Speech: Dr. Christian Renfer Swiss Federal Expert on Monument Preservation Zurich / Switzerland

Cultural Inheritance in Switzerland – its Inventorization and its Preservation in Practice

Cultural promotion contra heritage protection – how long ?

1. Switzerland in Europe – a short introduction

Little Switzerland in the center of Europe

Topographic relief of Switzerland flat country (plain) in the northern part, high snow

mountains in the south

24 sovereign cantons of Switzerland

2. Swiss Monument Preservation Goals

Principles of practice in Western

monument preservation system (Charter of Venice 1964) - No relocating - No reconstruction - No copy - Minimal intrusion during restauration - observance of historic materials - careful reuse - sustainable repair - continual maintenace and surveillance

Creative Reconstruction Actual example of western reconstruction concept (2009:

The Naturkunde-Museum in Berlin by Diener and Diener Basel The original part (right) in bricks, the appended part (left ) in

concrete as a replica of the old texture

Stone Capital of 19th century with artificial addenda

Traditional handcraft in building restauration - stone roof and shingle roof making

3. Public Monument Preservation and Social Understanding

Integration and subordination: Zurich University of 1912 (protected monument) with new mensa of 1968

Protected design of the interior of Zurich University (1912) with simple amendement of 2002 (new water

basin in chrome steel)

Swiss National Museum in Zurich Competition in 2002 for a building enlargment

(New exhibition space)

Careful reuse of a 16th century building: modification of internal infrastructure and sustainable repair

Wall paper of 19th century in situ retouched

4. Categories of built cultural inheritance

Protected rural place composed by different building types (bridge, dwelling houses, barn, mill, governors

palace)

Farmer houses in the central flat country (Cultivation of cereals)

Village in the Southern alpine part of Switzerland (temperate climate)

Industrial heritage (first chemical industry in the canton of Zurich founded in 1820)

Technical heritage Railway viaduct from 1901 and meteorological station

on the Jungfraujoch (3500m o.S.)

Swiss UNESCO World Heritage 1. Agricultural landscape with vineyards (Lavaux/Vaud) 2. Mountain landscape with a technically important railroad (Bernina/Grisons) 3. Singulary medieval town structure (Old town of Berne) 4.Carolingian cloister ca 800 p.C. (Müstair/Grisons) 5. Baroque abbey and library (St.Gallen) 6.Historical Town fortificated by 3 fortresses (Bellincona /Ticino) 7. City center of the Swiss watch industry ((La Chaux de Fonds/Neuchatel)

Schweizer Heimatschutz (Swiss Union for Heritage Protection) NGO founded in 1905 and active also today

Bulletin 1905 and 2008

Public Office of Monument Preservation of the Canton of Zurich, consulting for restauration works

Official inventory of the listed monuments (left) and sites (right)

Two offical lists in form of brochure with annotations:

City of Zurich building inventory and Zurich Inventory of the industrial heritage

Rural houses and villages

Different typus of houses in Switzerland from north to south across the Alps

Farmer house of Ct. Berne (plain) and Ct.Nidwalden (alpine)

Burgher houses (mansions) for a provincial middle-class elite

Mansions in Ct. Ticino (18th century) and Ct. Neuchatel (16th century) normaly built in plastered stone with painted

decoration or stone carvings

Mansions in Ct.Zurich (15th century) and Uri (16th century), distinguished timber frame and stone

structure with stepped gable

Art and building monuments

The inventory work “Art Monuments of

Switzerland” started in 1934, is being continued

Carved stall (Ct. Zurich-14th century) and carved and painted altar (Ct. Grisons-18th century)

Modern Architecture and City Planning

(1850 to 1920)

Inventory of modern architecture in Switzerland published in 11 volumes

Street ensembles in Zurich (1850) and Locarno (1900)

Methodist Church in Zurich (ca 1940) and National Library in Berne (ca 1930)

Historic settlements and their structure

ISOS – Inventory of Swiss heritage sites mapping of historically grown zones of entire

settlements

Two examples: Structure of an intact medieval town (13th century) and grown city with all

actual elements (Zurich overview)

Industrial Heritage and historic Industrial Sites

Topics of Industrial Heritage Inventory (ISIS): factories, technical innovations, public infrastructure

Very important building categories for Swiss industrial history: textile manufactories and water power

stations (electricity)

The reuse of Industrial Heritage offers many architectonic and economic options

Textile manufactury (hotel) shipp machine factory (theater)

Maybe a future Industrial Heritage of the twenty-first century ?? Or…..

