Have you ever heard the melody of the Swiss national anthem, the “Schweizerpsalm”? Right in front of you is the “Schweizerpsalm” Denkmal. It’s a tribute to two men who gave Switzerland a national anthem. The Denkmal features two tablets with their names: Widmer and Zwyssig.
Leonhard Widmer penned the lyrics of the anthem in 1840. He was a schoolteacher, publisher and poet. It was his words that made the anthem a symbol of national pride for the Swiss people.
The music, however, was the work of Father Alberik Zwyssig. He was a priest who composed the melody in 1841. His inspiration is said to have come from the breathtaking beauty of the Swiss Alps. The anthem was widely sung at patriotic events, but it wasn’t until 1981 that the “Schweizerpsalm” got officially chosen as the national anthem.
The “Schweizerpsalm” Denkmal is, however, a bit of a secret. It wasn’t erected to celebrate the anthem’s adoption but was actually built in 1910. The Denkmal was commissioned by the city of Zurich to honour Zwyssig for his work on the anthem. There is a bit of a mystery, though. While the Denkmal honours Widmer as the lyrics author, Widmer lived in Zurich and Zwyssig in Uri, so one could wonder why they have been memorialized together in Zurich.
But there you have it, a monument to two individuals who helped shape Switzerland’s musical legacy. They might not be well-known figures, but their contribution to the nation’s identity is undeniable. So, next time you hear the “Schweizerpsalm” playing proudly, remember the two men who made it possible.