![Sample our Humanities journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5939/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Humanities.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Beyond the competition between several alpine states (Austria, Switzerland, France, etc.), the emergence of the alpine version of skiing is a complex process that combines the rise of winter tourism, technical developments enabling access to the mountain regions and the increasing sportification of leisure practices. Thus, it focuses on a period of time from the end of the nineteenth century up to the interwar, with specific attention to the late 1920s. Straddling tourism study, sport history and elite sociability, it is a process that has not been studied that much in the historiography. Through this contribution, our aim is to analyse the local conditions presiding over the emergence of ‘alpine skiing’, considering an episode played out in St. Moritz at a particular moment – the years leading up to and after the organisation of the 1928 Olympic Games – as indicators of more global processes. We based our analysis on the rich archives of the city of St. Moritz (political authorities, tourist office, hotel infrastructures, ski club), never really used in historical work on the birth of alpine skiing, and several other institutions such as international sports federations and national organisations.
KEYWORDS:
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Arnold Lunn, Switzerland. Her topographical, historical and literary landmarks (London: George H. Harrap, 1928), 159–60.
2 Richard Holt, ‘An Englishman in the Alps: Arnold Lunn, amateurism and the invention of Alpine Ski Racing’, The International Journal of the History of Sport 9, no. 3 (1992): 421–32.
3 Thomas Busset, Sébastien Guex and Markus Lamprecht, ‘La sociabilité sportive’, Traverse 3 (1998).
4 Ibid., 57–62.
5 Cédric Humair, Marc Gigase, Julie Lapointe Guigoz and Stefano Sulmoni, Système touristique et culture technique dans l'arc lémanique: analyse d'une success story et de ses effets sur l'économie régionale (1852–1914) (Neuchâtel: Alphil, 2014); Marc Gigase, Cédric Humair and Laurent Tissot, Le tourisme comme facteur de transformations économiques, techniques et sociales (19e-20e siècles) (Neuchâtel: Editions Alphil, 2014).
6 Thomas Busset, ‘Les balbutiements des sports d’hiver dans les Préalpes vaudoises’, Revue Historique Vaudoise 116 (2008): 41–55; Thomas Busset, ‘La diffusion du ski en Suisse jusqu’à l’entre-deux-guerres’, Traverse 1 (2016): 25–35.
7 Peter Engel, ‘The Discursive Construction of National Identity through the Swiss Magazine SKI Before World War I’, The International Journal of the History of Sport 30, no. 6 (2013): 598–616; Susan Barton, Healthy Living in the Alps: The Origins of Winter Tourism in Switzerland, 1860–1914 (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2008); Quentin Tonnerre, ‘The 1928 Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz : Tourism, Diplomacy and Domestic Politics’, The International Journal of the History of Sport 38 (2021), https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2021.1910238; Grégory Quin, ‘De la cure d’air à l’or blanc, une Interassociation Suisse pour le Ski face aux enjeux de l’essor du ski en Suisse (années 1920–années 1960)’, Histoire des Alpes 22 (2017): 135–55; Sébastien Cala, ‘Ski et tourisme dans la vallée de Joux, à la croisée des intérêts sportifs et touristiques (1899–1939)’, Entreprises et Histoire 93 (2018): 62–74.
8 Delphine Guex, Tourisme, mobilités et développement régional dans les Alpes suisses. Montreux, Finhaut et Zermatt du XIXe siècle à nos jours (Neuchâtel: Éditions Alphil, 2016).
9 Andrew Denning, ‘Alpine Modern: Central European Skiing and the Vernacularization of Cultural Modernism’, Central European History 46, no. 4 (2013): 850–90; Rudolf Müllner, ‘The Importance of Skiing in Austria’, The International Journal of History of Sport 30, no. 6 (2013): 659–73; Pierre Arnaud, ‘Olympisme et sports d’hiver: les retombées des Jeux Olympiques d’hiver de Chamonix 1924’, Revue de Géographie Alpine 79, 3 (1991): 15–36; Pierre-Olaf Schut and Eric Levet-Labry, ‘Les relations entre tourisme et sport autour des Jeux olympiques de 1924’, STAPS 105/3 (2014): 37–49.
10 Patrick Clastres, Delphine Debons, Jean-François Pitteloud and Grégory Quin, Gravir les Alpes du XIXe siècle à nos jours. Pratiques, émotions, imaginaires (Rennes : Presses Universitaires de Rennes, 2021).
