EN Fourteen views of the Oberland beyond Thun, 1793/1796

Thun Castle, which we see here in the middle of the picture, is the town's landmark. Its tower was built between 1180 and 1190 and overlooks the old town.
The texts accompanying the views of the picturesque journeys not only contain historical and geographical details, but also tell us something about the way of life and the character of the local people. The inhabitants of Thun, for example, are described as friendly and hospitable, happy to offer travelers a share of their abundance.

The view from the landing stage of the ships at the Ziegelhütte to the south brings various country houses of wealthy citizens into focus, including that of a Mr. Delosea on the right or the Schadau estate behind it, which belonged to a Mr. May at the time. The mountains of the Bernese Oberland rise up in the background: The Blümlisalp (3660 m above sea level) and the striking pyramid of the Niesen (2362 m above sea level).

Oberhofen Castle was built around 1200 and became the property of the Bernese after the Battle of Sempach in 1386. The castle has only been a museum since 1954.

Built on a peninsula in Lake Thun, Spiez Castle is said to have been constructed as a medieval fortress as early as the 7th century. Various families took turns to own the castle until it was sold to the newly established Spiez Castle Foundation in 1929.

The small town of Unterseen was founded in the 13th century on the banks of the Aare opposite Interlaken Abbey. In 1386 it came to Bern, which took it under its wing as an outpost against the monastery. The monastery, on the other hand, tried by all means to hinder the development of the municipality, as a cluster of houses had also formed on the monastery side, namely Aarmühle, which the monks wanted to protect against competition. In 1891, this settlement finally took over the name of the former monastery and was henceforth known as Interlaken. Unterseen, on the other hand, is more of an insider tip today.

The Interlaken monastery was founded around 1130 at the latest and gave its name to the settlement next to it. In the 19th century, Interlaken was a popular destination for Germans, who occupied half of the hotels. The town was important for tourism, as it was possible to reach various places in the Bernese Oberland from here in a day without spending a lot of time or money.

Unspunnen Castle was built at the beginning of the 13th century and belonged to many noble families before it became the property of the Canton of Bern. Today, only ruins remain, as the building was abandoned from 1533. The first Unspunnen Festival was held around these ruins in 1805. As the Bernese Oberland was an area quite cut off from the rest of Switzerland (then still called the Helvetic Republic), this festival was intended to overcome the urban-rural divide. Today, it takes place every twelve years or so and has become a traditional Swiss festival where you can watch the wrestlers and listen to alphorns. The festival is also known for its stone throwing competition, in which the "Unspunnenstein" is used. The latter became famous because it was stolen by Jura autonomists in 1984 and returned 17 years later - after a slight detour via Belgium. The Unspunnenstein, a symbol of Swiss folklore, was stolen again in 2005 and has not yet been recovered.

In Zweilütschinen, the paths divide into the Lauterbrunnen Valley and Grindelwald. The Weisse Lütschine flows down from the former and the Schwarze Lütschine from the latter, both of which flow together here. Especially after heavy rainfall, the different colors of these two waters can be beautifully observed. A few scattered cottages make up this place, which "[...] is very welcome to the tired and thirsty hiker who can refresh himself there with a glass of wine, cheese and bread. Its inhabitants, the gold-spotted trout, are very numerous and are prized above all other regions; there are very large and smaller ones in abundance, the former of which are often shot with rifles in their rock holes."

Grindelwald owes its reputation to its two glaciers, which attracted mainly English tourists from the end of the 18th century. From around 1850, mountaineering began to become popular and mountain guides climbed the peaks with tourists. From the end of the 19th century, the construction of railroads made access to Grindelwald easier and winter tourism developed, as did the first cable car in the Alps to the Wetterhorn in 1908.

"Majestically reddened from morning or evening, this glacier rises over dark fir trees. The gigantic Wetter- Kamm- and Engelhörner stretch their barren peaks up into the ether, and it is as if a voice were whispering through nature: 'I am more beautiful than my brothers in Grindelwald, lonely and unclimbed; silence rests on my wide snow fields; on me there was no material for the history of the human race, and even the high-flying eagle strays in the middle of my rock building. The most beautiful vantage point from which to view this glacier is probably the bridge leading over the Reichenbach."

Meiringen is the main town of the Hasli district. The accompanying text emphasizes the town's role in the frequent uprisings of the rural population and the fact that no major battles were ever fought in the valley and that Meiringen is made up of not exactly beautiful houses.

The Wiler Bridge marks the border between the Bernese bailiwicks of Interlaken and the Haslital. The author writes about the fall of the Öltschibach, which is prominently depicted in the background: "It is strange that this Oltschenbach, which far surpasses the Staubbach in majesty and broad outflow and deserves to be seen nearby, has to give way to the latter in terms of reputation [...]. And so this waterfall has the fate of many a deserving man, and is not where it deserves to be, so as not to be misjudged."

Brienz gained its importance as a transfer station for goods and people from Lake Brienz to the road over the Brünig into central Switzerland. The people of Brienz themselves exported the well-known Sbrinz cheese from the 16th century onwards, but especially in the 18th century.

In the text accompanying this view, we learn the following about the landscape painters' approach: "Among the manifold vistas that present themselves to the artist's inquiring eye, he often finds it difficult to make a choice in expansive objects that would form a whole on paper or canvas, which would offer contrast and interest in all objects at the same time. Sometimes he wishes to have a more interesting foreground before him, sometimes he wishes to have more water and less meadows stretching into infinity, sometimes he is forced to help himself with large shadows, with groups of clouds, or to make the empty grounds more pleasing to the eye with figures. But this view has no need of that. Everything contrasts here, and the flat and empty areas are supported by groups of trees, rocks and masonry. The old and the romantic blend with newer architecture. The picturesque mills on the foot of the hill are made even more pleasant by arbors and canopies."