From cows to bells, furniture to a whirlpool, TVs and motorbikes, the Gabentempel is filled with 1 Million Swiss Francs worth of prizes. [citation needed]. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. The modern history of organized Schwingen tournaments begins with the Unspunnenfest of 1805.[1]. Otherwise, a winning score of 9.75 is standard or a rare 9.50 if the winner is given a behavioural warning. He knows some “genuine schwingen fans“ who are distancing themselves from the sport, “not participating in the hype and not coming to the festival anymore.” He thinks schwingen has reached its limit as far as the size of the events and the media attention are concerned. Schwingen, Hornussen and Waffenlaufen. Successful Schwingers do not receive cash prizes, but goods such as cowbells, furniture or livestock. Competitors in this Swiss version of wrestling wear special burlap shorts over their trousers with a slit at the back that allows the opponent to grip the belt. “The reason for holding this festival was clearly to raise the Swiss consciousness,” the federation writes. In fact, in recent times it has experienced an upsurge. Turner Schwinger (dressed in white) and Sennen Schwinger Swiss Wrestling. Advertising and sponsoring are shunned at Schwingen. “They want to feel distinct from the rest of the world and from Europe. Sign up for our free newsletters and get the top stories delivered to your inbox. Schwingen is fought as a duel between two physically powerful competitors and has its own rules, grips and throws. The Federal Wrestling Festival has a long tradition, having been organized for the first time in 1895.
More than 250,000 spectators are expected at the event. They are being held between August 30 and September 1 in Burgdorf, the capital of the Emmental region. However, an Edelweiss-shirt is not compulsory, with the rules stipulating for the Schwinger's only a subtly coloured durable shirt. They promote national cohesion and celebrate the Swiss identity. MySwitzerland.com uses cookies to improve your online experience. Now in its 44th edition, the Federal Wrestling and Alpine Games Festival, or ‘Schwingfest’ has been going since the end of the 19th century and attracts spectators from around Switzerland and abroad. Today, even a traditional Swiss sport like “schwingen” – a form of wrestling – is a cash cow. Your choices will not impact your visit.
“When I was taking part as a wrestler, you barely heard French,” says Schläfli. The roots of “Schwingen” are not clear. In 2020 Curdin Orlik became the first athlete in the sport of Schwingen to come out as gay, and also the first openly gay male active in Swiss professional sports.[2][3][4].