"to prohibit naked hiking. Violators would be fined. However nudists who appealed against their fines to the federal court have been reimbursed by the local authorities, as nudism is not a crime under Swiss federal law which takes precedence. It is common for cars rented in Switzerland to be registered in Appenzell Innerrhoden, and thus having license plates starting with ""AI"", because of the reduced tax on cars in this canton. Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden The canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden (; in English sometimes Appenzell Inner-Rhodes) is the smallest canton of Switzerland by population and the second smallest by area,"
"the ""Landsgemeinde"" (general assembly) in a square in Appenzell; they elect the cantonal government and judiciary, accept the oath of the elected members, and vote on several issues on the agenda; about 4000 citizens usually participate. In 1991, following a decision by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, Appenzell Innerrhoden became the last Swiss canton to grant women the vote on local issues. It also was the canton with the strongest support for the minaret ban in the Swiss minaret referendum, 2009, at 71%. In Appenzell Innerrhoden, districts are the lowest administrative division, as the canton has no municipalities (except"
"(German: ""Ständerat""). He has been a member of it since 2007. The population of the canton (as of ) is . , the population included 1,510 foreigners, or about 9.76% of the total population. Owing to the split of Appenzell along religious lines, the population () is nearly all Roman Catholic (81%), with a small Protestant minority (10%). Cattle breeding and dairy farming are the main agricultural activities: Appenzeller cheese is widely available throughout Switzerland. Somewhat before the early 2000s, the idyllic countryside of Appenzell Innerrhoden apparently became popular with nudists, and at the 2009 Landsgemeinde the canton's residents voted"
"half a cantonal vote and the largest Muslim community of Switzerland, also rejected the ban by 51.6%. The voter turnout was 53.4%. At the district level, which does not include Basel-City and Geneva, which are not divided into districts, the initiative gained a majority of the votes in all 148 districts, except for sixteen: The cities of Zurich and Berne along with Geneva and Basel also showed a slight majority opposed to the ban. The canton of Zurich as a whole, however, voted 52% yes. The highest percentage of votes in favour of the ban were counted in Appenzell Innerrhoden"
"by a direct popular vote). The south or more mountainous portion of Appenzell forms the half-canton of Appenzell, ""Inner Rhoden"". It has a total area of (of which . are classed as ""productive,"" forests covering and glaciers ), and a total population of practically all German-speaking, and predominantly Catholic. Its political capital is Appenzell, which is also the largest village, while Weissbad (near it) and Gonten are the best-known goats' whey cure resorts. Embroidery and muslins are made in this half-canton, though wholly at home by the work-people. But it is very largely pastoral. Inner Rhoden is extremely conservative, and"
"to such a change, with only 21.1% voting in support, to the effect of the retention of the ""Landeskirchen"" system. In November 2009, 57.5% of Swiss voters approved of a popular initiative to ban the construction of minarets in Switzerland. The four existing Swiss minarets, at mosques in Zürich, Geneva, Winterthur and Wangen bei Olten are not affected by the ban. Full freedom of religion has been guaranteed since the revised Swiss Constitution of 1874 (Article 49). During the Old Swiss Confederacy, there had been no ""de facto"" freedom of religion, with persecution of Anabaptists in particular well into the"
"Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden The canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden (; in English sometimes Appenzell Inner-Rhodes) is the smallest canton of Switzerland by population and the second smallest by area, with canton of Basel-City being the smallest. It was the last Swiss canton to grant women the right to vote on local issues, in 1991. The name ""Appenzell"" () means ""cell (i.e. estate) of the abbot"". This refers to the Abbey of St. Gall, which exerted a great influence on the area. By the middle of the 11th century the abbots of St. Gall had established their power in the land"
"outer world the canton of Appenzell is best known by its institution of ""Landsgemeinden"", or democratic assemblies held in the open air, in which every male and female citizen (not being disqualified) over twenty years of age must (under a financial penalty) appear personally: each half-canton has such an assembly of its own, that of Inner Rhoden always meeting at Appenzell, and that of Ausser Rhoden in the odd years at Hundwil (near Herisau) and in the even years at Trogen. However, in Ausser Rhoden this institution was abolished by a ballot on 29 September 1997 by 54% of the"
