Did You Know......?

Since it is raining heavily at times, today is the kind of day you want to stay inside and cozy up with a book. So I did. I found out some interesting facts about Switzerland. So, did you know this about Switzerland?

"The Swiss Company Novartis wins approval for first malaria medicine for babies.

"Novartis developed Coartem Baby (also known as Riamet Baby), the first malaria medicine specifically for infants, which was approved by Swissmedic in July 2025. This new formulation treats malaria in infants weighing 2 kg to 5 kg, addressing a critical treatment gap for vulnerable young infants. The drug is a sweet, cherry-flavored, dissolvable version of artemether-lumefantrine and is intended to be rolled out on a largely not-for-profit basis in Africa."

 Switzerland has more shelter places than inhabitants.

"A shelter for every Swiss inhabitant and more. As a rule, in Switzerland, there is a shelter for every inhabitant: approximately nine million shelter places are available in about 370,000 private and public shelters. This corresponds to a coverage rate of more than 100 percent. However, coverage differs between cantons, and local gaps remain. The majority of the population lives in buildings equipped with their own shelters. if not, public shelters are available near residential areas."

Michael and I have toured the Sonnenberg Civil Defense Facility in Luzern. It's a unique and fascinating experience. It can only be visited on a guided tour. Tours are generally available daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., upon request.

"The Sonnenberg shelter was built in the 1970s and originally designed to potentially house 20,000 people. Still in active use for 2,000 people today, it remains one of the world's biggest civilian bunkers.  On the tour, you will learn about the historical background that led to the construction of this giant shelter as well as experience what everyday life would have been like for the population in the shelter. You will explore areas where the staff would have been working – such as the command post, the emergency hospital, the kitchen or the detention cells – and get to see how the facility is used today."

"Gold-digging: why some Swiss bury their wealth in the garden.

It’s not just plants that can be found in Swiss gardens – there’s a fair bit of gold too. About ten tons of the precious metal is estimated to be buried across the country."

"Gold is a well-known safe-haven asset. Keeping it, in the form of coins or ingots, represents a kind of insurance against the misfortunes of life. So it’s hardly surprising that this practice is widespread in Switzerland, a country renowned for its insurance, banking and gold trading."

"A recent study by the University of St Gallen confirms the Swiss taste for the shiny metal. The representative survey found that two-thirds (65.2%) of the 3,000 respondents believed that investing in precious metals was “judicious”.

"Gold is even one of the Swiss public’s favorite forms of investment, albeit a long way behind property, but ahead of traditional financial products such as shares and bonds. Sergio Rossi, professor of economics at the University of Fribourg, isn’t surprised by the gold craze. “Political and macroeconomic changes in the world are causing concern, even among the Swiss,” he told SWI."

“There are also inflationary pressures that are leading to fears of a decline in the purchasing power of savings deposited in banks. Gold is reputed to be a safe investment that doesn’t lose value. People who can afford it therefore buy gold to maintain or even increase their assets.”

Tons of gold

“The average wealth in Switzerland is clearly much higher than elsewhere. “The Swiss therefore have the financial means to buy tons of gold, which is less easy or even impossible in other countries.”

"By extrapolating the results of the survey, the University of St Gallen study was able to estimate the quantity of gold held in the form of coins or bars (jewelry wasn’t taken into account) by individuals in Switzerland. The figures are impressive.

The survey responses show that 22% of respondents own an average of 100.83 grams of gold, the equivalent of around CHF7,500 ($8,670). Applied to the population as a whole, these figures represent a total of 200 tons worth CHF14.9 billion."

"Like Scrooge McDuck, the Swiss like to keep their gold close to hand. In 43% of cases they part with it only in an emergency. Most gold owners only sell their gold when they need to".

Like pirates

"The Swiss could also be compared to pirates who hide their loot. The survey shows that 5% of those questioned bury their gold in their garden. Again, extrapolating from this, the figures are impressive: around ten tons of gold worth CHF 750 million are believed to be buried underground.

The precious metal is also frequently stored in the home, either hidden (15%) or in a safe (18%). The various forms of home storage are therefore almost as common as bank deposits (39%)."

“It surprised the author of the article a bit to learn that people were still burying their gold, but on reflection, it shows that a section of the population doesn’t believe in the solidity of banks. This is a sign that the banking sector should take on board, noting that its reputation has been affected,” says Rossi, referring to the problems encountered by some of Switzerland’s major banks in recent years."

