Thunersee - Christian Helmle Fotograf

Thunersee
Christian Helmle
Der Thunersee vom Niesengipfel aus
Thunersee seen from the peak of the Niesen
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Wie ein Gemsjäger
Lesestücke zu Christian Helmles See- und Sehstücken
Konrad Tobler
„Die besonders gegen Thun hin sehr freundlichen
Ufer sind mit Dörfern und Landhäusern bekränzt;
über den klaren Wasserspiegel und waldgekrönte
Vorberge hinaus erhebt sich der Blick zu den
majestätischen Hochgebirgen des Oberlandes und
des Wallis.“
Allgemeine deutsche Real-Encyklopädie für die gebildeten
Stände. Conversations-Lexikon.
Leipzig (Brockhaus) 1855
Es ist ein Wagnis. Es ist ein Wagnis, Bilder vom Thunersee zu
machen. Der Thuner Fotograf Christian Helmle hat das Wagnis gewagt. Und ich wage es, über das Wagnis zu schreiben,
das besteht, wenn es um das Schreiben über Bilder geht,
die es wagen, den Thunersee zu zeigen – und zwar so, wie
er nicht bekannt ist. Um das Unbekannte zu erkennen, ist
es notwendig, sich zuerst einmal über manch Bekanntes
Gedanken zu machen, zusammenzutragen, was andernorts
teils bereits zusammengetragen worden ist. So ist dieser Text
eigentlich nichts anderes als eine Materialsammlung, die
Helmle hinzuführen versucht.
Das Munitionslager Die Thunersee-Gegend ist Naturlandschaft, selbstverständlich vermessene: Der See ist 17,5 Kilometer lang und maximal 3,5 Kilometer breit. Seine Fläche
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beträgt 47,69 Quadratkilometer. Die maximale Tiefe beträgt
217 Meter. Und seit 2011 wird rund um den Thunersee ein
56 Kilometer langer Panorama-Wanderweg mit mehreren
grossen Hängebrücken angelegt: Eroberung oder, milder,
Erschliessung der Natur, um mit Sicherheit jene Bilder zu
generieren, die wir im Kopf haben. In erster Linie haben
wir diese Gegend eben als Naturlandschaft im Kopf und
vor den Augen. Gerade weil die Thunersee-Gegend als Naturlandschaft gesehen wird, spiegelt der Begriff der Natur
eine kulturelle Kategorie: Die Thunersee-Gegend ist Kulturlandschaft par excellence. Manches davon ist sichtbar: die
Städtchen und Dörfer, die Schlösser und Kirchen, die Strassen und Tunnels, die Eisenbahnlinien und die Bergbahnen,
die Schifffahrt, die Rebberge, die Lawinenverbauungen, die
Weiden, der Armeeübungsplatz. Manches ist verborgener,
wie die Panzersperren und die getarnten Bunker oder die
Thun-Schadau. Sigriswiler Grat, Niederhorn und die Alpen
Thun-Schadau. Sigriswiler Grat, Niederhorn and the Alps
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The Dwarf and Ovid A quick journey through the recurring appearances of the Niesenthroughout a long cultural
history tradition:
ferred to as “a Yesen,” derived from Enzian [gentian] (Gentiane–jensana–Jiese–Niese–Niesen).
Marti, a.k.a. Benediktus Aretius.
1567–1577: A map by the Bern city doctor Thomas Schoepf
1605: Thun pastor Johann Rudolf Rebmann composes a
14,200-verse poem on the subject of the Niesen and the
Stockhorn dining together.
1733: Bern naturalist Albrecht von Haller climbs the Niesen
during his fourth Alpine journey.
1774–1778: Caspar Wolf creates his now-famous Alpine
views for the Wagner’sches Kabinett in Bern.
1788: The Bern professor Georg Tralles determines the
height of the Niesen from the level of the Thunersee at
7,340.5 feet, or 2,408 meters.
1805: An account by Bern pastor and folksong composer
Gottlieb Jakob Kuhn of his journeys on foot on the Niesen.
1825: The German poet August von Platen embarks on
hunting trips in the Niesen region and composes the
poem “An die Diana des Niesens,” or “To the Diana of the
Niesen.”
1910: The Niesenbahn railway opens on the 15th of July.
1998: An exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Thun [the Thun
Art Museum]: “Der Niesen–Ein Berg in der bildenden Kunst”
[“The Niesen: A Mountain in Visual Art”].
