Page 183 - DIVA_MY WORKS 1918-2022

culture Culture
historical passes of switzerland
By Evelina Rioukhina
of the Alps, the source of Europe’s great rivers,
the crossroads of Swiss culture, and a symbol of
independence, cohesion and national identity.
It saw the swearing of allegiance between the
country’s three founding communities – Uri,
Schwyz and Unterwalden – agreeing their
Oath on the Rütli meadow in 1291. It was later
the scene of heroic resistance against Austrian
occupiers.
According to the Swiss historian Morerod,
over time the region became an emblem of
independence, then cohesion, as well as the
crossroads of languages and national cultures.
Morerod explains how the Gotthard gained
this mix of reputations: “There was certainly
a connection between the commercial
Last year we importance of the Gotthard in the 13th century
promised an article and the local communities’ rising against the
on historical Swiss Habsburgs. Uri, which had most benefited
mountain passes, and from mercantile trading, was given imperial
as we are near Swiss privileges because it controlled the pass. It was
National Day it seems the first of the Waldstätten [founding cantons]
appropriate to tell to receive these privileges. When the political
you about the most situation which had formerly protected them
significant of these. changed, the Wäldstätten rebelled. They
All the passes in this swore to help each other should anyone try
article are under a to subjugate them, and it was against this
day’s journey from background that the famous Rütli Oath
Geneva. was made. This mythical dimension to the
birth of Switzerland has spread through oral
Between the Alpine and Jura mountain ranges retelling”.
there are more than a hundred mountain
passes. Many are historically significant, but William Tell. The White Book of Sarnen, the
none so much as the most famous of all Alpine first chronicle of the fight for freedom of the
passes, the St Gotthard or San Gottardo Gotthard communities, combines the story
(2108m). of the 1291 Rütli Oath with the 1307 story of
William Tell. The book itself dates from 1470, a
Gothard – the king of all passes, good 150 years afterwards. Thereafter, Tell – of
the Cradle of switzerland apple-shooting fame – was often represented
The Gothard Pass is legendary; with all its with the country’s founding fathers, and the
associations to the nation’s birth it has a myth lives on. The mountain was already a
great historical and mythical importance to source of great fascination to 18th century
the Swiss. It also has a unique aura, rich in travellers such as the German authors Goethe
symbolism - even the Matterhorn does not and Schiller. For the French writer Lamartine
have the same symbolic value as this massif. – like Schiller, the author of a William Tell
It is the cradle of the confederation, the centre story - it was a “sight that crushes and terrifies”,
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especially the Schöllenen Ravine leading to it.
Schöllenen Gorge. Although the pass has
been known locally since ancient times, the
Romans avoided the immense mass of the
Gotthard, because travel involved fording the
turbulent Reiss, increased by melting snow
in early summer, across the narrow, steep
Schöllenen Gorge below Andermatt. The
th
Pass only gained significance in the early 13
century, when the first wooden bridge over the
turbulent Schöllenen Gorge was built around
1220. This allowed traffic to penetrate the full
length of the Reuss valley from Fluelen to the
pass itself. A continuation road followed the
valley of the River Ticino all the way south
to Bellinzona and Milan. So, the pass quickly
gained importance.
th
The 13 century wooden bridge was rebuilt
several times, and replaced by a stone bridge
around 1585. The first document with the
name “Devil’s Bridge” appeared at this time.
The first stone bridge lasted for only 60 years,
providing access to the Schöllenen Gorge and
carrying traffic across the Gotthard Pass. In efforts of the people of Uri to build a mule
1640 a huge storm destroyed it, flooding the track through the narrow Schöllenen Gorge
whole valley. The bridge was rebuilt between and build a stone bridge at the point where
1828 and 1830 by Swiss engineer Karl Emanuel the young Reuss river pushes through vertical
Müller and today one can only see the remains rock walls. In his despair, the “Landammann”
of the bridge’s original foundations. A new shouted: “Shall the Devil build a bridge?”
Devil’s bridge was built between 1955 and The Devil appeared and said, “I will build a
1956. bridge for you. But the first soul to go over it
shall be mine.” The people of Uri agreed to the
The legend of the Devil’s Bridge. The narrow bargain and after three days a bridge arched
rock bar above Göschenen had always blocked over the Reuss. On the other side the Devil
access to the Gotthard, and thus passage to the sat and waited for his reward. Instead of a
South, as it was extremely difficult to build a human, however, the people of Uri sent a billy
bridge there. The legend tells of the futile goat over. “You may keep it” they shouted,
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