From 1 to 4 September 2022, the new edition of Kunsttage Basel will take place in Basel and its surroundings.
This year’s event will again make modern and contemporary art accessible to a wide audience. Some 55 museums, galleries, exhibition spaces and other venues will take part.
The Kunsttage Basel aims to make the artistic and cultural diversity of the Basel region visible.
(Further information: Kunsttage Basel)
Last weekend (26-28 August), Switzerland’s sporting event of the year took place in Pratteln (canton of Basel-Landschaft). It was not about skiing, cross-country skiing or ski jumping, nor hiking, mountaineering, cycling or rowing (the annual Bilac will not take place until 17 September).
The event, which has been organised by the Eidgenössische Schwinger- und Älplerfest (ESAF) since 1895, focuses on three sports: Schwingen, Steinstossen and Hornussen.
The event began with a parade on Friday, September 26. Over 4,000 people, 250 animals, and 90 groups in traditional dress, as well as various professional groups and cultural representations of Pratteln’s more than 100 nationalities, took part.
Railway Station Pratteln, welcome to all cantons.
Sports
Schwingen (la lutte in French, and sometimes “Swiss wrestling” in English) has been around for centuries. The first sources date back to the late Middle Ages (1100 to 1400). Especially in central Switzerland, in the cantons of Bern (especially in the Emmental, Entlebuch and Bernese Oberland), Schwyz, the two Appenzeller, Obwalden and Nidwalden, it was a popular leisure.
Schwingen
Schwingen is also depicted in the cathedral of Laussane on a fresco from the thirteenth century. It is a Swiss national sport, although by far the most popular in German-speaking Switzerland and somewhat in the Romandie (French-speaking Switzerland). In Italian- and Romansh-speaking Switzerland, the sport has few practitioners.
The sport is similar to (Japanese) wrestling with some unique characteristics. The clothing is prescribed: long trousers with short jute trousers on top, which most resemble a nappy, tied with a belt.
According to precisely defined rules, two opponents try to force each other to the ground within a ring of sand. A referee decides whether the qualifications for a win according to the rules of the Eidgenössische Schwingerverband have been met.
Steinstossen
Steinstossen (stone throwing) is as old as Greek antiquity. It involves throwing bullets with weights ranging from 20 to 40 or even 83.5 kg. It is exceptional that it has become a national sport. This sport is practised almost exclusively in German-speaking Switzerland.
Hornussen
Hornussen is a particular case. It is also centuries old and combines elements of golf, cricket, and Frisian kaatsen. There are two teams, one defensive and one offensive. The attackers must hit a disc (the so-called ‘Hornuss’) made of plastic (formerly of other material) weighing 78 grams with a diameter of 62 x 32 mm with a long stick (the ‘Strecken’) of two to three metres from the tee-off point of a platform (the ‘Bock’) as far away as possible.
The defending team must try to stop the Hornuss with a 60 x 60 cm blade (the ‘Schindel’) on a stick. The pitch can be up to three hundred metres long. The sides are lined with nets to catch deflections.
Eidgenössische Hornusserverband is somewhat misleading because it is almost exclusively a German-speaking affair. Hornussen is not compulsory in the ESAF, but Schwingen and Steinstossen are. The national gymnastics federation was part of the ESAF, but this sport has long since organised its national competitions.
The Prize-giving ceremony for Hornussen with banners of clubs with ‘Schindel’. Photo: TES.
Organisation
It is the biggest sporting event in terms of the number of visitors (about 400 000 visitors in three days), the construction of a vast temporary stadium (for three days!) for more than 50 000 spectators (!) and a party area of no less than 70 hectares with chalets, party tents, stables for animals, medical care, restaurants, bars, stalls, VIPS and other guests, offices for ticket sales, staff and personnel, space for prize-giving, sanitary facilities, beautifully designed wooden water wells and stands for merchandise, sponsors and numerous companies and organisations.
The local organisation by a village of the size of Pratteln does the actual work and is in charge of implementing under the auspices of the national EASF organisation.
The National Championship in Schwingen
The ESAF revolves around Schwingen. Steinstossen is a compulsory event, but takes place in a remote location. Hornussen is not mandatory; nowadays, it is held at the ESAF as the national championship. However, the enthusiasm of the many teams is extraordinary.
