Engelberg Magazin No. 24

Wenn die Älpler im Herbst mit ihren Tieren ins Tal zurückkehren, ist das ein besonde- rer Tag. Engelberg empfängt die Senten jeweils mitten im Dorf. Gleichzeitig kann am Herbstmarkt viel Selbstgemachtes gekauft werden. Der diesjährige Alpabzug mit Herbst- markt findet am Samstag, 28. September statt. Weitere Infos: www.markt-engelberg.ch It is a specia l day when the A lpine herders drive their decorated anima ls back down into the va lley in the early autumn. Engelberg welcomes them with a festiva l and market in the centre of the v illage. This year, the procession and Autumn Market take place on Saturday, 28 September. Plenty of home-made goods and produce will be available to buy. For f ur ther information, v isit: www.mark t-engelberg.ch.

Während das Vieh den Sommer in den Bergen verbringt, wird im Tal aus dem Heu das Gras gewonnen, welches im Winter den Tieren verfüttert wird. Naturaufnahme von Karl Meuser (1899-1969). While the cattle graze up on the mountainside during the summer, down in the valley hay is being made to prepare for winter. This is another photograph by Karl Meuser.

Contented cows grazing on green mountain pastures is an image many people around the world have of Switzerland. It’s certainly some- thing that can be seen on the mountainsides around Engelberg each summer. Alpine pastures are a crucial part of the economy in mountain regions. The cows of Engelberg spend their sum- mers grazing on pastures high up in the moun- tains. That not only makes their milk and the dairy products that are made from it particularly tasty, it also removes a burden from farming

the va lleys of Switzerland. In Engelberg, the farmers’ cooperative became the most impor- tant organisationa l body for the loca l people. A lthough the Abbey retained politica l power over the va lley until 1798, it had no economic priv ileges v is-à-v is the other members of the cooperative. As is norma l in cooperatives, each member had one vote, no mat ter how large or sma ll their respec tive share of the usage rights. In this way, Engelberg had a kind of democ- racy as far back as the early modern period. In 1786, when the Abbey still held sway, one

down in the valley. With the cows gone for the sum- mer, the valley fields are free for haymaking. When the cows return in the win- ter, there is plenty of hay to feed them throughout the

conf ident Engelberger was able to asser t, “I am a mem- ber of the cooperative like my honoured lord, and he is the same – nothing more.” Four common pastures were of centra l impor tance to

Alpine pastures are crucial for a mountain agricultural economy.

winter. Year-round farming is only possible thanks to this practice of transhumance. Since Alpine pastures are so important, it’s hardly surprising wars were fought over them in the Middle Ages. Stories of the skirmish- es have gone down in local legend, and some are recorded in writing. A conf lict raged for centu- ries between Engelberg Abbey and the Canton of Uri over land by the Surenen Pass. At that time, most “alps” (as the high Alpine pastures are called) belonged to landowning abbeys, which were pioneers in tapping into the economic po- tential of the mountainsides. In the 13th and 14th centuries, however, independent farmers grew in strength and confidence. They clubbed togeth- er into cooperatives to purchase land and farm it together. The first written evidence of this development in Engelberg dates to 1408, when the local farmers’ cooperative sued Engelberg Abbey over usage rights to an Alpine pasture. Such cooperatives were of ten the f irst step towards politica l self-organisation in

the Engelberg farmers’ cooperative. The mem- bers owned and used them together. Today, those pastures are known by the names Obhag, Stof felberg, Wand and Gerschni. The f irst three are on southern side of the va lley in the Brunni area, while the Gerschnia lp is f ur ther nor th, in the Titlis area. Over the centuries, a body of ru les gradua lly emerged on the use of the a lps, set ting down in detail a ll the rights and duties of the cooperative’s members. Throughout a ll that time, sustainable prac tices have taken highest priority. The pastures shou ld not be overused. Instead, farmers shou ld adopt graz- ing prac tices that cause no harm and ensure produc tiv ity for the coming years and decades. With a wea lth of experience gained over more than ha lf a millennium, these A lpine coop- eratives are an example of how we can use our env ironment in such a way that it stays hea lthy and v iable for generations to come.

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