Important historical memorial

According to the “White Book of Sarnen”, Tell shot the Habsburg bailiff Gessler with an arrow in the Hohle Gasse. A chapel was built in memory of Ägidius Tschudi (around 1530), which was completely rebuilt in 1638. The Tells Chapel (patron saint: St. Margareta, later 14 Nothelfer) received an altarpiece by Caspar Wolf in 1760. Hans Bachmann painted Gessler’s Death on the façade and Tell’s Death in the Schächenbach in the interior in 1905.

 

Construction and inauguration of the Hohle Gasse

1935-1937

The 1930s brought an intolerable volume of traffic through Hohle Gasse. Around 1930, up to 1,000 vehicles passed through the ravine between Immensee and Küssnacht am Rigi every day. As a result, not much remained of the dignity of the historic memorial site. A bypass was a much sought-after solution, but the empty Schwyz state coffers forced the government to implement only a widening and extension option. Foundation set up A foundation – similar to the Rütli in 1859 – was at the forefront of the initiatives of the people of Küssnach, who spoke out in favor of preserving the Hohle Gasse with dignity. Together with the editor of “Schweizer Illustrierte”, Emil Hess of the Ringier publishing house, Friedrich Donauer, Küssnacht’s district clerk, arranged for the “Swiss Foundation for the Preservation of Hohlen Gasse” to be set up.

School youth collect money

By selling a postcard, the Swiss School Youth drew attention to the precarious situation of the Hohle Gasse with the chapel and at the same time sold more than 500,000 copies for 20 centimes. The net proceeds of around CHF 103,000 laid the foundation stone for the bypass road. With this commitment, the Swiss School Youth also became the owner of the historic site.

 

Construction work

At the same time as the construction of the CHF 320,000 bypass road, work began to restore the Hohle Gasse to its familiar appearance. Large blocks of stone, trees and bushes were used to give the alley its unique character. The 3.8-metre-wide road was transformed into a 1.5-metre-wide sunken path.

 

Inauguration

The bypass was opened to traffic at Whitsun 1937. October 17, 1937 was the big day of the inauguration in Hohle Gasse. At Tell’s Chapel, Federal Councillor Philipp Etter gave the ceremonial address in front of a large audience, including schoolchildren from all the cantons of Switzerland. Drummers beat the drum, the children pledged allegiance to the old Confederation of Swiss Confederates in a chant. Afterwards, pupils acted out scenes from Schiller’s “William Tell”, until finally a schoolchild chosen by lot, a girl from the canton of Zug, was the first to walk down the hollow path on the arm of Federal Councillor Etter.

Important historical memorial

According to the “White Book of Sarnen”, Tell shot the Habsburg bailiff Gessler with an arrow in the Hohle Gasse. A chapel was built in memory of Ägidius Tschudi (around 1530), which was completely rebuilt in 1638. The Tells Chapel (patron saint: St. Margareta, later 14 Nothelfer) received an altarpiece by Caspar Wolf in 1760. Hans Bachmann painted Gessler’s Death on the façade and Tell’s Death in the Schächenbach in the interior in 1905.

 

The construction and inauguration of the Hohle Gasse

1935-1937

The 1930s brought an intolerable volume of traffic through Hohle Gasse. Around 1930, up to 1,000 vehicles passed through the ravine between Immensee and Küssnacht am Rigi every day. As a result, not much remained of the dignity of the historic memorial site. A bypass was a much sought-after solution, but the empty Schwyz state coffers forced the government to implement only a widening and extension option. Foundation set up a foundation – similar to the Rütli in 1859 – was at the forefront of the initiatives of the people of Küssnach, who spoke out in favor of preserving the Hohle Gasse with dignity. Together with the editor of “Schweizer Illustrierte”, Emil Hess of the Ringier publishing house, Friedrich Donauer, Küssnacht’s district clerk, arranged for the “Swiss Foundation for the Preservation of Hohlen Gasse” to be set up.

 

School youth collect money

By selling a postcard, the Swiss School Youth drew attention to the precarious situation of the Hohle Gasse with the chapel and at the same time sold more than 500,000 copies for 20 centimes. The net proceeds of around CHF 103,000 laid the foundation stone for the bypass road. With this commitment, the Swiss School Youth also became the owner of the historic site.

