Swiss Review 5/2021

Swiss Review / October 2021 / No.5 19 Aare. The waterway f looded con- stantly, bringing well-chronicled poverty and strife to the village. Berne’s cantonal government de- creed in the mid-18th century that the Kander should be redirected into Lake Thun. This helped to drain the Uetendorf marshes and turn the vil- lage into a prosperous settlement with prime farming land. The next boost came from the construction of a railway line through the Gürbetal valley at the beginning of the 20th century. Trains were actu- ally meant to have run from Berne to Thun via the Stockental valley, but it was particularly down to the influ- ence of the landowners at Eichberg that the line was altered to run through Uetendorf. Culture of greeting The railway line would later fuel a local boom. With economic growth picking up after the SecondWorldWar, Thun-based metal processing com- pany Selve wanted to expand. Ueten- dorf with its industrial zone was the perfect location to do so. When Selve ceased operations at the beginning of the 1990s after its owner (financier Werner K. Rey) went bankrupt, the shock waves lasted only a short while. Convenient for commuters, not least because of the nearbymotorway junc- tion, Uetendorf’s industrial area bounced back immediately – and has been busy ever since. “AlthoughUetendorf belongs to the Thun conurbation, it has retained its village feel,” says Zaugg. Inhis opinion, this is also because local politicians manage to bridge the ideological gap between conservative andprogressive. For example, their municipal plan- ning approach favouring increased density towards the centre of the vil- lage protects farming land but it also restricts population and tax revenue growth. According to Zaugg, the local cultural concept includes greeting each other in the street. The Calimero of Uetendorf Roland Eberhart, founder and band leader of the Calimeros, well-known exponents of the “Schlager” music genre, appreciates Uetendorf’s neat interpretation of the urban-rural divide. Eberhart grewup in the village. He first performed as a singer during a variety evening at the local ice hockey club in 1976 – the beginning of a spectacular career spanning over 40 years. The Calimeros still release a new album practically every year. Themes on their latest LP include jet- ting off to exotic holiday destinations like the Bahamas. The band’s recording studio is located in the heart of Uetendorf’s in- dustrial estate. Heavy goods vehicles come and go next door. Every year, the Calimeros give their legendary open- air concert out in the car park. Crea- tive linchpin Eberhart likes the place for its hustle and bustle. But when he gazes out of his officewindowor rides around on his bike, he also enjoys the tranquil cornfields, the trees rustling in the breeze, and themajestic Alpine peaks in the distance: “This contrast inspires me immensely.” No borders or divides to speak of. They hail from Ueten- dorf, although they dream of more dis- tant, exotic locations: Schlager band Calim- eros with frontman Roland Eberhart. Photo: PD Reminiscent of an old, rural Bernese church, it’s actually relatively modern having been built in 1954: the church in Uetendorf. Photo: www.uetendorf.ch