Deborah Kade

Sep 278 min read

Walking Along the Strand

The typical Swiss chalet village of Brienz is surrounded by a charming mountain landscape at the eastern end of the turquoise Lake Brienz.

When I went to Ballenberg a few weeks ago, I saw the damage the August rain storm caused at the railway station and today I wanted to see what progress had been done since.

September 10, 2024

September 27, 2024

In the oldest part of the village of Brienz, called "Aenderdorf" by the locals, there are currently shovel excavators and other heavy machinery trying to clean up the aftermath of the storm damage.

The water must have come rushing down with tremendous force.

Wonder if the damaged homes can be repaired?

The lake boats have many obstacles to watch out for.

Water from high up the mountain came rushing down.

Michael and I also love to promenade along the strand by the lake. It's a place you can relax, have a picnic, enjoy watching the ducks, play some games, take a break, laugh, be at peace.........

What a wonderful idea!

Not all the debris has been cleaned up.

Concentration!

We didn't even attempt this. You stand on the rollers and see if you can walk.

In Brienz, you will find alleys and chalets like a picture book: the Brunngasse is lined with houses from the 18th century.

"What is your street like? Is it lined with trees, surrounded by greenery, or rather full of concrete and tar in trised grey? In some places, the paths themselves become sights and gain international recognition. Just think of the Champs Elysées in Paris or Hollywood Boulevard with its famous Walk of Fame. But... Switzerland is also impressive. On May 21, 2024, the American architectural magazine "Architectural Digest" selected the 71 most beautiful streets in the world in a new ranking – and chose Brunngasse in Brienz in the Bernese Oberland."

"The list is not sorted. Nevertheless, the picturesque street appears in second place, which is a real eye-catcher with its chalets and the typical red geranium and could also hold it up as a postcard motif."

I hoped the laundry wasn't hanging up the day they choose the most beautiful streets.

My cats like to watch me clean, too.

Cats are very popular

Brienz is also affectionately called the "Schnitzlerdorf". The long tradition of woodworking is still visible today. The school for wood carving and the violin making school lead the craft into the future.

This woodcarving depicts people watching the schwingen.

"Schwingen (also known colloquially as Hosenlupf ) is a martial art practiced almost exclusively in Switzerland. It is a duel without weight classes, similar to freestyle wrestling, which takes place in a ring made of sawdust. Using various throwing techniques, the aim is to unbalance the opponent and put him on his back. The opponents hold on to each other's leather belt and at the same time to a pair of twill overpants. The performance shown is graded by a panel of judges and the result is included in a score of several duels to determine an overall winner."

"Schwingen belongs to a group of popular martial arts that have certain similarities to modern freestyle wrestling and are summarized under the term "clothing wrestling". The main aim of these is to defeat the opponent by holding onto a certain piece of clothing and using it to your own advantage. Examples of this are Glíma in Iceland, Ranggeln in the Eastern Alps, Lucha Canaria on the Canary Islands or Ssireum in Korea. The movements also bear a certain similarity to Judo; for example, a "hip" corresponds to an " O-goshi ".

"The cultural significance of wrestling is great. Along with Hornussen and stone-throwing, it is considered the unofficial national sport of Switzerland. It is particularly popular in the pre-alpine regions of German-speaking Switzerland . The events known as wrestling festivals or "Schwinget" are not only sporting competitions, but also social events at which traditions and customs are maintained. The responsible umbrella organizations are the Swiss Wrestling Association (ESV) and the Swiss Women's Wrestling Association. The most important event is the Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival of the ESV, which takes place every three years and at which the " Wrestling King " is crowned.

"The characteristic clothing grip can be found in illustrations from the 13th century, but written sources can only be traced back to the late 16th century. Often suppressed and banned by the authorities, wrestling found refuge in the foothills of the Alps as part of the Alpine shepherd culture . In the early 19th century, patriotic-minded city dwellers rediscovered wrestling. Under the significant influence of the gymnastics movement, it gradually spread throughout the country again and has since been considered one of the disciplines of national gymnastics. After wrestling had long been a fringe sport practiced by amateurs, it has experienced a significant upswing since the turn of the millennium due to increased media attention."

"The basic equipment is tear-resistant "Schwinger trousers". These are overtrousers made of particularly robust twill, a two-thread dense linen fabric. They are usually made as a part-time job by a saddler. The seams are sewn four to six times, a PVC tape is used, and leather reinforcements are added at critical points . There are five standard sizes, three for adult Schwingen and two for young Schwingen. Oversized trousers are also made, which must be officially approved. New trousers are stiff and must first be "broken in" during training so that they become more flexible. The trousers do not belong to the Schwingen themselves, but to the clubs. Before a competition, the organizer must provide enough pairs for all participants. The trousers have a deep cut at the front and back; they are held together by a wide leather belt with lots of holes, which means they can be used flexibly for many body shapes. In addition to the usual undyed wrestling trousers with a light base tone, there are also trousers made of dark-colored fabric. They were introduced in 2010 so that the opponents can be better distinguished, especially during television broadcasts. The lighter pants are worn by the wrestler whose last name comes first in the alphabet."

