Traditional Zurich Ragout – One Of Switzerland’s Most Well-known Dishes

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes [Hochdeutsch] / Züri-Gschnätzlets [ Schweizerdeutsch / Schwyzertüütsch]
Oct 29, 2022 | Zürcher Geschnetzeltes is the classic king of Zurich cuisine, though it's a dish with a relatively short history. It was only in a 1947 Swiss cookbook that the terms 'Zürich' and 'Geschnetzeltes' (or 'sliced') paired up for the first time – at the time without the mushrooms that are these days a must. These days, the dish can be found on the menu of almost every home-style Swiss restaurant. [And many fine-dining restaurants, too.]

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes is typically made with veal fillet, mushrooms, butter, shallots, white wine, bouillon, cream, sauce stock, and a little cognac. Veal kidneys are an optional addition. The meat is seared briefly, and then kept warm while a sauce is prepared from the other ingredients, which is finally puréed. This is then poured over the meat, and the whole dish is then typically served with rösti – [Swiss] potato pancakes.

Report: Jens von Larcher
Camera: Dirk Frenkel
Edit: Eva Luenig


For those that are interested in language, the name of this dish comes from the verb ,schnetzeln’, which means to cut into fine strips. (Fleisch in dünne Streifen schneiden.)

The past participle of the verb ‚schnetzeln‘ is ,geschnetzelt’. Hence the name of the dish Zürich Geschnetzeltes. – Mark

Switzerland's Stance in the Ukraine Conflict: Interview with President Ignazio Cassis | DW News

Oct 25, 2022 | Swiss neutrality is one of the main principles of Switzerland's foreign policy. Will Russia's war in Ukraine change that? An exclusive DW interview with Ignazio Cassis, the President of the Swiss Confederation.

Roger Federer Announces Retirement from Tennis after Stellar Career

THE GUARDIAN: Swiss great to call time on career at end of month

A screenshot from the accompanying video.
Roger Federer will retire next week at the age of 41 after the Laver Cup in London, marking the end of one of the greatest sporting careers.

A 20-time grand slam champion, Federer announced in a social media post on Thursday that next week will be his last as a professional player. Federer’s management firm, Team8, are founders of the Laver Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event.

“The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour,” he wrote. With video » | Tumaini Carayol | Thursday, September 15, 2022

Tennis great Roger Federer retires: his career – in pictures »

Roger Federer prend sa retraite : derrière le joueur, une icône savamment travaillée : Maître sur le court, le Suisse l’était aussi en dehors, où il soignait son image, ses apparitions et son portefeuille. »

Roger Federer: Zu gross für die Schweiz: Roger Federer beendet die Karriere als einer der grössten Sportler der Geschichte. Nicht nur die Erfolge, sondern auch die Bescheidenheit, in der er diese hinnahm, macht ihn zur Ausnahmeerscheinung. Überall auf der Welt würdigt man das mehr als in seiner Heimat. »

Face To Face | Carl Gustav Jung (1959) HQ

Oct 11, 2017 Professor Jung is interviewed at his home in Switzerland by John Freeman.

The Guardian View on the Warming of the Alps: A Challenge for Tourism

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Higher temperatures mean less snow snow and ice, more rockfalls and more fatalities on Europe’s overcrowded mountains. This cannot go on

The collision between industrial tourism and the climate crisis is destroying some of the very environments that have attracted so many to the high mountains in the first place.’ Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images
The Victorian writer and mountaineer Leslie Stephen – the father of Virginia Woolf – called the Alps “the playground of Europe”. And so they have been, in winter and summer alike, for many generations. But with excessive warming now placing some of the Alps’ most iconic summits out of bounds, for how much longer can the freedom of Europe’s playground continue?

The basic problem is the warming of the Alps. Snowfall this past winter – especially in the southern Alps – was down by two-thirds from what was once considered normal. The loss of snowmelt is a direct cause of this summer’s brutal drought in the Po valley. Last month, Swiss scientists found that weather balloons were having to rise to 5,184 metres (over 17,000ft), well above the very highest peaks, before they finally reached freezing point. » | Editorial | Monday, August 1, 2022

DW Food: How Swiss Milk Chocolate Is Made | Food Secrets Ep. 9

Mar 31, 2021 Switzerland is world-famous for its delicious chocolate. The Swiss invented milk chocolate and had some other genius ideas how to improve the taste of this popular treat. In this episode of “Food Secrets” we’ll let you in on the secrets of chocolate making– from cocoa beans to the finished bar.