11 Olivier Hoibian, ‘Sociogenesis of a Social Field: The Cultural World of Mountaineering in France from 1870 to 1930’, International Review for the Sociology of Sport 41, no. 3-4 (2006): 339–55; Jon Matthieu, ‘Alpendiskurs und Historische Forschungspraxis in der Schweiz’, Histoire des Alpes 1 (1996): 47–56; Jon Matthieu, ‘Conditions historiques de la spécificité montagnarde’, Revue d’histoire moderne et contemporaine 52, n° 2 (2005): 9–25; Jon Matthieu, ‘The European Alps – An Exceptional Range of Mountains? Braudel’s Argument put to the Test’, European Review of History 24, n° 1 (2017): 96–107.
12 Laurent Tissot, Construction d’une industrie touristique aux XIXe et XXe siècles: perspectives internationales (Neuchâtel: Éditions Alphil, 2003); Cédric Humair and Laurent Tissot, Le tourisme suisse et son rayonnement international (XIXe-XXe siècles) (Lausanne: Antipodes, 2011).
13 Susan Barton, ‘Creating resort identities and loyalties among British communities in Switzerland, 1870–1914’, in Recording Leisure Lives: Sports, Games and Pastimes in 20th Century Britain, eds. Robert Snape and Helen Pussard (London: Leisure Studies Association, 2009), 217–32.
14 Norbert Elias and Eric Dunning, Quest for Excitment. Sport and Leisure in the Civilizing Process (London: Basil Blackwell, 1986).
15 Grégory Quin, ‘Genèse et structure d'un interchamp orthopédique (première moitié du 19ème siècle): contribution à l'histoire de l'institutionnalisation d'un champ scientifique’, Revue d’histoire des sciences 64, no. 2 (2011): 323–47.
16 City of St. Moritz Archives (hereafter CSMA), Documentation Library, Documents from the tourist office, General correspondence and press announcements (1929–1931).
17 Stefan Hollinger, Graudünden und das Auto. Kontroversen um den Automobilverkehr 1900–1925 (Chur: Staatsarchiv Chur, 2008).
18 CSMA, Municipal Archives, Budgets and Annual Accounts 1916–1951.
19 CSMA, Documentation Library, Guest information (up to 2014), tourism data between 1921 and 1997.
20 Andrew Denning, ‘From Sublime Landscapes to ‘White Gold’: How skiing Tranformed the Alps after 1930’, Environmental History 19 (January 2014): 78–108; Grégory Quin and Sébastien Cala, ‘Structuration et promotion du ski en Suisse (années 1920–années 1960). Est-ce l’engagement des dirigeants ou les pentes des massifs qui expliquent l’essor du ski alpin helvétique?’, in Des réseaux et des hommes. Participation et contribution de la Suisse à l’internationalisation du sport (1912–1972), eds. Philippe Vonnard, Grégory Quin and Christophe Jaccoud (Neuchâtel: Alphil, 2019), 99–133.
21 Barton, Healthy Living in the Alps, 39.
22 Jim Ring, How the English made the Alpes (London: John Murray, 2000), 121.
23 Laurent Tissot, Histoire du tourisme en Suisse au XIXe siècle. Les Anglais à la conquête de la Suisse (Neuchâtel: Alphil, 2017).
24 Isabelle Rucki, Das Hotel in den Alpen. Die Geschichte der Oberengadiner Hotelarchitektur von 1860 bis 1914 (Zürich: ETH Verlag, 1989); Cordula Seger, Grand Hotel. Schauplatz der Literatur (Cologne: Bölhau, 2005).
25 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents related to the tourist office (up to 1984), Statutes of an office for tourism (and beautification of the city), 3rd March 1874.
26 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents related to the tourist office (up to 1984), Invitation to the founding meeting of an office for tourism, 21st June 1882.
27 Jürg Simonett, ‘Gengel, Florian’, in: Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, online www.dhs.ch (consulted 15th January 2021).
28 Marcella Maier, Claudia Kasper, Maja Gilli and Corina Huber, St. Moritz, Geschichte, Natur, Sport, Kultur (St. Moritz: Gammeter, 2002), 37.