The Schwingen takes place in the sold-out stadium. 280 Schwingers participate. Female Schwinger has a separate tournament on a much smaller scale the week before.
After several preliminary qualifications, the final takes place on Sunday afternoon in front of 50 000 spectators in the stadium, with one million watching the spectacle at home and hundreds of thousands following the contest via public viewing on the festival grounds and in the country.
Bilingualism
German and French are the languages of the website and the speaker in the stadium. The number of French-speaking participants in the competition is 20, and in and around the stadium, an estimated 10 000 French-speaking Swiss attend the event. It is, thus, to a large extent, a German-speaking affair.
Nevertheless, every 15 years, the ESAF occurs in a (predominantly) French-speaking canton, most recently in 2016 in the French-speaking Estavayer-le-Lac (Canton of Fribourg).
Conclusion
The cow or bull may not be so ‘Woke’ in the Netherlands anymore, but at the ESAF, it is the most prestigious main prize, apart from a large amount of money. The best ten Schwingers in the country make a good living through sponsorship and advertising activities. Some of them are already almost as plastered as Formula I drivers.
Pauline Wayne II
What impresses the objective observer most is (again) the relaxed organisation and atmosphere, cheerfulness, and the many musical performances, from disco, performances of Swiss horns, brass bands, and jazz to lighter (dance) music until the early morning. The numerous sanitary facilities are also cleaned frequently, and cleaning crews are permanently present.
Not only are Schwingen or Hornussen typically Swiss, but the event, the party and the organisation are Swissness at their best.
Traces of settlement in the Spiez area (Canton of Bern) date back to the prehistoric period. There are also traces of a Celtic settlement. It is assumed that the area of the castle was already occupied and fortified by the German-speaking Alemanni in the 7th century.
Spiez was first mentioned in the last will of Bishop Heddo of Strasbourg (circa 697-776). He gave the church and its rights to the Alsatian cloister in Ettenheim (Alsace).
The castle’s history was shaped for almost 700 years by three families: the barons of Strättligen, the lords of Bubenberg, and the von Erlachs from Bern.
The first proprietors of the Barony and Castle of Spiez were the Barons von Strättligen in the mid-13th century. This dynasty sold the barony and castle of Spiez to the lords of Bubenberg in 1338.
The Bubenbergs were one of the leading families in Bern. They sold the property to the von Erlach family in 1516. The Erlachs owned the castle for nine generations. In 1879, Hermann Karl von Wilke (1827-1896) purchased the castle on the Lake of Thun (Thunersee).
The garden, reconstruction. Photo: TES
He extended and renovated the complex. Rosina Magdalena Gemuseus-Riggenbach (1831-1919) of Basel and Dr. Wilhelm Schiess (1869-1929) were the last owners.
The Spiez Castle Foundation (Stiftung Schloss Spiez) maintains the castle and garden.
(Source and further information: Home (schloss-spiez.ch)
Pratteln is the site of the oldest evidence of human presence on Swiss territory. The hand axe discovered in 1974 is at least 100,000 years old. The name Bratello was first mentioned in 1103. It can be traced back to the Latin word pratellum (small meadow).
The village dates back to a dinghof of the monastery of St. Alban and to the possession of the lords of Eptingen. In the 11th or 12th century, they built the first castle, which was destroyed in the 1356 earthquake. After the earthquake, they built the present castle in the village.
In 1384 and 1486, the village was destroyed by war. Basel acquired the village in 1525. Since 1833, Pratteln has been part of the canton of Basel-Landschaft.
(Source and further information: www.pratteln.ch)
The small monastery in Mollens (canton of Vaud) was added to Romainmôtier, a monastery of Cluny, in 1137. The monks of Romainmôtier administered the monastery’s domain for almost two centuries.
The lords of Aubonne then owned the village until the 16th century. From 1536 and the conquest of Le Pays de Vaud, Bern ruled the village. In 1791, Nicolas-Alexandre de Watteville, guardian of Aigle (canton of Vaud), built the castle of Mollens.
The castle is still privately owned today, albeit by a different family. In April 1798, a fire destroyed 48 houses and the monastery. The church was rebuilt several decades later.
Source: www.mollensvd.ch
The village of Simplon (Simplon-Dorf), the namesake of the famous pass in the canton of Valais, has about 300 inhabitants today. The architecture of the place has Italian features, but German-speaking Walser emigrants mark the language. They settled in this region and the villages of Simplon and Gondo, today’s border town with Italy, from Oberwallis at the end of the 12th century.
