleaning and maintenance, we also supervised swimming in the River Aare.
There are many entry points into the river. The longest swim is from Eichholz to Marzili (about 15-20 minutes). On weekends and during busy school holidays, the city police patrolled the river with a motorised pontoon boat.
One of us Marzili lifeguards was rostered on that shift and at the end of the shift, they would drop you off at the furthest point so you could get a long swim back to the Marzili and continue on your next shift.
By Adrian Blaser
Zibelemärit (Onion Market)
One of Berne’s highlights is the Annual Onion Market (Zibelemärit). It happens on the 4th Monday in November and starts very early in the morning.
There are usually special trains from all around the country to Bern to be there early by around 3-4 am. From Wikipedia, I learnt that the Zibelemärit originated in the 1850s with marmettes, farmers’ wives from around Murten, coming to Berne at around St. Martin's Day to sell their produce. However, a persistent local legend holds that the Zibelemärit is a much older festivity.
According to this legend, the Bernese awarded the people from the nearby city of Fribourg the right to sell onions in the city in reward for their aid after a fire destroyed much of Berne in 1405.
As the name indicates, it is mainly onions that are sold at the Zibelemärit. Bernese farmers, who are proud of their decorative onion tresses and onion wreaths, also sell other onion products on the market, including Zibelechueche (onion tart, see Edith Hess’ recipe on page 21), onion soup and onion sausages. Decorative chains of sugar onions are also popular with children.
Later in the morning, the narrow alleys are usually packed tight with people which is what the Bernese call the “Gstungg”.
But there are also all other traditional market stands like at any other market too. And of course you can get Glühwein (mulled wine).
Local schools close early so the kids can take part in the famous Konfettischlacht (confetti battle). It officially starts at 4pm, but even in the morning you can’t get home without having these coloured paper bits everywhere, and I mean everywhere! Trams can’t run as the tracks are covered in confetti. It always amazed me that the next morning you can’t find a single confetti lying around. I remember a few Zibele Märit when it snowed. It was just magical to be there, having mulled wine, Zibelechueche and it snows. Fabulous!
Aare by rubber boat
Travelling from Thun to Berne in
an inflatable dinghy
Pretty much every year in summer, Pia and I would do our annual Aarefahrt (Aare trip). We would pack our Gummiboot (inflatable dinghy), take the train to Thun Schwaebis (on the route from Burgdorf to Thun) and blow up the dinghy.
A clever guy (retired) had set up a smal l business by having a compressor at the car park and for a fee (used to be SFR 5.00), he would inflate the dinghy for you. Alternatively, you use a hand or foot pump.
You then put the clothes in a watertight bag or barrel, put on togs and sunscreen and launch. Depending on the water flow, it can take you between 2 and 3 hours to get to Berne.
There is one tricky rapid you have to watch. It’s called the Uttiger Schwelle. If you want to stay dry, you have to stay on the right side of the river. If you go through the middle of the river, you will get wet (guaranteed) and sometimes the dinghy turns.
Along the way, there are many shallow bits where you can stop and have lunch or just enjoy the sun. Once you p a s s t h e E i c h h o l z ( p u b l i c campground,) you have to start thinking about getting ready to get out.
You will pass the Tierpark Daelhoelzli (like a Zoo) and afterwards come to the public swimming pool area, the “Marzili”. It’s advisable to try to exit the river at the earliest possible stairs by grabbing the handle bars.
Along the Marzili, there are about 5-6 exit points. Don’t miss them, as afterwards there is not much hope to get out.
You can enjoy some more swimming in the Aare (which is never that warm, 21 degrees is a lot) or in the swimming pool before walking to the bottom station of the Marzilibahn which takes you up to the Bundeshaus area (www.marzilibahn.ch). It is only a short walk back to the main train station to get you back home.
“Zibelemärit” in Berne ©www.bern.com
“Gummiboot” on the Aare River ©www.bern.com
Aare River at the Marzili ©www.bern.com
The Bärengraben (bear pit) is a well-
known tourist attraction in the city of
Berne. It comprises an enclosure
housing bears situated at the eastern
edge of the old city of Berne, next to
the Nydegg bridge and the River Aare.
Although still in use, it was expanded
in 2009 by the adjacent BärenPark
(Bear Park), a larger and more natural
enclosure alongside the River Aare.
The first records of bears being kept in
the city come from 1513, when the
chronicler Valerius Anshelm described
how the Bernese returned home
victorious from the Battle of Novara,
carrying both the captured standards
and a living bear as spoils of war.
The first bear pit was at what is still
called the Bärenplatz (bear square).
The current pit is the fourth such
enclosure and was first opened in
1857.
Between 1994 and 1996, the
Bärengraben was comp le te l y
renovated to improve conditions for the
bears. Despite this, the keeping of
bears in what still remained a bear pit
led to many complaints. This, as well
as new legal requirements, prompted a
rethink of how the bears are kept.
As a result, the BärenPark was opened
in 2009 on the steeply sloping land
between the Bärengraben and the
bank of the River Aare. The original
bear pit and the BärenPark were linked
by a tunnel, allowing the bears to make
use of both spaces.
New Arrival: Erik Sonderegger
Baby Erik arrived safely on April, 18 at 10pm
with 4.36 kg and 56cm and, to his parents delight,
is continuing to grow daily.
Diego, Ana and Erik Sonderegger
P A G E 1 3
Berne’s Bear Park
Fadäzeindli – sewing basket
Fäärn – last year
Fägä – to mop (the floor)
ä Fätzä – a large person
Figurehtlä – to fiddle about
es Finöggeli – a sensitive child
fix u fertig – exhausted, finished
e Fötzel – a small piece of paper / a man of poor
character
fuärig – filling (food)
Füdlibrätsch – a smack on the bum
Chuderwälsch (Swiss Dialect)
BärenPark ©www.bern.com
BärenPark Photo by Adrian Blaser
Alter BärenGraben Photo by Adrian Blaser
Fun tips for Berne
Bernaqua
A world of water and pure pleasure awaits you at the new Bernaqua – Water Park & Spa, the largest relaxation and wellness destination in Switzerland. Around 2,000 m2 of water areas, three giant slides and 18 pools invite you to swim, play, explore and relax. There is something for young and old, mums and dads!
Check it out on http://www.bernaqua.ch
Aaretubing
Tubing is a fun new way to enjoy the Rivers of Switzerland!!! The tubes are specially designed, large, rubber rings covered with a comfortable canvas to float down the river on.
