Heimat. Tracing the Story of Mitholz

Mitholz has been dealt a double blow: in 1947 a military ammunition depot exploded in this unassuming village in the Bernese Oberland. Nine people died and numerous houses were destroyed. In 2020 the Swiss Federal Council decided to retrieve the munitions that remained entombed in the mountain. This will necessitate the village residents leaving their homes in ten years’ time – and they will not be able to return for another ten years. In its next major exhibition, the Swiss Alpine Museum is accompanying the inhabitants of Mitholz through their struggle. Parallel to the process of the inhabitants, the exhibition traces the evacuation steps and asks about current issues such as the handling of hazardous waste, the relationship to risk and the responsibility towards future generations.