Where is the fifth Switzerland? All over the world. The concept refers to all Swiss nationals living abroad, the people to whom the new Pro Patria stamps are dedicated.
More than 800,000 Swiss nationals live abroad – equivalent to around 11 percent of all people with Swiss citizenship. By way of comparison: all together, they would constitute the fourth largest canton in terms of population, which is why the com- munity is sometimes called the 27th canton. Or indeed the fifthSwitzerland – along with German-, French-, Italian- and Romansh-speaking Switzerland. A look at the statistics shows that a little over a quarter of all Swiss people abroad live in France, making the neighbouring country the most popular adopted homeland, followed by Germany and the United States.
Since 1916, SwissCommunity, the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), has been committed to maintaining the connec- tion between Switzerland and its citizens in other countries by providing up-to-date information, advice on legal issues and more. The foundation also represents the interests of the com- munity and is recognized by the authorities as an official mouthpiece.
Holiday camp brainstorming
The OSA organizes holiday camps in Switzerland for young Swiss citizens between the ages of 15 and 18 who are resident abroad. Among the items on last summer’s agenda was the creation of the new Pro Patria stamps. 124 people from 33 different countries participating in the camps gave some thought to questions about Switzerland and Swiss Post, and then com- piled and sketched out ideas for stamp designs. The upshot was a concept that served as input for the design of this year’s Pro Patria stamps. The goal? To produce two stamps representing the fifth Switzerland.
The young people set out their insights and thoughts on mood boards and in videos. When asked what she generally associates with Swiss Post, a participant from Thailand replied: “For me, Swiss Post always played a big role at Christmastime, when we received a Christmas hamper with beautiful stamps on it. I find it very special to be getting my own stamps now.” The young people also gave some thought to the question of what Switzerland means to them and made their first rough sketches with typical motifs including mountains, cows and chocolate.
They also tried out other graphic elements such as style, choice of colour and font. Once the first drafts were finished, a group was also given the opportunity to have their say and provide feedback. “I find them really pretty, and I think they symbolize a great deal. They include Swiss elements that anyone can rec- ognize,” says a participant from Chile in the video.