They are stable in the water, enabling the rider to relax and enjoy the beautiful summer weather and refreshing, cool water. Sounds like good fun for everyone!
http://www.aaretubing.ch
Märlipinte
Enjoy a delicious meal while the little ones get entertained and can play around us much as they want, while being surrounded by clowns, fairies and witches. A place where parents can dream and the kids can be kids.
How does that sound? It’s possible at:
http://www.maerlipinte.ch/ By Alexandra Beskid Jung
Past Events
On the 14th of April, our card afternoons
started … sadly a few people were away,
and therefore there weren’t many of us
present. However, we all enjoyed good
games. Biggest oopsy of the day went
to yours truly … listening to Erna and of
course trusting her judgement … well, all
I can say “never again”!!! I was very,
very fortunate to have a nice,
understanding partner … thank you
Robert, I was very thankful!!! Results of
the day were – 1st Albi Schuler, 2nd
Robert Buhler and 3rd Margrit Dudli, with
the booby going to Joe Buhler. The
raffle winners were Margrit Dudli (twice)
and Walter Seifert … must have been
your lucky day, Margrit!!! Hopefully, we
get a few more participants next week.
The second afternoon’s attendance on
21st April was much better and it was
great having more people to play with
and against. The winner was Marianne
Drummond, second Myrtha Seifert and
third equal were Joe Buhler and Ruedi
Benkert. The booby prize was shared by
Marlies Hebler and Albi Schuler … hey,
the luck or the skill must have deserted
you this week Albi!!! The lucky raffle
winners were Walter Seifert, Daniel
Drummond, Frieda Meier and Marlies
Hebler. Mark also held a shoot, and had
a few participants in the wet weather.
The shooters and jassers all enjoyed a
delicious afternoon tea, after which
several people continued to play cards
… hard luck player of the day went to
Walter, who announced that his team
had won the game, only to find out that
he was four points short!!! Better luck, or
better counting, next time Walter!!! The
only consolation being that your whole
table laughed about it, eh?!!! We’ve had
no takers for the board games, so if
anyone has another idea for the non-
jassers, please let us know.
We held our fondue evening on 4th of
May with 130 people enjoying a fabulous
fondue, cervelats and salads. By all the
favourable comments, the meal was
thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to all
those who cooked, cleaned, and served.
Many thanks to the musicians for the
great music, as well as the ladies who
made beautiful grocery parcels for the
raffle. The lucky winners were Jennifer
Bosch, Ruedi Benkert, Reg Tecofsky,
Hans-Peter Ludi, Yvonne Werder (twice
… very lucky lady!!!), Mathias Seifert,
Gary Preston, Ernst Denzler, and Vreni
Kull. Grateful thanks to everyone who
attended to ensure a wonderful evening
was had.
New Members
We welcome Mrs Janine Colson and
family as new members to the Taranaki
Swiss Club. Janine is the grand-
daughter of the late Charlie and Doreen
Schuler who were loyal and dedicated
members, including many years on the
committee of our club. We look forward
to seeing you at one of our future
functions.
Important News
Please note that our Hall Custodian,
Erna Zimmermann, shifts in May.
Should you have any queries regarding
usage of the hall please call her on 06
278 8215.
Future Events
June
1 – 3 We will be travelling to Hamilton
by bus to participate in the AGM of the
Swiss Society of New Zealand and also
in the final of the Cowbell competition.
Please join us for a fun-filled weekend.
Your early booking with Othmar or
Marianne would be appreciated.
16 Jassen / games at 1.15pm. Mark
will also be holding the final
Championship Shoot at 1.00pm. As
always, afternoon tea will be held after
the last card game, and everyone is
welcome to stay for Happy Hour and a
pot luck tea around 6.00pm. I’m sure
several people will enjoy another round
of cards!!! It would be wonderful to have
a good crowd, as the dinner is always
delicious and the company excellent.
23 Jassen / games will be held from
1.15pm. Come and make Walter grin by
making an appearance. As the saying
goes, “the more, the merrier”!!! Sausage
orders for the Anniversary Shoot are due
by today, so please make sure that you
have rung Walter on 06 762 8559 for
your delectable fine meats.
July
6 The very popular Anniversary Shoot
will be held with participants able to
shoot or skittle. Remember everyone
receives a prize … so come along and
enjoy a bit of sport, maybe a game or
two of cards, a drink or two, a delicious
Sauerkraut and pork meal and good
company. You may be tempted to buy a
raffle or two too!!!
Sausage orders for the 1st of August are
due by today, so please ensure that you
have rung Lisette on 06 7628718 or
Marianne on 06 7628757, as no late
orders will be taken, as we hope to be
away for a few weeks in July. Thank you
very much.
14 Jassen will be held at 1.15pm.
Walter awaits your attendance!!!
21 Come and join us for the last
afternoon of jassen for this winter.
27 Come and listen to some Swiss
music and enjoy the culture and tradition
that the 1st of August presents. We may
even be treated to another play … let’s
hope so anyway!!! Supper will be
provided, with a Swiss touch!!!
August
Happy calving to our farmers, and we’ll
catch you in October when our activities
recommence. MD
Past events
24 March: Eggs Dyeing
We did the traditional eggs painting,
using onion skins. Trudi was not able
to help this year, but luckily Petra
came, who is an expert as well.
We had boiled the onion skins the
night before.
TARANAKI
SWISS CLUB
Swiss club news
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
H E L V E T I A
WELLINGTON
SWISS CLUB
There were some broken eggs, but
this year I was somewhat wiser than
last year and made sure I did not
throw away the broken eggshells in
the clubhouse bin, only to be found
weeks later, in an undisclosed state.
7th April: Jassen
Well, that’s what was intended. The
weather forecast was not very inviting;
nevertheless I tried to find players for our
gmüetlich Jass afternoon. Soon I found
out that some weren’t here, some had
left for Switzerland already, some had
other commitments.
It looked like one table only, so I decided
we could play at my place, where I could
guarantee for cozy warm venue. But
then another potential jasser couldn’t
come, and another had to cancel – we
were down to two.
So I exvited the last two (I know this isn’t
a word, but that’s exactly what I did:
Instead of inviting them I exvited them)
and had a quiet afternoon all by myself,
near the fire, and the cake went to the
freezer. tb
20th April: AGM
This year, we had our AGM in the
afternoon, so that members living further
away could attend. We had some big
topics to discuss, and it was important
that we reached a quorum (which we
did!). We discussed the five year plan
and financial options, and ideas of
events for the coming year.
