- The "Flower of Eternity"
- From a token of love to a military order
- Edelweiss as a symbol for the Alpine region
- tips and tricks
A Swiss airline is named after her, opposition groups of young people during the Nazi era ("Edelweißpiraten"), a folk music award and a high military award are named after him, the Alpen-Edelweiß. The flower, which was once widespread in the Alps, is considered a symbol of the region, but also stands for courage, bravery and love.
Edelweiss stands for eternal love
The "Flower of Eternity"
The eye-catching, star-shaped flower of the edelweiss can be dried (and thus preserved) in such a way that its shape and color are completely preserved. For this reason, the flower also bears the name "Immortals of the Alps" ("Immortelle des Alpes"), which was coined by French Alpine residents. Elsewhere, the plant was also known as "star flower" or "lion's feet" because of the shape of its flowers. The term "edelweiss" is actually an import that was only invented in the course of growing enthusiasm for the Alps.
From a token of love to a military order
Originally, edelweiss was mainly used in folk medicine. Only when the Alps gradually became important as a destination for early tourists in the 19th century did the flower acquire its current significance not only as a national symbol, but also as a symbol of love and bravery. Since early - romantic - alpinism was primarily about being close to nature, about physical exercise and courage, the edelweiss, which mainly grew in rather inaccessible, dangerous locations, represented a test of courage intended to prove the bravery and strength of the collector. For the same reason, the edelweiss became a symbol of love, after all it was a very special gift. Many a lovestruck youth has had a fatal accident while trying to pick an edelweiss.
Edelweiss as a symbol for the Alpine region
Today, the edelweiss is still the symbol for the Alpine region and has even been elevated to the national symbol for the Alpine countries of Austria and Switzerland.
tips and tricks
The edelweiss is under strict nature protection and may not be picked. However, there are varieties specially bred for the home garden, but their parents mostly come from the Himalayas.