50 Years of the Swiss National Anthem

Central Switzerland was not just the cradle of the Swiss nation. It was also where the country's national anthem was born.  In the summer of 1841, Alberich Zwyssig (1808-1854), a priest and composer from Uri, was staying with his brother in the "Hof St. Carl", a magnificent mansion just outside Zug.

He composed the "Swiss psalm" as early as 1841, with lyrics from Leonhard Widmer, in those peaceful and secluded surroundings.  However, numerous attempts to make this popular song the Swiss national anthem initially failed.  Not until 1961 did the Federal Council decide that the "psalm" should provisionally become the national anthem. It was twenty years before it definitely replaced "Rufst du, mein Vaterland" ("When you call, my homeland") as the national anthem.  

Swiss Post decided to mark the 5oth anniversary of the Swiss national anthem by issuing on May 5, 2011 a miniature sheet of 4 stamps of denomination CHF 0.25 each.  The first verse of the Swiss psalm is watermarked on each stamp in the 4 official languages of the country, namely: German, French, Italian and Romansh.  It is this miniature sheet which is affixed on this envelope kindly sent from Lausanne - with a nice philatelic cachet - to my address by David.

He also used the cereals definitive self-adhesive stamps issued on September 4, 2008.  Un grand merci à David de France! =)

Mailing date: 22 June 2011

Delivery date: 6 July 2011

50th Anniversary of the 'Fondation pour le Cheval' in Switzerland

The 'Fondation pour le Cheval' (Foundation for the Horse) is a retirement home for horses, ponies and donkeys, which is located on 3 sites: le Roselet, Maison Rouge aux Bois and le Jeanbrenain.  Founded in 1958 by Hans Schwarz, le Roselet is the first home to have emerged.  The 2 se-tenant stamps, issued in 2008, feature the sunset and the jura track enjoyed by the numerous horses of this Foundation.

The last stamp was released in 1980 to mark the centenary of the Swiss Institute of Meteorology.  Thank you very much Vural for this nice cover!

Another Swiss Mail!

 

Here's my first cover from Geuensee, Switzerland.  It was sent on November 10 and arrived on November 27.  Thank you very much Vural!  :)  It's quite nice to see the famous mouse Jimmy Flitz, creation of the renown Swiss novelist and songwriter Roland Zoss, on one of the stamps...

My First Cover from Switzerland

This cover was sent from Lausanne on November 9th last.  Thank you very much David for this nice souvenir from Switzerland! :)  The stamp depicts Gustave Moynier (1826 - 1910) and Henry Dunant (1828 - 1910)

Gustave Moynier was the co-founder of the "International Committee for Relief to the Wounded", which became the International Committee of the Red Cross after 1876.  In 1864 he took over the position of President of the committee from Guillaume Henry Dufour, until his death in 1910.

Henry Dunant on his part was a businessman and social activist.  He recorded his memories in the book A Memory of Solferino which inspired the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.  In 1901 he received the first Nobel Peace Prize together with Frédéric Passy.