"For historical reasons, a distinction is made between «Sennenschwingern» and «Turnerschwingern». The Sennenschwinger belong to a pure wrestling club, wear dark long trousers and a durable and colorful (but not bright) shirt. So-called Edelweiss shirts are popular, even if they are not actually traditional. The Turnerschwinger, who are members of a gymnastics club and in some cases practice wrestling as a sub-discipline of national gymnastics, wear a white vest and long white trousers. The short-sleeved shirts and vests must be free of inscriptions and advertising. All wrestlers wear commercially available ankle-high sneakers. Wrist bandages, ear protection and braces are also permitted, provided they do not contain any metal, carbon or hard plastic parts."

"A throwing technique used in wrestling is called a "swing". Current training textbooks contain 120 different swings, divided into standing, flank, ground and defensive swings. These include numerous variations and combinations. Young wrestlers aged 15 to 18 must master 34 swings in order to pass the sports examination of the Youth+Sport funding program."

"The most common swing is probably the "short" one, as it can be performed very quickly and is likely to be successful in an attack. In the basic version, the attacking swinger performs a quarter turn to the right in order to get his left leg between the opponent's legs. He then pulls him towards himself with all his strength by lifting him and throws him with a turn to the right directly onto his back. If the opponent defends himself with a knee parry, he is put down briefly and then pulled back up again with full force in the same way. In the "overleap", the attacker makes a quick feint and then turns to the left at lightning speed. He brings his right leg behind his opponent's and pushes him onto his back towards the ground with strong help from the upper body. The overleap can be used as a direct attack swing or from the defensive as a counter swing."

"The "Brienzer" originally comes from the region around Lake Brienz . Since it can be used to compensate for physical disadvantages against particularly large opponents, it is used with preference by lighter and medium-weight swingers. The performer switches his right hand from the belt to the opponent's thrust, turns to the left and reaches with his left arm over the shoulder or neck of the opponent to his left thrust. At the same time, he hooks his left leg into the opponent's right leg, spreads it high and throws him headfirst forward onto his back. Very often a Brienzer is combined with other swings."

"With the "hip throw", the decisive throw is mainly triggered by the leverage of the hip. The grip with the left hand on the opponent's right upper arm is important for fixation during this swing. From the attack position, the swinger changes his left grip and grasps the opponent's belt or arm from above. With his right hand he grasps the opponent's left upper arm, jumps with his left hip as far as possible under the opponent, lifts him off the ground by stretching his legs, bends deeply forward headfirst at the same time and throws him headfirst onto his back with a violent jerk."

"To prevent a downed wrestler from getting back up, the "Buur" (farmer) can be used, the most commonly used swing in ground fighting. The opponent's knee is immobilized with the left leg. The right hand is then used to grab the wrestler's trousers in the gap up to the belt, which restricts the opponent's ability to move. The opponent is then pressed to the ground with the help of the right hand, combined with a twisting movement. In the Gammen (from the Italian gamba = leg), the attacking wrestler immobilizes the opponent's left leg with his right leg (or vice versa) and simultaneously pushes him forward from the upper body. "

"The "Wyberhaagge" (women's hook) is demanding. After an attack with the Gammen, the attacker clamps the opponent's leg between his own legs and then hooks it crosswise with the other leg. In this way, the opponent's freedom of movement is severely restricted and can be brought to the ground. An effective attack swing for physically inferior swingers is the "Footstab", often in combination with the "Kurz". Here, a turn is faked with a body feint, the right toe is placed on the opponent's left ankle, whereupon the opponent can be pulled towards you and turned to the right."

For a long time there was no specific training in wrestling. The necessary strength was gained from the strenuous daily work. For this reason, strength-based professions such as farmers, foresters, craftsmen, butchers or construction workers still dominate today, while academics have always been underrepresented.

"In the famine of 1816, wood turner Christian Fischer from Brienz started decorating everyday objects with wood carvings and selling them to tourists. In order to meet growing demand he soon began teaching the skill to people from the region. In 1851, Brienz woodcarving achieved international recognition at the London World Exhibition. The Brienz Woodcarving School was founded in 1884, becoming an educational institution and official training workshop of the canton of Bern in 1928. Now known as the School of Woodcarving, the institution is the only place in Switzerland where young people can learn the art of woodcarving. Since 2009, the school has also provided vocational training for new turners, basket makers, coopers and white-wood coopers. Today, professional woodcarvers run independent businesses, fulfilling demanding contracts but also producing souvenirs, since the ties between woodcarving and tourism remain strong after two hundred years despite various attempts at diversification. Because the products and the historical and practical knowledge of "Schnätzen" (woodcarving) are threatened by the changing generations, the Association for the Collection and Exhibition of Brienz Woodcarvings was established in 1990, in turn establishing the Swiss Woodcarving Museum in 2009."

At the International Woodsculpture Symposium, July 1, 2025 to July 5, 2025, you can see how artists from all over the world create impressive wooden works within 5 days along the Brienzer Quais. Musical and artistic performances and cuisine at its finest round off this event.

"At the International Wood Sculpture Symposium, you can experience how wooden artworks are created. The organizers create an exciting mix of around 20 national and international artists with different influences, styles and cultures from the numerous applications. The artists will be provided with a massive wooden trunk made of local larch, from which they create impressive sculptures for five days using chainsaws, flail and chisels. You will gain a broad insight into the fascinating art of wood sculpture.

Wondering if some of the wood sculptures along the strand will be replaced as they are looking quite weathered.