«

« Monte Rosa » Mountain Refuge on 2883 m o.s. basic solar construction inovated by ETH, realized 2009

……or only an actual contribution on ecological building construction ? …Looking forward to future monuments

Historical Gardens (ICOMOS inventory)

The Garden inventory is a cooperation of ICOMOS Switzerland and Association of Swiss landscape architects

(BSLA) initiated in 2000 and accomplished in 2004

Historic Ways and Streets

The most symbolic way of Switzerland: The Gotthard

axis crossing the Alps from north to south and initiated

in the early middle age

In Switzerland exist a lot of ancient roads crossing the Alps since 2000 years

Projects of historical trails realized by the Swiss center of historic traffic research

Historic Military buildings and Army Facilities

The inventory initiated by the Swiss Army administration encloses all military buildings of national

importance

Example: Ancient Swiss Army Arsenal in Glarus (1870)

The inventory of Swiss military buildings was a political initiative and typified very symbolic matter (national defense in the 2d world war) Solders construct fortification in 1940 Historic alpine fortification

Railway Facilities and Buildings SBB Inventory

The Swiss National Railways (SBB) created a special foundation to save building monuments, historic

vehicles and technical facilities

National Inventory of historic funiculars

Schweizer Seilbahninventar Bundesamt für Kultur, Bern Ort, Kanton: Montreux, VD Einstufung: National Betreiberin:Montreux-Vevey-Riviera Hersteller: Von Roll Baujahr: 1910 Erstinbetriebsetzung:1910 Umbauten: 1950; 1980

The unique spiral viaduct of the Bernina Railways (UNESCO World heritage)

Anlaufstelle und Informations-Drehscheibe: Die Nationale

Informationsstelle für Kulturgüter-Erhaltung NIKE setzt sich

für den Erhalt materieller Kulturgüter in der Schweiz ein.

Die Tätigkeit der NIKE gründet auf den Schwerpunkten

«Sensibilisierung», «Koordination» und «politische Arbeit».

35 Fachverbände und Publikumsorganisationen bilden den

Trägerverein der engagierten Non-Profit-Organisation.

5. Closing remarks

The natural treasure of the Swiss Alps is the most effective touristic potential of Switzerland

Since more than 200 years Switzerland has an efficient touristic infrastructure and a lot of attractive places

benefitting from a long experience

Rural products promoted by an organization for Agrotourism

NATÜRLICH URSPRÜNGLICH

SCHON LEONARDO DA VINCI

WUSSTE ES

Dort wo die Natur ihren ganzen Reiz

ausspielt, schlummert La Rösa. Die Seele der

einstigen Post- und Säumerstation ist

unverfälscht, das Konzept des Agriturismo

neu. Schwelgen in Betten und Badestuben

der Herrschaften und Kulinarisches

entdecken: Regionale Gerichte «fatte in casa»

oder Prodotti die Capra von den eigenen

Geissen. Getafelt wird am langen Tisch der

Sala da Pranzo mit dem klingenden Namen

«Leonardo da Vinci». Auch der grosse Meister

wusste, dass La Rösa etwas Besonderes ist.

Er vermutete hier die Quellen der grossen

Flüsse Italiens.

Goat cheese from the mountain pasture is in !

Demonstration of original Cheesemaking for education

Copyright ZFHAW 2011

The alpine landscape of Engadine valley during the touristic development about 1900 (excellent place for a

new Hotel near St. Moritz)

Swiss historic Hotels: Taking history into future

Switzerland is full of historic hotels, guest

houses and restaurants. Many of these

valuable Swiss cultural and historical

treasures have until recently lain hidden

away. History meant dusty, old, out of

fashion.

For a few years now, an increasing number of

guests and hotel keepers have rediscovered

the charisma, attraction and charm of these

objects. Buildings and rooms have been

dusted down and in keeping with the modern

principles of friendly service and quality, these

„guest houses“ are irresistible.

Motto: Patina, not dust.

St. Moritz

Traditional Hotel Badrutt

Thank you for your admirable fitness on audience !