Best of 2023
Dancers, Thurbo cows and fling rooms: these are the eastern Swiss stories of the year
A man dances through St.Gallen, a cow is transported in the Thurbo and the people of Eastern Switzerland indulge in their secret sex affairs: the year 2023 has produced many headlines and emotional stories. We have summarized the most emotional ones for you.
The man who dances through St.Gallen
Suddenly he was there and has been dancing through the old town ever since, smiling conspicuously. In June we revealed the secret about the dancer from St.Gallen, and Eastern Switzerland was more enthusiastic than ever. The video about Andrzej Weber was viewed over 200,000 times on the “Tagblatt” Instagram account alone. The dancer calls himself an outdoor performer. The alleys of the old town are his stage. Weber ended up in St.Gallen “to get healthy”.
Andrzej Weber danced his way into the hearts of the people of St.Gallen.
Bild: Thi My Lien Nguyen
In 2021 his life got out of sync – burnout. Traumas from his childhood caught up with him, isolation and working from home. He suffered from panic attacks. Sometimes he crawled on all fours. Weber decided to leave, away from his family in Glarus. His intuition brought him to St.Gallen. “A small town, some people are a bit reserved, but many are warm-hearted here.” After a key experience that began in the emergency room, he decided to come to terms with himself. Now he goes outside for at least four hours every day. 40,000 steps, sometimes 60,000 a day.
“When I dance, I don’t feel time”: Andrzej Weber dances exuberantly and always with headphones through the streets of St.Gallen “Now people want to dance with me”: The dancer from St.Gallen on his fame, reactions, social media and what brings him back to the ground
When a cow learned to drive a train
The waves rose high around a cow that traveled on a Thurbo train from St.Fiden to Muolen at the end of February. Of course, she didn’t do this alone. A group of young farmers accompanied the animal. They also had a blue bucket with them just in case. While the video amused many people, employees of the St. Gallen Veterinary Office were dismayed by the incident.
Next stop Wittenbach: The young men with the cow on the Thurbo train.
Image: pd
As a result of the unusual transport, the public prosecutor’s office in the canton of St.Gallen examined whether an applicable law had been violated and later initiated legal action. The animal owner received a penalty order, which is now legally binding. Thurbo, on the other hand, turned a blind eye – even though the involuntary transport of livestock was associated with considerable risk for the animal and the other passengers. However, the transport company took the incident with humor. The train driver had already been informed in advance and drove into the station slower than usual. “I had to decide quickly,” he said at the time. “The train was full, the situation seemed to be under control – so I decided to stick to the timetable and take the group with the cattle with me.”
The Winki woman from Kreuzlingen
In April we visited a then 72-year-old Kreuzlingen woman who stands every day at the roundabout between Waschaderloh and Kreuzlingen and waves to the truck drivers. “As a thank you,” she said. The senior citizen has now been standing at the roundabout every day and in all weathers for three years. She also knows some of the drivers personally. She was even allowed to ride in the truck twice. Although it was a great experience, the 72-year-old basically doesn’t want to be taken along.
Thumbs up: Some truck drivers honk and get more than a wave from the woman from Kreuzlingen.
Photo: Sabrina Bächi
Initially, several people informed the police that there was a woman standing at the roundabout waving to truck drivers. “The police now have my phone number and can ask me whether I’m the person I’m referring to.” Around 90 percent of all drivers would wave back. Only the Austrians are actually unfriendly. The woman from Thurgau emphasized several times that it was not about her person. That’s why she kept her name to herself. The drivers don’t know who she is either. But they recognize her. “Some people honk far ahead before they see me because they know my car.” She wanted to stop a few times, but the drivers always said she wasn’t allowed to. “It is so nice and very important for them that someone thinks of them and gives them joy.”
“In the beginning, people called the police.” For three years, this woman from Kreuzlingen has been standing on the street every day waving to truck drivers
Once secret – now forgotten: The 56 nuclear bunkers in the Romanshorn forests
On a sunny but cold February morning, our reporter set out to search for clues about the hidden secret army bunkers buried in the ground in the Romanshorn Forest. The rumor had persisted at many regulars’ tables for years, and people were always talking about secret doors and hatches in the forest floor. The Thurgau Office for Archeology frowned and when asked they said: “There is nothing there. At least nothing has been discovered yet.”
Every bunker had at least one such turret, which served as a lookout, entrance and air supply.
Images: Raphael Rohner
Even an inquiry to the army didn’t provide much more clarity. It was only Kaj-Gunnar Sievert, media spokesman for the Federal Armaments Office, Armasuisse, who shed some light on the darkness: “There are a total of around 20 shelters in the forests near Romanshorn. All of the properties were built before 1975 and have been closed for years.” However, our reporter’s research showed that there were not 20, but 56 military installations hidden in the forests around Romanshorn. Some were even larger shelters that served as battalion command posts.
