|
A large, funnel-shaped meadow at the foot of the Jungfrau near Interlaken gave its name to the Alpine herdsman, Swiss Alpine wrestling and traditional costume festival first held in the meadow in 1805.
The first Unspunnen festival was officially ordered in the interests of reaching a reconciliation with the rebellious people of the Bernese Oberland following the invasion of France. The event was organised by Bernese artists as a national celebration for city and country dwellers alike. For the entertainment of the distinguished guests, some of whom had travelled far to get to Unspunnen, competitions were held in Swiss Alpine wrestling, stone-throwing, target shooting, alphorn blowing and singing. Singalongs and dances, an open-air country meal and a prize-giving ceremony, all of which became part of the ritual of later national festivals, made up the activities of the first two Unspunnen events. People from the cities met people from the country and found them to be decent folk. The people from the mountains rediscovered the old herdsman’s games, but performed them only reluctantly. So these first national festivals after the French Revolution were discontinued in Switzerland. On the other hand, they served as models for European princes who seized on the idea for their own festivals, e.g. the October Beer Festival in Munich.
The Bernese authorities expected the following from the first Unspunnen festivals: a better understanding between the city and the Bernese Oberland, the introduction of tourism in Interlaken and a race of sheep producing a lot of wool.
A small collection of Swiss folk music called Kühreihen was produced for the festival. It was the first folk song collection in Europe with texts and all the music. Up until 1826 a total of four editions were published. In 1895 the first Unspunnen Alpine wrestling competition was held. The Unspunnen festivals in the 20th century were organised by the Swiss Traditional Costume Association and featured parades, games, yodel and dances in traditional costumes.
The highlight of all these festivals is the stone-throwing (Steinstossen) competition using the 83.5kg Unspunnen Stone. A competitor lifts the stone at arm’s length above his head and with a short run and a mighty heave he tries to throw the stone as far as possible. The record of 3.61 metres was set in 1981.
|
Genealogy
Community
