Immigration from the former Yugoslavia to Switzerland
Encyclopedia
There was substantial immigration to Switzerland
from Former Yugoslavia
during the 1990s and 2000s.
While moderate numbers of Yugoslav citizens had residence in Switzerland during the 1980s,
the bulk of immigration took place as a consequence of the Yugoslav War and the later Kosovo War
, as well as by means of family reunion
of those who had immigrated during this period.
About half a million immigrants from Former Yugoslavia lived in Switzerland as of 2009, corresponding to roughly 6.5% of total Swiss population. About half of this number are Albanians (mostly Kosovar Albanians and Albanians from Macedonia), the other half consists of South Slavic
groups (Serbs
and Croats
; smaller numbers of Macedonians and Slovenians
).
Taken as a single group, people from Former Yugoslavia are the largest immigrant group in Switzerland, followed by the Italians
at about 300,000. Considered as separate ethnicities, the Albanians form the third largest immigrant group, after the Italians and the Germans
.
Albanian
and Serbo-Croat with more than 100,000 first-language speakers each form the largest foreign-language communities in Switzerland (German and Italian being national languages of Switzerland).
had residence in Switzerland. This number dropped to below 700 during World War II
. After the end of the war and the formation of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, the number grew slowly, to 1,169 in 1960.
During the 1960s to 1970s, immigration began to pick up noticeably with the influx of migrant workers, with 24,971 Yugoslav citizens registered in 1970 and 60,916 in 1980. On the eve of the collapse of Yugoslavia, immigration increased steeply, with 172,777 Yugoslavs registered in Switzerland by 1990. Immigration accelerated still more during the Yugoslav Wars
. In 1995, there were more than 330,000 foreigners from Former Yugoslavia residing in Switzerland, partly still registered with Yugoslavian nationality, partly under the nationality of Yugoslavia's successor states.
Registration under the successor states of Yugoslavia began gradually after 1992, but the problem remained unresolved until the year 2000.
In 1998, there were still 198,131 foreign residents registered as "Yugoslavian". This number fell to 5,507 by 2000 and to zero by 2001.
The same problem was repeated on a smaller scale with the breakaway of Montenegro
and the Republic of Kosovo
from Serbia
in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
This totals to 323,000 citizens of successor states of Former Yugoslavia who had residence in Switzerland on 31 December 2009, or 4% of total Swiss population. The actual number of immigrants from Former Yugoslavia is considerably larger, as many have been naturalized
, probably close to half a million or roughly 6.5% of Swiss population.
By 1995, there were 40,000 Macedonian citizens in Switzerland. This number has risen further to 61,000 by 2002. This increase does not necessarily reflect immigration, but rather re-registration of formerly Yugoslav citizens as Macedonian nationals.
An estimated 50,000 emigrants from Macedonia are ethnic Albanians.
Since the Republic of Kosovo
began to issue passports in 2009, an increasing number of Albanians in Switzerland have since been registered as citizens of Kosovo.
The number of foreign residents from Former Yugoslavia naturalized as Swiss citizens in 2009 was at 14,780 (Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo: 8,879; Bosnia and Herzegovina: 2,408; Macedonia: 1,831; Croatia: 1,599; Slovenia: 63). This corresponds to one third of the total number of naturalizations during this year.
and Macedonians.
The size of each group is unknown and only amenable to rough estimates.
An indicator of ethnicity can be taken from data on languages spoken in Switzerland. Unfortunately, the latest data on this was collected in the 2000 census. At that time, there were 103,000 native speakers of Serbo-Croatian
, 95,000 speakers of Albanian
and 61,300 speakers of Macedonian
.
Estimates on the actual ethnic composition of Former Yugoslav immigrants in Switzerland are mostly left to
ethnic cultural organizations. They cannot be expected to have better than single-digit accuracy, but nevertheless give an overview of the general situation; such estimates amount to roughly 250,000 Albanians, 150,000 Serbs, 80,000 Croats and 10,000 Macedonians.
The number of Slovenians in Switzerland is much smaller, well within the four-digit range.
The Albanians in Switzerland consist to about 80% of Kosovo Albanians, 20% from Macedonia, and a small number from Albania.
