Places of English in Switzerland

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of SAUTE, members of the association compiled various materials on the presence and use of English in Switzerland beyond the confines of academia, ranging from historical and literary ties between Switzerland and the UK to the current role of the English language and British culture in Switzerland.

Places of English in Switzerland


SwissBritNet: Swiss-British cultural exchange and knowledge networks 1600-1780

Launched as an SNSF-funded research project under the direction of Ina Habermann at the University of Basel (2023-27), SwissBritNet is a database which documents scholarly, private, ecclesiastical and diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Britain in the early modern period. A brief account of the two-year incognito stay of Charles Edward Stuart (the 'Young Pretender' or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie') in Basel (1754-56), written by Ina Habermann and Stephanie Heeg on the occasion of the 75th-SAUTE anniversary, is available for download below.


Swiss English or English as a Lingua Franca in Switzerland? Publications on English in Switzerland

Bibliography compiled for the 75th-SAUTE anniversary


The Place of English in the Complex Multilingual Context of Basel

A blog created by members and students of the English department at the University of Basel on the use of English in the workplace, in the arts, academia, sports, business, and health care.


Old English in Switzerland

Teaching resources on Old English in Switzerland


The Use of African American English in Swiss Youth Language

Video presentation on the use of African American English in Swiss youth WhatsApp messages


Illustrious British and Irish Visitors at the Grand Hotel 'Les Trois Rois' in Basel

An illustrated survey by Daniela Keller (University of Basel), available for download below


The Discovery of the Imagination: Wordsworth and the Simplon Pass

A brief summary of the role of Switzerland and the Simplon Pass more specifically in the development of William Wordsworth' understanding of the imagination by Patrick Vincent (University of Neuchâtel), available for download below