Gay Farmers in Bern, Switzerland | 2011

Russia Seizes Audemars Piguet Watches in Apparent Retaliation for Swiss Sanctions

THE GUARDIAN: Timepieces worth millions of dollars were taken by FSB agents in Moscow, according to a Swiss paper

Audemars Piguet watches can cost more than £700,000 apiece. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images
Russian agents seized millions of dollars worth of Audemars Piguet watches in Moscow in an apparent retaliation for Swiss sanctions banning luxury goods exports, Bloomberg reported, citing Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag.

The watches, which can cost more than £700,000 apiece, were seized from the firm’s local premises by agents from Russia’s FSB security service on Tuesday, the newspaper said. It cited independent sources and a confidential Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs memo written for members of parliament that apparently gave details of the raid.

Switzerland abandoned its traditional neutral stance and followed other western governments in imposing sanctions banning the export of luxury goods to Russia earlier this month in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

The Swiss member of parliament Roger Köppel first revealed the information on a YouTube video. » | Staff and agencies | Sunday, March 27, 2022

Petition Calls for Vladimir Putin’s ‘Eva Braun’ Alina Kabaeva to ‘Return to Her Führer’

President Putin meets Alina Kabaeva in 2004 | SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
THE TIMES: Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition to demand the deportation of Vladimir Putin’s rumoured lover, the former gymnast Alina Kabaeva, from Switzerland.

The petition describes Kabaeva as the “wife of a delusional dictator”, and says that “Eva Braun returned to her Führer ”. Over 56,000 people have signed it so far.

Kabaeva, 38, drew the attention of Swiss and international press in 2015, when she reportedly gave birth to a girl in the Italian-speaking city of Lugano, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Putin was widely believed to be the child’s father. » | Felix Light | Monday, March 21, 2022

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Swiss Ditch Historic Neutrality to Enforce Russia Sanctions

SWISS INFO: (Bloomberg) -- The Swiss government broke with a long-entrenched tradition of neutrality and agreed to enforce European Union sanctions against Russian companies and individuals including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The government’s decision Monday to implement the sanctions with immediate effect -- which prompted Lavrov to cancel a planned trip to Geneva -- came after a weekend in which it was criticized by opposition politicians and in editorials in leading Swiss papers as well as by other governments.

The European Commission on Friday urged Switzerland to follow its lead on punishing the Kremlin, noting that although not an EU member state, it’s still “part of Europe.”

Swiss President Ignazio Cassis told reporters Monday that adopting the EU sanctions is not a black-and-white decision that precludes it playing a role as a neutral party in the future, but rather a case of choosing where to put the emphasis. » | ©2022 Bloomberg L.P. | Monday, February 28, 2022

Switzerland At Risk of EU Blacklist after Credit Suisse Leak

A move to the blacklist would mean Switzerland would face the kind of enhanced due diligence applied to transactions linked to rogue nations including North Korea. Composite: Guardian
THE GUARDIAN: Apparent due diligence failures by Swiss bank prompts centre-right calls for EU to review relationship with Switzerland

The fallout from a huge leak of Credit Suisse banking data threatened to damage Switzerland’s entire financial sector on Monday after the European parliament’s main political grouping raised the prospect of adding the country to a money-laundering blacklist.

The European People’s party (EPP), the largest political grouping of the European parliament, called for the EU to review its relationship with Switzerland and consider whether it should be added to its list of countries associated with a high risk of financial crime.

Experts said that such a move would be a disaster for Switzerland’s financial sector, which would face the kind of enhanced due diligence applied to transactions linked to rogue nations including Iran, Myanmar, Syria and North Korea.

“When Swiss banks fail to apply international anti-money-laundering standards properly, Switzerland itself becomes a high-risk jurisdiction,” said Markus Ferber, the coordinator on economic affairs for the EPP, which represents Europe’s centre-right political parties.

“When the list of high-risk third countries in the area of money laundering is up for revision the next time, the European Commission needs to consider adding Switzerland to that list.” » | Kalyeena Makortoff and David Pegg | Monday, February 21, 2022

Leak Shows Credit Suisse Has Handled Dirty Money for Decades | DW News

Feb 21, 2022 • Credit Suisse is facing allegations that it has been handling dirty money for decades. An investigation led by German daily the Süddeutsche Zeitung has revealed that Switzerland's second-biggest lender knowingly managed hundreds of millions of dollars for suspected war criminals, corrupt autocrats and drug dealers. That's according to an investigation by a consortium of over 40 media organizations worldwide. The Swiss bank says it rejects the insinuations about its purported practices.

Related links.

