Forget the overblown silliness of WWE – did you know that Switzerland has its own centuries-old wrestling heritage? It’s called Schwingen, it’s hugely popular across the country and a key component of the sport is, in fact, the shorts that competitors wear, as a new exhibition at Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum demonstrates.
These Swiss wrestling shorts allow competitors to grab, grapple with and throw their opponent, meaning they need to be incredibly strong. You can find out just how strong at Ballenberg’s ‘yanking upwards’ station, allowing visitors to grab and yank a pair of shorts for themselves to test the durability.
But there’s far more to the exhibition – brilliantly named ‘Who Wears the Trousers?’ – than just short-yanking. Ballenberg’s curators have used Swiss wrestling shorts as a springboard to delve into the rich history, traditions and crafts that have built and evolved the sport.
Aside from the wrestlers themselves, a huge range of people are involved in making Schwingen what it is, such as the artisans who build the trophies and the many musicians who’ve soundtracked the public events over the centuries. ‘Who Wears the Trousers?’ tells their stories as well.
Many of the exhibits are gifts from the collection of a family who know Swiss wrestling perhaps better than anyone: two-time Swiss Wrestling Champion Karl Meli and his daughter Irène, also a wrestler. But don’t think for a moment that you need to know about Swiss wrestling heroes in order to enjoy this exhibition; the beauty of ‘Who Wears the Trousers?’ is that it appeals to all, from complete newcomers to passionate fans.
Even if you don’t have any knowledge of the sport whatsoever, browsing through vintage wrestling magazines, racks of trophies and nostalgic photo albums will be an insightful and hugely fun introduction.
For the headline exhibit, however, we need to revert back to the shorts. ‘Who Wears the Trousers?’ holds the largest pair of Swiss wrestling shorts in the world, measuring a mighty 1.80 to 2.70 metres (depending on how far they’re stretched, that is), crafted by one of Ballenberg’s skilled saddlers.
Once you’ve finished being wowed by those not-so-short shorts and learned some Schwingen essentials, take time to explore the rest of Ballenberg. As Switzerland’s only open-air museum, the museum provides an invaluable window into the past through its 100-plus historic buildings, spread across more than 60 hectares.
These faithfully recreated buildings – including stables, barns and farmhouses – provide a fascinating glimpse into Swiss life through the centuries, and enable visitors to take part in traditional crafts and activities, fully immersing them in a different world. There may even be a few culinary treats on offer as you wander.
Book your ticket for ‘Who Wears the Trousers?’ at Ballenberg now and start wrestling your way back through time: ballenberg.ch/en/who-wears-the-trousers.