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In order to enable ski and summer camps for their schools, such homes were acquired from the 1960s. Now they are increasingly being sold. Not everyone is happy about that.
For many people in Switzerland, these are formative memories of their first ski or summer camp in the mountains. In the 1960s and 1970s, many communities in the Central Plateau bought such holiday homes in order to enable school children to have such experiences.
But times have changed. More and more municipalities are selling their holiday homes. For example, the Aargau municipality of Wettingen decided this at the local community meeting on Wednesday. They have owned the Ftan holiday home in the Lower Engadine for 60 years.
Less used and therefore sold
The relationship between the residents and Ftan is close because many associate it with good childhood memories. Mayor Roland Kuster was never there when he was young. Above all, he sees a cost problem in this holiday home.
Kuster says: “I think the main problem was that there was a certain backlog of maintenance that had to be done. If the house is not accepted by our population and is not used enough, this investment cannot be borne.»
Not everyone is convinced of the sale
The occupancy figures have actually declined in recent years. The house was no longer very popular with today’s teachers. The distance to the Engadin is too great and the house too old. But not everyone sees it that way.
Legend:
The sale of the community-owned house is a big loss – especially for the children, says Walter Bühlmann, among others.
Keystone / Juerg Mueller (January 3, 2007)
The 83-year-old says: “Because of the house, the children came into contact with the mountain world for the first time and then go back to the region later in life. For tourism, it is important that you don’t just drive to the Karsumpel in Rust, but go to the mountains.»
Bühlmann was a teacher himself and is obviously not a fan of amusement parks, so he wants the children to continue hiking or skiing in the Grisons mountains. Mayor Kuster sees it differently.
Many communities feel the same way
More variety is needed: “Today there are far more options. You no longer want to be tied to a specific place. I think the world has become more open today. This is also reflected in this vote.”
Because the hopes of the supporters of the holiday home have failed. The residents of Wettingen have decided that there is practically nothing standing in the way of selling the house. Wettingen is not an isolated case.
In many places, large holiday homes have been sold for similar reasons in recent years. Be it due to a lack of demand or because expensive renovations are pending.