Schwiizerdütsch
Swiss German
Murray Hillignificant numbers of immigrants began arriving from the Swiss cantons, speaking diverse varieties of Swiss German, Swiss French, or Swiss Italian, in the early 19th century. Some worked in the city's growing food industry, most famously the Swiss-Italian Delmonicos, whose businesses beginning in 1825 permanently transformed New York's culinary culture. Swiss German varieties, given their numerical dominance, are thought to be most common, but Swiss are historically highly multilingual, and the city has also been home to Romansh speakers. Organizations like the Swiss Society of NYC and the Swiss Benevolent Society have long celebrated Swiss cultural heritage while also providing support services and programs to Swiss New Yorkers. By the 1960s, an official Swiss presence was palpable at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 49th Street, with a "Swiss Center" housing Swissair, UBS and Switzerland Tourism, as well as the popular Chalet Suisse restaurant — the Swiss Society of New York today is still located nearby.