On 30 May, Wikipedia Day 2026 was a casual celebration held right on the banks of the River Aare in Bern in Schwellenmätteli: with this event, which included the General Assembly, Wikimedia CH marked the double anniversary of “25 years of Wikipedia and 20 years of Wikimedia CH”. Attendees were given a comprehensive insight into the work of the association and its future direction. There was also a reunion with some of the founding members. The evening drew to a lively close with live music from the band of Ivonne Gonzalez (Noircir Wikipedia).

At the General Assembly, Wikimedia CH members elected four new board members (in the photo from right to left).

  • Daniel Senn, co-owner at the software company Abacus Research AG and Chairman of the Board of Directors
  • Mounir Krichane, expert in Digital Transformation & Innovation and former director of EPFL Media Center and the Initiative for Media Innovation (IMI)
  • Heidi Eisenhut, director of the Appenzell Ausserrhoden Cantonal Library (KBAR) in Trogen
  • Dominik Landwehr, retired expert in three fields: journalism, humanitarian work for the ICRC, and cultural promotion at Migros Culture Percentage and active Wikipedian

The four newly elected take over from Amandine Cabrio, Anna Jobin, Nawal Aït-Hocine and the outgoing president Matthias Nepfer. His term of office ends after six years in accordance with the statutes.

The first board meeting in the new line-up took place on 23 June 2026. Dominik Landwehr has accepted the election as the new president. In his mission statement he says the following:

“25 years after the founding of the Wikimedia Foundation and the launch of Wikipedia, and 20 years after the launch of the Wikimedia Switzerland chapter, this ambitious project is at a crucial stage: Wikipedia has never been more popular than it is today, as evidenced, amongst other things, by users’ willingness to make voluntary contributions to the budget. However, the emergence of AI and so-called large language models (LLMs) in recent years marks a turning point: AI and LLMs draw heavily on the work of the Wikipedia community and will transform the world of Wikipedia in the coming years.

My role on the WMCH Board therefore begins at a crucial moment, as no one yet knows what the future holds, and it is up to us to deal productively with this uncertain situation.

What helps us in this regard is that WMCH is not unprepared; over the 20 years of its existence, WMCH has carried out solid groundwork and is now in a strong and robust position. At this juncture, WMCH’s vision and mission also serve as guiding principles for my work over the coming years.

Wikipedia is based on collaboration and exchange, and these principles will also guide my work: as President, I am a primus inter pares. I act as a point of contact for the WMCH Director and am open to listening to the concerns of WMCH staff, as well as those of the community across Switzerland.

– We bring people together to disseminate free knowledge for an intelligent and open society.

– We enable Wikipedians to share knowledge and connect with the Wikimedia universe.

– We are a cooperative and responsible association that represents the interests of our multilingual communities in Switzerland.

I also seek dialogue with our partners, whether in the fields of GLAM, education or other NGOs, as well as with our parent organisation, the Wikimedia Foundation.

Thanks to our 20 years of expertise and our close ties to some of the world’s leading universities, WMCH can contribute to the discussion on AI and LLMs. I will foster this dialogue using the resources at our disposal

My professional background, with many years’ experience in radio, TV and print media, combined with my international experience as a delegate to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and, most recently, as a cultural promoter at Migros Culture Percentage, has prepared me perfectly for this role.

I see myself as a unifying figure who knows how to bring together even conflicting viewpoints. The overriding goal must be to further develop Wikipedia’s vision. I will do my very best to achieve this.”

 

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