125 Jahre/ans/anni/years

The Gotthard: from Favre’s tunnel to AlpTransit

Repubblica e Cantone Ticino Dipartimento del territorio

Centro interdipartimentale di storia della Svizzera «Bruno Caizzi»

Locarno, Piazza Grande,Palazzo della Sopracenerina

17 – 18 – 19 October 2007

International Study Conference on transalpine routes

2

Organisational committee:

Wanda Burà – Rosalba Guidotti – Elena Salvioni – Mario Zanetta Department of the Territory, Canton Ticino, Bellinzona

Azienda Elettrica Ticinese

Sponsored by: With the participation of:

Scientific committee:

Riccardo De Gottardi, Department of the Territory, Canton Ticino, Bellinzona Carlo G. Lacaita, Università degli Studi, Milan Fabrizio Panzera, Canton of Ticino State Archive, Bellinzona Roberto Romano, Università degli Studi, Milan

Città di LocarnoServizi culturali

�125 Jahre/ans/anni/years

An international study conference to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Gotthard line and to discuss the future of the transalpine routes

While the revolution in transport was an essential aspect of the process of modernisation, the construction of the transalpine tunnels was undoubtedly one of the crowning achievements of this revolution. The international study conference scheduled for the autumn of 2007, marking the 125th anniver-sary of the Gotthard rail tunnel (and close on the heels of the centenary of the Simplon Tunnel), has two main objectives:

1. to review the main phases in the bold undertaking to excavate long railway tunnels through the Alps, and in particular to remember the greatest 19th-century achievement of its kind, the Gotthard line;

2. to go beyond the historical record and consider the future of the Gotthard line (and the transalpine routes generally), taking into account the eco-nomic and environmental factors, and to discuss present and future Euro-pean transport policy.

The International Study Conference will comprise two parts: the first (17th and 18th October 2007) will be devoted to the historical aspects; the second (19th October) will focus on how the railways and the political authorities in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and the European Union are facing the challenge of building new transalpine routes.

In 1982, the Cantonal School of Commerce organised – with Bruno Caizzi and Dino Jauch and with the participation of, among others, Jean-François Ber-gier – an international study conference entitled Genesis of an Alpine Railway, 1882-1982, which stimulated a great deal of interest, as is evident from the proceedings published by the “Bollettino Storico della Svizzera Italiana”. The task now is to review and update the topics discussed at that time, widening the scope to include all transalpine routes, whether under construction (Alp-Transit) or planned for the future.

Contents of the Conference

With the participation of:

�

• to present a picture of the transalpine crossings that existed before the railway age, from medieval to modern times

• to reconstruct the debates surrounding the first Alpine tunnels

• to commemorate the role of Alfred Escher, the Zurich industrialist who founded Credit Suisse, in the building of the Gotthard line

• to underscore the roles played by Ticino and Milan in discussing and building the Alpine lines

• to depict the economic and commercial development made possible by the major tunnels and the transalpine rail routes

• to analyse the social and health-related, technological and environmental aspects of building the major Alpine tunnels, then and now

• to study the relationships between the Alpine tunnels, regional railways and the origins of mass tourism

• to acknowledge the process of European integration brought about by the con-struction of the first of the major tunnels, and to predict the influence high-speed lines may have

• to reflect on how Switzerland, Germany, Italy and the European Union are facing the challenge posed by the new rail routes

• to debate the importance of the new Gotthard route for Ticino, Lombardy and the cantons straddling the Gotthard massif

Objectives of the Conference

Audience

The target audience comprises:

• politicians and business people at national and European levels

• academics (specialising in economics, the sciences and communications)

• representatives of the Swiss and European media

• history students and those interested in economic history, with particular reference to transport and trade

• Swiss and European associations and public and private-sector bodies

• representatives of the worlds of technology, engineering, economics and finance

• senior high school teachers and students with an interest in history and transport

5125 Jahre/ans/anni/years

3.00 pm Registration

4.00 pm Welcome from the political and academic authorities

4.30 pm The role of the Alps in European history from the Middle Ages to the 19th century Jean François Bergier, Prof. Emeritus, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich

FIRST SESSION 5.00 pm-7.00 pm

Transalpine routes, from roads to railways Chaired by Jean François Bergier,

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich 5.00 pm St. Gotthard in Medieval Times

Giuseppe Chiesi, Office of cultural Heritage, Department of the Territory, Bellinzona 5.20 pm Transalpine crossings in the modern era

Marina Cavallera, Università degli Studi, Milan 5.40 pm The railways and the conquest of the Alps as debated by

engineers in the nineteenth century Alberto Gabba, Institute of Technology, Milan

6.00 pm Discussion

Transalpine routes from the Middle Ages to the railway age

Day One, Wednesday 17th October 2007

�

Switzerland, Europe and the Alpine rail routes in the 19th and 20th centuries

SECOND SESSION 9.30 am-12.00 noon

From the Gotthard to the Simplon line

Chaired by Fabrizio Panzera, Canton Ticino State Archive, Bellinzona

9.30 am Zurich, Ticino, Northern Italy and the Gotthard Carlo Moos, University of Zurich

9.50 am Alfred Escher, Credit Suisse and the construction of the Gotthard line Joseph Jung, Corporate History Credit Suisse Group, Zurich and University of Fribourg

10.10 am The political and symbolic significance of the Gotthard for Switzerland Hans Ulrich Jost, University of Lausanne

10.30 am Coffee break

Chaired by Roberto Romano, Università degli Studi, Milan

10.50 am The Gotthard line during World War II Gilles Forster, University of Geneva

11.10 am The beginnings of tourism in Switzerland and the opening of the transalpine railway lines Laurent Tissot, University of Neuchâtel

11.30 am Industrial and transport archeology: the St. Gotthard railway line through the mountains Giulio Foletti, Office of Cultural Heritage, Department of the Territory, Bellinzona

11.50 am Discussion

12.15 am Buffet

7125 Jahre/ans/anni/years

THIRD SESSION 2.00 pm-6.00 pm

The Alpine rail routes and their effect on society, health, the environment and the economy

Chaired by Carlo G. Lacaita, Università degli Studi, Milan

2.00 pm Alpine tunnelling technology from the 19th century to the present day Andrea Giuntini, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

2.20 pm Excavation techniques and their social effects Stefano Maggi, University of Siena

2.40 pm From the Gotthard to the Simplon. The diseases suffered by miners on the Gotthard and the origins of industrial medicine Raffaele Peduzzi, University of Geneva – Cantonal Centre for Alpine Biology, Piora

3.00 pm Construction of the rail routes and their effects on the Alpine region and its cities Gian Paolo Torricelli, Academy of Architecture Università della Svizzera Italiana, Mendrisio - Università degli Studi, Milan

3.20 pm Coffee break

Chaired by Guglielmo Scaramellini, Università degli Studi, Milan

3.40 pm Intermodal transport through the Alps: a model to follow? Michèle Merger, Institute of Modern History (National Centre for Scientific Research), Paris

4.00 pm Postwar options for new rail services through Switzerland: European, Swiss and regional politico-economic aspects Remigio Ratti, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano

4.20 pm The new rail routes and their effects on the economy and the region Lanfranco Senn, Università Bocconi, Milan

4.40 pm Discussion

5.30 pm Carlo G. Lacaita, of the Università degli Studi, Milan, will report on Bruno Caizzi’s studies and present the new edition of Bruno Caizzi’s “Suez and St. Gotthard” (first published in 1985)

7.00 pm Official drinks party with the participation of various cantonal and municipal authorities

Day Two, Thursday 18th October 2007

8

8.30 am Registration

FOURTH SESSION 9.00 am-11.45 am

Current projects and future developments

Chaired by Ulrich Weidmann, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich

9.00 am To the borders and beyond Ulrich Weidmann, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich

9.20 am Swiss transport policy: a survey of the last 15 years and future prospects Toni Eder, Deputy Director of the Federal Office for Transport, Berne