The committee was re-elected, with Mark
stepping down, and Jeanine Macdonald
being voted in. Welcome Jeanine! We
now have a committee of seven
members.
Some members played musical chairs,
with Odile moving out of the secretary
position and into the vice-president chair,
and Nathalie becoming our new
secretary. Murray stays president, Craig
treasurer, with Pitsch, Peter and Jeanine
as members. John Jordan is still our rifle
master.
The new committee is now as follows:
President: Murray Simons
Vice-president: Odile Stotzer
Secretary: Nathalie Leamy
Treasurer: Craig Press
Committee Members:
Peter Hynes
Pitsch Leiser
Jeanine Macdonald
Rifle Master: John Jordan
5th May : Jassen at the Clubhouse
More luck this time! We had two tables,
thanks to two very generous ladies who
didn’t really want to play but played to
make up the numbers, as two keen
players weren’t able to make it; one had
sudden work commitments, the other
one hadn’t recovered from a fall. Gueti
Besserig!
The players decided they had enough
medals at home already and it would be
more fun to play ‘normal’, not according
to the Society Competition Rules, and so
we had a pleasant afternoon – with fresh
cake, not the one that went into the
freezer a month ago.
I hope we have enough players in June.
tb
Future Events
7 July: Jassen
The hard core Jassers will be contacted;
everybody else is more than welcome to
join us. Please contact Trudi on 56 28
019 just to make sure there are enough
players and we do play at the clubhouse!
11 August: Jassen
This time on the second Sunday,
because we are having the National Day
Dinner on the 3rd August:
The hard core Jassers will be contacted;
everybody else is more than welcome to
join us. Please contact Trudi on 56 28
019 just to make sure there are enough
players and we do play at the clubhouse!
1st August bonfire
Let's meet on Petone Beach for our
yearly bonfire. There will be hot drinks
and sausages to keep us warm.
As every year, we still need to secure a
fire permit and count on decent to good
weather, so will confirm the event closer
to the time.
3rd August: National Day Dinner
We will celebrate our National Day with a
nice dinner at the Club house. More
details will follow.
July-December 2013
The committee is busy organising the
fondue night, tidying up administrative
matters from the AGM and of course the
shares sale. They will get together soon
to plan our social calendar and it will be
posted out as soon as possible. June is
the Swiss Society meeting and Cowbell
Finals in Hamilton on Queens Birthday
weekend. July will have an event to take
us through to 1 August dinner and
Bonfire. September will most likely be
our second Fondue Night and we will be
planning something new for October.
Now that we have three francophones in
the committee, we may try and get you
some flavours of the Welschland. Let us
know quickly if you have any
suggestions. OS
Past Events
Weekend in the Waitakere Ranges 22-
24 March
After years of enjoying club weekends at
Ruhapehu, it was decided to go
somewhere else this year. That
somewhere else ended up as a weekend
at Whatipu Lodge at the north entrance
of the Manukau Harbour in the
Waitakeres.
The weekend was a joint effort between
the Auckland and Hamilton clubs and we
ended up with good support from both
camps.
Friday night we had about 30 people
there and enjoyed a lovely afternoon (at
least the early birds did) with walks up
the hill, down to the lighthouse or just
around the lovely surroundings of the
lodge, before settling down for BBQ and
lots of R+R.
A tramp was organised for Saturday and
a good number of us took off at 9am.
P A G E 1 5
Swiss club news
HAMILTON
SWISS CLUB
The first part was all uphill through lovely
bush and beautiful views over the
coastal hills. Some of us thought we
could see Mt Taranaki but I only made it
down to Mt Kariori and a bit further down
the coast. After about 2.5 hours, we
arrived at the other end of the range and
we stopped for quite an extensive lunch
break, thinking it would be an easy stroll
along the beach back to the Lodge.
Well, it took us half an hour through soft
sand out to the tidal, firmer sand and
then it went on for another 2 hours for
some of us to get home. The beach is
just fantastic, with the hills close in and a
swampy tidal strip between beach and
hills, but a good number of us arrived
back with some very tired bodies.
The social part of Saturday kicked in with
a fondue dinner and a few drinks. A lot
of wisdom was exchanged before the
lights went out.
Sunday was a leisure day, with some
taking off to the hills, the caves or the
beach, while others just leisured around
the Lodge. Most of us left after lunch
and I certainly thought it was a very
successful weekend, and I would like to
take this opportunity to thank the
Auckland team for their input into this
lovely outing. Have a look at the
Auckland report, I suspect you will read
more about this there. Let’s keep this
activity on our agenda.
Hans Vetsch
Cowbell Semi-Final
The Cowbell Semi-Final between the
Auckland and Hamilton Clubs was held
on Sunday 21st April on a very wet day
at Swisscraft. The Auckland contingent
arrived very promptly and after quick
refreshments, the bowling got underway.
Auckland had already won the shooting
and the bowling was very close, but went
Hamilton’s way. The cards also went
Hamilton’s way, so after some lengthy
discussion, Auckland conceded the
shotput. Maybe our big, strong men put
them off?? Hamilton now look forward to
the final against the Taranaki Club on
Queen’s Birthday weekend. Thank you
to the Auckland group for participating
and having to put up with storm-like
conditions in Hamilton.
Hamilton Club AGM
This was held on the same day following
the cowbell competition. Most of the
people waited around and played cards
or enjoyed the delicious afternoon tea on
offer, but a few members braved the
storm and joined us at 4pm. We had 26
members attend, four more than last
year. The meeting followed the usual
protocol and whilst we had no
resignations during the year and no new
nominations for this year, we will go
ahead with the same committee and
office-bearers for the coming year.
Thank you to everyone who attended
and offered their on-going support to the
committee and club.
AZ
Forthcoming Events
Card Evenings will be held at the Union
Parish Church, Queen St, Cambridge,
commencing promptly at 7.30pm. The
four top scores will count towards the
overall prize.
Friday, 7thJune: Third Card Evening
Friday, 21st June: Fourth Card
Evening
Friday, 5th July: Fifth and Final Card
Evening, with Overall Prize and Trophy
Presentation
Sunday, 28th July – First of August
Celebration.
This day-time function has proved very
popular to celebrate our National Day, so
we are again planning to have a lunch
time family meal at the Matangi Hall.