2001–2002: The Berghaus Niesen is renovated and expanded by Bern architects Aebi & Vincent. This project is a good
example of contemporary architecture in the Alps, moving
beyond the chalet style.
As everyone knows, however, there is more to the Thunersee landscape than just the Niesen. It is also the backdrop
for drama and not always idyllic. One such tragedy is mentioned by Jacob Grimm in his Deutsche Mythologie (1835) in
Morgenstimmung in Einigen
Dawn in Einigen
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the Thunersee with Ovid’s Metamorphoses,or, to be precise,
with the tale of Philemon and Baucis.
The legend goes as follows: “This story is told of two places
… Ralligen, a little village on the lake of Thun … and again,
of Schillingsdorf, a place in the valley of Grinderwald, previously destroyed by a landslide. One night, during a tremendous storm of wind and rain, a dwarf came travelling
through a little village and went from cottage to cottage,
dripping with rain and knocking on doors to be let in. None
took pity on him however, and no one would open the door
to receive him; it was quite the contrary, the inhabitants even
mocked him in his distress. At the very end of the village
there dwelt two honest poor people, a man and his wife.
Tired and faint, the dwarf leaned on his staff and crept up to
their house where he humbly rapped three times at the little
window. Immeiately the old shepherd opened the door for
him and cheerfully offered him what little the house afforded. The old woman produced some bread, milk, and cheese:
the dwarf sipped a few drops of the milk, and ate some
crumbs of the bread and cheese. “I am not used,” he said,
laughing, “to eat such coarse food: but I thank you from
my heart, and may God reward you for it; now that I am
rested, I will proceed on farther.” “God forbid!” cried the
good woman; “you surely don’t think of going out in the
night and in the storm! It would be better for you to take a
bed here, and set out in the daylight.” But the dwarf shook
his head, and with a smile replied, “You know little of what
business I have to do this night on the top of the mountain.
I have to provide for you too; and tomorrow you shall see
that I am not ungrateful for the kindness you have shown to
me.” So, saying this, the Dwarf departed and the worthy old
couple went to rest. But at break of day they were awaked
red sky, and torrents of water poured down the hills and
through the valley. A huge rock now tumbled from the top
of the mountain, and rolled down toward the village, carrying in its course along with it trees, stones, and earth. Men
and cattle, every living and breathing thing in the village was
buried beneath it. The waves had now reached the cottage
of the two old people, and in terror and dismay they stood
out before their door. They then beheld in the middle of the
stream a large piece of rock approaching, and on it, jumping merrily, was the dwarf, as if he were riding and steering
it with a great trunk of a pine till he brought it before the
house, where it stemmed the water and kept it from entering the cottage, so that both the good owners and their
cottage escaped destruction. The dwarf then swelled and
grew higher and higher till he became a monstrous giant,
and vanished into thin air while the old people prayed to
God, thanking him for their deliverance.”
This little legend offers an indirect indication of the rugged
nature that also characterises the topography of the Thunersee, and of the geological unrest that has inhabited these
unquiet masses of rocks for millennia.
Soul Landscape
the Thunersee was possessed by a similar state of unrest.
His name was Heinrich von Kleist, and he left the restless
city of Paris to travel to Thun via Basel and Bern. He was
astonished to discover that Switzerland in 1802 was, in political terms, far from peaceful. At the time, Thun was still
the capital of the canton of Oberland. In his luggage, and
within his mind, Kleist brought with him the writings of
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Morgenstimmung im Gwatt
Dawn in the Gwatt
Einigen. Schreckhorn
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Der Thunersee vom Niederhorn aus
Thunersee seen from Niederhorn
Blick von Beatenberg gegen den Niesen
View of the Niesen from Beatenberg
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Das Justistal mit Niederhorn und Sigriswiler Grat
Justistal with Niederhorn and Sigriswiler Grat
Das Karrenfeld mit Seefeld und Berner Alpen
The Karrenfeld with Seefeld and Bernese Alps
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Das Nebelmeer über dem Bödeli. Eiger, Mönch und Jungfrau
The sea of fog above the Bödeli. Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau
Vorsass Beatenberg. Nebel über dem See, Stockhornkette
Vorsass Beatenberg. Fog above the lake, Stockhornkette
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bei Oberhofen
The
Schwarzenegg. Zulgschlucht
am Obersee
Dissipating fog at the Obersee
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Christian Helmle, 1952 geboren
Seit 1982 freischaffender Fotograf.