"a lawsuit in the Swiss Federal Court and won. A centuries-old law forbidding women from voting was changed in 1991, when Switzerland's federal court ordered the canton to grant women the right to vote. Most of the canton is pastoral, this despite being mountainous. The Säntis peak in the Appenzell Alps is one of the main attractions of the canton. There are three small mountain lakes in the canton: Seealpsee, Sämtisersee and Fälensee. Appenzell is the capital of this canton. The constitution was established in 1872. Citizens from the canton assemble each year on the last Sunday of April for"
"board of the Revue de Droit Suisse called for invalidation of the initiative as ""it appears that the material content of popular initiatives is subject to ill-considered draftsmanship because the drafters are affected by particular emotions that merely last for snatches."" In a referendum on 29 November 2009, the amendment, which needed a double majority to pass, was approved by 57.5% (1 534 054 citizens) of the voters and by 19½ cantons out of 23. Geneva, Vaud and Neuchâtel, all of which are French-speaking cantons, voted against the ban (59.7%, 53.1% and 50.9% respectively). The canton of Basel-City, which has"
"Innerrhoden; the principle of equality between men and women as was guaranteed by the federal constitution ordered, in effect, an interpretation of the Appenzell constitution such that women's suffrage should be equally possible. The voters of the canton had stood against women's suffrage in 1959 by 2050 votes to 105. Women's suffrage in Switzerland Women in Switzerland gained the right to vote in federal elections after a referendum in February 1971. In 1991 following a decision by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI) became the last Swiss canton to grant women the vote on local issues; AI"
"tolerated. One popular form of Freikörperkultur is ""Nacktwanderung"", literally translated as ""Naked hike"", where a walking group will collectively hike through the open countryside, which is possible in Germany due to the liberal laws on non-sexual public nudity. This attitude does not extend to German-speaking Austria or Switzerland. In response to an influx of German FKK enthusiasts crossing the Alps, the Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, which became a popular destination for naked hiking, created laws making nude hiking illegal in 2009. Local regulatory authorities punished public nudity with fines, which many naked ramblers refused to pay. Many naked ramblers"
"2009 Swiss minaret referendum </noinclude> The federal popular initiative ""against the construction of minarets"" was a successful popular initiative in Switzerland to prevent the construction of minarets on mosques. In a November 2009 referendum, a constitutional amendment banning the construction of new minarets was approved by 57.5% of the participating voters. Only three of the twenty Swiss cantons and one half canton, mostly in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, opposed the initiative. This referendum originates from action on 1 May 2007, when a group of right of centre politicians mainly from the Swiss People's Party and the Federal Democratic Union,"
"voting methods. Paul Lucardie (2014) notes for example that: ""Evidence suggests that attendance at assemblies in Appenzell and Glarus, as well as most town meetings in Vermont and possibly also in ancient Athens, has always been limited to roughly twenty per cent of the citizenry."" Moreover, the inclusion of women was until recently one of the main concerns for the inclusivity of the ""Landsgemeinde"". Up to 1991, women were not allowed in the ""Landsgemeinde"" in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, which was the last canton of Switzerland to grant women the right to vote, making it an exceptionally late introduction"
"from cafe owners and absinthe manufacturers, a referendum to reverse this decision was launched, but failed 23,062 to 16,025. On February 2, 1907, the Grand Conseil voted to ban the retail sale of absinthe, including its imitations. Finally, on July 5, 1908, Article 32 to the Swiss Constitution was proposed, which would prohibit manufacturing or possession on absinthe in Switzerland. The article was added following a referendum, in which it won by 241,078 to 139,699 votes, and would be effective October 7, 1910. Eventually, similar incidents led to bans on absinthe in every European country (except the United Kingdom, Sweden"
"which the weavers throughout Appenzell supported each other when they felt that they were unfairly treated by the linen industry of St. Gallen. From 1798 to 1803 Appenzell, with the other domains of the abbot of St Gall, was formed into the canton of Säntis of the Helvetic Republic, but in 1803, on the creation of the new canton of St. Gall, shrank back within its former boundaries. Appenzell Innerrhoden was the last canton in Switzerland to grant women the right to vote on local issues, being forced to do so only in 1990 when two women from Appenzell filed"