A newsletter and booking form will be
sent out prior to the function.—AZ
Past events
Weekend 23-25 March: Whatipu with
the Hamilton Club
When the notice went out for the
combined Hamilton/Auckland Swiss
clubs weekend getaway, my first thought
was – where on earth is Whatipu?
Having lived in Auckland my entire life I
felt a little dumb upon doing some
research, to find this place IS in fact in
Auckland. Time to destination from our
dwelling in Kaukapakapa was 1 hour
31min which I thought could easily
double knowing Friday night traffic
through Auckland.
So “yes” I replied “we will there, but we
will be arriving late”. “No worries” Tanja
replied we will keep dinner for you.
The drive was actually no problem and
after passing through Titirangi we
immediately felt way out of town and
enjoyed the somewhat narrow and windy
journey through bush and past beaches.
It was a delight to reach the Lodge which
on first appearance looks like a group of
old school buildings.
The BBQ was on and we were quickly
welcomed with the plates full of wurst &
salat, followed by Mum’s fabulous
Zwetschge Wähe.
Most settled in for an early night,
because they had big plans for the next
day. Up bright and early we were –
thanks to the resident rooster. Breakfast
was had, lunches made and suddenly
the camp was empty as a large group
set off on a four hour hike. Some set off
on smaller walks to the beach and
lighthouse, and others remained behind
to take care of camp.
It seems the four hour hike was
somewhat underestimated and it was
more like a six hour one as the walkers
re-entered camp midafternoon.
Swiss club news
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
H E L V E T I A
AUCKLAND
SWISS CLUB
No sooner than they were back,
preparations began for the evening’s
Fondue dinner. Many thanks, Hamilton
for this very enjoyable meal.
After dinner, the cards were out for the
Jass enthusiasts and a game or two of
billiards was also enjoyed.
Sunday arrived all too soon (that rooster
again). We all set off for a walk to the
caves after breakfast and then it was tidy
up and homeward bound.
Thank you to the organisers for the
welcome, the food, the friendly company
and the stunning surroundings. We
would definitely go back again.
By Sandra Hess
Friday 05 April: Pub night in Howick
Our pub night in the ‘Basalt’ attracted a
group of nine Swiss and their friends. It
proved a good venue for the ‘locals’ out
East.
Friday 12 April Jassen
There were 19 people which
is a good turnout, but one
more would be even better –
why don’t YOU come next
time, then we don’t have the
table of six that some of us do
not like!
Results:
Sunday 21 April: Cowbell Semi Final in
Hamilton
We did try hard! 11 of us went down to
fight for that cowbell. And we had
already won the shooting, hooray! Very
close at the bowling – we lost by just two
points with the last ball by Hamilton.
Despite our most experienced
cardplayers doing their best, we were
beaten there too. The very heavy
downpours made for muddy grounds
which were unsuitable for stone
throwing. Looking at all the muscular
young competitors from the Hamilton
club, we decided we would not have had
a chance. So we gave the point to
them. Which means that Hamilton will
compete at the final at the Society AGM.
Good luck Hamilton!!
Monday 29 April: Annual General
Meeting Auckland Swiss Club
Some 40 members attended our AGM.
Thank you for coming.
Yeah right, said Adrian, who conducted it
efficiently like he had never done
anything else in his life. He had been
thrown in at the deep end: We had re-
elected him as vice president last April.
The next month Marcel the president told
us he was leaving Auckland, so by June
Adrian had settled into his new role. We
are very fortunate to have such a
committed and skilled leader, and
thanked him. The club is doing well, with
many enthusiastic and hard working
members in the various sections,
including shooting, jassen, Swiss and
Knusprig, Farm maintenance, and us
‘general’ ones. The accounts are
healthy and well-kept by Carmen. The
largest expense next year will be an
upgrade of the last 300m of road to the
farm; we had a choice between two
variations, and elected to go for the less
expensive one. Keep fingers crossed it
will last the 5-8 years that we expect it to.
Our Edith Hess received a special
thanks including a gold medal. Edith has
done far more for the club than is
expected of anyone: Committee
member, chief cook, floral artist,
decorator of halls, networker, and friend
to us all. She has resigned from the
committee. We are not quite sure how
many years she did it – forty is probably
a good guess. Fortunately though she is
not leaving the club, and has promised
us help when needed. We can even
make use of her hospitality and have our
committee meetings at her place –
looking forward to more baking!
The elections brought us three new
committee members: Alexandra Beskid
Jung and Martin Beskid will share the
role of vice president. Sabine Wyss is
going to join us, as a Swiss speaking
French. Neat to have young people, we
welcome you and look forward to run this
great club together. The evening
concluded with Edith’s ‘last supper’,
beautifully presented cold cut meats and
cakes.
Friday 03 May: Film evening at the
Danish house
After some funnier movies, “Der
Verdingbub”, the movie we watched in
the latest instalment of our Film Evening,
dealt with a much more sinister topic and
a dark chapter of Swiss history.
Verdingkinder were orphaned children or
children living in whatever the authorities
deemed to be troubled families, who
were taken away and put into new
families to live with. More often than not
they had to work incredibly hard, were
treated like slaves and had to suffer
beatings and other physical and
psychological abuse.
This hushed up practice that took place
from 1800 until 1960 became prominent
recently, when the Bundesrat issued a
formal apology for those blatant
violations of human dignity. The
thousands of Verdingkinder still alive are
yet to be compensated for the unpaid
work and the mental-health problems
resulting from their treatment.
“Der Verdingbub” tells the story of two of
those children. Max an orphan, whose
only possible retreat from the horrors of
everyday life is his beloved accordion
and Berteli who was taken away from
her widowed mother are placed on the
same farm. Life is hard and full of
deprivation and the farmer, his wife and
his son take out their frustrations on Max
and Berteli more and more often. While
their relationship is hostile at first, they
soon build a companionship which
becomes for both the only thing making
life bearable, especially their shared
dream of leaving the misery for a much
better life in Argentina. Whereas most of
the people in the village turn a blind eye
to what’s going on at the farm, a new
teacher’s decision to intervene bears
tragic consequences.
