is very much a metaphor for real life, he says. There will be ups and downs. He has had his fair share of misfortune – his wife died ten years ago. But lucky breaks too. Maurer, a single father, found his current job by pure coincidence. One day, while swimming in the River Aare, he spotted an old colleague on the river bank who said he was now working as a conductor on the lift. “It sparked something,” says Maurer, who decided that very evening to become one himself. He found his calling. But the lift also found him. The job seems to suit him perfectly. “It is more than just a lift,” he says. “Much more.” And as if he cannot quite believe his eyes, he has started photographing it in his spare time. At all times of the day and the year, from every possible angle. He produces a poster every few months. The latest one, called “Sonnenblumenlift” (Sunflower lift), is situated at the bottom of the lift. More than a lift. Just ask those who live in the Matte district and make frequent use of it. Some of the elderly residents like chatting to the conductors, says Maurer. “We are always happy to talk. We are the only people with whom some of them regularly come into contact.” He and his colleagues can tell how people are doing just by engaging with them. Whether they are happy or have a lot on their mind. And if someone is not having their best day, Maurer will happily carry their shopping bag a few metres for them. The lift is a beacon for people here, he says. Particularly in winter when it is still dark in the morning. When they open at 6 a.m., a light comes on at the top of the lift. “That is when they know that one of us is here.” the early days of the Matte Lift in his master’s dissertation, describing how much opposition there was to the project. The idea that the burghers of the old town looked down – literally and figuratively – on those who lived in the Matte district is by no means farfetched, he says, although the wealthy never explicitly voiced such a sentiment, instead expressing concern that the lift would ruin the appearance of the terrace wall and “spoil” the ambience. Those times are long gone. People were grateful for the Matte Lift once it was built, viewing it as a symbol of progress. Levels of inequality have fallen dramatically since then, says Maurer. Affluent locals also live in houses at the bottom of the elevator these days. “Thanks to gentrification,” he says wryly. Maurer began working as the lift conductor five years ago. “There are seven lift boys and two lift girls. All of us are retired.” He does seven to eight daily shifts every month. He has always enjoyed talking to people. As a journalist, he was used to striking up conversations. “Now people talk to me instead.” The Swiss magazine “Beobachter” interviewed him once. Maurer has a philosophical air about him. The story of the Matte Lift In legal terms, the Matte Lift is a cable car – even though it is unmistakeably an elevator. Photos: Peter Maurer The Matte Lift is “much more than just a lift”, says Peter Maurer – who, for many local people, is more than just a lift conductor. Photo: Marc Lettau To view a selection of Peter Maurer’s lift photos, visit our online edition at www.revue.link/elevator When the Matte Lift opened in 1897, it was regarded as a pioneering project. Swiss Review / December 2025 / No.5 17
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