29 Laurent Tissot, ‘Guide de montagne et moniteurs de ski en Suisse. Les difficultés d’une reconnaissance, début du 19ème siècle à nos jours’, in L’ENSA à la conquête des sommets. La montagne sur les voies de l’excellence, ed. Michaël Attali (Grenoble: Presses Universitaires de Grenoble, 2015), 105–24.
30 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents from the tourist office, Prospectus (1892–1909), winter sports programme 1908–1909.
31 Gian Andry Töndury, Graubündens Volkswirtschaft, Studie zur Volkswirtschaft Graubündens und Zukünftiger Ausbau der bündnerischen Wasserkräfte (Samedan: Engadin Press, 1946).
32 Rhätische Bahn, 50 Jahre Rhätische Bahn. Festschrift 1889–1939 (Davos: Buchdruckerei Davos AG, 1939).
33 Barton, ‘Creating resort identities’.
34 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents related to cable cars and funiculars (up to 2016), Annual report of Chantarella SA for 1912.
35 Until the First World War, the St. Moritzer Bank was very active, especially for the foundation of several luxury hotels, such as the Carlton, the Monopol or La Margna. Daniela Decurtins and Susi Grossmann, Auf Gedeih und Verderb. Zur Geschichte der Bündner Banken (Chur: Schweizerische Bankgesellschaft, 1994).
36 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents related to cable cars and funiculars (up to 2016), Annual report of Chantarella SA for 1922.
37 City of Lausanne Archives, Galland family documents.
38 Humair, Gigase, Lapointe Guigoz, Sulmoni, Système touristique et culture technique.
39 Ski-Club Alpina St. Moritz, 100 Jahre Ski Club Alpina St. Moritz (St. Moritz: Gammeter, 2004), 9.
40 Arthuro Reich, Ski-Club Suvretta. 1905–2005 (St. Moritz: Suvretta Ski-Club, 2005), 12.
41 CSMA, Documents from the tourist office, 1919–1931, Letter from Carl Nater to Walter Amstutz, 24 July 1929, Annexes, p. 1.
42 Rudolf Jilli, Gechichte des Ski Club Alpina St. Moritz 1903–1924 (St. Moritz: Ski-Club Alpina, 1924), 12.
43 Quin, Cala, ‘Structuration et promotion du ski en Suisse (années 1920 - années 1960)’.
44 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents from the tourist office, Prospectus (1892–1909), winter sports programmes for 1916 and 1917.
45 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents from the tourist office, Prospectus (1920–1928), winter sports programme for 1924–1925.
46 CSMA, Documentation Library, Guests information (up to 2014), tourism data between 1921 and 1997.
47 Arnaud, ‘Olympisme et sports d’hiver’.
48 CSMA, Documents from the City Council, Minutes from the City Council, 15th July 1925, 101.
49 Töndury, Graubündens Volkswirtschaft, 52.
50 CSMA, Municipal Archives, Budgets and Annual Accounts 1916–1951.
51 Ski-Club Alpina Archives (hereafter SCAA), Minutes of the Central Committee (1926–1932), Minutes of the General Assembly of 24th June 1926, 1.
52 Ibid., 2.
53 SCAA, Annual Accounts (1911–1939).
54 La Gazette de Lausanne, 14th November 1927.
55 SCAA, Documents related to the 1928 and 1948 Olympic Games, Correspondence about the ski competitions of 1928, Letter from William Hirschy to Rudolf Jilli, 22nd February 1927.
56 Martin Candrian, Suvretta House, St. Moritz, Since 1912 (Zurich: NZZ, 2012), 90.
57 SCAA, Annual reports (1920–1932).
58 Quin, Cala, ‘Structuration et promotion du ski en Suisse (années 1920 – années 1960)’.
59 Swiss Olympic Archives, Reports on the 1928 Olympic Games, Report from the organising committee.
60 Fédération Internationale de Ski Archives (hereafter FISA), Documents about the congresses, Minutes of the 1928 Congress, 5.
61 Ibid., 14.
62 Ibid., 22.
63 CSMA, Documents about the 1928 Olympic Games (Box 13/6/1), Financial report, 20th May 1928.
64 Schweizerischer Skiverband, Jahrbuch des Schweizerischer Skiverband - Jubiläums Jahrbuch (Zurich: Schweizerischer Skiverband, 1929), 210–12.
65 CSMA, Documents from the tourist office (1919–1931) (Box 43/19/1), Job description for the new director position, 5th February 1929.
