Swiss national sports
Three traditional Swiss sports: wrestling, stone throwing, and Hornussen.
Switzerland has three traditional national sports: Schwingen (Swiss wrestling), Steinstossen (stone throwing), and, considered more loosely, Hornussen. At the 1855 Federal Gymnastics Festival in Lausanne, Swiss wrestling and stone throwing were featured as "national gymnastics." This was a deliberate contrast to the German gymnastics system created by Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, as these homegrown disciplines were seen as especially fitting for the Swiss people.
The roots of all three sports reach back to the late Middle Ages. They were typically held during church dedications, shooting festivals, or other community events like the move to Alpine pastures and midsummer celebrations. A theory by Hans Georg Wackernagel about a pentathlon for young herdsmen cannot be verified. Still, these contests, often called "Old Confederate," stayed especially popular in the Alpine regions. During the 1600s and 1700s, Swiss wrestling and Hornussen became mostly confined to the Entlebuch, Emmental, and Haslital areas.
The Unspunnen festivals of 1805 and 1808, part of a patriotic revival during the Helvetic and Mediation periods, were an early attempt to give these "shepherds' games" wider recognition. However, it was only in the later 1800s that they—particularly Swiss wrestling—gained a larger following. A wrestling manual published in 1864 by Bernese doctor Rudolf Schärer introduced the sport to gymnasts. The success of federal wrestling festivals, often combined with yodeling and alphorn performances and involving Swiss costume associations, led to the founding of the Federal Swiss Wrestling Association (ESV) in 1895. The Hornusser formed their national association, the Eidgenössischer Hornusserverband (EHV), in 1902. Since 1907, both groups have shared a common publication, the *Eidgenössische Schwinger-, Hornusser- und Jodlerzeitung*. The ongoing success of these two federations—with about 5,100 active members in the ESV and 8,000 in the EHV as of 2005—is largely due to how closely athletic competition and traditional customs are woven together in these sports.
From the Reformation onward, the German phrase *Ringen und Schwingen* shows that the old Confederacy recognized two types of wrestling.
- Field
- Traditional sports
- Nationality
- Swiss
- Known for
- Schwingen, Steinstossen, Hornussen
- Active members esv 2005
- ~5,100
- Active members ehv 2005
- ~8,000
Lore & Background
All three disciplines go back to late-medieval contests, most often held in connection with church dedications, shooting festivals, or other popular occasions such as the ascent to the Alpine pastures or midsummer celebrations. A kind of pentathlon contested by young herdsmen, as posited by Hans Georg Wackernagel, cannot be confirmed. The contests often described as 'Old Confederate' nevertheless remained popular above all in the Alpine regions. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the practice of Swiss wrestling and Hornussen retreated to the Entlebuch, the Emmental, and the Haslital.
In the wake of the patriotic revival movement of the Helvetic and Mediation periods, the Unspunnen festivals of 1805 and 1808 were a first attempt to give these so-called 'shepherds' games' supra-regional resonance. But only in the second half of the 19th century did they—above all Swiss wrestling—gain a broader following. The wrestling manual published in 1864 by the Bernese physician Rudolf Schärer made the combat sport known among gymnasts. The success of the federal wrestling festivals led to the founding of the Federal Swiss Wrestling Association (ESV) in 1895. The Hornusser federated nationally in 1902 as the Eidgenössischer Hornusserverband (EHV), and since 1907 the two associations have published a common organ, the Eidgenössische Schwinger-, Hornusser- und Jodlerzeitung.
Reader's Guide
The Swiss national sports represent a unique blend of athletic competition and traditional Alpine culture. Schwingen, or Swiss wrestling, involves gripping the opponent's trousers and throwing them so both shoulder blades touch the ground, with bouts lasting ten to twelve minutes under modern rules. Stone throwing (Steinstossen) uses stones weighing up to 200 pounds, thrown for distance or at a target, and gained prominence at the Unspunnen festivals with an 83.5 kg erratic boulder. Hornussen is a bat-and-ball team sport where strikers propel a synthetic projectile (hornuss) toward an opposing field, where interceptors try to stop it with paddles. The continued success of the two sports federations—with around 5,100 active members for the ESV and 8,000 for the EHV in 2005—is largely explained by the close intertwining of athletic and traditional elements. Major events like the Unspunnen Festival and Federal Wrestling Festival award the winner a young bull (Muneli). The sports have deep roots in late-medieval contests and remain particularly popular in Alpine regions, with Hornussen practiced mainly in the canton of Bern.
Did You Know?
- Swiss wrestling and stone throwing were included in the 1855 Federal Gymnastics Festival in Lausanne as 'national gymnastics'.
- The Unspunnen stone, an 83.5 kg erratic boulder used since 1905, was stolen by Jura separatists in 1984 and again in September 2005.
- The Federal Swiss Wrestling Association (ESV) was founded in 1895, and the Hornusser federated nationally in 1902.
- In 2005, the ESV had around 5,100 active members and the EHV had 8,000.
More in Swiss folklore 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced