This presentation will set aside mountains, chocolate, and other Swiss clichés and instead introduce undergraduates (but also everybody else) with an interest in Europe, and especially German-speaking countries, to Switzerland, this alpine nation – small but nonetheless special. We will look at the hard facts on Switzerland, its unique position surrounded by EU-countries (without being a member of the EU), its people – famous and less famous –, its unique political system as a direct democracy, and its (some might say: quirky) German dialect. Your take-away knowledge might even make you more curious about this special country. And, of course, there will be lots of time to ask a German with a strong connection to North America how it feels to live in Swiss "exile." Lecture given by Max Kade Visiting Professor Alexander Fischer.