The Chronicler Departs: A Canton's Portrait in Wealth and Inertia

A journalist's retirement is rarely a matter of grand ceremony. Yet, when the figure in question has spent nearly 40 years as the primary chronicler of a place like the Canton of Schwyz, his departure prompts reflection. Jürg Auf der Maur, the long-serving former editor of the «Bote der Urschweiz», has officially stepped away. His intention to continue writing and researching, perhaps on economic history, speaks to a career defined by deep immersion in local affairs.

Auf der Maur, a trained historian, cultivated a reputation for independence through meticulous work. He measured his effectiveness not by the friends he made, but by the number of influential people he had managed to irritate by the end of the week. Rumours from the local tavern never found their way into his newspaper; his method was direct verification with the subjects themselves. This disciplined approach was essential for making sense of a canton that is more divided than outsiders might assume.

Schwyz is indeed conservative, wealthy, and a tax haven, but that is an incomplete picture. A deep-seated cultural and historical rift separates the inner canton, oriented towards Lucerne and Zug, from the outer regions that look towards Zurich. This is not a modern phenomenon but a legacy of a time when the lakeside districts were subordinate territories to the political centre in the town of Schwyz. According to Auf der Maur, this chasm persists, with the populations of the two halves remaining largely strangers to one another.

This fractured identity forms the backdrop for a significant political transformation. Auf der Maur recalls reporting from a cantonal parliament in the 1980s where the Swiss People's Party (SVP) held a mere three seats. For decades, the CVP governed almost unchallenged. Today, the SVP is the dominant force, holding 38 of the 100 seats. This shift has not been without consequences for the quality of political life. He observes that the tone in parliament has become harsher, with genuine debate giving way to what he describes as a permanent campaign mode, a hallmark of the SVP's strategy across the country.

Perhaps his most pointed critique is reserved for the canton's political imagination, or lack thereof. With capital reserves approaching one billion francs, Schwyz possesses the means for bold projects. Instead, it practices a kind of timid incrementalism, preferring to wait for others to experiment before adopting the cheapest possible solution. The canton that rarely takes the lead on anything will, however, spend 30 million francs on a few hundred metres of road repairs without hesitation. Meanwhile, a simple amenity like a central public square or park remains an unfulfilled idea. It is a telling paradox: a society so successful it has seemingly lost the ability to envision a better future, content to merely administer its own prosperity.

Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com