Florian Bachmann - Lieux de Mémoire

In collaboration with historian Stefan Keller, texts are created that reveal the hidden stories behind the images. In this way, a dialog unfolds between image and word, in which history is not depicted, but can be imagined - as a trace, a layering, a hunch.

As part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage "A Future for whose Past?", the exhibition asks whose past is remembered and preserved - and what is in danger of being forgotten.

Hunger for wood - Urnäsch AR
The Appenzell region was settled late, with the first place names dating back to the 8th century. It is industrialized early on and connected to the global textile trade. Spinning, weaving and dyeing flourished in Ausserrhoden. At the end of the 18th century, the country was one of the most densely populated areas in Europe. As the population grows, the once stately forests disappear. There is a shortage of wood for construction, industry and heating. In 1837, a private company began reforestation, and in 1861 the state also granted a loan. The forest area has more than doubled since then.


Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.