Swiss Passport

How was the Confederation redefined in the Federal Constitution of 1848?

Wie wurde die Eidgenossenschaft in der Bundesverfassung von 1848 neu definiert?

Correct answer: B

  1. A as a people's republicals Volksrepublik
  2. B as a federal stateals föderalistischer Bundesstaat
  3. C as a centralised stateals Zentralstaat
  4. D as a parliamentary monarchyals parlamentarische Monarchie

Why

The Constitution of 1848 created a common federation but left the cantons a lot of their own power. That is a federalist federal state.

Common mistakes

C: as a centralised state
A centralised state existed only briefly, from 1798 to 1803; it was very unpopular.
D: as a parliamentary monarchy
Switzerland has no king; it is a republic.

Topic

Sonderbund War and the federal state of 1848

At the beginning of the 19th century, Switzerland was a loose alliance of cantons. There was a dispute between two groups. The Liberals, mainly in Reformed cantons, wanted a stronger common state. The Catholic-conservative cantons wanted to keep their independence. In 1845 they formed their own alliance: the Sonderbund (separate alliance). It included seven cantons, for example Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz and Fribourg.

Timeline of Swiss history
  1. 58 BCHelvetii and Romans
  2. 1291The Rütli and William Tell
  3. 1515Marignano
  4. 1523The Reformation
  5. 1798The French and Napoleon
  6. 1815Neutrality
  7. 1848Sonderbund War and the federal state
  8. 19th c.From agrarian state to industrial state
  9. 1918National general strike
  10. 1939–1945Second World War
  11. 1948Prosperity and AHV
  12. 1970Immigration and the Schwarzenbach initiative
  13. 1971Women's suffrage and equal rights
  14. 1979The youngest canton: Jura

History of Switzerland
Federal state and industrialisation

Sources

Last checked: September 2026

Question 235 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.

Found a mistake? Email us