Revealed: Credit Suisse Leak Unmasks Criminals, Fraudsters and Corrupt Politicians

Composite: Doug Chayka
THE GUARDIAN: Massive leak reveals secret owners of £80bn held in Swiss bank / Whistleblower leaked bank’s data to expose ‘immoral’ secrecy laws / Clients included human trafficker and billionaire who ordered girlfriend’s murder / Vatican-owned account used to spend €350m in allegedly fraudulent investment / Scandal-hit Credit Suisse rejects allegations it may be ‘rogue bank’

A massive leak from one of the world’s biggest private banks, Credit Suisse, has exposed the hidden wealth of clients involved in torture, drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption and other serious crimes.

Details of accounts linked to 30,000 Credit Suisse clients all over the world are contained in the leak, which unmasks the beneficiaries of more than 100bn Swiss francs (£80bn)* held in one of Switzerland’s best-known financial institutions.

The leak points to widespread failures of due diligence by Credit Suisse, despite repeated pledges over decades to weed out dubious clients and illicit funds. The Guardian is part of a consortium of media outlets given exclusive access to the data.

We can reveal how Credit Suisse repeatedly either opened or maintained bank accounts for a panoramic array of high-risk clients across the world.

They include a human trafficker in the Philippines, a Hong Kong stock exchange boss jailed for bribery, a billionaire who ordered the murder of his Lebanese pop star girlfriend and executives who looted Venezuela’s state oil company, as well as corrupt politicians from Egypt to Ukraine.

One Vatican-owned account in the data was used to spend €350m (£290m) in an allegedly fraudulent investment in London property that is at the centre of an ongoing criminal trial of several defendants, including a cardinal. » | David Pegg, Kalyeena Makortoff, Martin Chulov, Paul Lewis and Luke Harding | Sunday, February 20, 2022

Datenleck bei der Credit Suisse: Die Bank soll über Jahre korrupte Politiker und Kriminelle als Kunden akzeptiert haben: Der Credit Suisse bleibt derzeit nichts erspart. Am Sonntag hat ihr ein internationales Journalistennetzwerk vorgeworfen, sie habe über viele Jahre korrupte Autokraten, Kriegsverbrecher und andere Kriminelle als Kunden akzeptiert. »

« Suisse Secrets », révélations sur l’argent sale caché au Credit Suisse : ENQUÊTE Dictateurs, réseaux criminels, espions : « Le Monde » et quarante-sept médias ont eu accès à des informations issues de milliers de comptes, montrant que le fleuron bancaire suisse a hébergé des milliards pour le compte de clients sulfureux. »

Vast Leak Exposes How Credit Suisse Served Strongmen and Spies: Leaked data on more than 18,000 accounts shows that the Swiss bank missed or ignored red flags. »

Credit Suisse denies wrongdoing after big banking data leak: Credit Suisse has hit out after a massive data leak has brought to light the hidden wealth of several clients of the bank. »

Crédit Suisse mis en cause par une massive fuite de données : L'établissement financier est accusé d'avoir hébergé plusieurs milliards d'euros liés au crime et à la corruption. »

Swiss Approve Tobacco Ad Ban Long after Neighbours

BBC: Swiss voters have backed a ban on tobacco advertising anywhere young people might see it.

In effect, the Yes vote in the nationwide referendum will lead to a complete ban.

The move will bring Switzerland into line with its European neighbours, most of whom adopted strict rules on tobacco advertising years ago.

Despite its healthy, environmentally friendly image, Switzerland has the most lax rules on tobacco in Europe. » | Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Bern | Sunday, February 13, 2022

Related.

Deutliches Ja: Volk nimmt Tabakinitiative mit 56,6 Prozent an: Das Schlussresultat liegt vor: Das Werbeverbot für Tabak zum Schutz von Kindern und Jugendlichen wurde angenommen. »

Swiss Vote on Tobacco Ad Ban Long after Neighbours

No-campaign posters have sprung up warning: "Today tobacco, tomorrow sausages?" | REUTERS
BBC: Swiss voters go to the polls on Sunday to decide on a raft of measures, including a ban on tobacco advertising anywhere young people might see it.

In effect it would be a complete ban.

That might cause some raised eyebrows among Switzerland's European neighbours, most of whom adopted strict rules on tobacco advertising years ago.

But Switzerland, despite its healthy, environmentally friendly image, has the most lax regulations on tobacco in Europe.

Long after smoking in pubs and restaurants was outlawed in the UK, France, or Germany, the Swiss were still puffing away.

Supermarket shoppers would be regularly approached by smiling young women giving away free samples of the latest cigarette brand. And while those things have now been banned, tobacco advertising remains.

The World Health Organization's historic Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was negotiated in Geneva almost 20 years ago.