The first such association was formed in 1988, and by 1991 there were five Macedonian clubs, now all part of one single organization called Združenie na Makedonskite Društva (ZMD), which was formed in 1992.
The main purpose of this organisation was to encourage and spread Macedonian ideals, culture, language, and tradition.
In a survey performed in Zurich
in 2011, "Former Yugoslavs" were found to be the least popular immigrant group, followed by Turks, Arabs and Germans.
The Albanians have been singled out for their particularly poor image. As the largest group, they tend to be the most visible, besides the factor of opposition against Islam in Switzerland
, and the problem of immigrant criminality
. In a 2010 statistic, young males of the former Serbia and Montenegro (which to a large extent corresponds to the Kosovar Albanians in Switzerland) were found to have a crime rate of 310% of the young males in Swiss population, while those from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia had crime rates of 230%–240% of the Swiss value. It has been pointed out that the crime rates cannot be the only reason for the group's poor image, as the crime rate of the Sri Lankans in Switzerland
was still higher, at 470%, while that group has a much better reputation.
Immigrants from the historical Republic of Yugoslavia prior to its disintegration (1943–1990) and its predecessor states (until 1918 part of Austria-Hungary
):
sports
More recent Swiss celebrities of Former Yugoslav origin are found mostly in sports, especially football.
Examples include:
To a lesser extent, the group is represented in other sports, e.g.
Goran Bezina
(hockey); Petar Majstorovic
, Xhavit Bajrami
and Azem Maksutaj
(kickboxing); Ana Ivanović
(tennis).
pop culture
Swiss singer Patrick Nuo
is of mixed Albanian and Swiss descent. Nuo has created 3 albums (one with Warner music).
Edita Abdieski
is a Swiss singer-songwriter of Albanian descent (born in Switzerland in 1984 to a Macedonian Albanian father and a Montenegrin Albanian mother), known as the winner of the debut series of the German X Factor show.
politicians and businesspeople
Behgjet Pacolli
(Swiss billionaire of Albanian descent and former President of Kosovo
)
notable felons
Immigration to Switzerland
There has been significant immigration to Switzerland since the 1980s.By contrast, during the 19th century, emigration from Switzerland was more common, as Switzerland was economically a poor country where a large fraction of population survived on subsistence farming.As of 2008, 30.6% of Swiss...
from Former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
during the 1990s and 2000s.
While moderate numbers of Yugoslav citizens had residence in Switzerland during the 1980s,
the bulk of immigration took place as a consequence of the Yugoslav War and the later Kosovo War
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
, as well as by means of family reunion
Family reunion
A family reunion is an occasion when many members of an extended family get together. Sometimes reunions are held regularly, for example on the same date of every year....
of those who had immigrated during this period.
About half a million immigrants from Former Yugoslavia lived in Switzerland as of 2009, corresponding to roughly 6.5% of total Swiss population. About half of this number are Albanians (mostly Kosovar Albanians and Albanians from Macedonia), the other half consists of South Slavic
South Slavs
The South Slavs are the southern branch of the Slavic peoples and speak South Slavic languages. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the Balkan peninsula, the southern Pannonian Plain and the eastern Alps...
groups (Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
; smaller numbers of Macedonians and Slovenians
Slovenians
The Slovenes, Slovene people, Slovenians, or Slovenian people are a South Slavic people primarily associated with Slovenia and the Slovene language.-Population:Most Slovenes today live within the borders of the independent Slovenia...
).
Taken as a single group, people from Former Yugoslavia are the largest immigrant group in Switzerland, followed by the Italians
Italian immigration to Switzerland
Italian immigration to Switzerland began on a large scale in the late 19th century, although most of the immigrants that reached the country in that period eventually returned to Italy after the rise of Fascism...
at about 300,000. Considered as separate ethnicities, the Albanians form the third largest immigrant group, after the Italians and the Germans
German immigration to Switzerland
About a quarter of a million German nationals had permanent residence in Switzerland in 2009.Ever since the emergence of Switzerland and Germany as distinct nations in the Early Modern period, there has been considerable population movement in both directions, but meaningful population statistics...
