The Röstigraben and French- and German Speaking Switzerland

15 October 2020

The 26 cantons of Switzerland differ in size, religion, language, economy, and rural or urban character.

Religion is no longer a political dispute after 1848 (and after the Sonderbundskrieg of 1847). The language borders are a serious dividing line, however, especially between the Romandie (six (mostly) French-speaking cantons in western Switzerland, and the (mainly) German-speaking cantons.

The First World War was a period of tension between these two regions. Various incidents were directly responsible (e.g., the appointment by the parliament of the German-speaking general Ulrich Wille (1848-1925) and espionage affairs).

The Romandie mainly sympathised with the Entente (France, England, Russia, Belgium), and German-speaking Switzerland was primarily at the hands of Germany and Austria.

The Sprachgraben—the ‘gap’ separating Romandie and German-speaking Switzerland—was born—the expression Röstigraben dates from the 1930s. Rösti is a ‘German-speaking’ food, mainly made of potatoes. The river Saane (Sarine) near Freiburg (Fribourg)is the (symbolic) language border.

It is also an indication of the irony of history. Freiburg, now mainly French-speaking (Fribourg), was for centuries a bilingual (Catholic) canton founded by German-speaking dukes in the twelfth century.

The German-speaking writer Carl Spitteler (1845-1925) was one of the moderate voices in 1914. Personalities from the Romandie were also reconciliatory. They prevented a possible rupture or escalation.

The General Strike of November 1918 reconciled the French- and German-speaking elites.

French-speaking soldiers from canton de Vaud were deployed in German-speaking Grenchen (canton Solothurn) to break the strike. As a token of gratitude, the town gave des amis Vaudois a generous bonus.

However, the Röstigraben had not yet disappeared. That became clear when Switzerland joined the League of Nations in 1920. The German-speaking cantons and citizens were much less enthusiastic than the citizens and cantons in the Romandie.

The 1992 rejection of membership also followed these lines, although the French-speaking citizens were also opposed in the second referendum 2001.

The Second World War united both regions in supporting the Allies and rejecting the German-Italian dictatorships. The appointment of the French-speaking general Henri Guisan (1874-1960) undoubtedly contributed to this attitude.

Nowadays, the political dividing line is not primarily the Röstigraben but rather the ‘gap’ between rural and urban areas in both regions.

The Röstigraben still exists, but there seems to be (more) uniformity in many areas, partly due to globalisation.

Rösti became popular in the Romandie after all.