"cantonal churches has been ruled legal by the Federal Supreme Court. Some commentators have argued that the minaret ban introduced by popular vote in 2009 constitutes a breach of religious freedom. Traces of the pre-Christian religions of the area that is now Switzerland include the Bronze Age ""fire dogs"". The Gaulish Helvetii, who became part of Gallo-Roman culture under the Roman Empire, left only scarce traces of their religion like the statue of ""dea Artio"", a bear goddess, found near Bern. A known Roman sanctuary to Mercury was on a hill north-east of Baar. St. Peter in Zürich was the"
"minister ""in her country."" According to the Corriere della Sera, which reported the event, he added: ""I love animals – bears and wolves, as is known – but when I see the pictures of Kyenge I cannot but think of the features of an orangutan, even if I'm not saying she is one."" In November 2009, after a national referendum resulted in the changing the Swiss constitution so that it prohibited the construction of minarets, Calderoli told the Italian news agency ANSA that Switzerland had sent a clear signal: ""Yes to church towers, no to minarets"". He further stated that"
"that the applicants were not affected parties, as they did not intend to build minarets. The ban sparked reactions from governments and political parties throughout of the world. The Swiss referendum was welcomed by several European far right parties. 2009 Swiss minaret referendum </noinclude> The federal popular initiative ""against the construction of minarets"" was a successful popular initiative in Switzerland to prevent the construction of minarets on mosques. In a November 2009 referendum, a constitutional amendment banning the construction of new minarets was approved by 57.5% of the participating voters. Only three of the twenty Swiss cantons and one half"
"in Switzerland. All Swiss citizens aged 18 years or older have been allowed to vote at the federal level since women were granted suffrage on 7 February 1971. All adult citizens have been able to vote at the canton level since 27 November 1990, when Appenzell Innerrhoden, the last canton to deny universal suffrage, was compelled by a federal court decision. In addition, Swiss citizens living outside of the country who are older than 18 are also allowed to vote on federal matters and, in some cantons, on cantonal matters. For these voters, registration through the local or nearest Swiss"
"in the same year. It was open a total of 265 days with average of 31.5 hours per week during that year. Appenzell District Appenzell District is a district of the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden in Switzerland. It has a population of (). The area of Appenzell is . The district of Appenzell consists of a part of the village Appenzell, as well as Rinkenbach, Kau and Meistersrüte. While a single late Bronze Age site has been discovered in the forest outside Appenzell, there is no evidence of a prehistoric settlement. The region around Appenzell remained forested and very lightly"
"or metal objects. In September 2013, by popular referendum approved by 66% of the voters, the canton of Ticino prohibited to hide the face in a public area. While the Swiss proposal did not target Muslim women specifically, the referendum became known as the “anti-burka” initiative. The referendum was pushed by conservative campaigners and was criticized by Amnesty international. One of the supporters of the ban, Giorgio Ghiringhelli, said he wanted to put a stop to “the inevitable spread of niqabs and burkas.” Critics of the referendum say it is meaningless because there are very few Muslims in Ticino who"
"there was little media coverage. No one was arrested or troubled, and there was no police involvement. Most naked hikers report friendly reactions from people they meet; however, in some countries where such restrictions exist, the risk of being booked on a charge such as public indecency is present when hiking in the nude. Some jurisdictions have regulations formally prohibiting this activity, and can impose fines or other punishments. A local bylaw to this effect was adopted, for example, by the 2009 General Meeting (""Landsgemeinde"") of the residents of the Swiss canton Appenzell Innerrhoden. In nearby Appenzell Ausserrhoden, the court"
"ban on discrimination. The Federal Assembly recommended (by 132 to 51 votes and 11 abstentions) in spring of 2009 that the Swiss people reject the minaret ban initiative. The Society for Minorities in Switzerland called for freedom and equality and started an internet-based campaign in order to gather as many symbolic signatures as possible against a possible minaret ban. Amnesty International warned the minaret ban aimed to exploit fears of Muslims and encourage xenophobia for political gains. ""This initiative claims to be a defense against rampant Islamification of Switzerland,"" Daniel Bolomey, the head of Amnesty’s Swiss office, said in a"
"army, there was only sparse public debate on the issue - another topic dominated the media and the minds of the people: The September 11 attacks which occurred a few weeks before the vote took place. Both initiatives were rejected by 78% and 77% of the voters. On 21 September 2007, the GSoA submitted an initiative that required a ban on all arms exports from Switzerland. This initiative was rejected on November 29, 2009 with 68.2% of the voters casting a no. Another initiative required stricter legislation on private possession of firearms and a stop to the Swiss tradition to"
