Switzerland, as the “Wasserschloss Europas”, is an established term in public discourse that has evolved over time into an identity-shaping metaphor. A newspaper analysis spanning the last 100 years shows how the use of this metaphor has changed in response to external factors. The year with the highest number of newspaper articles employing the metaphor was the heatwave summer of 2003. Other years with high numbers of occurrences coincide with international exhibitions (Expos), where Switzerland presented itself as the “Wasserschloss Europas” or made related references. The metaphor served as a symbol of the country’s abundance of water and, highlighted Switzerland’s role in environmental protection and its responsibility towards downstream countries; it also supported the tourist marketing of its natural landscapes. For a long time, Switzerland’s water wealth was taken for granted. In view of rapid climate warming and the resulting increasing pressure on water resources and aquatic habitats, the use of this idyllic metaphor now seems outdated
The article was produced as part of the Rheinblick2027 project – an initiative launched by the International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin (CHR), aimed at examining the impacts of climate change on the Rhine River and its tributaries and developing new hydrological scenarios
Tobias Wechsler1,4), Astrid Björnsen1), Flurina Wartmann2), Christian Rohr3), Bruno Schädler3)
1)Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Switzerland
2)Department of Geography & Environment, University of Aberdeen, Scotland
3)Historical Institute & Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Switzerland
4)INRAE, Research Unit RECOVER, Aix-Marseille University, France