The Swiss Associate The Birth Of Their Country With 1848 Rather Than 1291

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) A majority of Swiss people believe that the country came into being in 1848 with the creation of the federal state, rather than in 1291. They also regard William Tell as a legendary figure rather than a historical hero, according to a poll published ahead of the National Day on August 1. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: The Swiss associate the birth of their country with 1848 rather than 1291 This content was published on July 26, 2026 - 11:31 3 minutes Keystone-SDA

Français fr Les Suisses associent la naissance du pays à 1848 plutôt qu'à 1291 Original Read more: Les Suisses associent la naissance du pays à 1848 plutôt qu'à

More than one in two Swiss people (52%) believe that Switzerland became a state with the creation of the federal state in 1848. Only 21% date this founding event to 1291. The year 1848 is overwhelmingly favoured in German-speaking Switzerland, whilst opinions are more divided in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, according to the Cohesion in Switzerland survey, conducted by the Sotomo Institute on behalf of Swiss brewery Feldschlösschen and published on Sunday by the German-speaking Sunday newspaper NZZ am Sonntag.

The survey also shows that William Tell is perceived more as a figure from legend or literature than as a historical figure. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed regard him primarily as a legendary figure (37%) or the hero of Friedrich Schiller's play (28 %), whilst only 27% see him as a freedom fighter against the Habsburgs. This latter view is more widespread among young people, in French-speaking Switzerland and amongst supporters of the right-wing Swiss People's Party.

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