Rütli

The Riitli ( older: Grütli " small clearing ", hence double le Grütli ) is a mountain meadow at the bottom of Uri Seelisberg in Switzerland on the western shore of Lake Uri, an arm of Lake Lucerne. This meadow to the legend ( Obwalden and Nidwalden ) have been closed by the alliance of the three original cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, the so-called Rütlischwur.

History, legend

It is not known to have at what time and in what manner the representatives of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden sealed the pact of mutual assistance. A Riitli - the myths - is not mentioned until 1307. There Uri could be joining the people of Schwyz night to invade north at dawn into the territory of the monastery Einsiedeln.

As a " cradle of Switzerland " has about five acre meadow the character of a national monument. On the Riitli to find a guest house, a picnic area, the three countries fountain and a small exhibition about the history of the place. About a mooring can be reached from the Riitli from Uri, however, the access from the landward side is time-consuming and tedious.

Was made possible the preservation of Rütli in its historical form by a collection of the Swiss Public Welfare Society ( SGG ) in 1859, the so bought the site, and the Swiss Confederation handed as inalienable national property subject to administration by the SGG. The impetus for this action was an attempt at this point to build a hotel.

This was the Riitli, the ancient symbol for the foundation of the old Confederation, twelve years after the Sonderbundskrieg the symbol of the newly formed liberal state. As a result, the SGG distributed 100,000 Riitli stitches to the school children in Switzerland. The early incurred legend that the school children had gathered for the Riitli, was not challenged; they strengthened the identification with the Riitli and thus with the (modern) Switzerland.

That the importance of Riitli extends beyond Switzerland, next to international visitors also show the many cultural clashes with the Riitli, by Friedrich Schiller, about Queen Victoria to Mark Twain.

Riitli rapport, Riitli celebration

In this tradition, the national symbol was held on July 25, 1940 here the Riitli report by General Henri Guisan instead. Since 1991, the path of Switzerland starts here as a hiking trail around Lake Uri.

For decades, held under the auspices of the Swiss Public Welfare Society on 1 August a National Day celebration on the Rütli instead. The Riitli ceremony was disturbed more frequently since the late 20th century by right-wing extremists. The high point of these disturbances was the celebration of August 1, 2005, insulted the President Samuel Schmid and was shouted down. Because of these incidents took place in 2006, the ceremony under a massive police presence instead. Since this year, interested parties had to strive to advance to access cards. This approach proved successful; Since 2006, undisturbed Federal celebrations could be carried out again. In 2007, welcomed well over 2000 people, the Federal President Micheline Calmy -Rey and the President of the National Egerszegi. Thanks to all these measures and cooperation between the authorities of the competent cantonal and SGG celebrations remained undisturbed on 1 August in the following years.

In advance of the event was long on the brink. The discussion sparked a huge response in the media. The New York Times and its overseas edition, the Herald Tribune reported in a same article about it. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the Spanish El Mundo, Le Monde, the French and the Wiener Zeitung took up the subject.

In February 2008, filed a popular initiative in the canton of Uri. It requires that no national federal parties on the Rütli may be granted more. Should only be authorized celebrations of Seelisberg in which no outside the canton keynote speaker occur. Meanwhile, the initiative has been declared as invalid.

The celebration takes place every year in the similar context. In the center of each is a speech. In 2010, was the keynote speaker Annemarie Huber- Hotz, president of the SGG. This year, the SGG celebrated its 200th anniversary; but it was also the 150th anniversary of the gift of Riitli to the Swiss Confederation. 2009 Peter held by Matt talk and 2008, the Government of Uri Josef Dittli. Furthermore, various musical and cultural performances are offered. For many decades, the music society fountain accompanies the event. At the end of the national anthem is played.