Switzerland loves its chalets. Foreign travellers also associate temporary living during skiing and hiking holidays with the charm of the wooden chalet. But what actually is a “chalet”? Are there characteristics that make a cosy wooden house a chalet? Is it the wide overhanging roof? Is it the geraniums in front of the windows, the carved roof beams? Or is the “chalet” simply a symbol of the longing for alpine nature and thus an invention, a myth? The more precisely one tries to grasp the chalet, the more blurred its contours become.
In the exhibition “Chalet. Sehnsucht, Kitsch und Baukultur” (10 March to 30 June 2023), the Swiss National Library and its cooperation partner Gelbes Haus Flims take a winking, informative and entertaining look at the chalet. It approaches this Swiss phenomenon via the three focal points of longing, kitsch and building culture. It shows how the chalet became a romantic image of longing. It traces the path of the “Laubsägeli-Chalet” to becoming an export hit and, in small format, a souvenir. It presents current buildings that deal freely with this type of house.
A playful approach The exhibition offers a playful approach to the subject of the chalet from different angles and via different media: text, images, film, graphics, sound, interactive stations and objects. On the one hand, the exhibition makes use of loans: from toys and models to photographs of contemporary chalet buildings (e.g. by Gion Caminada) and “false chalets”, which are actually bunkers. On the other hand, collection holdings of the National Library are presented. For example, works from the Swiss Literary Archives (archives of the author Daniel de Roulet, his publication “Un dimanche à la montagne”), from the Prints and Drawings Department (small masters, posters) and publications on the subject of chalets from the General Collection will be shown.
Ultimately, the exhibition “Chalet” contributes to a more precise understanding of the phenomenon of the chalet, i.e. to answering questions such as: What makes a chalet? Why is it a symbol of the longing for alpine nature? And what does it mean at a time when many have moved to the countryside (for corona reasons)? In addition, the show shows what the contemporary chalet can look like and is thus also informative for those interested in architecture and design.
Varied accompanying programme to deepen the content On the one hand, the Swiss National Library has planned events for a broad public to accompany the exhibition: Concerts, readings, creative workshops, a silent disco, guided tours of the stacks and much more will be offered for young and old at both the Bern Museum Night on 17 March 2023 and the BiblioWeekend, the weekend of libraries open throughout Switzerland, on 25/26 March 2023. In addition, on 2 May 2023, the curator will give a guided tour of the exhibition. On the other hand, the National Library is focusing on digital cultural mediation: In the podcast “Gegensprecher”, four experts will explore the individual exhibition lines together with the curator and contribute their knowledge and views in conversation. In addition, on the website kleinmeister.ch, under the title “Chalets in all pictures”, historical pictures of Swiss houses from the National Library’s Prints and Drawings Department are prepared in such a way that viewers can immerse themselves in Switzerland’s early building culture.
Location promoters maintain a network that ranges from companies to educational and research institutions, specialist organizations and public institutions to creative personalities. On the one hand, they promote the location through image campaigns, trade fair appearances and through personal contact with investors. On the other hand, they are committed to innovation, support company settlements, support SMEs and start-ups and thus promote continuous development, the variety of industries and the innovative strength of a business location.
In Switzerland, around 300 people carry out the work of location promoters. There is currently no recognized professional qualification and no uniform training. The Swiss Association for Location Management (SVSM) is in the process of defining the job profile and coordinating and standardizing the training. In doing so, it relies on cooperation with universities, technical colleges and consulting firms.
Immo!invest spoke to two experienced professionals to find out which talents and qualities are advantageous for the job of location promoter, where the challenges lie and what they advise for those starting their careers.
To person Albert Schweizer has been head of real estate for the city of Schlieren since 1998 and has also been the promoter of the location since 1999. He completed an apprenticeship as a craftsman, obtained a diploma in real estate management in the very first SVIT training and completed his master's degree in real estate management at the FHS St. Gallen in 2004 as a real estate economist. From 1984 to 1998, Schweizer built up the management/purchase/sale department at a larger general contractor in eastern Switzerland. Today he is a founding member (2001) and board member of the SVSM as well as a board member of Bio-Technopark Schlieren, Start-Smart-Schlieren, IG Rietbach and Healthtechpark Zurich-Schlieren.