P A G E 1 7
Swiss club news
1st Hansruedi Wolf 4116
2nd Edith Hess 4096
3rd Andrew Iten 4004
4th Heidi Wilson 4000
5th Heinz Frei 3984
6th Lynne Dunphy 3910
7th Nelly Steine-mann
3850
8th Othmar Wyss 3844
9th Hans Iten 3819
10th Annagret Wolf 3811
11th Walter Haller 3711
12th Adrian Blaser 3698
13th Fidel Good 3672
14th Franz Krieger 3653
15th Hilda Iten 3551
16th Daniela Schwarz 3535
17th Louis Walli-mann
3495
18th Lilian Steiner 3424
19th Emil Tellen-bach
3419
Although heavy to digest, it was good to
see a thought provoking film for once
and the gloomy atmosphere was quickly
brightened by the wonderful Wähe we
were treated to by Erika and Edith.
By Lukas Lanz
Friday 10 May: Jassen
Eighteen people! What a
good turn-out.
Results:
1 Marcel Ruedi 4339
2 Heidi Wilson 4191
3 Andrew Iten 4010
4 Heinz Frei 3962
5 Emil Tellenbach 3897
6 Hans Iten 3866
7 Edith Hess 3864
8 Lynne Dunphy 3833
9 Neil Kaiser 3786
10 Carmen Fitzi-Gordon 3733
11 Franz Krieger 3715
12 Hilda Iten 3641
13 Louis Wallimann 3596
14 Othmar Wyss 3595
15 Walter Haller 3521
16 Ian Gordon 3516
17 Matthew Kaiser 3445
18 Fidel Good 3314
Saturday 11 May:
SWISS MARKET DAY
On a sunny Saturday 11 May, people
flocked to the Danish house to see the
wares of the Swiss community.
The “Zuckerwatte” guy next to the
carousel offered his sweet welcome in
the courtyard. The coffee queue was
long but swift, and there was fresh juice
too. The two bakers offered fresh bread,
Nussgipfel, Berliners, buns and
Cremeschnitte to have with it. The
meander along the stalls was sprinkled
with fragmented conversations with old
acquaintances, their friends and family, a
glance at the displayed health elixirs,
dogfood, lebkuchen, light therapy
machines, homemade salad dressing,
sauerkraut, vinegar, scarves and
jewellery, Swiss tools, chocolate, Swiss
cheese, news, carvings, Rivella,
measuring rulers, a brief inquiry on price,
origin, decision made, purchase.
People spilled out the side door to the
food stalls and settled for a sausage or
raclette around the tables set up under
the canopy, and took the chance to
conclude that conversation.
Thank you for a wonderful event. Thank
you to the stallholders and the Yodellers
who made this market so very Swiss.
By Trudi Fill-Weidmann
Future Events
Weekend 1-3 June: Swiss Society
AGM in Hamilton By the time you read this, you may well
be on the way to the AGM. Please see
last Helvetia for details.
Friday 07 June from 8pm: Pub night in
the centre of Auckland
Brothers Brewery, 90 Wellesley St
(corner Nelson St). Within reach for
many of us, see you there!
Weekend of 8-9 June: Shooting at the
Swiss Farm
Note reserve shooting weekend 22-23
June depending on weather.
Friday 14 June 7.30pm sharp: Jassen:
Danish House, 6 Rockridge Ave,
Penrose
Our 7.30pm sharp start has worked out
well – I find I hit the pillow before
midnight now, great for elderlies like me!
Saturday 06 July 6.30pm: Fondue
Night at the Danish house
Get warmed up inside with our national
dish; bring your friends along, they will
love it. Please register with Adrian
Blaser: Phone 09 832 0366 or Email
Friday 12 July 7.30pm sharp: Jassen -
Danish House, 6 Rockridge Ave,
Penrose
Be brave and try – we will coach you
along!
Saturday 27 July: Swiss National Day
celebration - Danish house, 6
Rockridge Ave, Penrose.
Doors open at 6pm, dinner at 7pm.
Celebrate our National Day in Swiss
company, with Swiss folklore, music, and
beautiful food. This event tends to be
booked out early. Secure your place now
with Adrian: Phone 09 832 0366 or
Email [email protected]
We love YOU to entertain us: As usual
we like to share some of our talents at
this celebration; a good opportunity to
get rid of stage fright in a friendly
environment. Please contact me if you
a re cons ide r ing con t r i bu t ing :
[email protected] or 09
4794038 (message). If you don’t do it, it
will be the same old...
Thursday 01 August 6pm: Bonfire at
the Swiss farm
(Weather permitting). The real thing –
like in the old days. A trip up the hill in
the dark, warm front and cool backside,
the smell of burnt wood, it could not be
more Swiss. If weather is doubtful, check
out the website. www.swiss.org.nz/
auckland
Diary notes for the coming
months
Friday 09 August: Jassen at the
Danish club
Friday 06 September: Pub night
Friday 13 September: Jassen
Sunday 22 September: Inline Skating
New members
We warmly welcome to our club: Daniela
and Ernst Schwarz. Trust you enjoyed
that Jass Daniela – looking forward to
seeing you again!
Nelly Steinemann, newsletter editor
Swiss club news
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
H E L V E T I A
SWISS MARKET SUCCESS STORY 1. 100kg Swiss Cheese 2. 225kg Swiss Sausages 3. Over 100 Züpfe 4. And so much more...
P A G E 1 9
Swiss club photo gallery
In Wellington... In Hamilton...
In Auckland: Having fun at the Swiss Market Day
The Wellington Club Committee is now comprised of 7 members, plus the rifle master. From top left: Murray, Pitsch, Craig, John, Peter, Odile, Nathalie and Jeanine (absent)
Vitus, Hans, Vreni, Roesli and Rae looking a picture
Enjoying the joint Hamilton/Auckland clubs fondue evening at Whatipu
Swiss news/Letters to the Helvetia Magazine
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
H E L V E T I A
SWISS KONDITOREI BERN
Bakery & Pastry
Do you feel like eating real Swiss/
German breads, tasty and healthy?
German Sourdough, Butterzopf,
Walliser Bread, Kibbled Rye, Walnut
Bread, Tasty White Bread, Basler
Bread,
or chose from a wide range of rolls,
inclusive Laugenrolls.
In the sweet range we offer
Blackforest Cake, Bienenstich,
Chocolate Truffle Cake, Quark
Cheesecake, Fruit Flans, Patisserie,
seasonal specialities and much more.
We are using local and often
organic ingredients.
Retail sale at our bakery
Hi Tanja,
My name’s Nathalie Schaffer-Leamy and I am a member of the Wellington Swiss Club. I wanted to say thank you for your article on train travel in Switzerland in the February/March issue of the Helvetia. This is exactly the kind of article I had in mind when I said “travel tips” in the survey last year.
