Maarten Koning – Page 66 – The Swiss Spectator

The Sta. Maria Church

As the name of the village already suggests, the church was dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God. The church first appears in a document in 1167, Sta. Maria in Silvaplana. Sta. Maria became the name of the village. According to legend, Charlemagne founded the church after his campaign in 774/775 against the Lombards and a snowstorm on the Umbrail Pass.

FThe church dates from 1492 and is a renovation by Andreas Bühler (1457-1512) from Austrian Carinthia. Based on religious freedom in the Freistaat der Drei Bünde (Ilanzer Article of 1526), the village adopted the reformation and appointed a pastor from Sent (Unterengadin).

Müstair, however, remained Catholic. The Catholic minority in Sta. Maria was allowed to use the church. They were seated on the left side of the church! Moreover, Sta. Maria had been a place of pilgrimage for centuries.

There were tensions between the two religions. On one occasion, for example, Catholics (left in the church) and Protestants (right in the church) sang louder and louder against each other.

Things went well until 1620 and the beginning of the Bündner Wirren (1619-1639). Catholic Habsburg occupied the valley and banned the new faith. The Protestants stormed the church and threw the (Mary) statues into the Rombach river (Il Rom in the Romansh language).

Downstream, if made of wood, the Catholic inhabitants of South Tyrol fished them out of the Etsch (Adige in Italian) and gave them a place in churches in Lichtenberg, Tschengls and Algund.

De Sta. Maria en Il Rom (de Rombach)

The Protestants regained their former rights with the help of the (Catholic !) French army in 1648. Catholics were allowed to use the church again as long as Catholic residents lived in Sta. Maria. The last one died in 1837. The new statue of Mary, commissioned by the Habsburgs in 1621, was carried in a procession to the monastery of St Johann in St. Müstair. According to the legend, Mary wept.

The church has an 8.22-high medieval image of Christophorus on the outside of the choir, and the portal shows a 1513 fresco of Jesus on the Mount of Olives.

The church is also famous for its marble plaques from the Weißwasserbruch from Laas (South Tyrol), also called the marble village. They tell the story of Val Müstair, Graubünden and South Tyrol: Zuckerbäcker (pastry makers), Säumer, Podestà (bailiffs) of Italian territories conquered by Graubünden in 1512 (Veltlin, Bormio and Chiavenna), immigrants, vicars, the architect of Hotel Schweizerhof (built 1903) Maini Swartz (1858-1937), artists and merchants.

The Schweizerhof and his architect Maini Swartz

A short History of Direct Democracy

The Swiss model of direct democracy is often used as an example of how to involve citizens and organisations in decision-making procedures. However, the historical development of this system and its manner of functioning are often unknown.

Functioning

Every system has its advantages and disadvantages, although one thing is sure: the democratic system is the best, whether the presidential systems in France or America, the parliamentary systems with proportional representation (Denmark), a district system (United Kingdom), a federation (Germany), or a unitary state (The Netherlands).

Direct democracy

The system of the Swiss Confederation (Confoederatio Helvetica) does occupy a special place among such democracies. Only a good insight into the history and the emergence of direct democracy put its functioning into the right perspective.

A single or double veto by the People (Referendum) and/or the Council of States (Ständerat) means the end of a (constitutional) law or treaty, even if the government and the National Council have agreed to it.

The system of direct democracy derives from specific geographical locations and conditions, from powerful dynasties, seeking to control the trade routes and Alpine passes in medieval times, and from a good dose of pragmatism belonging to medieval communities in the mountain areas. The Dutch water and dam management communes know a similar historical development.

History until 1815

1 August 1291 still has a mythical sound and is even the country’s official date of birth. Three “Orte” – namely Schwytz, Uri and Unterwalden – allied and confirmed their alliance with an oath (Eid). Hence the name “Eidgenossen.” The label canton dates from the sixteenth century. These alliances and oaths were common practice across Europe.

What makes this alliance so unique is the continuity and gradually further expansion with other “Orte” (Glarus and Appenzeller) and cities (Bern, Lucerne, Basel, Schaffhausen, Zurich, Freiburg, Solothurn, Zug) until 1513.

Whether the “Orte” joined the cities (allies from 1351 onward) or vice versa is irrelevant. The fact is that the “Eidgenossenschaft” of thirteen cantons existed in 1513 as a loose federation with often different (economic) interests and religions (from 1525).

