But quite early on affiliated cantons and vassal territories added other languages to the confederation of governing cantons. In 1388, the first French-speaking part (in the Jura) joined the treaty. In 1439, the first Italian-speaking territory follow ed (in the Ticino). In 1496, the first Rhaeto-Rom anic-speaking people joined the treaty (w ithin the Three Treaties of Rhaetia). Therefore, the Sw iss Confederation has had four languages for 500 years. Yet until 1798 none of the non-Germ anspeaking parts acquired the status of a governing canton. They still rem ained subjects or affiliated cantons (w ith lesser rights), just like m any Germ an-speaking territories. It w as only w ith the Helvetic Republic (1798-1803) that French-, Italian- and Rhaeto-Rom anic-speaking confederates acquired equal rights. And it w as not until the nineteenth century that the confederate m odel of linguistic m inority rights actually becam e differentiated and w as w ritten dow n. Therefore, in contem porary Sw itzerland, four language groups exist w ith eight different types of w ritten languages.3 • 64 per cent of the population in central Sw itzerland and in the northern and eastern parts of the country w hich border w ith Germ any and Austria speak Germ an. In the Germ anspeaking part of Sw itzerland, about 25 different dialects are spoken in everyday situations, on the radio but also on television. How ever, these dialects are only rarely w ritten as w ell. High Germ an is used as the w ritten language by the authorities, the press and also by the literary establishm ent.
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3
Andres Furger, “Der unterschiedliche Rom anisierungsgrad zw ischen O st und West in röm ischer Zeit”, in Forum Helveticum (ed.), Z wischen Rhein und Rhone – verbunden und doch getrennt? Entre Rhin et Rhône – liens et ruptures (Lenzburg, 2002), 34-40. Roger Blum , “Sprachenvielfalt und Föderalism us”, Z oom Kommunikation & M edien, no. 12/13 “Der Fernsehboom ” (May 1999), 50-55.
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