© Netzwerk Schweizer Pärke / Janosch Hugi
© Netzwerk Schweizer Pärke / Janosch Hugi
© Netzwerk Schweizer Pärke / Janosch Hugi
Living traditions in Swiss parks
The parks at the service of their intangible cultural heritage
The cultural identity of the park regions is intimately shaped by practices that are passed down through generations and reflect a sense of continuity. These practices are called living traditions or intangible cultural heritage (ICH).
Building with dry stone, experiencing the alpine pasture season, singing in a choir, maintaining the watchmaking know-how, telling tales and legends, celebrating Carnival or désalpe: the intangible heritage of the Swiss parks is rich and very much alive. Passed on from generation to generation, it evolves with time and represents an important part of Switzerland's cultural diversity. This heritage contributes significantly to the characteristics of the parks' landscapes, to the functioning of the local economy and it supports social and territorial cohesion. The parks are committed to maintaining, valuing and promoting these practices with the aim of staying living and innovative regions.
What is intangible cultural heritage (ICH)?
Heritage represents the cultural capital of contemporary societies.
The UNESCO elaborated the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003. Ratified by Switzerland in 2008, it defines ICH as the practices, representations, expressions, know-how and skills that :
- Are recognized by communities as part of their heritage
- Are passed on from generation to generation
- Are recreated and practiced continuosly
- Provide communities and groups with a sense of identity and continuity
- Comply with human rights standards
ICH expressions are divided into 5 main categories:
- Oral traditions and expressions (e.g. songs and literature in dialect, yodeling, ...)
- Performing arts (e.g. popular dances and music, amateur theater, open-air cultural festivals, ...)
- Social practices, rituals and festive events (e.g. Bénichon, Carnival, outdoor barbecues, associative life, ...)
- Knowledge and practices related to nature and the universe (e.g.: mountain pasture season, wild plant harvesting, mountaineering, consortage in Valais, ...)
- Skills related to traditional crafts (e.g. watchmaking skills, wood carving, dry stone construction, paper cutting, ...)
Today the ICH faces important challenges, such as climate change and its consequences, biodiversity loss, migration, urbanization, economic inequalities. This is why it is important to care for and to share this heritage in order to promote a sustainable development - social, environmental and economic and to act for living together and peace
Inventories of living traditions in Switzerland
In 2008, Switzerland adhered to the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of ICH. In this context, it established a national inventory of ICH. Eight expressions, such as the alpine pasture season or the mechanical watchmaking know-how, were then proposed for the Representative List of the ICH of Humanity maintained by UNESCO.
The following cantons maintain as well a cantonal inventory of their living traditions: AG/SO, BE, FR, UR, VS, VD.
The Swiss Culinary Heritage Association has also drawn up an inventory of Swiss products, specialities and culinary recipes - an interesting inventory of culinary know-how.
The Swiss parks are not to be outdone in terms of living traditions. Some of them have listed expressions of the ICH that are present on their territory: a non-exhaustive inventory in the parks.
«Savoir-faire et faire savoir: Traditions vivantes es biodiversité dans les parcs suisses»
Valaisan hammered dulcimer
Saved in the 20th and 21st centuries thanks to the musicians and instrument makers of the communes of Grengiols and Binn, located in the Binntal Nature Park, the Valaisan hammered dulcimer can nowadays be appreciated by a wide audience.
Traditions in the museums of the Gantrisch
For the first time, all the museums in the Gantrisch region have been working together for a year on a common theme: the region's living traditions.
Avalanches rescue training center
Avalanche danger management is on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in order to showcase the expertise around the search for avalanche victims.
Picking and using medicinal plants
Given the loss of knowledge about medicinal plants, the Heilkräuterschule (medicinal plant school) in Albinen and the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park are committed to promoting the sharing of knowledge on this subject in order to keep this heritage alive.
Traditional irrigation in Jeizinen/Gampel (VS)
Without the bisses, extensive agriculture would be unthinkable in the Jeizinen/Gampel region, one of the driest areas in Switzerland located in the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park.
The parc du doubs torrée kit
Enjoying a sausage cooked under the ashes on a beautiful autumn day, the torrée is an unavoidable tradition for lovers of the Jura wooded pastures
Common works in the mountain pasture
On the mountain pasture, joint work has a long tradition, reinforcing exchanges between farmers, their identification with the place and allowing to keep the pastures open.
Our heritage
A project to immerse oneself in the knowledge related to the history of the Park’s built sites and the skills that made them up and that are still being perpetuated today.