"Appenzell District Appenzell District is a district of the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden in Switzerland. It has a population of (). The area of Appenzell is . The district of Appenzell consists of a part of the village Appenzell, as well as Rinkenbach, Kau and Meistersrüte. While a single late Bronze Age site has been discovered in the forest outside Appenzell, there is no evidence of a prehistoric settlement. The region around Appenzell remained forested and very lightly settled until the end of the Early Middle Ages. Under the authority of the abbots of the monastery of St. Gall settlers"
"section of the Swiss Green Party. Obwalden already has a flat tax system for the benefit of its rich residents, and attempted to introduce a regressive tax system, which was ruled unconstitutional by the Swiss Federal Court. 2009 Swiss referendums Eight referendums were held in Switzerland during 2009. The first was held on 8 February on extending the freedom of movement for workers from Bulgaria and Romania. The next two were held on 17 May 2009 on introducing biometric passports and the ""Future with complementary medicine"" proposal. A further two were held on 27 September on increasing VAT and the"
"overlooked or ignored, placing the blame for the murders solely on absinthe. The Lanfray murders were the tipping point in this hotly debated topic, and a subsequent petition collected more than 82,000 signatures to ban it in Switzerland, and a referendum was held on 5 July 1908. It was approved by voters and the prohibition of absinthe was written into the Swiss constitution. In 1906, Belgium and Brazil banned the sale and distribution of absinthe, although these were not the first countries to take such action. It had been banned as early as 1898 in the colony of the Congo"
"of imprisonment that can be augmented with a fine. In September 2017, the federal court ruled that the flat fine for the sole possession of small amounts has been wrongly inflicted since 2013. Only the consumption of cannabis can be fined. As a consequence, most cantonal police departments changed their policy towards stopping the prosecution of small amounts of cannabis, while others had already done so earlier. However, the cantons of Geneva, Vaud, Valais, Neuchâtel, Jura, Ticino, St. Gallen and both Appenzell still retain their old policy. On 5 October 2012, the Federal Court invalidated the agreement on hemp culture"
"and French-speaking cantons mostly voting in favour (except for narrow votes against in Schwyz, Glarus and Appenzell Innerrhoden) and the Italian-speaking Ticino strongly voting against. The result caused the left-wing Green Party and the Social Democratic Party to state that they would renew their push for Swiss EU membership. The two referendums in May concerned: The biometric passport introduction approval was accepted with a slim majority, with 50.15% in favour of the proposal; the complementary medicine proposal was accepted with 67.0% in favour. Turnout was 39%. The September referendum put two questions to voters: In the November referendum voters decide"
"(October 19, 1969), Valais (Wallis) (April 12, 1970), and Zürich (November 15, 1970) gave voting and election rights to women at the cantonal level. It was necessary to wait for the 1960s for eight cantons to introduce women's suffrage at the canton level. Twenty more years were necessary for this right to be generalized for all the cantons. In a judgment of November 27, 1990 in the case of ""Theresa Rohner et consorts contre Appenzell Rhodes-Intérieures"" (ATF 116 Ia 359), the Swiss federal court declared unconstitutional the exclusive male suffrage as had been practiced in the half canton of Appenzell"
"in Appenzell Inerrhoden. The right of foreigners to vote is determined by each municipality. The 20 municipalities (""Einwohnergemeinden"") are: The population of the canton (as of ) is . , the population included 6,959 foreigners, or about 13.22% of the total population. Due to the split of Appenzell, the majority of the population () is Protestant (51%) with a Roman Catholic minority (31%). Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden The canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden (; in English sometimes Appenzell Outer Rhodes) is a canton of Switzerland. The seat of the government and parliament is Herisau, judicial authorities are in Trogen. Appenzell Ausserrhoden"
"the Swiss People's Party launched a federal popular initiative ""against asylum abuse"" that was rejected by 50.1% of voters (with a difference of 4,208 votes). In 2009, the referendum on biometric passports required by the Schengen Agreement was also accepted by 50.1% of voters (with a difference of 5,680 votes). More recently, the Swiss People's Party had successfully launched federal popular initiatives ""against the construction of minarets"" (2009, 57.5%) and ""for the expulsion of criminal foreigners"" (2010, 52.3%). After the acceptance of the federal popular initiative ""against mass immigration"", views varied widely as to why the initiative was successful at"