Another thing you could mention about train travel are the Billets Dégriffés (Sparbillette http://www.sbb.ch/abos-b i l l e t t e / b i l l e t t e - s c h w e i z /sparbillette.html). They’re really cheap tickets which are available for travel between towns/cities on the main lines. The discounts are up to 60% (Last year, my husband and I travelled from Geneva to Basel return for just under the price of one normal ticket).
But of course, there are a couple of catches: One can only buy these tickets online, and they are non-transferable and valid only on the specific train they were booked for. So you have to make sure you don’t change your mind about when you want to travel and don’t run late for your train! There are also limited numbers available for each day/itinerary/time. Have a look at the SBB website. I think it’s worth a mention. Oh, and if you have a Halbtax-Abo, you get up to another 30% off!
Thank you again for a great Helvetia. I always enjoy reading it. Even my husband likes to read it!
Have a lovely weekend!
Nathalie
Letters to the Helvetia Magazine
We are very pleased to publish the following letter from Nathalie Schaffer-Leamy
with reference to Tanja Latham-Zurbruegg’s article on taking the train in
Switzerland. We like to hear from our Helvetia readers so please don’t hesitate to
write to the Editor or members of the Helvetia Team.
Forthcoming ballots in June 2013
Direct election of cabinet
A proposal to introduce a nationwide direct election of cabinet members looks set to be rejected by voters in June according to the latest poll commiss ioned by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation.
If the ballot for the cabinet election had been held in late April, only a quarter of voters would have approved the initiative.
Perhaps more surprisingly, just 26 per cent of supporters of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, the main backer of the proposed change, are definitely in favour.
Voters from other parties have also clearly rejected the proposal. According to Claude Longchamp, head of the gfs.bern polling team that carried out the survey, the initiative “doesn’t just have a lot of opponents, but the opposition is widespread as well.”
Supporters say the reform would boost Switzerland’s system of direct democracy. But most voters, like the proposal’s opponents, fear permanent campaigning will become the norm at the expense of ministerial tasks and duties.
Asylum legislation up in the air
The other issue on the June ballot is the reform of Switzerland’s asylum legislation, which went into effect last September. Opponents gathered enough signatures to force a vote after parliament signed off on it last year.
Changes included suspending the possibility to hand in asylum requests at Swiss embassies as well as r e j e c t i n g a p p l i c a t i o n s f r o m conscientious objectors and deserters. A legal basis was also created to allow as y lum s eeke rs l abe l l ed as troublemakers to be housed in separate centres. A survey indicates that 45 per cent of voters are in favour and 29 per cent against.
Source: www.swissinfo.ch (3 May 2013)
P A G E 2 1
Chuchichäschtli (Kitchen cupboard)
Garden diary: Winter gardening At this time of the year, there are usually some empty spaces left in the garden. These can be layered with mulch or compost left to rot until spring or dug in if not too boggy. This will add nutrients and structure to the soil ready for spring growth. You can still grow winter vegies from seed such as spinach, silverbeet and cold hardy lettuce, but they will be slower to germinate. Some salad varieties can be grown in pots and used as ‘cut and come again’ crops by just picking leaves as you need them, such as red lettuce, rocket and mesculin.
Plant brassicas either as seed in trays to plant out in July for spring or put in punnets of cabbages, caulis, broccolis and bok choy. If you managed to get leeks in earlier, mound them up or cover the stems with cardboard rolls or narrow plastic pipes which don't rot to blanch the stems. Plant some snow ball turnips which grow into tennis ball sized globes which taste sweet and can be added to soups or grated raw into salads. Now is the time to plant Strawberries: Buy small plants or bundles of bare rooted runners, or ask a garden friend if they have any to spare. Strawberries like full sun and
free draining soil, or they will rot over winter if water logged. Add new plants to existing beds to replace old or tired plants, as they are at their best for only 2-3 years. Planting strawberries up in hanging baskets makes an interesting display: They are easy to pick as they hang over the sides, but it is not easy to keep birds off. Garlic and shallots can go in any time now until spring but usually on the shortest day. Buy seed garlic or use local organically grown cloves only, as imported garlic is treated to stop growth. Plant in a sunny spot in free draining soil previously composted with sheep pellets and organic matter, as they are heavy feeders. Bury the unpeeled outer cloves pointy end up about 5cm deep. If your soil is very wet or cold, you can sprout cloves in punnets of potting mix to start them off, but take care when transplanting to prevent root disturbance. Shallots however need to have their pointy end just out of the ground. When they sprout, use the green tops like chives, making sure to leave some to fatten up the bulbs. Now is a good time to spray fruit trees with copper and conqueror oil 2 weeks apart to kill bugs and lingering spores.
Add to your orchard dwarf fruit tree varieties for smaller gardens or pots, or grow along a North facing wall or fence line. Grapes are easy to propagate by taking cuttings when pruning back and sticking in the ground where you want to grow them. Just remember which way is the correct way up! Prune apple and pear trees now as well, as it is easy to see crossing over or diseased wood. Plant raspberries in July: They are hardy and don't mind cooler temperatures and are best suited to cooler areas, as they need chilling temperatures to set fruit, which is probably why mine have not done so well last season, as it was too hot and dry. If you have established plants, now is the time to remove spent canes that fruited last year, leaving the young vigorous ones. Apply citrus fertiliser regularly from when the buds begin to form and water in. Lastly get shopping: Look for new releases in seed catalogues - there are endless varieties to choose from or look for heritage varieties to try. Have a warm and safe winter!
By Melissa Lanz
You will find Zibelechueche, that delicious, onion-infused delicacy, at the Zibelemärit (Onion Market) in Berne. The night before the Zibelemärit takes place, Bernese city-dwellers leave town or they barricade themselves into their flats, as a precautionary measure. Why?
During the Zibele Märit, the town is flooded from the early morning with pleasure-seeking non-Bernese people. Adorned with strange headgear and onion tresses, they throw confetti and swing rubber mallets, while mobbing past market stands and through the narrow side-streets.
The “real” Bernese only turn up again later in the evening and fondly speak of the times when confetti was only allowed to be thrown at exactly four o’clock in the afternoon, and that only in the jam-packed Spittelgasse (hospital lane).
But of course, everyone still eats a p i ec e o f Z i b e l ec h uec h e , i n remembrance of old times.
