engelberg magazin nummer16 sommer

Dreiecksgeschichten: Obwalden, Engelberg, Nidwalden Vernissage: 30. Mai 2015 (zusammen mit Nidwaldner Museum) Ausstellungsdauer: 30. Mai bis 11. Oktober 2015 Öffnungszeiten: Mi–So: 14–18 Uhr Zur Ausstellung finden diverse öffentliche Führungen statt. Alle Daten unter www.talmuseum.ch oder www.engelbergbeiobwalden.ch.

Dreiecksgeschichten: Obwalden, Engelberg, Nidwalden Vernissage: 30 May 2015 ( jointly with the Nidwaldner Museum) Exhibition period: 30 May to 11 October 2015 Opening hours: Weds. to Sat., 2 to 6 p.m. Various guided tours of the exhibition will be available. For more information visit www.talmuseum.ch or www.engelbergbeiobwalden.ch.

Grenzkarte, Jochpass-Titlis, 18. Jahrhundert, 41x33cm. (Bild: Staatsarchiv NW)

18th-century map showing the borders around the Joch Pass (41 x 33 cm). (Image: Staatsarchiv NW)

Anmeldung für Führungen: sekretariat@talmuseum.ch

To sign up for a guided tour send an e-mail to secretariat@talmuseum.ch.

Ausstellung im Historischen Museum Sar- nen: 16. Mai bis 1. November 2015 Ausstellung im Nidwaldner Museum, Salzmaga- zin Stans: 30. Mai bis 1. November 2015 Ausstellung im Museum Bruder Klaus Sach- seln: 21. Juni bis 1. November 2015

Exhibition in the Historisches Museum Sarnen: 16 May to 1 November 2015 Exhibition in the Nidwaldner Museum and Salzmaga- zin Stans: 30 May to 1 November 2015 Exhibition in Museum Bruder Klaus Sach- seln: 21 June to 1 November 2015

Switzerland is celebrating a whole array of jubilees in 2015: 700 years since the Battle of Morgarten, 500 years since the Battle of Marig- nano, and 200 years since the Congress of Vienna and the establishment of Swiss neutrality. Judging by media reports to date, there will be a veritable boom in collective remembrance this year. An exhibition in Engelberg’s Tal Museum and the numerous events marking 200 years of the village being part of Obwalden are sure to make a valuable contribution to this year of historical reflection and celebration. The years between 1798 triggered a revolution in Switzerland that led to the collapse of the ancien régime. One consequence of the founding of the “Helvetic Republic” was that Engelberg Abbey no longer held dominion over the va lley. The French even wanted the abbot and the monks to give up the Abbey. The people of Nidwa lden launched a desperate bat tle against the overwhelm- ingly superior French troops, resu lting in the deaths of 400 of their number. The new republic, lit tle more than a French puppet, experienced a good dea l of interna l strife over the coming years. Then, in 1803, Napo- leon issued an “Ac t of Mediation”, restoring the cantons and establishing the Swiss Con- federation. For a time, the politica l situation in Unterwa lden was clear, with Engelberg belonging to Nidwa lden. But in 1814 , things star ted to get out of control. Nidwa lden re- sisted integration into the new Confederation until it was u ltimately forced to join in 1815. It wou ld be not be fair to draw the and 1815, the period when Engelberg lef t the canton of Nidwa lden and joined Ob- wa lden, were ver y turbu lent time. In 1798 French troops under Napoleon Bonapar te

conclusion that the people of Nidwa lden were obstinate and incapable of politica l rea lism, but the cliché that the people of Obwa lden are more cautious and deliberate might have some truth in it. In 1798 and 1815 Engelberg and Obwa lden were a lso in politica l crisis, but the inhabitants’ more level-headed, tac tica l approach enabled them to avoid the chaos that af f lic ted Nidwa lden. And yet, we shou ld rea l- ise that the ac tua l situation in Unterwa lden at that time was more complex than we perhaps give it credit for. The “Dreiecksgeschichte” ex-

hibition sheds light on those ex traordinar y circumstances, taking a critica l look at the histor y of Engelberg, Nidwa l- den and Obwa lden and its relevance to the present. One focus of the exhibition is the

Engelberg belongs to Ob- walden, but has retained its unique sense of identity.

specia l status Engelberg enjoyed until 1798 as a power f u l independent state under the govern- ance of the Abbey. Engelberg has been par t of Obwa lden since 1815, but it still retains its f ree spirit and sense of being somehow dif ferent to the other par ts of the canton. What is its rela- tionship like with the rest of the canton today? And how is its relationship to Nidwa lden? As well as looking at historic riva l- ries between the cantons, the exhibition in the Ta l Museum considers present-day is- sues such as regiona l identity, struc tura l changes, tax breaks, and neighbourhood solidarity. The exhibition is showing, in a somewhat dif ferent format, in Sachseln, Sarnen and Stans as well as in Engelberg, and numerous indiv idua ls f rom a ll those places and beyond have contributed their point of v iew to the exhibition. Visit the exhibition in Engelberg or one of the other locations and emerge with a much richer knowledge of the histor y of this fascinating area.

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kultur | arts+culture

kultur | arts+culture