Swiss colony in the Cumberland Mountains

Question by an American citizen

Do you know something about Swiss colonies in American South, especially in Tennessee?

Swiss Colony "Grütli", Tennessee: Farm of Mr. Stämpfli, Photo: Annemarie Schwarzenbach, 1937. Public domain.

In the first half of the 19th century, the state of Tennessee witnessed the development of some Swiss colonies, situated in Wartburg (1843), Knoxville (1848) and Nashville (1857).

The most significant of them was founded in 1869 in the Cumberland Mountains, more precisely in Grundy County, also known as “Gruetli” or “New Switzerland”.

In the beginning, the establishment of the colonies was not always easy. Due to this situation, contradictory opinions reached the aspiring emigrants in Switzerland. To stop this rumour the Swiss government sent an inquiry commission in 1871. The resulting report claimed that despite all the difficulties encountered at the beginning, the most persistent families succeeded and were able to settle down and build their new home.
However, the lack of working tools and the tough overall conditions were a historical fact. It was particularly difficult for the emigrants without any savings: they were unable to buy land and were forced to ask their compatriots for help.

In 1937, the Swiss writer and journalist Annemarie Schwarzenbach paid “Gruetli” a visit. She took a series of pictures of the area and its inhabitants and described this journey in her book “Jenseits von New York”.

Nowadays the Grundy County Swiss Historical Society is maintaining the heritage and memory of this colony.

Arlettaz, Gérald. Emigration et colonisation suisses en Amérique 1815-1918. In : Etudes et sources. Revues des Archives fédérales suisses, 5, 1979, p. 59-61.

Schweizerischer Auswanderungsverein. Die Gründung einer Schweizer-Colonie in Grundy County in Mittel-Tennessee, (Nord-Amerika) : Nach den Berichten des Herrn Plümacher-Hünerwadel, Abgeordneter des schweiz. Auswanderungsvereins, und des schweiz. General-Consuls Hitz in Washington. Bern, J. Allemann, 1869.

Schwarzenbach, Annemarie. Jenseits von New York : ausgewählte Reportagen, Feuilletons und Fotografien aus den USA 1936-1938. Basel : Lenos-Verlag, cop. 1992

Grundy County Swiss Historical Society