In the “Orte” (farming communities without urban structures), decisions were made at general meetings of (male) citizens in the Landsgemeinde.

The lord (Habsburg, for example) had little to say. It was a communal system intended to represent local interests. For example, the “Landsgemeinde” in the canton of Grisons was an independent commune in the fourteenth century, probably under the influence of the Italian city-states.

Citizens of Glarus on the Zaunplatz in Glarus (Bild Archive/Museum of Glarus)

Any ideological concept was lacking. The focus was mainly on (legal) conflict resolution and common interests (for example, maintaining roads and livestock safety). Large landowners were absent in these areas, and most farmers owned small businesses.

In urban communities, aristocratic oligarchies and administrative structures developed over the centuries. The elites of the guilds and wealthy citizens ruled by consensus and majorities. It was not a democracy in the modern sense and ordinary citizens had little direct influence.

The “Tagsatzung” (the meeting of representatives of the cantons) aimed at reaching a consensus between cantons and their interests, in particular, the administration of the occupied areas (Untertanengebiete).

That was the situation until the 18th century, the period of the Enlightenment, the American Constitution and independence, the establishment of salons and societies in the cities, and the French Revolution and subsequent occupation/interference (1798-1813).

After 1815

Direct democracy became a topical issue before and after the French era (1798-1813). The call for direct plebiscites was growing, intending to maintain internal peace during industrialization, fast-growing cities, and religious conflicts between cantons (Sonderbundskrieg 1847).

Geneva, September 2022, Direct Democracy at work

1848-1891

The Constitution of 12 September 1848, the constitutional fundament of present-day Switzerland, only included the obligatory referendum (obligatorisches Referendum). However, the optional referendum (Fakultatives Referendum) already existed in several cantons.

Because it worked well, more cantons followed this example (Aargau, Solothurn, Graubünden, Thurgau, Zurich and, in 1869, even Bern). The construction of railways, conflicting interests between railway barons and landowners, and unrest in cities accelerated this process.

There have always been opponents to the referendum with the same arguments as nowadays: the people have insufficient insight, it undermines representative parliamentary democracy, and the elite knows what is good for the country.

The Referendums

The referendums and their conditions were accepted in 1874 (Fakultatives Referendum) and 1891 (Volksinitiatieve)

After all these centuries of development and discussion, the country could and would not function without direct democracy. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Democracy can never be put into perspective at the local, regional, national, or European levels.

(Source: O. Meuwly, Une histoire de la démocratie directe en Suisse, Neuchâtel, 2018).

A Berner in Jerusalem

Israeli archaeologists have discovered graffiti from Adrian von Bubenberg (1424-1479) in Jerusalem. He visited the Holy Land on a pilgrimage in 1466.

His name, with an image of his heraldry, was found on a wall of the complex of King David’s tomb on Mount Zion, near the ancient city. The building was a monastery and an inn for pilgrims from Europe.

It was customary to engrave the name and heraldry in stone. The researchers found 40 other names on this site. Von Bubenberg was the hero at Morat ten years later, in 1476, in his battle against the Burgundians of Duke Charles the Bold (1433-1477).

Source: Mal Denken, SGAW

The Willisauer Bergland

The canton of Lucerne has been a member of the Eidgenossenschaft or confederation of cantons since 1332. Initially a city-state, it gradually acquired more and more territory. In 1480, the canton reached its current size.

The canton comprises four geographical areas: the capital Lucerne and the surrounding area, the Entlebuch, the Willisauer Bergland, and a northern region.

The Willisauer Bergland takes its name from the town of Willisau and its famous delicacy. However, there are also delicacies of a very different kind to enjoy. In the village of Ettiswil, for example, the water castle Wyher.

Photo: Luzia Mathys

The endings of the names of the towns on ‘ingen’ and ‘wil’ refer to Alemannic roots. From the sixth century onwards, this Germanic tribe penetrated further and further into the territory of present-day Switzerland and replaced the Gallo-Roman language and culture.

Ettiswil’s history is closely linked to the monasteries of St Urban, Einsiedeln (canton of Schwyz), St Leodegar in Lucerne, Stift St Michael in Beromünster and several others. Ettiswil has also been a pilgrimage site since the fifteenth century. Lucerne remained Catholic in the Reformation and became a bastion of Jesuits and Baroque in the Counter-Reformation.

