Swiss Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Switzerland is a landlocked country in the Alps, with four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. It is known for its banks, its watches, its chocolate and its neutrality. Swiss people in Birmingham include academics, professionals, students and families.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 42 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Swiss.

Working for Birmingham

Swiss residents work in research, engineering, finance, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and education, and Swiss academics contribute to research at the city's universities. Switzerland's reputation for precision engineering and watchmaking finds a natural echo in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter and engineering heritage.

Every community that has settled in Birmingham has helped to shape it. Newcomers have filled gaps in the workforce, opened shops and restaurants, and raised children who have gone on to become the city's doctors, teachers, engineers and entrepreneurs. The Swiss community is part of that tradition of hard work and ambition, and of the city's own motto: Forward.

Culture and community life

Swiss National Day on 1 August is celebrated with bonfires and lanterns. Fondue, raclette and rosti are much-loved dishes, Swiss chocolate is famous around the world, and yodelling and the alphorn are proud traditions. The Swiss love of the outdoors, from hiking to skiing, travels with them, and many Swiss in Britain join walking and cycling clubs. Their tradition of direct democracy, in which citizens vote on national questions several times a year, is often a talking point with British friends.

The story of the Swiss community in Birmingham is still being written, by students, workers, parents and pensioners who call the city home. It is a story of hard work, friendship and quiet pride, and Birmingham is richer for it.