Two great personalities influenced the development of the village: Kaspar von Stockalper (1609-1691) and Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821). The Ecomuseum Simplon provides extensive information about them.
The Simplon Pass was already used as a trade route and for passenger transport in Roman times. The pass and the village had their first heyday in the 12th and 13th centuries. The annual fairs in the French Champagne region, including in the towns of Troyes, Bar-sur-Aube, Lagny, and Provins, attracted many Italian merchants from Lombardy.
The shortest route was over the Simplon Pass. From the 14th century, however, the importance of these markets began to decline. The economic centre shifted to the Hanseatic cities, Lyon and Flanders.
The Great St Bernard then becomes the most important pass. The St Gotthard, Lukmanier, Splügen, and Septimer passes also became increasingly important, especially after the Confederation and its cantons (Eidgenossenschaft) conquered Italian territories in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries.
The Stockalperturm
Kaspar von Stockalper ( le roi du Simplon, der Fugger der Alpen) initiated a new trading (and political) empire in the seventeenth century with a trade monopoly between Geneva and Milan.
He uses the Simplon Pass as a transit route. He also initiates the first regular postal service across the Simplon Pass. The Stockalper tower in Gondo is a reminder. In the following century, north-south trade again shifted mainly to other passes.
Napoleon decided in 1800 to build a new road over the Simplon to transport cannons and his army to Lombardy (owned by Habsburg) after the conquest of the Confederation in 1798 and the establishment of the Helvetic Republic (1798-1803).
This road was completed in 1805 and was an engineering feat. Napoleon also perfected the postal service over the Simplon Pass. The post office in Simplon village, built by Napoleon, was built during this period. The ‘Alten Kaserne’ museum in the Gondoschlucht gorge recounts this history.
After the fall of Napoleon, the Simplon Pass and the village became tourist attractions. The beautiful nature, mountain scenery, proximity to glaciers and the Grand Tour of poets, writers, scientists and (English) aristocrats and their travel reports made the village and the pass increasingly famous. Diligences drove to and from the two hospices on the Simplon pass.
Stockalper Hospiz, Simplon Pass.
At the end of the road over the Simplon and Gondo canyons, a gold rush arose in the village of Gondo around 1870, as it was then in the (wild) west of America. Kaspar of Stockalper had initiated the first gold mine (the Stockalpermine) two centuries earlier.
After 1870, international companies with headquarters in Paris were established. The first telegraph connection in Switzerland reported messages to the management in Paris. This gold hype did not last long, but the gold mines are still accessible today (guided tours).
Today, Gondo is the end of Canton Valais and Switzerland and the start of hiking routes in the Gondo Gorge, the Via Stockalper (from Gondo to Brig) and Domodossola in Italy.
The Simplon Tunnel was constructed and opened in 1906. Collection Ecomuseum Simplon
Simplon-Dorf successfully withstood the construction of the Gotthard railway tunnel (1882) and the Simplon tunnel (1906). The pass was no longer crucial for goods and passenger traffic. Still, the modernisation of the road, the Post auto from 1919 onwards, the Swiss road network, the recognition of the Stockalperweg as a road of national historical importance, the natural environment, the Ecomuseum Simplon, and several tourist opportunities offer the village numerous opportunities.
Source and further information: Brig Simplon Tourismus – Gemeinde Simplon Dorf (gemeinde-simplon.ch)
The 29th edition of European Heritage Days in Switzerland on 10 and 11 September 2022 will focus on places of art, recreation and sport under the motto “Leisure – Temps libre – Tempo libero”.
From the Roman amphitheatre to the National Museum, from the opera house to the mountain hotel to the seaside resort. Some buildings impress with their size and design, while others are modest or functional. However, leisure venues are always crucial for the functioning of society. The Corona epidemic makes that clear.
These Heritage Days take the public on a journey through time. To places of art, recreation and sport: from medieval and pre-industrial places of recreation and entertainment such as baths and theatres to the spa hotel of the Belle Epoque to the first sports hall to the Volkshaus or museum of the 19th and early 20th centuries. On foot along cultural trails, by cable car or by steamboat.
