ANCESTRAL MYSTERIES

Switzerland doesn't just march to the beat of its own drum - it toots its own alphorn when it comes to passports. While most nations are content to ask for your place of birth, the Swiss couldn't care less about that. Instead, they demand your 'place of origin' - a quaint, mythical Swiss hamlet your ancestors might have called home centuries ago.

Every Swiss citizen proudly carries their 'place of origin', known as Heimatort in German, lieu d’origine in French, or luogo di attinenza in Italian. But don’t bother pulling out a map to find it. For many, this 'ancestral place' might as well be Narnia. It's just a name in their little red passport or on their ID card - a place they've never visited, as alien to them as marmite-flavoured fondue. Unsurprisingly, they don't feel any connection to the place.

So, why is Switzerland so obsessed with this curious tradition? Well, buckle up - it's a tale as old as time (or at least as old as Swiss bureaucracy).

One-Way Ticket to America

Back in the day, Swiss towns and their citizens had a mutual agreement. Citizens protected their town, and the town made sure they didn't go hungry if they fell on hard times.

Typically, a person's place of origin was normally also where they lived. Children would inherit their dad's place of origin, and, upon marriage, wives would assume their husband's - kind of like a family crest, but with more paperwork.

Increased mobility, however, meant that more and more people from poorer regions started looking for a better life elsewhere, often in cities. If they needed help, their place of origin continued to bear their social welfare costs, reimbursing their new place of residence.

This was good news for the destitute: they could always rely on their place of origin.

But for local municipalities footing the welfare bill for citizens living far away, this was not an economic win. So, in the 19th century some municipalities offered to buy their poorest citizens a ticket across the Atlantic - as long as they renounced their citizenship (and thus the right to welfare).

So, it was less 'land of opportunity' and more 'please, take the hint and don't come back.' Many took them up on this and settled in North or South America.

Symbol of Identity

Through the course of the 20th century, the obligation to provide for the poor was gradually transferred from the place of origin to the place of residence. In 2012 parliament decided that a citizen's place of residence could no longer claim reimbursement from the place of origin, thus rendering the concept of the Heimatort irrelevant.

Yet, despite this, it still reigns supreme in Swiss passports. Why? Because, let's be honest, Swiss people don't mess with tradition unless they have a really good reason.

Parliament had in fact debated replacing the place of origin with the place of birth on Swiss identity documents as far back as 2001, but nothing happened. Some politicians had argued that the birthplace is 'too random', as birth could take place anywhere. Many Swiss agreed.

They still do. In 2023 the Federal Office of Police published the results of a survey asking the same question, or even whether to dispense with the need to state a place altogether.

A large majority were in favour of retaining the 'Heimatort' in passports and on identity cards, justifying it with the significance it has for Swiss citizens, and especially for those living abroad. They called it an 'emotional anchor and a connection to people's roots'... even if they had no idea where their roots are buried.

Identity Crisis in Wohlenschwil

My own place of origin is a charming little village called Wohlenschwil. Population: 1,800. Connection to my family: complete mystery. When I once asked my dad about it, he had no clue as to when any members of our family actually lived there. Our ancestors likely skipped town centuries ago but thankfully avoided that one-way America ticket.

In a quest to solve this enigma (or at least tick it off my bucket list), I visited Wohlenschwil on my recent visit to the country. Spoiler alert: my identity didn't leap out from behind a tree. But I did discover it's a perfectly pleasant village, tucked off the main road (which is probably the main reason I had never visited before).

Wohlenschwil church

The surprising fact (which a Google search has now revealed) is that the village was first mentioned in historical records in 893 AD. And archaeological finds even suggest Romans and Alemanni once called it home as early as 700-800 AD. Fancy that.

So, while I didn’t uncover any deep ancestral truths, I now appreciate Wohlenschwil as more than just a line in my passport. Turns out, even if your 'place of origin' is mostly a footnote in your life, it’s still a pretty cool piece of history to carry around.