Which traditions should remain alive?
A List of 228 Living Traditions of Switzerland
Living traditions constitute Switzerland’s intangible cultural heritage.
The term intangible cultural heritage refers to traditions, practices, knowledge, and skills that are passed down from generation to generation and provide communities with a sense of identity and continuity. Examples include stories and legends, music and dance, customs and festivals, as well as traditional crafts and forms of knowledge. Unlike material cultural heritage, intangible cultural heritage is dynamic and continually evolving. It is shaped by those who practice, preserve, and reinterpret it in changing social and cultural contexts. The Swiss Federal Office of Culture, in collaboration with the cantons, first compiled the List of Living Traditions in Switzerland in 2012 and carried out its second comprehensive update in 2023.
For the present exhibition, three of the listed living traditions were of particular importance:
- Herbal Knowledge in Central Swiss Women’s Monasteries (Cantons of Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, and Zug)
- Naturopathy in Appenzell Ausserrhoden
- Cueillette sauvage – the gathering and cultivation of wild plants in the Canton of Valais
The complete list of all 228 Living Traditions of Switzerland can be accessed at:
https://www.lebendige-traditionen.ch/tradition/de/home/liste/liste.html
The list is continuously reviewed and expanded on the basis of proposals submitted by the public.
Source: Living Traditions in Switzerland, Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC).
https://www.lebendige-traditionen.ch/tradition/de/home.html