Hundreds of guided tours, workshops and round tables on this theme will be held in Switzerland. The cantonal and municipal departments for preserving historical monuments and archaeology carry out the programme with associations and private individuals.
The event is organised by NIKE and is an initiative of the Council of Europe.
(Source: www.nike-kulturerbe.ch)
The eagle in the municipal coat of arms of Kandersteg (Canton of Bern) in the Kander Valley serves as a reminder of the freedom rights once granted by the Holy Roman Emperor.
The footbridge (steg) over the Kander (Kandersteg) points to the importance of the connection to the Valais. It is also a symbol of the function the village fulfils for people from all over the world.
The small community, with barely 1,150 inhabitants, can accommodate up to 4,000 guests in valley and mountain hotels, apartments, group accommodations, camping, and the international scout centre.
Situated on the Lötschberg Pass and Gemmi Pass routes, Kandersteg has been a popular stopover for travellers for centuries, offering a place to rest and change horses. The site is renowned for its magnificent nature today.
The Hotel Ritter dates back to 1789 and was expanded in 1895 with the addition of the Victoria hotel, which catered to increasing tourist traffic. After the opening of the Lötschberg railway, an increasing number of guests came to Kandersteg, and Hotel Victoria became the Grand Hotel Victoria.
The International Scout Centre was founded in 1923. One of the initiators was Lord (Robert) Baden Powell (1857-1941), founder of the Scout movement. The complex is used yearly by an average of 9,000 Scouts worldwide.
Albrecht von Haller (1708-1777), doctor and naturalist in Bern, crossed the Gemmi Pass from Leukerbad on 29 August 1728. In the Kander Valley, he discovered the beauty of the mountains, Lake Oeschinen (Oeschinensee) and the Blausee, which he then praised in his famous poem “Die Alpen” (The Alps).
The Blausee
Lake Oeschinen is Kandersteg’s water reservoir and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Jungfrau-Aletsch region. The lake is fed by meltwater from the Blüemlisalp, Fründen, and Doldenhorn massifs. The water from the lake seeps into the earth and emerges as springs in the valley in numerous places.
The Oeschinensee.
The small community is home to many monumental buildings, including the Samishus, Haus Spychermatte, the Hüttenmatte, the Ruedihaus, Haus Becki, the Röstihaus, the Protestant Church, built 18 years before the Reformation in 1510, the Grand Hotel Victoria and the Gasthof Ritter.
Kandersteg is also the site of the Kandersteg-Goppenstein (canton Valais) railway connection.
Source and further information: Kandersteg | Kandersteg
The Swiss National Park encompasses an impressive Alpine landscape with many flora and fauna. Extending over 170 km2, the Swiss National Park is the largest protected area in Switzerland and the country’s only National Park. Founded in 1914, it is the oldest national park in the Alps and central Europe.
The park is well known for its various Alpine plants and animals, such as chamois, deer and marmots. There is a wide choice of paths with differing degrees of difficulty.
The visitor Centre in Zernez provides information and an overview of the flora, fauna, park’s history and landscape.
Home Page – Parc National Suisse (nationalpark.ch)
The 98th conference of the Organisation for Swiss Abroad (Auslandschweizer Organisation (ASO)/Organisation de la Suisse au l’Etrangé, OSE) was held in Lugano (canton of Tessin/Ticino) from 19 to 21 August. The central theme was democracy from the perspective of European and global developments, as well as the place and role of Switzerland and the Swiss abroad.
The conference
Experts from national, cantonal and communal politics, science and administration presented their opinions and knowledge. The four main topics were the functioning and adaptation of the Swiss democratic system, the impact of fake news on democracy, the right to vote and stand for election for 16-year-olds, and E-voting. After the introductions by the experts, there was an opportunity for discussion. Four workshops concluded the conference.
Filippo Lombardi, president of the ASO/OSE
Opening speeches
Filippo Lombardi, President of the ASO/OSE, and representatives from the canton and civil society organisations opened the conference on August 20 to 400 participants.
In his speech on 21 August, the President of the Confederation, Ignazio Cassis, emphasised the unique character of Swiss direct democracy and its challenges. After a brief introduction to European and global democracy as a form of government from 1800 to the present, he concluded that democracy as a form of government is under pressure today. However, despite the many uncertainties and crises, he believes there is no reason for pessimism in the longer term.
