Hans Brühlmann Circular Route, Station 7

Gugg and Federal Councillor Forrer

In 1902, Ludwig Forrer was elected to the Federal Council as the "Lion of Winterthur", where he headed six different departments over the course of time and was President of the Swiss Confederation several times. The busy man occasionally complains at the regulars' table in Winterthur that he can never edit his trial papers undisturbed. He is constantly distracted. He is recommended a very secluded place where foxes and hares would say good night to each other. Forrer visits Vättis and rents a room for the time being. He likes the secluded location and paradisiacal tranquillity of the mountain village on the Calanda. He had the Gugg holiday home built with a master builder from Winterhur and with Vättner craftsmen from the Kohler brothers. His day's work in alpine surroundings always begins with the processing of correspondence from the Federal Republic of Bern. The magistrate of the Reformed denomination, who had travelled here, seemed strange to the purely Catholic inhabitants at first. Numerous anecdotes confirm the gradual process from initial rejection to mutual habituation and appreciation. He was a speaker at the 1st of August in Vättis several times.