Heimatort, Sweet Heimatort: The Unique Swiss Concept Of Home

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) “Place of birth” is a requirement in almost every passport around the world. Not in Switzerland. Swiss passports and ID cards care only about your“place of origin”. What's the difference, and how does it affect the Swiss Abroad? This content was published on March 22, 2025 - 10:15 10 minutes

I write articles on the Swiss Abroad and“Quirky Switzerland” as well as daily/weekly briefings. I also translate, edit and sub-edit articles for the English department and do voiceover work for videos. Born in London, I have a degree in German/Linguistics and was a journalist at The Independent before moving to Bern in 2005. I speak all three official Swiss languages and enjoy travelling the country and practising them, above all in pubs, restaurants and gelaterias.

• More from this auth
• English Departme

• Deutsch de Heimatort, oh Heimatort: Das einzigartige Schweizer Konzept von Herkunft Read more: Heimatort, oh Heimatort: Das einzigartige Schweizer Konzept von Herkunf
• Français fr Le lieu d'origine, une bizarrerie propre à la Suisse Read more: Le lieu d'origine, une bizarrerie propre à la Suiss
• Italiano it Heimatort, dolce Heimatort: il concetto di casa tipicamente svizzero Read more: Heimatort, dolce Heimatort: il concetto di casa tipicamente svizzer

Every Swiss citizen has a“place of origin” – Heimatort in German, lieu d'origine in French and luogo di attinenza in Italian – but on a map many would struggle to find the village where a distant ancestor once lived and which is now printed on a card in their wallet.

“The concept of the Heimatort is a Swiss quirk and is unique worldwide,” wrote Jrene Rolli in Swiss magazine AnnabelleExternal link . She was surprised to discover that, following a merging of municipalities, her Heimatort had changed from leafy little Belpberg to Belp, home of Bern Airport.

+ Merging communes raises identity issues

“I was outraged – I felt robbed of my identity,” she fumed, despite admitting she'd never felt anything for Belpberg, having been born and raised in nearby Bern.“My ancestors lived in Belpberg umpteen years ago, but I don't know who they were, how they lived or why they settled there.”

She decided to let off steam by going for a jog along the river to her new place of origin.“Right now I feel more connected to my sweat-soaked T-shirt – which fulfils its function moderately well – than to my Heimatort. Its function is more questionable.”

In Switzerland civil status data (birth, marriage, death) is not only registered at the place where the event occurs but also at each Swiss citizen's place of origin (Heimatort/lieu d'origine/luogo di attinenza).

The place of origin, also known as“rights of citizenship”, corresponds in Switzerland to the municipality from which a Swiss citizen obtains their citizenship rights. It is mentioned in the civil status documents (e.g. birth, marriage and death certificates) as well as in identity documents (such as the passport or identity card) of Swiss citizens – unlike in some countries, which mention the place of birth.

In the Old Swiss Confederacy, the place of origin was the place where one's ancestors lived or acquired their rights and obligations, including their rights of citizenship.

(Source: foreign ministryExternal link )

This lack of connection to one's Heimatort, literally“home place”, is not unusual. A few years ago, German-speaking public television SRF had a gameshow, HeimspielExternal link (home game), in which“three candidates are sent back to their Heimatort and their roots”. The contestants – most of whom hadn't lived in the town or village for years, if at all – were then tested on their local knowledge and skills. It was basically a fun way to learn about telegenic parts of the country.

A local from Belfaux, canton Fribourg, welcomes Swiss President Alain Berset back to his Heimatort on Swiss National Day 2018. He (Berset) then gave a speech. Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

The Swiss Federal Railways also saw an opportunity, and on Swiss National Day 2009 it offered a“Heimat ticket” taking people to their Heimatort and back for CHF15 ($16.50).“Many Swiss citizens don't even know what their Heimatort looks like,” Federal Railways spokesperson Reto Kormann said in Der BundExternal link .“The National Holiday is a good time to take a trip to your roots.”

How did it come to this? How did an administrative box trigger so many emotions and end up on game shows and train tickets?

Transatlantic ticket

For hundreds of years, Swiss municipalities and their citizens had a deal: in return for citizens fulfilling certain duties – for example, being part of a town's defence force (and paying a buy-in fee) – their municipality would look after them if they fell on hard times.

Children would inherit their father's Heimatort, and, upon marriage, wives would assume their husband's. Today, children are given the Heimatort of the parent whose surname they bear, and marriage doesn't change anything (although people can switch Heimatort – or have more than one – if they want, usually for a small administrative fee).

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