Guinea pigs

"In Switzerland, it is illegal to keep a single guinea pig because the Swiss Animal Welfare Act recognizes them as highly social animals that require the companionship of their own kind to prevent suffering, loneliness, and depression. Under the law, guinea pigs must be kept in pairs or groups, reflecting Switzerland's progressive approach to animal welfare and treating animals as sentient beings with emotional needs."

"Besides guinea pigs, parrots must always have at least one companion.These animals are highly social and can suffer from loneliness and stress if kept without a pair. Under the Swiss Animal Welfare Act, animals have an inherent dignity, and some social species are legally required to have a buddy."

Swiss animal welfare law requires them to live in pairs or groups, becau

"The Swiss Animal Welfare Act (AniWA), along with the Animal Protection Ordinance (AniPO), protects animals by ensuring their welfare and respecting their inherent dignity. Key principles include not inflicting unjustified pain, suffering, harm, or anxiety on animals and respecting their dignity by avoiding excessive instrumentalization or interference with their appearance or abilities. The AniWA regulates the keeping of pets and wild animals, establishes general principles for animal husbandry, and provides for the proper feeding, care, and housing of animals." 

"The Rorschach test, invented by a Swiss psychiatrist, is over 100 years old

"The world's best-known psychological personality test – the Rorschach inkblot – was created in Switzerland more than a century ago. Despite its somewhat mysterious nature, the test continues to be a mainstay of present-day culture and is still used in diagnosis."

"What could it be? An ink blot. Symmetrical. Strange. Rather beautiful... yes, but what else? It looks like a bat. Or a butterfly. Or the skin of an animal, spread out? Or could it even be an x-ray of someone's pelvis? All of this probably sounds very familiar. Maybe because it conjures up an image of a therapist and their patient, who's just been given the Rorschach test. Or maybe you've tried this globally recognized psychological test yourself. Or maybe you've come across it on screen somewhere – because ‘the Rorschach’ is everywhere: in a piece by Warhol, a number of films, and even one of the characters in the cult comic book series Watchmen. And although controversial, it has withstood the test of time, its success reaching far beyond the borders of Switzerland."

Artistic influences

"The Rorschach test was developed in Zurich and is named after the psychiatrist who invented it, Hermann Rorschach (1884–1922), who used to practice at the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, known as the Burghölzli. Rorschach's professor and PhD adviser was Eugen Bleuler, famous for having coined the term schizophrenia and been instrumental in introducing psychoanalysis to Switzerland. As for Rorschach, whose father had been an art teacher, there was a considerable period of hesitation before he opted for a medical career over an artistic one. Since then, the Rorschach test has become known all over the world."

"Rorschach created his test by developing around a hundred different studies of inkblots of varying degrees of complexity, but each one showing an (imperfect) mirror symmetry. “The inkblots used in the test weren't just created by chance. They were the result of meticulous work, with Rorschach reworking every detail. He used to test them out on young people who had been institutionalized and schizophrenics, asking them what they saw. By studying the different responses, Rorschach thought he could identify different pathologies and personality traits,” adds Nashat.

Rorschach set out his method in his book Psychodiagnostik (Psychodiagnostics), which was published in 1921. But the young doctor didn't have long to continue his investigations – the following year, at the age of 37, he died suddenly from poorly-treated peritonitis, leaving behind his wife and two children and his life's work unfinished. “Rorschach himself saw his test as a work in progress and warned against making hasty interpretations from using it,” explains Jacques Van Rillaer, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Leuven in Belgium."

Difficult to manipulate

"After a somewhat frosty reception from his colleagues at the start, Rorschach's test gradually gained in popularity after his death, particularly after 1940 when it started to spread to all four corners of the world – most notably in the US, France and Japan. The test is still widely used in clinical practice, forensic examinations and recruitment. “The advantage is that it's very difficult to manipulate – unlike a questionnaire, for example, which you can try to spin,” explains Nashat. Numerous scientific studies have been carried out on the Rorschach test – 118,000 dedicated publications alone according to Google Scholar."

