Schwingen in Switzerland
28 August 2022
Last weekend (26-28 August), Switzerland’s sporting event of the year took place in Pratteln (canton of Basel-Landschaft). It was not about skiing, cross-country skiing or ski jumping, nor hiking, mountaineering, cycling or rowing (the annual Bilac will not take place until 17 September).
The event, which has been organised by the Eidgenössische Schwinger- und Älplerfest (ESAF) since 1895, focuses on three sports: Schwingen, Steinstossen and Hornussen.
The event started with a parade on Friday, 26 September. Over 4,000 people, 250 animals and 90 groups in traditional dress, various professional groups and cultural representations of Pratteln’s more than 100 nationalities residents took part.
Railway Station Pratteln, welcome to all cantons.
Sports
Schwingen (la lutte in French, and sometimes “Swiss wrestling” in English) has been around for centuries. The first sources date back to the late Middle Ages (1100 to 1400). Especially in central Switzerland, in the cantons of Bern (especially in the Emmental, Entlebuch and Bernese Oberland), Schwyz, the two Appenzeller, Obwalden and Nidwalden, it was a popular leisure.
Schwingen
Schwingen is also depicted in the cathedral of Laussane on a fresco from the thirteenth century. It is a Swiss national sport, although by far the most popular in German-speaking Switzerland and somewhat in the Romandie (French-speaking Switzerland). In Italian- and Romansh-speaking Switzerland, the sport has few practitioners.
The sport is similar to (Japanese) wrestling with some unique characteristics. The clothing is prescribed: long trousers with short jute trousers on top, which most resemble a nappy, tied with a belt.
According to precisely defined rules, two opponents try to force each other to the ground within a ring of sand. A referee decides whether the qualifications for a win according to the rules of the Eidgenössische Schwingerverband have been met.
Steinstossen
Steinstossen (stone throwing) is as old as Greek antiquity. It is bullet throwing with 20, 40 or even 83.5 kg stones. It is exceptional that it has become a national sport. This sport is practised almost exclusively in German-speaking Switzerland.
Hornussen
Hornussen is a particular case. It is also centuries old and combines golf, cricket and Frisian kaatsen. There are two teams, one defensive and one offensive. The attackers must hit a disc (the so-called ‘Hornuss’) made of plastic (formerly of other material) weighing 78 grams with a diameter of 62 x 32 mm with a long stick (the ‘Strecken’) of two to three metres from the tee-off point of a platform (the ‘Bock’) as far away as possible.
The defending team must try to stop the Hornuss with a 60 x 60 cm blade (the ‘Schindel’) on a stick. The pitch can be up to three hundred metres long. The sides are lined with nets to catch deflections.
Eidgenössische Hornusserverband is somewhat misleading because it is almost exclusively a German-speaking affair. Hornussen is not compulsory in the ESAF, but Schwingen and Steinstossen are. The national gymnastics federation was part of the ESAF, but this sport has long since organised its national competitions.
The Prize-giving ceremony for Hornussen with banners of clubs with ‘Schindel’. Photo: TES.
Organisation
It is the biggest sporting event in terms of the number of visitors (about 400 000 visitors in three days), the construction of a vast temporary stadium (for three days!) for more than 50 000 spectators (!) and a party area of no less than 70 hectares with chalets, party tents, stables for animals, medical care, restaurants, bars, stalls, VIPS and other guests, offices for ticket sales, staff and personnel, space for prize-giving, sanitary facilities, beautifully designed wooden water wells and stands for merchandise, sponsors and numerous companies and organisations.
The local organisation by a village of the size of Pratteln does the actual work and is in charge of implementing under the auspices of the national EASF organisation.
The National Championship in Schwingen
The ESAF revolves around Schwingen. Steinstossen is a compulsory event but takes place in a remote location. Hornussen is not mandatory; nowadays, it is held at the ESAF as the national championship. However, the enthusiasm of the many teams is extraordinary.
The Schwingen takes place in the sold-out stadium. 280 Schwingers participate. Female Schwinger has a separate tournament on a much smaller scale the week before.
After several preliminary qualifications, the final takes place on Sunday afternoon in front of 50 000 spectators in the stadium, with one million watching the spectacle at home and hundreds of thousands following the contest via public viewing on the festival grounds and in the country.
Bilingualism
German and French are the languages of the website and the speaker in the stadium. The number of French-speaking participants in the competition is 20, and in and around the stadium, an estimated 10 000 French-speaking Swiss attend the event. It is, thus, to a large extent, a German-speaking affair.
Nevertheless, every 15 years, the ESAF occurs in a (predominantly) French-speaking canton, most recently in 2016 in the French-speaking Estavayer-le-Lac (Canton of Fribourg).
Conclusion
The cow or bull may not be so ‘Woke’ in the Netherlands anymore, but at the ESAF, it is the most prestigious main prize, apart from a large amount of money. The best ten Schwingers in the country make a good living through sponsorship and advertising activities. Some of them are already almost as plastered as Formula I drivers.
Pauline Wayne II
What impresses the objective observer most is (again) the relaxed organisation and atmosphere, cheerfulness, and the many musical performances, from disco, performances of Swiss horns, brass bands, and jazz to lighter (dance) music until the early morning. The numerous sanitary facilities are also cleaned frequently, and cleaning crews are permanently present.
Not only Schwingen or Hornussen are typically Swiss, but the event, the party and the organisation are Swissness at their best.