Switzerland signed it, but still hasn't ratified it - the only country in Europe not to - because its legislation on advertising is not compliant. » | Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Bern | Sunday, February 13, 2022

Smoking surge in young during Covid lockdown: England saw a rise in young adults taking up smoking during the first lockdown, according to a study. »

In the Red? Banker Put 20-year ‘Tour of Strip Joints’ on Expenses

Pierin Vincenz paid £160,000 for strippers with his company credit card | ARND WIEGMANN/REUTERS
THE TIMES: “If you’re looking for entertainment, look no further,” boasts the Volkshaus, or “People’s House”, which bills itself as home to “an eclectic mix of bands, comedy, theatre and more”. The show that opened in the prestigious Zurich venue last week fully justified the hype.

The titillating case of the banker, his company credit card and whether the £160,000 he spent on strippers was a legitimate business expense has been welcomed as the “corporate crimes trial of the decade” by the Swiss press. » | Matthew Campbell, Foreign Correspondent, The Sunday Times | Saturday, January 29, 2022

The Times currently has a special offer on for new subscribers: Only £1 for 3 months’ access.

'The Wild Ride' : Glacier Express | Switzerland

Switzerland has some of the most scenic train rides in the world. Crossing forests, tunnels and bridges across the Alps, the Glacier Express is a dream for a lot of people. The magic of this train takes another dimension in winter when all the mountains are covered of fresh snow. [“This video is not an advertisement.” – 'exploremarco' on YouTube.]

Credits:
Directed by Marco Lopez
Music by Ryan Taubert
Voice over by Bob Darling

Switzerland to Implement Same-sex Marriage in July 2022

POLITICO: Almost two-thirds of the country voted in favor of the measure in September.

In Switzerland, same-sex couples can get married as of July 1, 2022, the Federal Council announced Wednesday.

“We are really happy with the outcome of the vote, and that it is now being put into law,” said Maria von Kaenel, co-president of the Marriage for All campaign, according to Reuters.

Almost two-thirds of the country voted in favor of same-sex marriage in a nationwide referendum on September 26. With the overwhelming result, Justice and Police Minister Karin Keller-Sutter moved to implement the result of the vote quickly. » | Thibault Spirlet | Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Finding a Retirement Home If You’re LGBT

Apr 20, 2015 • Ageing gays and lesbians should have the choice of specialised retirement homes, according to a new association aiming to fill a gap in the market.

Retired gardener Sigi Strickenberger is partly paralysed. Seven years ago he discovered a gay and lesbian home care service. Having a gay nurse looking after him is important. He feels he can only really be himself in front of someone who can also relate to him.

In Zurich an association has been set up with a view to building retirement homes and apartments for LGBT people as well as to installing other services for old age. It’s generating interest, even among younger people, some of whom also hope to find a place in an LGBT home for themselves one day.

As long as Strickenberger is healthy enough, he would like to stay at home with the aid of the gay home care service. But should the time come, he could well imagine moving to an LGBT old people’s home.

Being surrounded by people with the same interests is important. In an LGBT home, entertainment might be a drag show rather than an afternoon ballroom dancing. Plans are to have the first LGBT home up and running in five years. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)

Swiss Vote Overwhelmingly for Same-sex Marriage in Referendum

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Marriage for All’ proposal backed by 64.1% of voters in nationwide referendum

A couple pose with a slice of wedding cake at an event following the referendum on same-sex marriage, Bern, Switzerland. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images
Swiss voters have decided by a clear margin to allow same-sex couples to marry, in a referendum that brings the Alpine nation into line with many others in western Europe.

Official results showed the measure passed with 64.1% of voters in favour and won a majority in all of Switzerland’s 26 cantons.

Switzerland’s parliament and the governing federal council supported the “Marriage for All” measure, and pre-referendum polls showed solid backing. Switzerland has authorised same-sex civil partnerships since 2007.

Supporters said approval would put same-sex partners on an equal legal footing with heterosexual couples by allowing them to adopt children together and facilitating citizenship for same-sex spouses. It would also permit lesbian couples to use regulated sperm donation. » | Associated Press in Geneva | Sunday, September 26, 2021

Les Suisses disent «oui» au mariage pour tous : Pour la première fois, le peuple suisse était invité à se prononcer sur la question du mariage homosexuel. Selon les premiers résultats, le «oui» l'emporte à 64%. »

Schweizer stimmen deutlich für Ehe für alle: Alle Versuche, sich der Ehe für alle noch in den Weg zu stellen, sind gescheitert: Mit deutlicher Mehrheit haben die Schweizer in einem Referendum gegen Bedenken gestimmt. »

Ehe für alle: zwei Buchstaben, ein Ausrufezeichen. Ja! : Die Öffnung der Ehe ist ein historischer Entscheid. Das klare Votum gibt Hoffnung. Die Schweiz kann sich noch erneuern. »