Swiss Review 4/2018

8 Swiss Review / July 2018 / No.4 Focus peace and quiet in the mountains, more space for authen- ticmountain experiences” and an end to the expansion of tourist facilities. But what actually is an “authentic mountain experi- ence”? Those promoting new suspension bridges, viewing platforms, walkways built into the rock, climbing parks, biking trails, zip wires or summer toboggan runs are say- ing exactly the same thing. They alsowant “authentic” (Ste- fan Otz, Rigi Railways) and “unique” (Christoph Egger, Schilthorn railway) experiences. Haller and Rousseau – the instigators One thing is quickly forgotten in the battle over what is “au- thentic” in the Alps: even in the earliest, most innocent days of tourism, the development of infrastructure, charged-for activities and artificial paraphernalia enabledwhat seemed like themost authentic experiences. And theywere no less contentious than they are today. This was the age of hobnailed boots, stagecoaches and strolls beneath parasols. Switzerland was perceived as the beauty of the mountains untouched by civilisation and in- habited bywholesome shepherds and farmers. At least this is how they were seen by Albrecht von Haller (in his poem “Die Alpen” written in 1729) and JeanJacques Rousseau (in his novel “Julie, or the New Heloise” in 1761). These two thinkers and poets were the leading instigators of interna- tional enthusiasmfor Switzerland and itsmountains at the time. The promise of the original purity of its natural envi- ronment and people attracted visitors. They sought authen- tic experiences. However, shortly afterwards a guest at a spa resort from northern Germany complained about the profiteering of the tourism industry and about reality being flooded with tacky souvenirs. There were no postcards yet in the Bieder- meier period. But the spa guest recounted that he had seen over 30 images of “a single spot in the Bernese Oberland”: sketches, engravings and watercolours. He went on to say that “there are perhaps even more of other famous places that aremarvelled at”. Itmay soon be necessary for “nature to create newmountains or for old ones to collapse” to pro- vide “fresh inspiration” for the business of landscape paint- ing and copper engraving. In short: “People no longer want to publicise the country but instead just artistic impres- sions of it!” That was in 1812. The German was in fact just an artis- tic creation himself, namely the first-person narrator of the novel “Die Molkenkur” by Ulrich Hegner, a politician and author from Winterthur. There was nevertheless a real background to Hegner’s satire on “Swiss natural and arti- ficial products” – the widespread anxiety about the artifi- ciality of tourist experiences. But then not everyone possesses as much romantic sensi- tivity as Rousseau or Haller. And these people are assisted by tourist organisations. These organisations began devel- oping the mountains early on with technical infrastruc- ture: high-altitude trails, benches, terraces, open areas and panoramic information boards – “viewing aids”, as histo- rianDaniel Speich calls them. These are facilities that guide the viewof the visitor towards the landscape and its attrac- tions so that everyone gets the impression they anticipate. Even the simple view of the mountains is therefore calcu- lated and standardised thanks to an “artificial” experience. But this does not tarnish it. The mountains in picture frames “You might think everything in the Alps is nature. But it is only ever thanks to infrastructure that people can see and access this natural environment in the first place.” This is the viewof the cultural scholar Bernhard Tschofen. Hewas involved in the “Beautiful Mountains” exhibition through which the AlpineMuseum in Berne is currently displaying the typical perception of the Swiss Alps in paintings. This perception is an ideal, a popular cliché, and romanticises the Alps as an unspoilt alternative world to modern civili- sation. Tschofen also points out: “Booms in mountain rail- way constructionwere also followed by booms in painting of the mountains.” The artists generally removed the very infrastructure fromtheir paintingswhich had actually pro- vided themwith the panoramic view of the mountains. Let’s take Ferdinand Hodler, for example. This painter, who died exactly one hundred years ago, regularly took Vitznau’s steam-pow- ered cog railway up the Rigi on a colour postcard, circa 1900 Photo: Keystone