Profile in the Einsiedler Anzeiger

Since I was born in America, it is hard to truly call any place in Switzerland home. However, my Swiss passport tells me that my “place of origin” is a small town called Einsiedeln. That is where my grandfather was born and raised.

Caught off guard by Kate behind the Einsiedeln Abbey last summer.

The Bingisser name has deep roots in Einsiedeln. Switzerland has a much lower level of inter-country migration than America and Swiss families tend to stay in the same area for generations. That makes certain names synonymous with certain cities. When I first competed in the stone throw at a nearby competition back in 2003 the head official immediately asked me if I was from Einsiedeln after seeing my name. He was a little confused that I couldn’t understand his Swiss German (or much of any type of German back then), but we soon sorted things out. I used to be able to sit down for dinner in the town and almost guarantee a truck would drive by with my name on it since the now-defunct Bingisser Transporte trucking company was based in Einsiedeln.

To get to Einsiedeln, you travel about one hour south of Zurich into the first alpine foothills. The city is best known for the Einsiedeln Abbey, a 700 year old monastery which pilgrims flock to from around the world. Many of the Vatican’s famous Swiss Guard come from the nearby Catholic towns. While I have never met any of my relatives in Einsiedeln, I still feel like I am close to home there. There is no rational reason for this, but knowing the history of my family makes me feel a strong connection to the town. And, like all small towns, they have also been welcoming to me now that I am back in Switzerland. Last week the local Einseideln Anzeiger newspaper published a profile of me. If you happen to speak German, take a look at it below. If not, it summarizes my family history and how I came to move back to Switzerland. The most important part is that it takes the author only three sentences to mention my love of the local Maisgold beer. Despite Budweiser’s attempts to prove otherwise, Maisgold is proof that good corn can make a great beer.

Download (PDF, 2.35MB)