Arbeitet heute vorzugsweise an Langzeitprojekten.
Eidgenössisches Stipendium (1987), Fotopreis der
Stadt Thun (1999), Fotopreis des Kantons Bern (2006)
Artist in residence in Kairo (1993), Tunis (2000) und
Berlin (2005).
Ausstellungen in der Schweiz, Kairo, Tunis, Berlin,
Bangladesch.
Karrenfeld, report Verlag, 2000
Zum Beispiel Thun, Ott Verlag, 2003
Weiße Elefanten, jovis Verlag 2007
Autofriedhof
Waterpower, jovis Verlag, 2012
www.christianhelmle.ch
Christian Helmle (*1956) works as a freelance
photographer since 1982; today, he prefers
working on long-term projects.
Awards: Eidgenössisches Stipendium (1987),
Fotopreis der Stadt Thun (1999), Fotopreis des Kantons
Bern (2006).
Artist in residence in Cairo (1993), Tunis (2000) and
Berlin (2005).
Exhibitions in Switzerland, Cairo, Tunis, Berlin, and
Bangladesh.
Karrenfeld, report Verlag, 2000
Zum Beispiel Thun, Ott Verlag, 2003
White Elephants, jovis Verlag, 2007
Autofriedhof, Editions Jordi, 2008
Waterpower, jovis Verlag, 2012
www.christianhelmle.ch
Konrad Tobler (*1956), Studium der Germanistik und
Philosophie.
1992 bis 2006 Kulturredaktor der Berner Zeitung.
Seit 2007 selbständiger Autor.
Buchpublikationen (Auswahl):
- mit Christian Helmle: Weiße Elefanten. jovis Verlag
Scheidegger & Spiess
Christian Grogg, Alois Moosbacher, Christine Streuli,
Wolfgang Zät, Martin Ziegelmüller.
In Vorbereitung:
- Frank Geiser, Architekt. Das Werk 1955–2010.
Scheidegger & Spiess
www.konradtobler.ch
Konrad Tobler (*1956) studied German literature and
philosophy.
From 1992 to 2006, he was cultural editor of the Berner
Zeitung.
He has worked as an independent culture journalist and
author since 2007.
Impressum
Dr. Jon und Rosmarie Keller-Jäggin, Thun
Helmle AG, Thun
Gemeindeverband Thuner Amtsanzeiger
Kanton Bern
Stadt Thun
Gemeinde Beatenberg
Gemeinde Oberhofen
Viva Thunersee, Thun
Die Mobiliar, Bern
Meyer Burger Technology AG, Thun
Brügger Architekten AG, Thun
AEK Bank 1826, Thun
Annette Wirth, Thun
Verkehrsbetriebe STI AG, Thun
Parkhaus Thun AG
Alle Rechte vorbehalten.
All rights reserved.
Umschlagmotiv Cover: Der Thunersee vom Niederhorn aus
Thunersee seen from Niederhorn
Übersetzung Translation: Alison Kirkland, Ashford (UK)
Englisches Lektorat English editing: Justin Ross, Berlin
Gestaltung und Satz Design and setting: jovis:
Susanne Rösler, Berlin
Lithography: Bild1Druck, Berlin
Druck und Bindung Printing and binding:
DZS GRAFIK d.o.o., Ljubljana
Nationalbibliothek
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese
Selected book publications:
- with Christian Helmle: Weiße Elefanten. jovis Verlag
.
Scheidegger & Spiess
- art monographs on artists including Gunter Frentzel,
Christian Grogg, Alois Moosbacher, Christine Streuli,
Wolfgang Zät, Martin Ziegelmüller
http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar.
Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche
Nationalbibliothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the
Under development:
- Frank Geiser, Architekt. Das Werk 1955–2010.
Scheidegger & Spiess
www.konradtobler.ch
are available on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de
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Marlene Helmle
Michael Streun
Raffaella Chiara
Johannes Saurer
Wilfried und Anne-Gabrielle von Gunten
Christof, Martin und Heidi Helmle
Urs Dolder
Markus Cavelti
Daniel Schneebeli
Hansjörg und Verena Schneider
Lukas und Rebecca Wahlich
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© 2016 by jovis Verlag GmbH
Das Copyright für den Text liegt bei Konrad Tobler.
Das Copyright für die Abbildungen liegt bei Christian
Helmle.
Text by kind permission of Konrad Tobler.
Pictures by kind permission of Christan Helmle.
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ISBN 978-3-86859-417-1
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