«Verhandlungssprache ist Deutsch, in der Regel Schweizer Mundart»

Abstract Switzerland is multilingual – and so is the Swiss political landscape. In German-speaking cantons, two language varieties co-exist: Swiss High German and Swiss German, i. e. the standard language and Swiss dialect. This text looks at the use of dialect as the language of debate in the cantonal parliament of Schwyz. Reporting on a qualitative empirical study based on observations and interview data, the text illustrates the How and Whys of using Swiss German for the complex legislative tasks of a German-speaking cantonal parliament. In doing so, questions of tradition and identity, language attitudes, resistance and empowerment are addressed.