The St. Mauritius Basilica, the most baroque church of the Canton of Lucerne

St. Urban and its baroque interior

Jesuits were responsible for education after 1574. The Jesuits were trained at the Jesuit College in Lucerne or the Collegium Helveticum in (Habsburg) Milan.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, there was one priest for 600 inhabitants. They belonged to the ruling class of the canton. This led to a close relationship between the Church and politics.

The inhabitants of the countryside have always been resilient. The peasants of the Ruswil region rebelled against the city of Lucerne in 1513 (the Zwiebelkrieg), and in 1799 Ruswil was the driving force behind the unsuccessful revolt against the Helvetic Republic (1798-1803) of Napoleon. The ‘Ruswiler Verein’ was founded in 1840 as a forerunner of the conservative-Catholic party in the canton. It was a reaction to the liberal parties in the canton, especially in the city of Lucerne.

The canton’s new constitution in 1841 was a compromise. It emphasised the prominence of Catholicism and the Jesuits but also introduced direct democracy as early as 1841! And yet it went wrong in 1847, but with a happy ending with the new Federal Constitution of 1848.

Photo: Luzia Mathys. The Ostergau Area with and without fog

However, the area’s beauty has been immune to these political and religious developments. The rural character, the Ostergau nature reserve, wooded hills, lakes, farms and the Swiss life of cattle still define the varied landscape.

Photo: Luzia Mathys.

landscape in the fog

The Swiss Alpine Club

The Swiss Alpine Club (Schweizer Alpen Club, SAC/Club Alpin Suisse, CAS) regularly organises hiking trips in this region (and elsewhere).

The SAC organises ski tours, mountaineering and other sports in the high mountains and the Alps and activities in other regions.

Source and further information: Franz Kiener, Luzern, Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz.

Roe dears in the field

The Soppisee. Foto: Luzia Mathys

The garden of Rita Lülof from Ettiswil in the wood

The village of Geiss, its church and the medieval house

The Via Habsburg

The House of Habsburg was one of Europe’s most influential royal houses. From 996 to 1815, the rulers of this dynasty had a decisive influence on culture and history. They shaped the future of Europe.

Ententes and disputes, power struggles and territorial conquests, and times of war and peace divided peoples but reunited them and formed alliances that endured over time.

The 800-year-old history of the Habsburgs is preserved in sites covering thousands of square kilometres in western and central Europe. Palaces, castles, magnificent churches, monasteries, abbeys, splendid museums and monuments show how this dynastic family shaped not only history but also art, transmitting the riches of the Renaissance and, at the time of its decline, provoking the modernist revolt.

Seventy sites and cities in four countries and six regions invite visitors to journey through timeless landscapes and extraordinary places. There are 150 destinations throughout the Tyrol (Austria), Switzerland, Lake Constance, Black Forest (Germany), and Alsace and Lorraine regions (France).

Source and further information: Via Habsburg

Gstaad, Saanen and Menuhin

Gstaad (canton of Bern) has the reputation of being a fashionable (winter) sports resort. Although skiing opportunities are more limited than in other areas, the village got this reputation already in the nineteenth century.

However, not only the beau monde appreciate Gstaad and its nature. The musician, violinist and humanist Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) often came to Gstaad and Saanen. He founded the Menuhin Festival in 1957.

Saanen: Gstaad Menuhin Festival Academy. Photo: TES

The musician not only appreciated the authentic character of the villages amid the glamorous Grand Hotels. He also found inspiration in nature. The mountains, valleys, the kindness of the farmers and the colourful shades of the four seasons inspired him.

White in winter, multicoloured slopes and meadows in spring, green in summer and autumn colours afterwards.

The ‘Philosophenweg‘, named after him, runs from Gstaad to Saanen, home to the Yehudi Menuhin Institute.

In Gstaad, the world of the rich and famous and a philosophical way of life meet. It is perhaps symbolic for the country, a balance between respect for nature and materialism, modernity and authenticity and a (self) reflective attitude to life, and progress without giving in to the (political) delusion of the day.

For this reason, Swiss democracy is sometimes compared to a clockwork. It is an ingenious constitutional human creation that has taken shape over centuries from below, bottom-up.

It is authentic but modern and tailor-made. It is like centuries-old classical music: timeless quality. That may have been the inspiration for Yehudi Menuhin.