"The test is still conducted in the same way as it was 100 years ago. The therapist shows the patient the same ten inkblots and asks them what they see, recording everything they say in detail. This is then interpreted not only by what they say – a few mundane responses like ‘it's a spider or a butterfly’ are par for the course – but how they analyze the image. Does the patient look at the image as a whole, or focus on the details? Do they pay more attention to the colors or the shape? Do they notice the texture? And so on. While this information is supposed to reflect how the person ticks, how does it work exactly? Rorschach didn't leave a key on how to interpret responses to his test. In fact, there are two main approaches that still exist to this day. In the French-speaking world, many therapists that use the Rorschach test rely on psychoanalysis. “Rorschach was a psychoanalyst too, but he didn't include his test in this approach. The problem is that there's too much room for interpretation, so a therapist might reach a different conclusion even from the same set of answers,” criticizes Nashat."

Supporters and detractors

"Nashat follows the Anglo-American approach, based in particular on the work of the American John Exner who synthesised the various ways of interpreting the Rorschach test in the 1970s. This was done in order to develop a statistics-based analytical procedure to make the responses of different therapists more consistent. “This approach has proven to be effective in identifying suicidal tendencies, diagnosing psychotic episodes and evaluating PTSD,” he explains."

But the method hasn't been approved by everyone, including Van Rillaer. “Yes, different therapists using this method do come to similar conclusions. But that doesn't mean they're right! This is a test that pathologies people to a large degree. And this also makes it particularly problematic when used for legal expertise – because any conclusions that are made based on the test are questionable, to say the least,” he adds."

"Nashat, however, continues to champion the test and uses it routinely in his work: “The Rorschach test is only valid when used in combination with other psychological tests, not as a stand-alone. It can be very useful for understanding what a patient finds difficult, or what resources they have. It also helps to open up the discussion. When you show the patient their results, it often allows you to address some key points that would not have come up spontaneously in a normal consultation.” So, is the Rorschach test a window into the human soul or like reading tea leaves? 100 years on, the mysterious inkblots continue to defy at least some of our interpretations."

The Swiss flag

"Since the 14th century, a white cross on a red background has been the insignia of Swiss soldiers. When Switzerland's federal constitution was adopted in 1848, the white cross in a red square became the country's official national flag. Its square shape distinguishes it from other flags.

The Swiss can vote on what their next bank notes will look like."

Origins and history

"The roots of the red flag with the white cross go back to the battle of Laupen in the canton of Bern in 1339. To distinguish themselves from the other parties on the battlefield, the Swiss soldiers had sewn a white cross onto their chain mail. Later, the cross appeared on the weapons and banners of Swiss soldiers."

"During the Helvetic Republic (1798–1803), Napoleon Bonaparte decreed that Switzerland shall adopt a tricolored flag in green, red and yellow. This gave Switzerland its first national flag. Immediately after the abolition of the Helvetic Republic, the flag was also abandoned.

The Swiss Confederation's flag's current design was created in 1840. In Switzerland, the term «Fahne» is used instead of «Flagge», used in Germany. Historians do not agree as to why the background colour is red. Some think it refers to the blood of Christ, while others suspect that the red comes from the Bernese flag of the time. The square shape came about because military coats of arms at the time were square. In 1848, the red flag with the white cross was definitively enshrined in Switzerland's constitution as the country's national emblem."

Characteristics

"One of the distinctive characteristics of the Swiss flag is its square shape. Apart from the Vatican's flag, it is the world's only flag in this shape. On the other hand, Switzerland's coat of arms and flag do not differ as in other countries: the square red flag with a white cross is used across the board.

Its shade of red is Pantone 485C, a mixture of magenta and yellow. The white cross is centred in the middle of the flag. The arms of the cross are one-sixth longer than they are wide."

"In October 2024, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) announced that it was to begin developing its tenth banknote series. Over the last few months, twelve teams have participated in a competition and created designs for the new banknotes. The SNB invites you to give your opinion on the banknote designs. To this end, it has commissioned Demo SCOPE AG to conduct a survey. The theme of the new banknotes is ‘Switzerland and its altitudes’. It pays homage to the country’s unique topography, which extends from the Jura and the Central Plateau to the Alps. The new series aims to reflect the diversity of life in our country at the various altitudes."

Click the link to see concepts A-L

It's fascinating reading!

https://www.nouvelleseriedebillets.ch/detailview.html?lang=en