The Fifth Switzerland puzzle: 1/800 000
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- Puzzle
Úrsula Schläppi, Colombia
20.01.2026
The “Fifth Switzerland” is a colourful, varied and multilingual puzzle with well over 800,000 pieces. Today’s puzzle piece is …
... Úrsula Schläppi, 60, an educator specialising in early childhood and disability, who lives in Colombia, maintaining active links with both cultures and working in Cartagena de Indias.
Photo provided
What does “homeland” mean to you?
It’s where my family and friends are, where I was born and raised. Switzerland with its landscapes, rich tones, history, seasons, nature and mountains, is very important to me. In Colombia, it’s also my friends, nature, the sea, the mountains, the country’s impressive biodiversity and the different landscapes, some unique in the world.
Is it possible to have several homelands?
I’m convinced of this and feel very privileged. Having several homelands doesn’t mean that they need to be the same or in competition with each other. Loving one homeland doesn’t mean you stop loving another.
How and when do you show your Swissness in your everyday life?
It’s always noticeable, my appearance, my accent, among other things. I’ll never stop being Swiss, in the perception of people in my other homeland or in my own perception.
What is it like for you being connected to more than one country?
I’m grateful to have two homelands. Sometimes people ask me if I still know where I feel “at home”. My answer is always the same: I have two places where I feel at home. It’s an enriching circumstance; it “broadens one’s horizons”. Getting to know a country with a different culture forces you to reflect, learn and even question your own ideas and positions on many issues and things. It means relearning a language, culture and history that are different from those of one’s native country.
What references to Switzerland do you have in your home?
Quartz from the Grimsel Pass region (BE/VS), pictures of the Wellhorn, Wetterhorn and Engelhörner (BE), books by Swiss authors and Swiss chocolate in the fridge.
Switzerland and you: What is your current relationship status?
Very close. I travel to Switzerland once or twice a year. It’s important for me to maintain my contacts with family and friends.
Do you have personal contact with other Swiss Abroad?
Yes, and I have more contacts on the other side of the “Röschtigraben” than I did before, when I lived in Switzerland.
Is regularly meeting other Swiss people important to you?
Yes, because we share the same cultural background. It’s not even about the language, because with many of them I speak the language of my country of residence.
Do you participate in votes in Switzerland? If so, why?
The answer is no, and the reason is that the voting material arrives at my home two weeks after the vote or election has taken place. I hope that there will soon be a system for digital voting.
Do you have any specific expectations of Switzerland?
Yes, the wish that we’ll soon be able to vote.
How do you keep informed about what is happening in Switzerland?
I read several newspapers.
Do you maintain contact with people in Switzerland through your work?
Yes, I have work trips to Switzerland once or twice a year.
Are people in your country of residence aware of Switzerland at all and, if so, in what way?
Yes, Switzerland is perceived as an ideal country, with beautiful landscapes, very organised, clean and rich. However, there are many who confuse Switzerland with Sweden (Suiza and Suecia in Spanish).
William Tell is ...
... a symbolic figure representing the defence of freedom and independence.
Being Swiss means ...
... having been very lucky with the place where we were born.
In 10 years, I want to …
... spend more time in Switzerland.
When I think about Switzerland …
... I see glaciers, mountains, lakes.
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