This presentation will set aside mountains, chocolate, and other Swiss clichés and instead introduce undergraduates (but also everybody else) with an interest in Europe, and especially German-speaking countries, to Switzerland, this alpine nation – small but nonetheless special. We will look at the hard facts on Switzerland, its unique position surrounded by EU-countries (without being a member of the EU), its people – famous and less famous –, its unique political system as a direct democracy, and its (some might say: quirky) German dialect. Your take-away knowledge might even make you more curious about this special country. And, of course, there will be lots of time to ask a German with a strong connection to North America how it feels to live in Swiss "exile."
The lecture is given by Max Kade Visiting Professor Alexander Fischer.
This event is hosted by the Department of German and Russian Languages and Literatures, and it is co-sponsored by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies.
Originally published at germanandrussian.nd.edu.