Source and further information: www.gstaad.ch

Saanen, The JKF International School

Gstaad from the Wispile Photo: TES

Ritterhaus Chasa de Capol

The Swiss government met at Müstair in Val Müstair (canton of Graubünden) on 12 October 2022. Sixty years earlier, however, members of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany (BRD) and cabinet meetings had been a familiar sight at the Ritterhaus (House of the Knight) in Sta. Maria, located a few kilometres further away.

The Ritterhaus

The history of this monumental complex dates back to the 12th century, but its function as a hotel has only existed since 1962. 1955 Swiss musician and conductor Ernst Theophil Amadeus Schweizer (1932-2021) bought the complex. The Basel-born musician was a conductor in Venice and found a new home in the Münstertal valley between Basel and Venice.

After 1962, he renovated the Ritterhaus in authentic style and hosted famous guests from politics, business, art, film, and music, including President Theodor Heuss of the German Federal Republic (Bundesrepublik Deutschland), its Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, Eugen Gerstenmaier, the President of the parliament (Bundestag), Foreign Minister Heinrich von Brentano, Ludwig Erhard, and many other members of the government. Charly Chaplin, Herbert von Karajan, Albert Hofmann, Max Frisch, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, and other celebrities were among the guests.

His son, Ramun Schweizer, took over running the hotel in 1997. Father and son renovated and refurbished the hotel with great respect for its centuries-old history and culture. It is, in fact, a museum, and even the kitchen, where Ramun is the chef, is based on the classic wood oven, copper pans, and regional recipes.

Ramun Schweizer in front of the kitchen

Interior

The centuries-old chapel, the medieval walls, the Gothic vaults, the fireplace in the drawing room, the separate authentic medieval kitchen with a fireplace oven, carriages, and an Oldtimer from 1934 (a black Citroën Tractation Avant), a dining room in the knight’s hall, breakfast in a Stube, the fondue room, twelve authentically furnished bedrooms (with Wi-Fi, without television), the Venetian Marco Polo bar, the Davidoff smoking room, and various other rooms create a comfortable and unique atmosphere.

Diner Room

Breakfast Room

Fondue Room

Davidoff Smoking Area

Landing with access to the rooms

Theatre, chapel and wine cellar

The theatre and its Steinway piano on the top floor deserve a separate mention. The theatre is still used for concerts or other events. Instruments, masks, and props from and about Venice also refer to the musician and conductor Schweizer. Basel and the Basler Fasnacht also have a special place in the Ritterhaus.

The theatre

The Chapelle

The wine cellar

History

The beginnings of the complex date back to 1199. The dynasty Polo, from Venice, also settled in Sta. Maria and remained until 1839. The house is named after Capol, Ca-Pol, or House Power of Polo. This dynasty held senior positions in the Republic of Venice, the Bishopric of Chur, and the Habsburg administration. The Capols were also economically active in the region.

After the conquest of Valtellina, Bormio and Chiavenna in 1512 by the three Liques of present-day Graubünden, members of the dynasty were bailiffs (Podestà) in Valtellina.

The dynasty remained Catholic during the Reformation, which was not self-evident in protestant Sta. Maria. Augustinian monks even had a hospice (due to its location on the Umbrail Pass) and a refectory in the eastern annexe of the complex and used the chapel mentioned above.

Emperor Friedrich of Habsburg (1415-1493) elevated the dynasty to the Counts of Capol in 1481. 1506 Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) spent a few days in the Ritterhaus. After the dynasty died out, the complex remained empty until 1955, when it fell into disrepair.

Conclusion

After 1955, the Ritterhaus Chasa Capol began its second life. The cosmopolitan and cultural atmosphere and spirit of the Capols, Val Müstair, trade, monks, Säumer (on their way to and from Tyrol via the Umbrail Pass), emperors, counts, knights and other dignitaries are still present in an authentic and musical, Venetian and Basler setting.

The Ritterhaus is also looking to the future. An outdoor swimming pool will be ready to receive guests in a magnificent natural setting in 2023.

The Basler Fasnacht in the Ritterhaus

Moreover, in 2000, the Ritterhaus received another knightly touch: Ernst Theophil Schweizer became a Ritter of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a papal order.