.
Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
and Serbo-Croat with more than 100,000 first-language speakers each form the largest foreign-language communities in Switzerland (German and Italian being national languages of Switzerland).
Demographics
Since the Swiss Federal Statistical Office keeps a record of the nationalities of foreign residents, their ethnicity is not recorded. In the case of Former Yugoslavia, where ethnic conflict was the reason for the war and the breakup of the country, this had the consequence that there were several, sometimes mutually hostile, ethnic groups living in Switzerland, all registered under the same nationality.History
In 1920, 1,235 citizens of the Kingdom of YugoslaviaKingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
had residence in Switzerland. This number dropped to below 700 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the end of the war and the formation of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, the number grew slowly, to 1,169 in 1960.
During the 1960s to 1970s, immigration began to pick up noticeably with the influx of migrant workers, with 24,971 Yugoslav citizens registered in 1970 and 60,916 in 1980. On the eve of the collapse of Yugoslavia, immigration increased steeply, with 172,777 Yugoslavs registered in Switzerland by 1990. Immigration accelerated still more during the Yugoslav Wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
. In 1995, there were more than 330,000 foreigners from Former Yugoslavia residing in Switzerland, partly still registered with Yugoslavian nationality, partly under the nationality of Yugoslavia's successor states.
Registration under the successor states of Yugoslavia began gradually after 1992, but the problem remained unresolved until the year 2000.
In 1998, there were still 198,131 foreign residents registered as "Yugoslavian". This number fell to 5,507 by 2000 and to zero by 2001.
The same problem was repeated on a smaller scale with the breakaway of Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
and the Republic of Kosovo
Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
from Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
Current demographics
As of 2009, nationals of successor states of Yugoslavia are registered as follows:- Serbia and MontenegroSerbia and MontenegroSerbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
: 187,554 (including also those with newer Serbian, Montenegrin or Kosovan passports) - Republic of MacedoniaRepublic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
: 60,293 - Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
: 37,397 - CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
: 35,259 - SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
: 2,501
This totals to 323,000 citizens of successor states of Former Yugoslavia who had residence in Switzerland on 31 December 2009, or 4% of total Swiss population. The actual number of immigrants from Former Yugoslavia is considerably larger, as many have been naturalized
Swiss nationality law
Swiss citizenship is the status of being a citizen of Switzerland and it can be obtained by birth, marriage or naturalisation.The Swiss Citizenship Law is based on the following principles:...
, probably close to half a million or roughly 6.5% of Swiss population.
By 1995, there were 40,000 Macedonian citizens in Switzerland. This number has risen further to 61,000 by 2002. This increase does not necessarily reflect immigration, but rather re-registration of formerly Yugoslav citizens as Macedonian nationals.
An estimated 50,000 emigrants from Macedonia are ethnic Albanians.
Since the Republic of Kosovo
Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
began to issue passports in 2009, an increasing number of Albanians in Switzerland have since been registered as citizens of Kosovo.
The number of foreign residents from Former Yugoslavia naturalized as Swiss citizens in 2009 was at 14,780 (Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo: 8,879; Bosnia and Herzegovina: 2,408; Macedonia: 1,831; Croatia: 1,599; Slovenia: 63). This corresponds to one third of the total number of naturalizations during this year.
Ethnicities
In terms of ethnicity, these populations consist mostly of Serbians from Former Yugoslavia, CroatsCroats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
and Macedonians.
The size of each group is unknown and only amenable to rough estimates.
An indicator of ethnicity can be taken from data on languages spoken in Switzerland. Unfortunately, the latest data on this was collected in the 2000 census. At that time, there were 103,000 native speakers of Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
, 95,000 speakers of Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
and 61,300 speakers of Macedonian
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
.
Estimates on the actual ethnic composition of Former Yugoslav immigrants in Switzerland are mostly left to
ethnic cultural organizations. They cannot be expected to have better than single-digit accuracy, but nevertheless give an overview of the general situation; such estimates amount to roughly 250,000 Albanians, 150,000 Serbs, 80,000 Croats and 10,000 Macedonians.
The number of Slovenians in Switzerland is much smaller, well within the four-digit range.