66 Ibid., Letter from the Consul of the United States of America, 27th April 1927.
67 Ibid., Letter from Walter Amstutz to Carl Nater, 1st June 1929.
68 Ibid., Letter from Walter Amstutz to Carl Nater, 17th June 1929.
69 Der Schneehase – Jahrbuch des Schweizerischen Akademischen Skiklubs 1 (1924–1927), 31.
70 Ibid., 24.
71 Der Schneehase – Jahrbuch des Schweizerischen Akademischen Skiklubs 30 (1972–1974), 39.
72 La Gazette de Lausanne, 28th November 1928.
73 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents from the tourist office, General correspondence and press announcements (1929–1931).
74 Guex, Tourisme, mobilités et développement régional dans les Alpes suisses.
75 Interview with Silvia Glatthard, 17 October 2019.
76 Angelo Morandi, 50 Jahre Skischule St. Moritz. 1929–1979 (St. Moritz: Schweizerische Ski-Schule St. Moritz, 1979), 17.
77 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents from the tourist office, Prospectus (1928–1934), winter sports programme for 1928–1929, p. 12.
78 La Gazette de Lausanne, 8th January 1937.
79 Journal de Genève, 25th December 1932.
80 Colette, Lettres à Marguerite Moreno (Paris : Flammarion, 1959), 79.
81 Müllner, ‘The Importance of Skiing in Austria’, 661.
82 CSMA, Documents related to the Ski-School of St. Moritz (Box 43/21/1), Letter from the Director of the Sports shop OCH, 20th March 1931.
83 CSMA, Documents related to the Ski-School of St. Moritz (Box 43/21/1), Letter from the Director of the Sports shop OCH to the City president, 27th November 1931, 1.
84 Tissot, ‘Guide de montagne et moniteurs de ski en Suisse’.
85 Morandi, 50 Jahre Skischule St. Moritz, 47.
86 CSMA, Documents related to the Ski-School of St. Moritz (Box 43/21/1), Die Ski Schule (SMISC), n° 1, 1932, p. 2.
87 CSMA, Documents related to the Ski-School of St. Moritz (Box 43/21/1), Les écoles suisses de ski, 1933, p. 57.
88 CSMA, Documents related to the Ski-School of St. Moritz (Box 43/21/1), Die Ski Schule, p. 4.
89 Sébastien Cala and Grégory Quin, ‘Le ski … un sport “alpin” et dirigé par des Suisses?’. Revue STAPS 125/3 (2019): 89–105.
90 Fritz Pieth, 50 ans de l’Interassociation suisse pour le ski (Bern: IASS, 1982), 53.
91 Association des Ecoles Suisses de Ski, 50 ans de l’AESS, rapport annuel pour l’année 1983–1984 (Andermatt: AESS, 1984), 14.
92 Association des Ecoles Suisses de Ski Archives, Minutes of the General Assemblies (1933–1991), Minutes of the meeting of 13th September 1934.
93 Michael Lütscher, Schnee, Sonne und Stars. Wie der Wintertourismus von St. Moritz aus die Alpen erobert hat (Zurich: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 2014), 83–5.
94 FISA, Documents about the congresses, Minutes of the 1930 Congress, 19.
95 Quin, ‘De la cure d’air à l’or blanc’, 139.
96 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents from the tourist office, Prospectus (1934–1940), winter sports programme for 1933–1934.
97 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents from the tourist office, Prospectus (1934–1940), winter sports programme for 1933–1934, 3.
98 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents from the tourist office, Prospectus (1934–1940), winter sports programme for 1934–1935, 5–6.
99 Denning, ‘From Sublime Landscapes to ‘White Gold’’.
100 Engadiner Post, 8th February 1934.
101 CSMA, Documentation Library, Documents from the tourist office, Prospectus (1934–1940), winter sports programme for 1937–1938.
102 Tonnerre, ‘The 1928 Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz’.
103 Quentin Tonnerre, Grégory Quin, ‘“Les Suisses n’iront pas à Melbourne pour n’avoir pas trouvé d’avion convenable”. Histoire d’une non-participation Olympique (1948–1956)’. Revue Suisse d’Histoire 67, n° 3 (2017): 343–60.
104 CSMA, Documents from the tourist office (1919–1931) (Box 43/19/1), Annual report for the 1922/1923, 5.
105 CSMA, Documents from the tourist office (1919–1931), Annual reports for 1924–1930.