Recipe
For a baking tray of 30 cm:
700 g onions peeled and sliced in
thin stripes
2 tablespoons butter for frying
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
1 dl Cream
1.5 dl Milk
2 eggs
Short Pastry
Quickly fry (sautee) the onions without letting them brown, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and let cool for a while. Mix the onion mixture, milk, eggs and cream and pour it on the baking tray lined with the pastry.
Bake in the oven at 180ºC for about 20 minutes and serve hot with salads. Are you worried about possible consequences for the digestion because of the amount of onions? R e s t a s s u r e d t h a t q u i c k l y fried (sauteed) onions are not so bad and organic onions not at all. Even I would dare this.
Contributed by Edith Hess (Kindly translated by Ursula Nixon)
Zibelechueche (Onion Tart)
Zibelechueche www.kochbar.de
Obituaries
J U N E — J U L Y 2 0 1 3
H E L V E T I A
Max Fuhrer
14 February 1928 - 7 March 2013
Our beloved and esteemed friend
Max, patron of the Wellington Swiss
club, died of heart failure on the 7th
of March 2013. The date also
marked Max’s and his wife Rosina`s
58th wedding anniversary.
Max was born on the 14th of
February 1928 in Rorschach,
Switzerland, as the second oldest of
eight children. The family then
moved to Flawil, where his father
owned a dairy product retail-
wholesale business. It came quite
natural that Max later learned the
trade of cheese maker.
Having completed the obligatory
military service, Max caught the
travelling bug which first took him to
Denmark, then to the United States,
and later to Australia and New
Zealand.
New Zealand held a special
attraction for him, thanks to the
enthusiasm of a geography teacher
at school.
Max worked in various jobs during
those years of exploration, like
garage service attendant in San
Francisco, and cheese maker in
Oregon and on the wharf in Sydney.
After the death of his brother Fritz,
Max was c a l l ed h om e to
Switzerland. There, he fell in love
with Rosina, the young German girl
working in the Fuhrer household.
Max and Rosina married in 1955 and
together, they emigrated to New
Zealand.
They settled in Carterton in the
Wairarapa, where Max worked as a
cheese maker and in the dry season
studied at Massey College for the
New Zealand cheese maker
diploma.
During their two years in Carterton,
the two first children Fritz and Anna
were born.
A Danish cheese maker friend
convinced Max to move to Eltham to
be his assistant in producing Blue
Vein and also the first real Gruyère
cheese in New Zealand. In Eltham,
the third child Ernst was born.
In 1959, Max accepted the position
of assistant production manager at
the Tip Top ice cream factory in
Johnsonville. As a consequence,
the Fuhrers moved to Linden, where
with the births of Rosi and Max
junior, the family was completed.
To complement the income needed
to sustain the demands of a growing
family, Max produced, packed and
dispatched Borafume on a part-time
basis for Chempest, a small
chemical firm.
In the early sixties, Max bought a
milk run in Johnsonville and later a
fence making franchise, which he
soon turned into his ownership.
At an auction in 1968, Max
purchased a derelict poultry farm
and modest house in Ohariu Valley,
transforming it over the next few
years into a pleasant country home,
where they welcomed friends and
the Wellington Swiss Club for get-
togethers.
In 1976, with the help of Swiss Club
volunteers, one of the chicken sheds
was converted into magnificent
clubrooms, including kitchen and an
automatic bowling-alley. The club
retained the privilege of this meeting
place for well over 20 years.
Being Swiss, the Swiss Club meant
a lot to Max. He served as president
and together with Rosina as patrons
over many years.
One of the special pleasures for Max
was to choose the right cheese for
the many fondue evenings. Thank
you Max for everything you did for
the club!
During a European holiday in 1983,
Max suffered a major heart attack.
Thanks to a very advanced medical
system in Germany, Max survived
the attack and he was blessed with
another 30 years of a very active life.
When the Ohariu Valley property
became too much of a physical
burden, Max and Rosina decided to
relocate to Grenada Village and to a
less demanding life style.
In retirement Max enjoyed walking,
reading, gardening, story telling and
together with Rosina was involved in
cancer society driving, meals on
wheels and their local parish St.
Peter & Paul in Johnsonville.
Together, they also supported the
Open Home Foundation by opening
their home to several needy children,
offering them safety and protection
for a period of time.
Max is deeply missed by his friends
and family and is survived by his
wife Rosina, five children, 15
g r a n d c h i l d r e n , t w o g r e a t -
grandchildren, one brother and three
sisters.
By R & L Wederich
The Wellington Swiss Club and the
Swiss Society of New Zealand
extend their deepest sympathy to
Rosina and the Fuhrer family.
P A G E 2 3
Obituaries
Josef Keiser
11 February 1923 – 17 April 2013
Early Life
Josef was born on the 11th February
1923 in the village of Allenwinden
which is in the county of Zug in
Switzerland. It is now a village of
about 1250 people. His parents lived
next to his grandparents and he was
the first grandchild. Josef had three
sisters and two half sisters. His
mother died when he was 10 years
old and he was forced to do much of
the housekeeping and cooking for
the family. His father was killed in
1945 while felling a tree in the forest.
As a religious family, they attended
the Catholic Church in Kemptal. On
the two hour walk to church, they
passed the nearby mill and farm of
Julius Maggi (of soup fame).
School Years, Early Working
Years.
Josef attended school from the age
of six in Effretikon. He had to leave
school in 1937 at the age of 14 and
was forced to go to work to support
his young sisters. He worked as a
delivery boy on a bread round, using
a bicycle, for 6 1/2 days a week. In
1931, the family moved to
Unteraegeri in the county of Zug.
On a lake close by, Josef and a
friend played ice hockey.
They had no skates, and they made
their sticks from hazelnut branches
and played only in their socks.
Josef also took part in cross-country
skiing. He learnt a valuable lesson
that you could lose sometimes as
well as win. It was a lesson that
remained with him for his whole life.
When Josef was 16, he started his
apprenticeship in Schlieren, Zurich,
as a baker/pastry cook. He had no
wages for three years and only live-
in keep.
World War II
World War II began and all the
bakers were called up to the army.
Josef’s boss offered him a small
wage for 16 hours a day work.
In 1941, Josef had a major skiing
accident while skiing over an army
bunker. There was threat of
amputation of his right arm, but it
was saved. From then on, he was
unable to bend his right arm.
