Schwanden rebuilds landslide-hit quarter three years later

Three years after a landslide devastated the Plattenau quarter in Schwanden, a village in the canton of Glarus, the area has been rebuilt and was formally inaugurated on August 29, SRF reported.

On August 29, 2023, about 30,000 cubic metres of earth slid down onto the village near Wagenrunse. A huge mudflow followed. The disaster forced 112 people to evacuate, damaged 40 houses and led to the demolition of 15 buildings. No one was injured.

Earth, mud and rubble buried the Plattenau quarter. Over the following months and years, houses were demolished, renovated or rebuilt, while residents also faced significant emotional strain.

The quarter was redesigned through a collaboration between the neighbourhood association and the OST University of Applied Sciences. The project included new public spaces, paths, meadows and hedges. Sixty OST students worked with 40 members of the neighbourhood association to develop the plans.

Insurance covered the renovation of the houses, but some public and private spaces, paths, meadows and gardens were not insured. Neighbourhood association president Jürg Hefti, whose own house also had to be renovated, approached OST two years ago. The university also helped raise funds, bringing in 500,000 Swiss francs.

The rebuilt quarter now includes a new square with a tree, a fountain and benches. Its paving is made from slabs of Verrucano rock, material that came down from the mountain during the landslide. A memorial stone commemorates both the natural disaster and the reconstruction.

Some final work remains, with construction machinery and scaffolding still visible in places. Most of the rebuilding is complete, however, allowing residents to look ahead to a new chapter.