The Swiss Canton of Fribourg is a bridge between German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. The city of Fribourg is the city of 14 bridges. The University of Fribourg is bilingual. It also houses an Institute for Federalism and an Institute for Multilingualism.
The two-storey Grandfey Bridge over Lake Schiffenen and the ‘Röstigraben’ is a symbol of the Canton of Fribourg as a bridge between the two German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland. In 2027, it will be 100 years since the Grandfey Bridge was given a new look when the iron bridge was encased in concrete.
Cohesion in Switzerland cannot be taken for granted. Switzerland stands for diversity, for the peaceful coexistence of different cultures and languages. This cohesion requires bridges: strategic and everyday bridges. As a bilingual canton with its bridge over the Röstigraben, the Canton of Fribourg can position itself more strongly as a ‘bridge-building canton’ in my view.
Or, as Federal Councillor Martin Pfister said in Fribourg on 1 August 2025: ‘Switzerland needs a little more Fribourg.’
Photos: SBB CFF, Jean-Christophe Bott / Keystone
