Talk:List of Swiss people

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Henri Nestle was NOT Swiss. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany.

I do not think residents should be included here. They certainly aren't on most similar pages.

By that logic, Albert Einstein (considered by most to have been a Swiss) could be considered American.

I agree. It does not appear to be common practice to include those who's relationship with the nation in question is confined to residency alone. Unless that person was born there or lived the majority of their life there and became a naturalized citizen, whereby most official sources will agree that the person in question does belong, I vote that those applicable be exempted from this list or furthur justification be provided until then. In case of the latter, I expect that person will be updating all the nationality lists.

Thanks 09:05, 7 September 2005 (UTC)


I'm new to editing. Would it be appropriate to put famous residents in a separate section titled something like Notable Swiss Residents, either at the bottom of this page or on a new page of its own?

Thanks Krumhorns 21:24, 15 August 2006 (UTC)


Niki de Saint Phalle has little to do with Switzerland and do not belong to this list. Born in France, raised in USA (father french, mother american), she spent most of her time in France,Italy and the USA as far as I understand. She did spend time in Switzerland, and had here first exhibition here, but that doesn't qualify her for the list of Swiss people. Most encyclopedias list her as "french painter and sculptor".

Item removed. P G Henning 20:03, 23 Jun 2004 (UTC)

I edited her bio and the list to explain her inclusion. -- User:Docu


Switzerland has very strict regulations regarding naturalization and someone who is not naturalized is in Switzerland regarded as a foreigner, even in the second and third generation - someone who is born in Switzerland from Italian parents and has spent his whole live in Switzerland is still an Italian and not a Swiss as long as he/she does not decide to get naturalized. There is in Switzerland even a special designation for such people which made it into the Wikipedia: de:Secondo.
So people who lived in Switzerland for any time without being naturalized should not be listed as Swiss (they are not seen as Swiss in Switzerland).
In the case of Albert Einstein, he was naturalized Swiss on February 21, 1901 (the German citizenship he lost 5 years earlier). In 1941 he was naturalized American without giving up the Swiss citizenship - so he can rightly be listed as Swiss and as American, he had a legal right to both.

Kurt Meyer (deleted) is to be found at List of 2005 office-holders in Switzerland.--212.41.102.224 16:44, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

Good point. -- User:Docu