The Albanians in Switzerland consist to about 80% of Kosovo Albanians, 20% from Macedonia, and a small number from Albania.
Cultural organizations
Macedonians in Switzerland are organized through many associations and clubs.The first such association was formed in 1988, and by 1991 there were five Macedonian clubs, now all part of one single organization called Združenie na Makedonskite Društva (ZMD), which was formed in 1992.
The main purpose of this organisation was to encourage and spread Macedonian ideals, culture, language, and tradition.
Reception
The image of the groups from Former Yugoslavia in Swiss society is very poor.In a survey performed in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
in 2011, "Former Yugoslavs" were found to be the least popular immigrant group, followed by Turks, Arabs and Germans.
The Albanians have been singled out for their particularly poor image. As the largest group, they tend to be the most visible, besides the factor of opposition against Islam in Switzerland
Islam in Switzerland
According to the Confederate census of 2001, a total number of 310,807 Muslims were living in Switzerland which made up 4.26% of the total population. In 2009 there were an estimated 400,000 Muslims in Switzerland, accounting to around 5% of the total population....
, and the problem of immigrant criminality
Immigrant criminality
Immigration and crime refers to perceived or actual relationships between crime and immigration.-Worldwide:The Handbook of Crime Correlates , a review of studies of correlates with crime, states that most studies on immigrants have found higher rates of crime...
. In a 2010 statistic, young males of the former Serbia and Montenegro (which to a large extent corresponds to the Kosovar Albanians in Switzerland) were found to have a crime rate of 310% of the young males in Swiss population, while those from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia had crime rates of 230%–240% of the Swiss value. It has been pointed out that the crime rates cannot be the only reason for the group's poor image, as the crime rate of the Sri Lankans in Switzerland
Sri Lankans in Switzerland
Sri Lankans in Switzerland refer to Sri Lankans living in Switzerland. There are about 46,000 to 55,000 Swiss of Sri Lankan origin and Sri Lankan expatriates are living in Switzerland.Most of them are ethnic Tamils.-History:...
was still higher, at 470%, while that group has a much better reputation.
Notable people
historicalImmigrants from the historical Republic of Yugoslavia prior to its disintegration (1943–1990) and its predecessor states (until 1918 part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
):
- Mileva MarićMileva MaricMileva Marić was one of the first women to study mathematics and physics in Europe...
(1875–1948) was an ethnic Serbian physicist, known as the wife of Albert EinsteinAlbert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, who spent most of her life in Zürich. - Leopold Ružička (1887–1976), Swiss-Croatian chemist and Nobel laureate
- Vladimir PrelogVladimir PrelogVladimir Prelog FRS was a Croatian chemist and Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. Prelog lived and worked in Prague, Zagreb and Zürich during his lifetime.-Biography:...
(1906–1998) was a chemist and Nobel laureate of Croatian origin, naturalized as Swiss citizen in 1959.
sports
More recent Swiss celebrities of Former Yugoslav origin are found mostly in sports, especially football.
Examples include:
- Bosnian: Damir DžombićDamir DžombicDamir Džombić is a Bosnian football player playing as defender for FC Vaduz in the Swiss Super League.-Football career:...
, Mario GavranovićMario GavranovićMario Gavranović is a Swiss footballer of Bosnian descent playing for German Bundesliga club Mainz 05 on loan from Schalke 04 and the Swiss national under-21 team.-Early life:...
, Izet HajrovićIzet HajrovićIzet Hajrović is a Swiss footballer of Bosnian descent who plays as a midfielder for Grasshopper-Club Zurich in the Swiss Super League.-Career:...
, Selver HodžićSelver HodzicSelver Hodžić is a Bosnian-Swiss football defender playing for FC Lugano from the Swiss Challenge League....
, Eldin JakupovićEldin JakupovicEldin Jakupović is a Bosnian-born Swiss professional footballer. He moved to Switzerland at a young age due to the Bosnian war.-Career:...
, Vero SalatićVero SalaticVeroljub "Vero" Salatić is a Bosnian-born Swiss footballer who plays as a midfielder for AC Omonia in the Cypriot First Division.-Career:...