Charter of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

The beginnings of this order date back to 1099, a century before the Ritterhaus was built. Today, there are about 30,000 knights in this order worldwide. However, a Basler hotelier and Venetian conductor living in Sta. Maria in Val Müstair as Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem was a unique appearance and, simultaneously, a tribute to the Ritterhaus and this knight.

Source and further Information: Ritterhaus Chasa de Capol

An ode without words to Val Müstair

The Val Müstair (Münstertal) is the easternmost valley in Switzerland. The approximately 1,600 inhabitants live in Tschierv, Fuldera, Lü, Valchava, Sta villages. Maria and Müstair and a few hamlets. They form the municipality of Val Müstair.

The villages and their historical and cultural backgrounds are dealt with in another article. This article will also explain the relationship with the Counts of Tyrol, the Habsburgs, Bormio, the Valtellina and Chiavenna in Italy (subject territories from 1512 to 1798), the Bishop of Chur and the Gotteshausbund.

An ode without words to the beauty of the valley and its villages.

Sta. Maria

The church of Santa Maria

The San Nicolaus and Sebastian church in Tschierv

Fuldera and the St. Rochus church

Lü and its church at an altitude of 1 920 m.

Valchava

and the Nossaduonna

And St. Martin Church

Müstair and the St. John monastery (Claustra Son Jon)

The Swiss Postauto

The year 1848 marked a new beginning for the transport sector in Switzerland. The railways are the best-known example. However, the Postauto also appeared.

As early as the 18th century, diligences and stagecoaches crossed the mountain passes of Switzerland. They transported passengers and mail. They were private companies.

1906-1960

In 1849, the federal government established a monopoly on this mode of transportation. The stagecoach, pulled by four or six horses, was the only means of transport until 1906. The first Postauto drove from Bern to Detligen in 1906. Three cars were operated on this route.

Another 2,000 stagecoaches were in operation until 1913. The Postauto took over this role after 1918. In 1919, the army gave one hundred Postautos to improve the service. This was a stimulus for further development. The most important manufacturers of Postauto were the firms Saurer in Arbon and FWB in Wetzikon.

The Postauto became active in more and more mountain areas and remote valleys. A well-known example is Saas-Fee, which is still waiting for a connection to the railway network. There was no motorway to Saas-Fee until 1951. The postal cars drove as far as they could, and the journey was continued with mules. In 1951, the road to Saas-Fee was completed.

The Postauto was also a popular means of transport for excursions until the 1960s. Most people could not afford a car until then, and the Postauto (the Alpine car) transported passengers up to the glaciers and over the highest mountain passes. There was often even a traffic jam of Postautos.

Postauto AG

Today, Postauto AG is a subsidiary of the Schweizerische Post AG and, therefore, a federally affiliated company. About half of the services are provided by private Postauto operators with whom Postauto AG cooperates. Postauto AG also has international routes and was active in France until recently, and is still operational in Tyrol and other parts of northern Italy.

The Postauto has a road network of approximately 17,000 km, which is twice the size of the SBB rail network. There are 936 routes with 2,400 cars in the 26 cantons. Postauto transports around 127 million passengers annually.

Postauto operates its services on behalf of the Swiss cantons. They define the services (routes and timetables) and, together with the Confederation, contribute approximately 50% of the costs. The rest of the revenue comes from individual customers, groups, and school transport or other specialised transport.

A special line runs through the Bernese Oberland from Reichenbach to the Kandertal, up the Griesalp. This Postauto has a route of 2 kilometres with an ascent of no less than 28%!

The primary function of Postauto remained unchanged over the years, despite the introduction of a new company structure. Passenger transport, as well as letter and parcel delivery, remains the core business in the most remote regions and villages. The Postauto is known for its punctuality, service and comfort. It runs like clockwork.

Museums

Lovers of Postauto Oldtimers and the history of this unique transport company can visit various museums, including the Saurer Museum in Arbon, the FWB Museum in Wetzikon, the Sammlungsdepot in Schwarzenburg (canton of Bern) with the oldest intact Postauto, the Museum für Kommunikation in Bern and, of course, online at the Postauto AG.

(Source: www.postauto.ch, www.mfk.ch).

Müstair, Symbol of Swiss Unity

The Swiss government (Bundesrat/Conseil fédéral) has been meeting once or twice a year at a different location, extra muros, of the Federal Palace (Bundeshaus) in Bern since 2010. On 12 October, the government was present in Müstair (Val Müstair/ Münstertal) in canton Graubünden.

