I grew up in Fahrnau, a small town in Germany, just on the fringes of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald). It is one of a handful of villages that sprung up along the Wiese (River) with Zell at one end and Loerrach on the other. Just south of Loerrach, the river crosses the border into Switzerland to then empty into the Rhine at Basel.
A rail line parallels the river all the way from Zell to Basel which is the main transportation hub for the entire area. Basel boasts an international airport, and no less than three separate railway stations (Swiss, German and French). My paternal grandfather was an engineer on the SBB (Swiss National Railroad). As a result, I became very fond of trains. I would always try to get a seat by the window from where I would look out intently. Even at a tender age, I would notice how dramatically the scenery suddenly changed when the train crossed into Swiss territory. The German side looked wild, almost unkempt; whereas the Swiss side looked very neatly manicured as if every blade of grass had been lovingly tended. This was understandable right after the war. Each side, though, had its own particular charm and I don’t mean to infer that one was better than the other. I was just struck by the difference, that’s all. Today, of course, there’s no longer any difference in the least.
The first Swiss town the train passes through (but does not necessarily stop at) is Riehen, a suburb of Basel. It is a postcard perfect, small village with many grand historic buildings and gated mansions along the main road that runs between Basel and the Swiss-German border. A notable exception is The Fondation Beyeler, a modern complex of exhibition halls, commissioned by Hildy and Ernst Beyeler to house their vast collection of mostly 20th Century European art. The museum was designed by famed architect Renzo Piano and opened in 1997. Some 200 works of classic modernism have since been on permanent display there, reflecting the period from Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh through Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Francis Bacon. The paintings appear alongside some two dozen objects of tribal art from Africa, Oceania and Alaska.
Seeing this museum was a must for me, especially as it is located in what I consider to be emotionally my stomping grounds. I balked at the rather high entrance fee but, never mind, everything in Switzerland is expensive. Inside, I was not allowed to take pictures, but the paintings were very familiar and are intimately known to anyone with even the most cursory interest in art. The venue was exceptionally well suited for its purpose. There are two floors, one of which can be considered as basement. It was there that the obligatory ‘Save the Earth’s Forests’ display had found a home in the form of stunning photographs by top photographers from around the world.
The setting for the Fondation Beyeler is no less spectacular than the art it displays. Tuellinger Hoehe, a green, grape (vine)-covered hill with an ancient church perched at the top, looms in the distance. Closer, around the perimeter of the museum, are apple and pear orchards. Brown cows with bells round out the idyll. Inside the perimeter, the gardens are fragrant. It was here that the accompanying pictures were taken. I understand that sometimes these grounds are used to display temporary garden sculpture exhibitions.
Peter Koelliker; pkoelliker8@yahoo.com
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