, Haris SeferovićHaris SeferovićHaris Seferović is a Swiss-Bosnian professional association football player who plays for Swiss side Neuchâtel Xamax, on loan from Fiorentina in the Serie A.- Early life :...
, Mustafa SejmenovićMustafa SejmenovicMustafa Sejmenović is a Bosnian football defender who plays for Yverdon-Sport FC in the Swiss Challenge League.-External links:*http://www.football.ch/sfl/777843/de/Kader.aspx?tId=0&pId=53261...
, Danijel SubotićDanijel SuboticDanijel Subotić is a Swiss footballer of Bosnian descent who plays for FCM Targu Mures in the Romanian Liga 1 as a forward. He was born in Zagreb but his family originated from Doboj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, all then Yugoslavia ....
, Slaviša DugićSlaviša DugićSlaviša Dugić is a Swiss professional football player of Bosnian Serb origin playing with Othellos.-Background:...
(Bosnian Serb); - Croatian Goran IveljaGoran IveljaGoran Ivelja is a Croatian-Swiss footballer, he last plays for FC Schaffhausen.- Career :Ivelja signed for HNK Cibalia in July 2003 he was signed for FC Winterthur on 9 July 2006.-External links:* * *...
, Mihael KovačevićMihael KovacevicMihael Kovačević is a Swiss footballer of Croatian descent who plays as a defender for Croatian side Zadar, after being released from Scottish side Dundee United.-Club career:...
, Mijat MarićMijat MaricMijat Marić is a Swiss footballer of Croatian descent, who currently plays for Belgian Pro League club Lokeren. He is a defender.-Career:...
, Oliver MaricOliver MaricOliver Marić is a Croatian football player.He was previously a member of FC Wohlen, FC Schaffhausen, FC Lucerne and Servette FC. While growing up in Lucerne, Marić's family comes from Primošten on the Croatian coast.-External links:...
, Ivan RakitićIvan RakiticIvan Rakitić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Sevilla FC and the Croatian national team.Born in Möhlin, he started his professional career at Swiss giants Basel and spent two seasons with them before establishing popularity for his time in the German Bundesliga with Schalke 04...
, Boris SmiljanićBoris SmiljanicBoris Smiljanić is a Swiss football player of Croatian descent who currently plays in defence for Grasshopper in the Swiss Super League.-Club career:...
, Krešimir StanićKrešimir StanicKrešimir Stanić is a retired Swiss footballer of Croatian descent. He spent his entire playing career as a forward for FC Zurich in the Swiss Super League. He was forced to retire in 2006 due to a serious leg injury that he sustained in a car crash...
; - Kosovo Albanian: Valon BehramiValon BehramiValon Behrami is a Swiss footballer of Albanian descent who plays for Fiorentina in the Italian Serie A, as well as the Swiss national team.-Early life:Behrami was born in Titova Mitrovica, Yugoslavia to Albanian parents...
, Albert Bunjaku, Sokol MaliqiSokol MaliqiSokol Maliqi is a Swiss/Kosovar Albanian football forward who plays for APEP Pitsilia.-External links:* -Notes:...
, Aljmir MuratiAljmir MuratiAljmir Murati is a Swiss football player of Kosovar Albanian descent who plays for Potenza S.C..-External links:*...
, Milaim RamaMilaim RamaMilaim Rama is a Swiss football player of Albanian descent. He currently plays for FC Thun.-Career:He started his professional career at FC Thun and had a short stint with FC Augsburg in Germany....
, Rijat ShalaRijat ShalaRijat Shala is a Swiss footballer of Kosovar Albanian descent.He spent the 2007–08 season with Serie A side Cagliari, making his club debut on a Coppa Italia match that won 2-1 to A.C. Siena, on 29 August 2007...
; - Macedonian: Aleksandar MitreskiAleksandar MitreskiAleksandar Mitreski is a footballer from the Republic of Macedonia who currently plays for Swiss club FC Aarau.-Career:His career began at SC Ittigen. At the age of 12 he moved to the junior team of BSC Young Boys...
