animiert magazin nummer14 sommer

Engelbergensia, Publikationen zu Engelberg, bilden einen Schwer- punkt im Bücherangebot des Engelberger Traditionshauses. “Engelbergensia” – publica- tions about Engelberg – are a focal point of the collection.

Twenty-two years ago, Alex Höchli was faced with a difficult decision: should he sign a contract with the Luzerner Neuste Nachrichten to continue his passion for journalismwhile completing his Master’s thesis, or should he take over his parents’ book and stationery shop? He gave himself a weekend to think it over and decided to take on his parents’ business: “I saw it as my duty to continue the tradition of the then 104-year-old bookshop.” Visitors to the bookshop f ind themselves stepping into a magica l world. Each time I

tor y IT seminars at the university back in the early days of computing, computers and IT have been a specia l interest of his. So the entrepreneur a lso of fers IT ser v ices, sells computing accessories, and has been trad- ing on line for ten years. “It remains a high ly competitive market and running the business is a constant ba lancing ac t, but it ’s the same for ever yone,” says the Engelberg native, who has a lso sat on the loca l council since 2011. Business owners can cer tain ly count themselves lucky if they have as loya l a cus-

come back to this higgledy- piggledy shop packed f u ll of surprises it feels like coming home, as I have known and loved it for over 40 years. As I breathe in the air and atmos- phere of the place, past mem-

tomer base and team of sa les assistants to rely on as A lex does. Af ter a ll, A lex explains, the range of books he sells is largely determined by his customers. Persona l prefer- ences such as regiona l and lo-

“It is important for children to learn that books can transport you into a world of imagination.”

ories spring to life and when I hear the reso- nant voice of a Höch li – these days it ’s A lex’s – I am transpor ted back to my childhood. Now it has tru ly dawned on me how impor tant the de- cision A lex made 22 years ago has been for me. At a time when the book market and pub- lishing industr y are under enormous pressure and the stationer y market is overrun with big discount sellers, a specia list shop like Höch li ’s may seem like a risky venture. But A lex’s passion for the business, his f lex ibility and his “ incurable optimism” have enabled him to embark upon this “adventure” and compelled him to keep going. To combat plummeting prof its, bookshops today are being adv ised to do what the Höch lis have a lready been doing successf u lly in Engelberg since the late 19th centur y – to a lso stock a good range of sta- tioner y to help keep the bookshop lucrative. But it is not just books and station- er y supplies that can be found in the Höch li bookshop. Ever since A lex taught introduc-

ca l publications that ref lec t the varied literar y output of Centra l Switzerland complement the collec tion, and nowhere else can readers f ind such a wea lth of publications about Engelberg. Fur ther testament to A lex’s fascina- tion with the writ ten word is apparent in his Master’s thesis, which explores the read- ing habits of Obwa lden apprentices. The 170 pages of his incomplete thesis are still ly ing in a drawer, perhaps to be f inished once he retires. But let ’s not even begin to imagine a Höch li bookshop without A lex, as I wish many more children happy memories, just like mine, of this Engelberg institution.

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