2025 is a special year in the history Christianity. Not only is it a holy year for Roman Catholics, it also marks the 500th anniversary of a movement that has its roots in Switzerland. While many took note of the Reformationsjahr 2017, the 500 year-celebration of the reformation, few are aware of the 2.1 million people worldwide who are celebrating an event that took place in Zurich: on January 21st in 1525, people witnessed the first adult baptism, or re-baptism. This marked the beginnings of the anabaptist movement, der Täuferbewegung.

Nowadays, only 2000 anabaptists call Switzerland their home. By contrast, more than half a million Americans are anabaptists, with one group having a particular historic bond with Switzerland: the Amish. Founded by Jacob Ammann in the 17th century, the Amish even sound a bit Swiss as they still speak a particular form of German, called Pennsylvania Dutch or Amish Shwitzer. Though a relatively small group, the Amish continue to fascinate Americans as numerous reality TV shows and romantic novels set in Amish country underline.

We are exploring Amish history and present with Prof. Steven M. Nolt, the director of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Notre Dame and holds a graduate theology degree from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary. He is the author or coauthor of sixteen books on Amish, Mennonite, and Pennsylvania German history and contemporary life. His titles include The Amish: A Concise Introduction (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016) and People of Peace: A History of the Virginia Mennonite Conference (Masthof Press, 2025), with Elwood Yoder. With Donald Kraybill and Karen Johnson-Weiner, he wrote The Amish (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013), the definitive study of Amish society and cultural diversity.

Further links

• Amish Studies at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies

39 Prozent. Ausgerechnet am Vorabend des Schweizer Nationalfeiertags verkündete die Regierung Donald J. Trumps, dass die Schweiz seinen «Zollhammer» zu spüren bekommt und nur vier andere Länder mit noch höheren Zöllen auf Exporte in die USA konfrontiert sind. Die Tageszeitung «Blick» färbte die Titelseite schwarz, es hagelte Anschuldigungen gegen Bundespräsidentin Karin Keller-Sutter und ihr Verhandlungsteam, man habe zu wenig keck und mutig verhandelt, privatwirtschaftliche Netzwerke ungenügend genutzt. «Schwesterrepublik» Amerika? An dieser glauben im Moment wohl nur wenige Schweizer.

Einer, der auch nach seiner Zeit als Botschafter in Washington, D.C., gerne über die Idee der Schwesterrepubliken spricht und nachdenkt, ist Martin Dahinden: Der promovierte Betriebswirt wirkte von 2014 bis 2019 in der amerikanischen Hauptstadt und traf mehrfach mit Präsident Trump zusammen. Zuvor war er Chef der Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit (DEZA) und hatte Stationen in Frankreich, Nigeria sowie bei der UNO in New York hinter sich. Schon bei seinem Eintritt in den diplomatischen Dienst 1987 war er unter anderem Mitglied der Schweizer Delegation beim Allgemeinen Zoll- und Handelsabkommen GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) und in der Folge Direktor des Internationalen Zentrums für humanitäre Minenräumung in Genf (GICHD).

Wir sprechen mit ihm über die Zollverhandlungen, die Veränderungen zwischen Trump 1.0 und 2.0 – und die weiteren Perspektiven der Schweiz.

Schlagzeilen über Amerikas Politik und Gesellschaft sind meist laut und schrill, besonders seit Donald J. Trumps zweitem Amtsantritt. Und sie sind paradoxerweise lauter und schriller diesseits des Atlantiks, wie auch der freie Journalist und Autor Marc Neumann bemerkt. In seinen Beiträgen, u.a. für die Neue Zürcher Zeitung und seinen LinkedIn-Blog Neumanns Whisper, fokussiert er stattdessen auf die Realität hinter den vereinfachenden Erzählungen und horcht auf die Zwischentöne. Im Gespräch mit «Grüezi Amerika!» teilt Marc Neumann seine Eindrücke, nicht nur zur Lage der Nation, sondern auch zu deren Beurteilung durch das deutschsprachige Europa.

Marc Neumann hat ursprünglich an der Universität St.Gallen Philosophie, Deutsche Literatur und Linguistik studiert. Zudem hat er ein Master-Studium in Sozialanthropologie an der New York University (NYU) abgeschlossen. Nach langjähriger Tätigkeit in der Unternehmenskommunikation in der Schweiz und in den USA hat er sich als Journalist selbständig gemacht und schreibt für verschiedene deutschsprachige Medien. Zuletzt befasste er sich mit der medialen Verklärung von Luigi Mangione, der den CEO von United Health Care mitten in Manhattan erschoss.