, Aleksandar VeljanovskiAleksandar VeljanovskiAleksandar Veljanovski is a Swiss football midfielder playing with FC Grenchen in the Swiss 1. Liga.He previously played with Macedonian club FK Napredok, and Swiss clubs FC BadenFC Wangen bei Olten, FC Solothurn, FC Gossau and SC Zofingen.Alex is of Macedonian descent.-External sources:* at...
, Pajtim KasamiPajtim KasamiPajtim Kasami is a Swiss footballer of Albanian descent who plays for Fulham in the Premier League. He has been hailed as one of the brightest future stars of Switzerland.-Early career:...
(Macedonian Albanian), Blerim DžemailiBlerim DžemailiBlerim Džemaili is a Swiss football midfielder of Albanian origin who plays for Napoli.-FC Zürich:Džemaili started his career at Swiss side FC Zürich. There he was part of the 2005–06 and 2006–2007 Swiss Championship winning team...
(Macedonian Albanian); - Montenegrin: Elsad ZverotićElsad ZveroticElsad Zverotić is a Montenegrin football player. He plays for Swiss club BSC Young Boys.-Club career:...
; - Serbian: Nenad BegovićNenad BegovicNenad Begović is a Serbian football player who currently plays for S.C. Ashdod in the Israeli Premier League.-External links:* *...
, Nikoslav BjegovićNikoslav BjegovićNikoslav Bjegović is a retired Serbian international football player.-Career:...
, Bora Milutinović, Marko PantelićMarko PantelicMarko Pantelić is a Serbian footballer, who plays for Olympiacos.-Early years:...
, Dragan Đukić, Goran KaranovicGoran KaranovicGoran Karanovic is a Swiss football forward who currently plays for Servette FC in the Swiss Challenge League.-International career:Karanovic played two games for Swiss U-21 in 2007.-External links:*...
, Zdravko KuzmanovićZdravko KuzmanovicZdravko Kuzmanović is a Swiss-born Serbian footballer who plays as a midfielder for VfB Stuttgart in the Germanic Bundesliga.-Early life:...
, Boban MaksimovićBoban MaksimovicBoban Maksimović is a Swiss football midfielder playing with FC Breitenrain Bern in the Swiss 1...
, Srđan Maksimović, Miloš MalenovićMilos MalenovicMiloš Malenović is a Serbian-born Swiss football player who most recently played in the Netherlands for FC Emmen.-References:* at Playerhistory.* at Transfermarkt....
, Aleksandar PrijovićAleksandar PrijovicAleksandar Prijović is a Swiss-born Serbian footballer.-Early career:Prijović started his career as a youth player with his home town club FC St...
, Nenad SavićNenad SavicNenad Savić is a Serbian-born Swiss football player who is currently playing for Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona from the Israeli national league...
, Philippe SenderosPhilippe SenderosPhilippe Sylvain Senderos - is a Swiss footballer who plays as a defender for Fulham and the Switzerland national football team. Previously he has played for Servette, Arsenal, A.C...
(Spanish-Serbian), Alen StevanovićAlen StevanovićAlen Stevanović is a Swiss-born Serbian footballer who plays for Torino .-Early life:...
.
To a lesser extent, the group is represented in other sports, e.g.
Goran Bezina
Goran Bezina
Goran Bezina is a Swiss-Croatian ice hockey player who played three games in the National Hockey League with the Phoenix Coyotes during the 2003–04 NHL season and currently playing for Genève-Servette HC in the National League A in Switzerland. He was drafted 234th overall by Phoenix in the 1999...
(hockey); Petar Majstorovic
Petar Majstorovic
Petar Majstorovic is a Swiss-Croatian heavyweight karateka and kickboxer, fighting out of Durante's Box Gym. He is WKN former World Champion and two times K-1 preliminary tournaments champion in Croatia and Germany....
, Xhavit Bajrami
Xhavit Bajrami
Xhavit Bajrami is a Swiss kickboxer of Kosovar Albanian descent.-Biography:Bajrami was born in Pristina to Kosovar Albanian parents, the family later relocated to Switzerland. His family originate from south of Pristina. He became an accomplished kickboxer and won the K-1 Braves 1999 Champion...
and Azem Maksutaj
Azem Maksutaj
Azem Maksutaj is an Kosovar Albanian-Swiss kickboxer and karateka. He is WMC Heavyweight Muay Thai World Champion.-Biography:...