The government met with the Regenza (cantonal government) intra muros of the monastery (Claustra Son Jon) and later joined the valley’s population on the Plaz Grond.

The meeting in Müstair is the 17th extra muros meeting. The government affirms the country’s diversity and wants to strengthen its ties with the cantons and the people.

Müstair is not just any place. It was here that Charlemagne founded St Johann’s Monastery (Claustra Son Jon) around 775 and his wife the church of St Maria a few kilometres away. Moreover, near Val Müster, the battle of Calven (South Tyrol), Chalavaina in Romansh, occurred on 22 May 1499.

The Engadinerkrieg

This war of the Eidgenossen against Habsburg is also called the Engadinerkrieg. Emperor Maximilian (1469-1519) invaded Unterengadin and Val Müstair in 1499, intending to control the valley and the important Umbrail Pass. It began an escalation and became a regional conflict in the South of Germany. That is why this conflict is also called the ‘ Schwabenkrieg’.

The troops of the three allies (the Gotteshausbund, the Zehngerichtenbund and the Obere or Graue Bund) were the victors. It led to the creation of the Freistaat der Drei Bünde in 1524. The republic existed until 1798 (French invasion) and, in 1803, became the new canton of Graubünden, named after the Graue Bund.

At the 1499 Treaty of Basel, the Habsburgs disappeared from Swiss territory for good as a secular power, apart from the Lower Engadine and the influence of Habsburg-friendly bishops of the diocese of Chur, some abbots of abbeys and local rulers.

The last fighting between Habsburg on one side and the Freistaat der Drei Bünde on the other occurred during the Bündner Wirren (1619-1639). Graubünden was a side battleground in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) between Austrian and Spanish Habsburg and its local Bündner allies on one side and France and her (Bündner) allies on the other. It was also a civil war.

Habsburg formally ruled the Lower Engadine until 1652/1653. In that year, the villages bought themselves free. These had been closely associated with the Gotteshausbund since 1367 and, in fact, already belonged to the Freistaat der Drei Bünde.

The bishop of Chur owned the rights to Val Müstair. This region was also affiliated with the Gotteshausbund. He sold the valley to Habsburg in 1728. However, the villages in Val Müstair, in turn, bought themselves free in 1762. Apart from Rhäzuns (until 1819) and Tarasp (1803), Habsburg no longer had political ties with Graubünden.

Romansh language

The Romansh language was still the primary language in Graubünden at this time. However, German-speaking Alemanni from the seventh century on and Welsh immigrants from the twelfth century were gaining ground.

Three hundred and fifty years after 1653, a minority of 55 000 inhabitants of the canton speak Romansh: it is more than the new canton of 1803!

The Plaz Grond in Müstair

Graubünden is still trilingual (Romansh, Italian and German). Romansh consists of five idioms. In Val Müstair, Jauer is the spoken language. This language is similar to Vallader but has its own identity and history. Graubünden symbolises the diversity of Switzerland par excellence. The physical shape of the canton even bears some resemblance to the country.

Markus Caduff presents his gift to the President of Federation Ignazio Cassis

The meeting of the government and the Regenza showed some similarities with the Landsgemeinde, which also used to exist in Graubünden. Markus Caduff, president of the Regenza, and Gabriella Binkert Becchetti, mayor of Val Müstair, welcomed the government, also in Romansh.

In his speech, Federal President Ignazio Cassis referred to Switzerland’s multilingualism and diversity. As a participant in a Vallader course in Scuol in 2021 and one of the initiators of federal support for the Romansh language and culture, he began his speech in Romansh.

Donna Leon, living in Sta. Maria, and Ignazio Cassis.

In this context, he also confirmed Switzerland’s right to exist: the will of the 26 cantons and their citizens to live in the Confederatio Helvetica, which they founded in 1848.

Nor does the (travel) distance between Geneva and Müstair or Lugano and Basel change that. Switzerland is a Willensnation. The citizens and cantons always have the last word, in 1815, 1848 and 2022.

The Landsgemeinde no longer exists in the canton. Still, the earnest, friendly, somewhat solemn mood and direct contact between residents and municipal, cantonal federal administrators resemble it. It was a meeting ‘Swiss-style’. The country and its inhabitants benefit from it.