Swiss Anxiety Stoked by Immigration as Zurich Transformed

When seeing a doctor, ballet dancer Iris Inderbitzin wants to be able to speak her local dialect. With more than 284,000 Germans living in Switzerland, that at times can be a challenge.

“It’s frustrating,” Inderbitzin said referring to Swiss German, which has distinct pronunciation and vocabulary from the language spoken in Germany, where she has worked. “When I go to the hospital, I want to speak my native tongue.”