 

Construction work

At the same time as the construction of the CHF 320,000 bypass road, work began to restore the Hohle Gasse to its familiar appearance. Large blocks of stone, trees and bushes were used to give the alley its unique character. The 3.8-metre-wide road was transformed into a 1.5-metre-wide sunken path.

 

Inauguration

The bypass was opened to traffic at Whitsun 1937. October 17, 1937 was the big day of the inauguration in Hohle Gasse. At Tell’s Chapel, Federal Councillor Philipp Etter gave the ceremonial address in front of a large audience, including schoolchildren from all the cantons of Switzerland. Drummers beat the drum, the children pledged allegiance to the old Confederation of Swiss Confederates in a chant. Afterwards, pupils acted out scenes from Schiller’s “William Tell”, until finally a schoolchild chosen by lot, a girl from the canton of Zug, was the first to walk down the hollow path on the arm of Federal Councillor Etter.

Important historical memorial

According to the “White Book of Sarnen”, Tell shot the Habsburg bailiff Gessler with an arrow in the Hohle Gasse. A chapel was built in memory of Ägidius Tschudi (around 1530), which was completely rebuilt in 1638. The Tells Chapel (patron saint: St. Margareta, later 14 Nothelfer) received an altarpiece by Caspar Wolf in 1760. Hans Bachmann painted Gessler’s Death on the façade and Tell’s Death in the Schächenbach in the interior in 1905.

The construction and inauguration of the Hohle Gasse

1935-1937

The 1930s brought an intolerable volume of traffic through Hohle Gasse. Around 1930, up to 1,000 vehicles passed through the ravine between Immensee and Küssnacht am Rigi every day. As a result, not much remained of the dignity of the historic memorial site. A bypass was a much sought-after solution, but the empty Schwyz state coffers forced the government to implement only a widening and extension option. Foundation set up a foundation – similar to the Rütli in 1859 – was at the forefront of the initiatives of the people of Küssnach, who spoke out in favor of preserving the Hohle Gasse with dignity. Together with the editor of “Schweizer Illustrierte”, Emil Hess of the Ringier publishing house, Friedrich Donauer, Küssnacht’s district clerk, arranged for the “Swiss Foundation for the Preservation of Hohlen Gasse” to be set up.

 

School youth collect money

By selling a postcard, the Swiss School Youth drew attention to the precarious situation of the Hohle Gasse with the chapel and at the same time sold more than 500,000 copies for 20 centimes. The net proceeds of around CHF 103,000 laid the foundation stone for the bypass road. With this commitment, the Swiss School Youth also became the owner of the historic site.

 

Construction work

At the same time as the construction of the CHF 320,000 bypass road, work began to restore the Hohle Gasse to its familiar appearance. Large blocks of stone, trees and bushes were used to give the alley its unique character. The 3.8-metre-wide road was transformed into a 1.5-metre-wide sunken path.

 

Inauguration

The bypass was opened to traffic at Whitsun 1937. October 17, 1937 was the big day of the inauguration in Hohle Gasse. At Tell’s Chapel, Federal Councillor Philipp Etter gave the ceremonial address in front of a large audience, including schoolchildren from all the cantons of Switzerland. Drummers beat the drum, the children pledged allegiance to the old Confederation of Swiss Confederates in a chant. Afterwards, pupils acted out scenes from Schiller’s “William Tell”, until finally a schoolchild chosen by lot, a girl from the canton of Zug, was the first to walk down the hollow path on the arm of Federal Councillor Etter.

Complete renovation of Hohle Gasse

2004-2005

Today, the Hohle Gasse is a much-visited place for tourists, societies, clubs, school classes, authorities and governments from all over Switzerland and neighboring Europe. At the beginning of the new millennium, the damage caused by Hurricane Lothar was repaired. In 2004/2005, the foundation restored this place of power in the mythological history of the founding of the Confederation and made the paths wheelchair-accessible.

Information pavilion

The new information pavilion and rest area have given the facility a new quality. This appeal attracted the attention of many visitors interested in culture and history. The Swiss Confederation’s memorial site is increasingly becoming a meeting place for society

Hohle Gasse offers visitors easily accessible and impressive information about the history and stories surrounding the historic memorial site. Thanks to the contemporary information pavilion, the history of William Tell can be experienced, seen, felt and heard in the Hohle Gasse.