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During the work on the new Gotthard road tunnel, treasures come to light that Uri does not want to have stolen.
Geologist Peter Amacher has an office in Amsteg, but he never stays there for long. Whenever possible, he goes to Göschenen, where miners started last year to drive the new Gotthard road tunnel into the rock massif from the north. He then roams the construction site in a helmet and orange overcoat. Check if new crevices with crystals have appeared.
The 68-year-old Amacher, bearded and with a furrowed face, is the mineral supervisor of the canton of Uri. The resulting tunnel doesn’t let him go: “If I haven’t been in there for five or six days, I’m in withdrawal,” he says.
If I haven’t been in the tunnel for five or six days, I’m in rehab.
Because Peter Amacher is also a radiator – that’s what the mineral and crystal seekers in the Alps call themselves. And for a rayman, a construction site like the one in Göschenen, where the construction machines penetrate a little deeper into the Gotthard massif every day, is a real gift.
Blasting in the tunnel brought “top pieces” to light
Only in September did a blast uncover a glittering chasm a good 300 meters inside the mountain, full of rock crystals and pink fluorite.
Mineral supervisor Amacher and his team then salvaged several hundred kilograms of material and selected the most beautiful pieces, cleaned them and stored them. “Absolute top pieces,” he says: “Super shine, wonderful color. One of the best finds in Switzerland.»
Legend:
“Super shine, wonderful color”: A pink fluorite that was recovered in the tunnel of the second Gotthard tube in autumn.
Canton of Uri, building department
Their value has not yet been definitively determined; However, one thing is certain: these are true treasures that the mountain releases again and again after they have formed inside over millions of years.
Cantons do not want to give up the minerals
That is why Uri – just like Ticino on the south side of the Gotthard construction site – has an interest in securing as many of these crystals as possible.
Because these are the property of the people of Uri, according to the building department. They should be made accessible to the public in exhibitions or presented as gifts to high-ranking guests, such as members of the Federal Council.
Legend:
“The Treasure from the Planggenstock”: The crystal group, weighing a good 300 kilograms, which Strahler discovered above the Göscheneralp in 2005, is considered one of the most important crystal finds – here in an exhibition in Flüelen.
Keystone/Sigi Tischler
But they should also benefit science; Uri works closely with the University of Geneva on this. “In terms of cultural history, the finds are of great importance,” says Angel Sanchez from the building department. “Recently, emitters discovered crystals in the Gotthard region that were used as arrowheads and tools in the Stone Age.”
There are always attempts at theft
However, mineral warden Amacher should not only ensure that the canton gets hold of the minerals that exist on its territory – but also that they are not stolen after their discovery. The geologist or someone from his team of six is therefore out and about in the tunnel every day.
There are always attempts at theft, says Amacher: “Once I found four backpacks in front of the tunnel portal, one of them incredibly heavy. I opened it – it was full of rock crystals. A crime of about 7,000 francs.” If a miner is caught stealing a crystal, there is a warning, the second time a report; there were even court convictions during the construction of the Gotthard base tunnel.
For the time being, Peter Amacher is not going to stop working on the Gotthard construction site. Until the planned tunnel breakthrough in 2026, he should still salvage a few crystals, he says, based on empirical values from the construction of the first road tunnel – and is already looking forward to his next visit to the tunnel.