(kickboxing); Ana Ivanović
Ana Ivanovic
Ana Ivanović is a former world no. 1 Serbian tennis player. As of November 7, 2011, she is ranked 22th on the WTA rankings. She beat Dinara Safina to win the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open...
(tennis).
pop culture
Swiss singer Patrick Nuo
Patrick Nuo
Patrick Nuo is a Swiss singer, songwriter and model.-Biography:Nuo was born and raised in Lucerne, Switzerland. He was born to an Kosovo-Albanian father from the town of Đakovica and to a Swiss mother. At the age of fourteen he abandoned all hope becoming a popular tennis pro and decided to focus...
is of mixed Albanian and Swiss descent. Nuo has created 3 albums (one with Warner music).
Edita Abdieski
Edita Abdieski
Edita Abdieski is a Swiss pop singer. She rose to fame during the debut series of the German X Factor show, which she won in November 2010.-Early life:...
is a Swiss singer-songwriter of Albanian descent (born in Switzerland in 1984 to a Macedonian Albanian father and a Montenegrin Albanian mother), known as the winner of the debut series of the German X Factor show.
politicians and businesspeople
Behgjet Pacolli
Behgjet Pacolli
Behgjet Isa Pacolli is a former President of the Republic of Kosovo, and is now First Deputy Prime Minister serving in the cabinet of Hashim Thaçi...
(Swiss billionaire of Albanian descent and former President of Kosovo
President of Kosovo
The President of the Republic of Kosovo is Head of State of the disputed Republic of Kosovo. The President of Kosovo is elected by the Assembly of Kosovo. The first post-war president, who served until his death in January 2006, was Ibrahim Rugova. His successor was Fatmir Sejdiu. When Sejdiu...
)
notable felons
- Svetislav Danilovic (born 1956 in Titograd) was for some years known as the most dangerous criminal in Switzerland. He immigrated in the early 1980s, and after serving prison sentences for theft and burglary in 1983 and 1984, he was convicted to another sentence in 1987, but he escaped to Yugoslavia, where he was imprisoned. In 1989, he escaped from Yugoslav prison and came back to Switzerland to kidnap Swiss industrialist Karl Zünd. He was arrested after a failed ransom transaction, but escaped from prison again in August 1993. Danilovic now had the plan to kidnap the richest Swiss businessmen, beginning with Martin Ebner. After three unsuccessful kidnapping attempts, he was arrested once again in December 1993. He reportedly planned to kidnap Christoph BlocherChristoph BlocherChristoph Blocher is a Swiss politician, industrialist, and former member of the Swiss Federal Council heading the Federal Department of Justice and Police . Currently he is serving as Vice President of the Swiss People's Party...
next. Danilovic was released from prison in 2008. He next perpetrated a series of armed robberies on wealthy residences in Lower AustriaLower AustriaLower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
. He was arrested in Austria in March 2010. - Bashkim Berisha was noted as a Thai-Boxer and as protagonist in a documentary on juvenile violent crimeJuvenile delinquencyJuvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
, and became known as the "parking lot killer" (Parkplatzmörder) after killing a Macedonian Albanian over a dispute about a parking space in 2005. He was convicted to a 14-year prison sentence for voluntary manslaughterVoluntary ManslaughterVoluntary manslaughter is the killing of a human being in which the offender had no prior intent to kill and acted during "the heat of passion," under circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed. In the Uniform Crime Reports prepared by the...
in 2009.Another high-profile case of manslaughter was that of Ded Gecaj who shot his daughter's teacher in 1999 (in whom the girl had confided about sexual abuseChild sexual abuseChild sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
by her father), and who killed himself in prison in 2010 after being extradited from Kosovo to Switzerland.
External links
- http://www.croatia.ch Swiss Croatian internet portal
- http://www.crkva.ch Serbian Orthodox Church in Zurich
- http://makedonium.ch Swiss Macedonian website
- http://www.albanien.ch Swiss Albanian online forum