1943 saw Josef called up into the
army in the bakers’ unit and he
worked in the field artillery in the
kitchen. He served mostly the
officers. He saved all his pay and
tips, and this was the start of his fare
(unbeknown to him) to New Zealand.
After the war, he worked in Zurich.
Destination New Zealand
In 1951, Josef considered the
possibility of moving to Australia, as
his low wages as a baker could not
possibly support a marriage or a
family. However, he had a Swiss
friend living in New Zealand who
sent him immigration papers. He
sailed on the “Himalaya” from
Tilbury, London to Sydney and then
on the “Monowai” from Sydney to
Auckland.
It was on the Himalaya that Josef
met a New Zealand family called
Lackland who had a daughter called
Mabel – a journey of fate indeed.
The language of love is international
and was not an obstacle.
New Zealand – Key Events
1951 Arrived in New Zealand and
started work in Te Aroha as a
baker. The family he met on the
boat visited him and it was
through them he found a job
and moved to Auckland.
1952 Married Mabel Lackland.
1956 They bought a home cookery
which they had for 26 years. In
October of that year, their first
daughter, Elizabeth, was born.
1959 They bought their own home in
Umere Crescent, Ellerslie,
Auckland where Mabel still lives
today.
1960 The i r sec ond daugh te r ,
Lorraine, was born.
1977 Josef became naturalized and a
New Zealand citizen.
1990 May. Josef saved a young
autistic boy trapped in a drain in
a reserve in Ellerslie. This was
featured in the East City News.
2012 June. The Keisers celebrated
their 60th Wedding Anniversary.
2013 February - Josef turned 90
years old.
Mabel, his wife, describes Josef as a
very honourable, honest, generous
and sincere man. He was fiercely
jealous and a wonderful husband
and father. He was quite demanding
and expected everyone to work as
hard as he did. He liked playing
tricks on people and loved a good
joke. He loved all sport. The
Olympics and Football were his
special loves, along with the news
and weather.
He told Mabel that a good marriage
is give and take – he gives and she
takes. Believe what you want!
We all love him.
He is Josef.
Josef lived at Mercy Parkland, Ellerslie, from
February 2012 and this was just a short walk
from his home.
The Auckland Swiss Club and the
Swiss Society of New Zealand
extend their heartfelt sympathies to
Mabel, family and friends.
Unesco Swiss World Heritage Sites
Old City of Berne The Old City of Berne is the medieval city centre of Switzerland’s capital, Berne. Built on a rocky promontory which fits tightly into a loop of the Aare River, the old city of Berne has retained its original layout developed between the 12th and the 15th century.
A major fire in 1405 destroyed most of the existing wooden buildings of the Old City. New buildings were thereafter built in sandstone, including he characteristic arcades (Lauben). Major construction efforts occurred also during the 18th century. Despite of this, the Old City managed to preserve its original medieval character thanks to a coherent planning strategy right into modern times.
The character of the Old City of Berne today is shaped by lovely old lanes, shady Lauben, warm sandstone buildings, quirky Renaissance fountains and a number of churches, including the Münster, Switzerland’s tallest cathedral. Numerous buildings are protected as Swiss Cultural Properties of National Significance, as is the entire Old City.
Berne was founded around 1191 by the Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen, who set up his ducal seat the castle of Nydegg at the most eastern tip of the Peninsula. The Duke reputedly named Berne after a bear (“Bär” in German) which he hunted nearby. The first of Berne's many fountains features an armoured bear holding the standard of the city's founder.
When Berne became a free imperial city in 1218, it expanded west towards the Zytgloggeturm (time bell tower). During the protectorate of Peter II of Savoy (1255-65), the city was extended further west to the Käfigturm (prison tower).
Around the same time, Nydegg castle was removed. Its location is now marked by the Nydegg church. Parts of the fort’s massive stone foundations survive here and there. Around it, and below the main city, a new suburb sprang up called the “Matte”. For many centuries, this was a self-contained district of local craftspeople and dockworkers. They long retained a dialect related to the Jenisch language of the Swiss gypsies. This was dubbed “Matten Englisch” by the other Bernese to whom it was largely incomprehensible.
The final urban expansion of the medieval period took place in the 14th century. It was marked by the Christoffel tower which was demolished later in the 19th century to give way to new streets and Berne’s railway station.
In 1360, the Aare was diverted through three artificial channels to power city-owned water mills near the “Matte” quarter. A Schiffländte (ships’ landing place) was also built to allow for the unloading and loading of ships. Medieval sources record the nerve-wracking noise of the ceaseless activity of machinery, carts and commerce in the area.
Berne’s cathedral (Münster) was constructed during the 17th century, when also many patrician sandstone houses were built. Towards the end of the 18th century, almost 80% of the original buildings were renewed. At the end of the 19th century, the Bundeshaus (Swiss Parliament Building) was built along the southern edge of the Pensinsula, where the prison tower wall used to be. Other important buildings which have been constructed since 1848 include the Museum of Fine Arts, the Historical Museum, Rathaus (City Hall), University, Municipal Theatre, etc.
The Old City was built along several parallel running rows of houses. The only major cross streets developed along major city walls as they were pushed out further west and therefore mark the major stages of the city’s development.
The three quietest and most characteristic lanes in the Old City are Postgasse (post lane), Gerechtigkeitsgasse (justice lane) and Junkerngasse (squire lane). All meet at Nydegg bridge near the old castle site. Further west, the cobbled lanes of the old town stretch away on both sides of the Zytgloggeturm: Marktgasse (market lane) in the west and the elegant Kramgasse (grocers’ lane) in the east. Many buildings feature Baroque façades which were attached to the medieval buildings early in the eighteenth century.
There are over 100 fountains in the City of Berne. Eleven are graced with Renaissance allegorical statues - the “Chindlifrässer” (child eater) fountain being one of the more curiously named one - most likely used as a reminder to children to behave.
Like many European capitals, Berne today offers an intriguing contrast of old monuments and contemporary buildings. The Bubenbergplatz is a particularly good example of this. However, in most areas, the Old City of Berne preserves the traditional old arcaded lanes, many of them pedestrian zones.
Sources: whc.unesco.org/en/list/267, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_City_of_Bern
Birdseye view of the Old City of Berne (Nydegg church and bridge at the eastern tip of the peninsula in the foreground) ©www.bern.com
Münster cathedral, with Aare weir, Schiffländte (ships’ landing place) and Matte quarter ©www.bern.com
