SNB & CHF

The Swiss franc has traditionally been a safe haven for investors in times of crisis. Why exactly has the Swiss National Bank been doing everything it can to sully the currency's reputation? (Michele Andina & Matthew Allen, swissinfo.ch). The banking crash of 2008 plunged several countries into stagnation or recession. Investors looked for a place that would preserve what assets they had left. People scrambled out of the euro and the US dollar and into the Swiss franc. This quickly had a...

Lou Spichtig and Laura Fernandez-Gromova dream of becoming top dancers. Competing in the Prix de Lausanne takes them a step closer to realising their goal. (Carlo Pisani, swissinfo.ch) --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit swissinfo.ch or subscribe to our YouTube channel: Website:...

Zurich Dance Academy has become a leading international ballet school since it opened ten years ago. Here, pupils aged 11 to 19 go through the gruelling routine of classical dance training in their quest for excellence. (Carlo Pisani, swissinfo.ch) --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit...

The Swiss explorer Thomas Ulrich will be attempting in 2016 to complete the first solo crossing of the North Pole. This will be ten years after a first attempt in 2006. What went wrong then? What it takes to prepare for such an undertaking? What’s the fascination with one of the most remote places on earth? (Carlo Pisani, swissinfo.ch/visualimpact.ch) --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide...

Between bureaucracy and prejudices, two stories of living with a transgender identity in Switzerland. Niklaus Flütsch has reservations about the red tape surrounding his transgender identity. He is a successful gynaecologist who lives as a man. But as he was born a woman and doesn’t want to go through the bureaucratic procedures to change his official records, his passport still has an “F” next to the word gender. Sabine Hiss (not her real name) was dismissed from her job because of being...

It was impossible to overlook Zurich’s open drugs scene. Has the situation for addicts improved 20 years after its closure? The Platzspitz is a park in Zurich adjacent to the Swiss National Museum and the main railway station. In an attempt to confine the sprawling use of drugs, the authorities decided in 1987 to allow the use and sales of drugs in the park. Thus Zurich’s Platzspitz became one of the biggest open drug scenes in Europe. What became popularly known as “Needle Park” went out of...

Ageing gays and lesbians should have the choice of specialised retirement homes, according to a new association aiming to fill a gap in the market. Retired gardener Sigi Strickenberger is partly paralysed. Seven years ago he discovered a gay and lesbian home care service. Having a gay nurse looking after him is important. He feels he can only really be himself in front of someone who can also relate to him. In Zurich an association has been set up with a view to building retirement homes...

Most of the mink fur imported into Switzerland comes from Denmark. Swiss public television, SRF, visits some of the fur factory farms and uncovers the conditions under which the animals are kept. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit swissinfo.ch or subscribe to our YouTube...

The first T-bar ski lift in the world is celebrating its 80th anniversary. It was introduced in Davos. The T-bar ski lift was designed by Zurich engineer Ernst Gustav Constam who registered his invention with the patent office in 1930. Four years later, on December 24, the first ski lift went into operation on the Bolgen practice area in Davos. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and...

Samir, one of Switzerland’s most versatile film directors, is known for his willingness to explore new technologies and possibilities. With Babylon 2, released in 1994, he made his mark on Swiss cinematic history: it was not only the first digital documentary, but also the first to give a voice to young second-generation immigrants, so-called secondos. Today, the inhabitant of Zurich with Iraqi origins has returned to surprise audiences with a documentary in 3D. Babylon 2 was the portrait...