The nuclear-safe shelters were once so spartan.
The interior of a bunker in the Romanshorn Forest.
In a clearing in the forest it also became clear that the bunkers are by no means permanently locked. With a strong tug the bolts could be pushed back and the armored door opened. The future of these forgotten facilities is uncertain. Kaj-Gunnar Sievert from Armasuisse ruled out renewed military use: “These are buildings that are outdated from a security and military perspective.”
The fact that the search for the bunkers at the Federal Armaments Office wasn’t exactly a source of joy was shown by the fact that several entrances found during the research were welded shut a short time later.
Once secret – now forgotten: 56 army nuclear bunkers rediscovered in the forests around Romanshorn “I’m not surprised that forgotten bunkers can still be found today”: Kreuzlingen’s bunker association hopes that the citizens of Romanshorn will be interested
On the trail of lizard people, freemasons and unicorns
Since Corona at the latest, conspiracy theories have reached the heart of society. These worldviews are fueled by the internet and social media. In February, one of our journalists mingled with a group of conspiracy believers and followed them through St.Gallen on a search for freemasons, pharaohs and giants.
From lizard people to chemtrails, almost every conspiracy theory is represented on the city tour through St.Gallen.
Illustration: Oliver Marx
Conspiracy theorist Mario, whose real name is different, chose the place in front of the library as the starting point for his “St.Gallen for Insider” city tour. Because a caste of pharaohs that is thousands of years old and descended from reptilian extraterrestrials rules the world, and there is a lot of evidence of this in the St.Gallen Abbey Library. Around 30 members came together that day to attend the tour “with a focus on Freemasonry, Pharaoh symbolism and special ‘insider places’”.
Hardly anyone today doesn’t have someone in their circle of friends who regularly shares interesting links. Pascal Wagner-Egger, a lecturer at the University of Friborg, has been researching conspiracy theories for 20 years. 20 to 30 percent of people believe in VT, says Wagner-Egger. The belief is strong in around 10 percent.
On the trail of lizard people, freemasons and unicorns: a city tour through St.Gallen with conspiracy believers
Welcome to the affair room
Absolute discretion is required in the 17 affair rooms in Eastern Switzerland that we examined at the beginning of the year. Erwin Anderhub (name changed) from Thurgau is holding the reins. On his website Seitensprungzimmer.ch he writes: “The purpose of the Seitensprungzimmer is to offer people – couples, lovers, as a couple, as a couple or whatever – an opportunity to enjoy discreetly and without time pressure in a pleasant atmosphere.” He built a business out of flings. But he doesn’t feel guilty about it because: “It’ll be done one way or another.”
Maid outfit in the affair room in Neuhausen am Rheinfall.
Image: Andrea Tina Stalder
His website made Anderhub the croissant of the scene. The Amriswil native has been in the business for 17 years. His website currently lists more than 70 such fling rooms in German-speaking Switzerland between Flamatt and Obervaz. He runs seven of them himself. The other providers pay to be present on the website. In the past ten years, the desire for BDSM has also increased. This is a sexual preference in which punishment, pain of pleasure, bondage as well as dominance and submission are played out. Erwin Anderhub says: “Many people got a taste for it with the film ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’.” In Thurgau there are now regulars’ tables where inexperienced people can get started and find ways to immerse themselves in this world.
Secret pleasure in Eastern Switzerland Cheating between whirlpool and whips: Welcome to the affair room
Sex meeting and photo shoots: The neglected Walensee motorway service station
In January, our reporter painted a picture of a place that hovers between nostalgia and vandalism – and not only attracts journalists, photographers and models. The abandoned “Walensee” motorway service area has been neglected for 20 years. It is more popular than ever, especially among young people.
The acceleration lane is not the problem for the rest stop.
Images: Raphael Rohner
After several incidents made national headlines, local residents demanded that the former rest stop be made permanently inaccessible. Among other things, sex parties took place in the rooms and there were fires several times. The Glarus canton police showed understanding for the population’s displeasure, and even though they occasionally patrolled the site, it was not the police’s job to guard these ruins. Even on the day our reporter was there, the abandoned rest stop was busy: two young women posed in little dresses in front of a young photographer’s camera. Enthusiasm among the boys: “It’s so horrible in here that it’s somehow beautiful again.”
The service area has been owned by the Austrian Peter Moravcik since 2013, but he gave up the business two years ago. The number one obstacle was the Federal Roads Office (Astra), which kept putting obstacles in his way. However, an inquiry with the Astra revealed that the Federal Office had long wanted to buy the motorway service station itself, but so far no agreement could be reached due to different price expectations.
Sex meetings and photo shoots: The Walensee motorway service area has been neglected for 20 years
Compilation: Valentina Thurnherr
2023-12-31 04:02:54
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