Röstigraben
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Röstigraben(German pronunciation:[ˈrøːstiˌɡraːbən];literally "Röstiditch "or" Rösti trench "also transcribedRöschtigrabento reflect theSwiss Germanpronunciation[ˈrøːʃtiˌɡrabə]) is a term used to refer to the cultural boundary betweenGerman-speaking SwitzerlandandRomandy,the French-speaking parts. There is also the termPolentagraben,referring to the boundary between German-speaking cantons, and theItalian-speakingcanton of Ticino.[1]
The term first appeared duringWorld War I,whenneutral Switzerlandstood between the warringGerman Empireand theFrench Republic.[citation needed]
Etymology[edit]
The first part of the term is derived from the Swiss German name for hashed potatoes,rösti,which originated in thecanton of Bernand is considered typical ofSwiss German cuisine.[2]
Grabenhas both the concrete and abstract meaning of "rift", with theSaane/Sarineriver valley in the bilingualcanton of Fribourgseparating the linguistic areas. The Swiss-French use a similar expression:barrière de rös(ch)ti,literally "rösti barrier", orrideau de rös(ch)ti"rösticurtain"(reminiscent of theIron Curtain). Just likeRöstigrabenit has become a familiar facetious expression used whenever differences arise, e.g. different voting results.
Definition[edit]
Geographically the line stretches from theJura Mountains(canton of Jura andBernese Jura) in the north alongLake Biel,Lake NeuchâtelandLake Moratthrough theSwiss Plateau,then crosses theSwiss Alpsand the valley ofRhône,separating Lower and UpperValais,and finally reaches theItalian borderbetween the municipalities ofEvolèneandZermatt.Folklorists emphasize the importance of the parallelBrünig-Napf-Reuss linefurther in the east, separating the historicAlemannic(East) andBurgundian(West) spheres of influence.
By analogy, the termPolentagrabenis used to refer to cultural and political differences between Italian-speaking Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland.[3]The canton of Ticino is seen as having a tougher stance towardsmigrant workersand a greater attachment to the notion of Swissness.[4]
See also[edit]
- Languages of Switzerland
- Culture of Switzerland
- Weißwurstäquator,which, similar to theRöstigraben,represents the Bavarian-GermanKulturgrenze(Culture Border).
- Barassi Line
Notes[edit]
- ^Franciolli, Riccardo (12 April 2022)."In Svizzera i confini sono fatti di patate e polenta".TVSvizzera(in Italian).Retrieved2022-10-13.
- ^"Rösti".Switzerland Tourism.Retrieved3 November2014.
- ^Jankovsky, Peter (2 July 2013)."Der Polentagraben lockt".Neue Zürcher Zeitung.NZZ.ch.Retrieved3 November2014.
- ^Bradley, Simon (6 October 2014)."The evolving Swiss identity: 1964-2014".swissinfo.ch.Retrieved3 November2014.
Further reading[edit]
- Büchi Christophe:Röstigraben.Buchverlag NZZ. Zürich, 2001.ISBN3-85823-940-2.
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