He regards it as a process with ups and downs. Today, it is a period with more people living under dictatorial regimes. Liberal democracies, however, have a decisive advantage: they have the capacity for self-correction and can adapt to new circumstances.
In the global world and its cross-border problems, multilateral and European cooperation are necessary. At the same time, however, many international organisations established in a different era are struggling to reform their organisations and give substance to this cooperation.
What does it mean for democracy in Switzerland and thus for the ‘fifth Switzerland’, the Swiss abroad? Swiss democracy is not a divine creation but must be maintained and adapted daily. It is not only a democracy for the people but also a democracy by the people. It is not only a right but also a duty of the citizens, and thus, Swiss abroad, to care for it.
Impression of the panel discussions.
Swiss abroad
According to ASO/OSE data, around 780,000 Swiss live abroad, around 450,000 in European Union countries. Therefore, it is no surprise that the issue of EU-Swiss relations arose. Above all, the free movement of Swiss citizens in the EU must be guaranteed, according to the ASO/OSE.
For Swiss people abroad, voting by post is not always transparent because of the dependence on local and national postal services. Moreover, emigration has changed. Until 1960, people often emigrated forever. Nowadays, it is usually for a shorter or longer period. For example, around 40,000 citizens leave every year, while 30,000 return. E-voting and information via the Internet can increase the involvement of Swiss abroad.
Foreigners in Switzerland
An interesting aspect is the relationship between Swiss citizens abroad and foreigners in Switzerland, as highlighted by one of the experts. Foreigners in Switzerland often do not obtain a Swiss pass after two years and therefore have no right to vote or be elected. Granting citizenship has always been a communal and cantonal affair in Switzerland. Citizenship for newcomers has never been a right but must be earned.
In contrast, all foreigners are entitled to fundamental rights. All Swiss citizens have communal citizenship, cantonal citizenship and Swiss citizenship. They are an inseparable unity (Art. 37 para. 1 Federal Constitution). Therefore, the acquisition of Swiss citizenship is linked to the acquisition of cantonal and communal citizenship. Ultimately, it is the cantons and the people who vote on changes to the acquisition of citizenship (see also the referenda in 1994, 2004, and 2008).
The parallel with women’s suffrage was mentioned in this perspective. In this case, however, a reference to the context is appropriate.
In any case, it is an essential and topical point of attention, just like e-voting, which also entails (yet unforeseeable) risks and the issue of fake news and democracy. The voting rights of 16-year-olds should be carefully considered and is far less evident than the other issues.
Ariane Rustichelli, the ASO/OSE director, concluded the conference with a summary of the above discussions. The cantons are traditionally the experimental gardens for (direct) democracy. Regarding passive and active voting rights for foreigners at municipal and, in some cases, cantonal levels, mainly French-speaking cantons have taken the lead. E-voting will also be first applied in cantons and, if approved by the ASO/OSE, at the national level in 2027.
Ariane Rustichelli, director of the ASO/OSE
Conclusion
An inspiring and well-organised conference. The city also hosted the Ukraine conference a few weeks ago. In 1830, Lugano presented as the canton’s capital the most democratic constitution of Switzerland.
In Locarno, in the same canton, a new peace conference between Germany, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, and Czechoslovakia took place in 1925. It was a conference of new hope and cooperation. And with success until October 1929.
The closing words of the President of the ASO/OSE were addressed to the four hundred participants and the 780,000 Swiss abroad. They are ambassadors and active participants, including voting, in Switzerland’s democratic functioning. Their experience abroad can contribute to maintaining and, where necessary, adapting and improving the democratic system in Switzerland and perhaps inspire systems in their countries of residence.
What applies in Switzerland also applies to Swiss people abroad: democracy for the people, but also by the people.
The Romansh language and culture
A small note: Switzerland has four official languages, and Romansh could be mentioned in one way or another for a good reason. The Grisons/Bündner emigrants and returnees have earned their place in Swiss, European, and world history, if only because of the culinary innovations and the foundation of (world-famous) hotels, restaurants and cafés.
Furthermore, as one of the cantons with (former) Landsgemeinden, Graubünden is a cradle of direct democracy. Romansh consists of five main idioms, but Rumantsch grischun is applicable and could be a solution.
(Further information: https://www.swisscommunity.org)
Impressions of Lugano
