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In Switzerland during WWII, the population was advised to be suspicious of anyone not speaking the local dialect, especially of they asked for directions. The a
by lqet 7y ago
In Switzerland during WWII, the population was advised to be suspicious of anyone not speaking the local dialect, especially of they asked for directions. The army removed all traffic signs in case of an invasion [0] and stores did not sell road maps anymore. Swiss German is (as most dialects) notoriously difficult to learn in later life for speakers of other dialects.
(Slightly related story: some years ago, I traveled back to Germany by train. A few minutes past the border, German border control went through the train and asked me for my ID card. I then realized that I had left my German ID card in the scanner at home a few days earlier because I needed a copy of it. The border control then naturally went through my backpack, which (what I then realized with horror) contained ca. 30 packs of matches. A few weeks earlier, we had a BBQ at a local lake and realized on the way that we had no matches to lit the fire, so we went to the next supermarket and just bought the cheapest offer, which happened to be a pack of 30. So there I was, crossing the border with no identification and nothing on me but a backpack full of matches. When they asked why I had so many matches on me, my 20-year old brain went into full self-destruction mode and I stuttered the following: "He-he-he, its not enough to build a bomb, isn't it?".
Luckily, I have an accent which makes it absolutely clear that I grew up around a major city in my home state. After asking me some questions about my birth town, other personal facts and making some calls, they didn't even fine me. I am quite sure that this would've been slightly more complicated if I had spoken perfect standard German, or had a foreign accent.)
[0] https://ulis-buecherecke.ch/pdf_infos_zur_schweiz/die_schweiz_1939-1945.pdf https://ulis-buecherecke.ch/pdf_infos_zur_schweiz/die_schwei...
- draugadrotten 7y agoAs recently as 2003, Swedish citizens abroad were sometimes forced to sing the Swedish tune "Små grodorna" at the Swedish Embassy to prove they were indeed Swedes. ( Source: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/BJWj4l/tvingades-sjunga-sma-grodorna https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/BJWj4l/tvingades-sjunga... ) Now, not even two decades later, Sweden's population is comprised of 18% born outside Sweden and 24% with a non-Swedish background. (source https://www.migrationsinfo.se/fragor-och-svar/hur-manga-utrikes-fodda-sverige/ https://www.migrationsinfo.se/fragor-och-svar/hur-manga-utri... )
- INTPenis 7y agoI was born in the heart of Sweden in 1985 and I've lived in Sweden my entire life. I don't know the 2nd part of Små grodorna. Små grodorna, små grodorna, så lustiga att se. Små grodorna, små grodorna ...??? And the next thing I remember is that stupid noise they make as they dance around the may pole.
- carlhjerpe 7y ago2x: Ej öron ej öron och svansar havar de - Born 94, I believe this is the second part.
- wingerlang 7y agoIt is, but I had to look it up (born late 80's).
- muterad_murilax 7y agoAlmost right! Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se. Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se. Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de. Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de. Kou-ack-ack-ack, kou-ack-ack-ack, kou-ack-ack-ack-ack-kaa. Kou-ack-ack-ack, kou-ack-ack-ack, kou-ack-ack-ack-ack-kaa.
- carlhjerpe 7y ago
- jpfr 7y agoThe practice of checking people's accent to filter out foreigners is as old as recorded history. Literally. And with many examples following since the first mention in the Hebrew Bible. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibboleth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibboleth
- outside1234 7y agoWell, they were suspicious as far as those people were not carrying gold. If they were carrying gold, the Swiss were happy to profit from it no matter what their origin or the origin of the gold.
- mmhsieh 7y agothis would not work in the US. like i suspect most americans, i don't know all the words to the star spangled banner. oh say can you see by the dawn's early light by something we hail by the twilight's something streaming oh the rocket's red glare bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there something something something and the banner yet waves for the land of the free and the home of the brave
- maxlybbert 7y agoI’m sure very few Americans realize that there’s more than one verse.