How does your day-to-day work look like, described in five sentences? In my job as Head of Real Estate and Location Promotion for the city of Schlieren, a high level of flexibility is required above all. Since I work in a cluster system, I constantly delegate tasks to those responsible. In addition, I oversee up to 15 parallel projects that require a lot of my time and attention. For this reason, I am not always immediately available at short notice.
What training is suitable for practicing the profession of location promoter? I have a master's degree in real estate from the St. Gallen University of Applied Sciences. I have also been active in the real estate scene for around 40 years. Basically, I am of the opinion that general training in the real estate sector is very well suited to working as a municipal location promoter.
Which talents and qualities are important? Far-sightedness, sustainability and especially perseverance are certainly of great advantage. You have to like people and real estate and you are forced to do all the required work from A to Z yourself.
What do you value most about your job? The work in the background and the chance to be able to make a difference personally.
Where do you see the biggest challenges? Like so many professions, ours will change completely and become more digital. You need a very large network. Internationality and the associated languages will be a major topic in the future.
In your opinion, how else will the job profile of location promoters change in the future? I think that in future there will be a need for uniform vocational training, or at least one course for the profession of location promoter with a corresponding qualification.
What advice would you give to young professionals in order to successfully gain a foothold in their profession? Above all, young real estate professionals should look at job advertisements from location promoters and continue their education.
What milestones and highlights have you achieved and experienced in your professional life so far? I was able to make a significant contribution to the fact that the city of Schlieren can look back from 650 company settlements in 2000 to 1200 in 2021. This pleasing development also created around 5,000 new jobs. In the city of Schlieren, I was able to successfully and sustainably introduce the biotechnology, start-up funding and medical/healthtech clusters.
To person Mario Epp completed his Masters in International Affairs and Governance at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) in 2018. After his internship at the Swiss Embassy in Baku, he worked as a project manager at Limmatstadt. Most recently, he was a campaign employee for the FDP before the Uri native took over his current job as project manager for location promotion for the canton of Uri in December 2021.
What training is suitable for practicing the profession of location promoter? The activity as a location promoter covers a wide range. That's why a generalist education, like the one I was able to enjoy at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) in International Affairs and Governance, is a great advantage. In my opinion, there is no such thing as perfect training: you don't learn how to promote a location during your studies, but through practice. I consider economic affinity, good project management skills and sociability to be key requirements.
What do you value most about your job? The diversity and in more ways than one: You meet a wide range of personalities with different backgrounds from all sectors. The field of activity is just as varied: it ranges from site visits with those interested in relocating to networking events to economic policy analyses. Hardly any day is like the other. Above all, I am convinced that Uri as a business location is wrongly underestimated. For the benefit of the population and economy of Uri, I can contribute to making even better use of the canton's potential. I really appreciate doing such a meaningful job.
Where do you see the biggest challenges? This certainly includes focusing on the essentials. The inquiries and concerns that are brought to the location promotion are just as varied as the profession. Assessing and prioritizing what is most likely to benefit the Uri location is a challenge.
In your opinion, how will the job profile of location promoters develop and change in the future? With the emerging global minimum taxation, Switzerland is losing a location argument that should not be underestimated. But fortunately, Switzerland and especially Uri have other convincing locational advantages. As a result, I assume that competition for new business in Switzerland will intensify. In addition, fueled by digitization and the home office trend, soft factors such as the quality of living and leisure time are increasingly becoming the focus. However, soft factors are more difficult to convey. I therefore assume that the role of location promoter will become even more important and that the profession will continue to gain importance as a result.
What advice would you give to young professionals in order to successfully gain a foothold in their profession? Knowing the trade of the location promoter is one thing. But what is just as important: Passion for your location. Without this passion, it will be difficult to attract companies and people to the location. I'm lucky here: I have strong ties to my home canton. That makes it easier to get people interested in the attractive Gotthard canton.
What milestones and highlights have you achieved and experienced in your professional life so far? The Uri Startup Week, which will take place for the first time in autumn, should certainly be highlighted here. In this way, the location promotion wants to inspire young companies and knowledge workers for the Uri location and emphasize its advantages. Another highlight is my work for the Swiss embassy in Baku, where I gained insights into diplomacy for a year and was also able to inform Azerbaijanis about Switzerland and get them excited about our country.
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