The Tag für Alle, which we helped organize in Guttannen in September last year, was a participatory event dedicated to the Gmeinswärch and its cultural and social significance in the village. The day culminated in the presentation of two films, talks, and a temporary exhibition that explored both historical and contemporary dimensions of communal labor and land use in the region.

An important part of managing the Allmenden (communal pastures)  was the maintenance of the pastures surrounding the village. Each spring, these had to be cleared of branches and stones. This was particularly labor-intensive following (regularly occurring) avalanches. The work was carried out as what was known as Gmeinswärch - a communal effort in which everyone who wanted to drive livestock onto the Allmend in summer was obliged to participate. It was clearly regulated and documented who was required to contribute, when, and how much. Established routines and collective labor by village members thus connected the management of shared pastures with the community’s resilience in the face of natural forces.

Due to the transformation of agriculture, the introduction of hydropower in the region in the 1930s, and a concurrent shift in the management of Allmenden, the form and meaning of this system as a cornerstone of community life has evolved in recent decades, even though it continues to be practiced today.