Transhelvetica #94 - Regulars' Table

This issue of Transhelvetica revolves around the "Stammtisch" (regulars' table) as a national cultural asset: a valuable place for exchange and opinion formation. As a nation by choice, Switzerland has always been geared towards finding broadly supported compromises across the country that everyone can live with.

In more recent times, however, the composition of "Stammtisch" participants has changed significantly: discussions no longer take place at the round table, where everyone gathers at the end of the day, but in podcasts, online forums, or events where people stick to their own kind. What doesn't fit into the bubble must go: depending on the occasion, foreigners or drivers, meat-eaters or gender-neutral asterisk.

The honest engagement with other views falls by the wayside. This is not only a shame but counterproductive. After all, numerous studies have shown that the most sustainable solutions are those that seriously address diverging needs.

That's why we're singing the praises of the "Stammtisch" here, where alongside the symbols of community – baskets full of chips & "Biberli" (gingerbread), Aromat shakers, or beer mats advertising local specialties – emotions can sometimes run high, by Jove!

Because as long as you enter the discussion with the awareness that you might be wrong, there's a good chance that after the third round of beer, wine, and kombucha, you'll collectively find the best solution.

Cheers!