the Swiss nickname?

January 28th, 2006 | By: Casey Smith | 2 Comments »

Since I have to admit I didn’t have the answer I wrote to one of my friends in Switzerland and now I know the nickname of the Swiss national team.

It’s Die Eidgenossen. It’s Swiss-German for the Oath Comrades.

This is quoted from wikipedia:

The Federal Charter or Letter of Alliance (in German - Bundesbrief) documents the Eternal Alliance or League Of The Three Forest Cantons (Ewiger Bund der Drei Waldstätten), the union of three cantons in what is now central Switzerland, formed in early August, 1291.This inaugural confederation grew through a long series of accessions to modern Switzerland. The Alliance was concluded between areas, Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden ( homines vallis Uranie universitasque vallis de Switz ac communitas hominum Intramontanorum Vallis Inferioris). The participants are referred to as conspirati and (synonymously) coniurati, traditionally translated in German as “Eidgenossen”. The league was set up as a league for defense purposes against any attacker, probably prompted by the death of Rudolf I of Habsburg on 15 July 1291.

Thanks Stefan.

Tags: Die Eidgenossen, Nickname, Switzerland

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Comments

By Patrice | January 30th, 2006 at 3:41 am

Actually, that’s not true. The nickname of the Swiss team in the German part of Switzerland is: Die Nati. Which is just short for: Die Nationalmanschaft. Which is German for: The national team.

Posted from Peru

By Stefan | January 31st, 2006 at 12:38 pm

Both nicknames are correct although the term “Nati” is only used in the german part of Switzerland. If you look at real nicknames like “Azurri” for the Italian team, “Les Bleus” for the French and “Oranje” for the Dutch, I think the term “Eidgenossen” is more appropriate for our soccerteam, since it is the only nickname used inside AND outside of Switzerland. In Germany and Austria for example the Swiss team is indeed very well known as “die Eidgenossen”, Nati has no meanig there.
Personally I like “Eidgenossen” better, because this nickname tells us a little story about the courageous men that founded Switzerland. May be the Swiss will show some of the strength and courage their ancestors had hundreds of years ago. France, South Korea and Togo watch out!