9.40 am Future developments in transport and logistics Stefano Arganese, Managing Director DHL Freight Central Eastern Europe, Zurich

10.00 am Coffee break

10.20 am Opening up the rail networks to competition Bernhard Kunz, Director of HUPAC SA, Chiasso

10.40 am The technical challenges of interoperability Enrico Grillo Pasquarelli, Head of the Directorate-General for Energy and Transport (Directorate E – Land Transport), Brussels

11.00 am Discussion

11.45 am Buffet

European policy on transalpine rail routes

9125 Jahre/ans/anni/years

FIFTH SESSION 1.30 pm-5.00 pm

The new Gotthard line, Switzerland and Europe

Chaired by Remigio Ratti, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano

1.30 pm Ticino and the new Gotthard route Marco Borradori, Cantonal Councillor, Head of Department of the Territory, Canton Ticino, Bellinzona

1.50 pm The Gotthard cantons and the modernisation of the rail network Rita Fuhrer, Chair of the Gotthard Committee, Zurich

2.10 pm Lombardy and the new rail routes Raffaele Cattaneo, Councillor responsible for infrastructure and mobility, Lombardy Regional Government

2.30 pm Coffee break

Chaired by Lanfranco Senn, Università Bocconi, Milan

2.50 pm Europe and the major railway projects Edgar Thielmann, Acting Director, Trans European Networks for Energy and Transport, Brussel

3.10 pm Germany and the new railway projects Joachim Fried, Corporate Representative for European Affairs, Competition and Regulation, Deutsche Bahn AG, Berlin

3.30 pm Italy and the new railway projects Mauro Moretti, Managing Director, Ferrovie dello Stato/Italian State Railways, Rome

3.50 pm How the SBB/CFF/FFS (Swiss Federal Railways) view future developments Andreas Meyer, CEO of SBB, Berne

4.10 pm Discussion and conclusions

Day Three, Friday 19th October 2007

10

Terms of participation and registration fees

17-18-19 October: attendance throughout the Conference, written documentation, conference proceedings and coffee breaks/buffet Fee: CHF �50 before 15.09.2007 CHF 400 after 15.09.2007

17-18 October: attendance on the two days devoted to historical topics, written documentation, conference proceedings and coffee breaks/buffet Fee: CHF 250 before 15.09.2007 CHF 300 after 15.09.2007

19 October: attendance on the final day devoted to transport policy, written documentation, conference proceedings and coffee breaks/buffet Fee: CHF 150 before 15.09.2007 CHF 200 after 15.09.2007

Students: the cost of attending the Conference is CHF 100.–.

Deadline for registration and payment: 8th October 2007

You can register online at the following website www.ti.ch/sangottardo

or download an application form from the website and send it to the Conference Secretariat.

Registration

11125 Jahre/ans/anni/years

Date: The Conference begins on Wednesday 17th October 2007 at 4.00 p.m. and ends on Friday 19th October 2007 at 5.00 p.m.

Venue: Locarno, Piazza Grande, Palazzo della Sopracenerina (SES)

Overnight: The Ente Turistico Lago Maggiore will be pleased to help you accommodation: find your required accommodation. You can obtain more detailed

information by visiting www.maggiore.ch.

Languages: Each speaker will speak in his or her own language. There will be simultaneous translation into English.

Website: www.ti.ch/sangottardo

E-mail: dt-sm@ti.ch

Contact Conference Secretariat persons: Mobility Section Elena Salvioni - Rosalba Guidotti – Wanda Burà Via Lugano 23, 6500 Bellinzona Tel. +41 91 814 49 01/02 Fax +41 91 814 49 09 Cellphone: +41 79 685 59 68

General information

Palazzo SES

Stazione FFS Locarno

Foto

grafi

a ra

ppre

sent

ante

la c

ostru

zione

del

la li

nea

velo

ce. U

n m

omen

to d

i fes

ta d

uran

te i

lavo

ri in

cor

so. F

onte

: ww

w.a

lptra

nsit.

ch/g

alle

ria