Marc Neumanns Lesetipps:

• Racket News
• The Dispatch

Marc Neumann auf LinkedIn

American Compass is, at 5 years, a relatively young think tank, but it has already become well-known for mapping an alternative to right-wing economic orthodoxy. Its founder, Oren Cass, has tirelessly explained the reason why American Compass believes the US economy – and, above all, US workers, will benefit from an overall tariff of 10 percent and why the initial pains will be rewarded with substantial gains. Vice President JD Vance has embraced the course of American Compass, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has contributed to its publications and events, and Senator Josh Hawley (Missouri) is among its many supporters.

What do these New Conservatives, as the title of their new book goes, want? What is their vision beyond economic protectionism? We are tackling these questions with American Compass policy director, Chris Griswold. Before joining the think tank, he was a senior advisor in the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Representative Tom MacArthur (New Jersey). Before working on Capitol Hill, Griswold helped launch and run a nationwide youth development nonprofit in South Africa. He is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Wheaton College.

Links

• Rerum Novarum: Rerum Novarum (May 15, 1891) | LEO XIII
• "In God They Trust: Understanding the Catholic Moment in American Politics" by Claudia Brühwiler

We already seem to have forgotten it, but it has only been weeks that President Donald J. Trump federalized the National Guard to re-establish order in the city of Los Angeles amidst protests against deportations of undocumented immigrants. What L.A. mayor Karen Bass and California’s Governor Gavin Newsom condemned as a presidential abuse of power, Republican lawmakers in California considered a necessary step to prevent further escalation. Few issues are as divisive in US politics as immigration – and on few issues do voters see so little progress and true reform. What is the situation at the border really like? What steps could and should Congress take to reform the migration system? We discuss these questions with Kristie De Peña, Senior Vice President for Policy and Director of Immigration Policy at the Niskanen Center, a think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Before joining Niskanen Center, Kristie held various positions in the public and nonprofit sectors. She earned her LL.M. in national security and foreign policy from George Washington University School of Law and her law degree (J.D.) from the University of Iowa College of Law. De Peña has written for various media outlets, including The New York Times and Time magazine, and is frequently cited in, CNBC, The New York Times, USA Today, Bloomberg, Newsweek, and others. She was named one of the most influential people shaping policy in 2024 by the Washingtonian.

Reading recommendation: "In Our Interest: How Democracies Can Make Immigration Popular" by Alexander Kustov.

Today, Americans celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 - or do they? As you can suspect from such a rhetorical question, the answer is "not quite." In fact, the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, but it was only signed later, on August 2, 1776. In this very short episode, we take a look at the history of Independence Day.

Further reading: The Declaration of Independence

It’s one of America’s most popular political myths: the idea that George Washington considered the Senate necessary as a “legislative cooling saucer.” Just as tea or coffee had to be poured on the saucer to get its temperature down, the Senate was needed to reflect on legislation and be the wiser of the chambers. The idea seems more appealing today than ever, but one wonders how much the Senate still lives up to its wise reputation. With 53 seats, the Republicans are the majority, making a net gain of four seats in the 2024 election. We are in luck that one of the key architects of the victorious campaign is a guest at this year’s St.Gallen Symposium and can take us behind the scenes of the US Senate: Jason Thielman.

Jason Thielman is the Principal Founder of S2R Public Affairs. He previously served as Chief of Staff to Senator Steve Daines, a member of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. During the 2024 election cycle, he was Executive Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), where he played a pivotal role in securing the Republican Senate majority.

Since the early 18th Century, an estimated 300,000 Swiss emigrated across the Atlantic and settled in the United States. Thus, more than a million American citizens claim Swiss roots. There’s hardly a place that more proudly celebrates its Swiss ancestry than a small town in Wisconsin: New Glarus. Founded in 1845, the town was founded by emigrants from the Canton of Glarus with which it maintains a close bond. If you are craving for Rösti or the – so we are told – best beer of the region, New Glarus is the place that serves it all!

Bekah Stauffacher helps preserve the Swiss spirit of New Glarus: an archeologist by training and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she is the president and CEO of The Swiss Center of North America, a nonprofit organization located in New Glarus, Wisconsin, that shares the stories of the Swiss in America and Canada through its museum and archives.