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Matterhorn Museum Zermatlantis.

UNIQUE AUTHENTIC TRADITIONAL EXCITING ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTRUCTIVE INTERESTING TRUE ATTRACTIVE ORIGINAL

.ch Zermatt around 1850 a unique interactive presentation

A subterranean world opens up underground under the glass dome adjacent to the village church: Zermatlantis. You enter rooms as they looked in days gone by in Zermatt. Experience how the people of the poor farming village tried to ward off the forces of nature with God’s help. How mountaineers conquered the surrounding mountains and 4000-metre peaks and how the fatal fall of four climbers on the first ascent of the changed life in Zermatt for ever. Experience the myth of Zermatt and the Matterhorn for yourself through state-of-the-art pres- entation techniques. The farming village that became a world- famous holiday resort. And you can’t say that you’ve really been to Zermatt until you have gazed at the original torn rope from the first ascent.

A world from the past has been excavated, a forgotten village reappears. Visit the old houses, immerse yourself in the world of mountain farming families, mules, mountain and the very first tourists. Experience here how the inhabitants of Zermatt lived in 19th century, when there were no mountain railways and ski lifts, and the first English mountaineers arrived in the village.

Special exhibitions The museum has regular special exhibitions and offers the perfect backdrop for cultural performances.

Private and Corporate Events The Museum premises can be used for private functions outside of normal opening hours (on request). Museum concept and design: Steiner Sarnen Schweiz Highlights

A The rope from the first ascent

TheB original rope from the first ascent – a hemp rope – is housed inC the museum, like a valuable relic behind toughened glass. In 2005, the Swiss rope manufacturer Mammut reproduced the D original rope and tested its tear resistance. A rope like this would onlyE hold 150 kilogrammes – the four mountaineers on the first ascent,F who fell despite being attached to the hemp rope, had no chance.G

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I A J B The discovery of human remains on the Theodul K TheC ‘soldier’, the discovery of human remains with coins, shoes, L fragmentsD of clothing and a variety of weapons, is an archaeolog- icalM sensation. He was discovered by locals on the E in 1985. This is the second most important discovery of human N remainsF in the Alpine region – following ‘Ötzi’, the Ice man, who O cameG to light on an Austrian glacier in 1991. P H A Q I B R J C Prehistoric stone axe from the Neolithic period S K TheD impressive green stone (eclogite) axe was discovered in 1959 T aboveL Furgg on the road to the . A traveller could E U haveM lost it. However, this seems unlikely as it is of a respectable F V sizeN and would have been extremely valuable in its time. The G scientificW community assumes that it was intentionally put there O H asX a votive offering. It originates from the Neolithic period (about P rd th theI 3 to 5 millennium BC). Y Q J Z R K S L T M U N V O W P X Q Y R Z S

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The audio guide (chargeable) offers a unique opportunity to get to know olden-day Zermatt from the viewpoint of two different people:

Edward Whymper 1850 – 1911 was born on 27th April 1840 in . Like his father, he learned woodcarving as a trade. He became famous through the tragic first ascent of the Matterhorn on 14th July 1865. He wrote books and guides and undertook expeditions. Edward Whymper died on 16th September 1911 in .

Hannes Taugwalder 1910 – 2007 Hannes Taugwalder was born on 21st December 1910 in Zermatt and grew up there. He left the valley, then worked as the Director of a knitwear factory and became a self-employed manu- facturer of women’s and children’s clothing. He has also written several novels, short stories, poems, radio plays and stage plays. He describes his childhood memories in Zermatt in his book ‘The Lost Valley’. Readers are introduced to the everyday life of a mountain farming family in the years following the First World War. 1 2 3 4 1 1 5 1 2 2 1 6 2 1 3 3 2 2 7 3 1 1 4 1 4 3 3 81 4 2 2 5 2 5 1 4 4 92 5 3 3 6 3 6 2 5 5 1 103 6 4 4 7 4 7 3 6 6 2 114 7 5 5 8 5 8 1 4 7 7 3 125 8 6 6 9 6 9 1 2 5 8 8 4 136 9 7 7 10 710 2 3 6 9 9 5 147 10 8 8 11 811 1 3 4 7 10 10 6 158 11 9 9 1 12 912 2 4 5 8 11 11 7 169 12 10 10 2 6 13 1013 3 12 5 8 9 12 Hotel 1710 13 11 11 3 14 1114 4 6 71 10 13 13 9 1811 14 12 12 4 82 15 1215 5 14 7 10 11 19 1413 Church12 15 13 Gallery 5 16 1316 6 8 93 12 (Gallery) 15 15 11 2013 16 14 14 6 17 1417 7 9 104 13 16 16 12 2114 17 15 15 7 115 18 1518 8 17 10A 13 14 Matterhorn22 18 1716 room 15 16 1 8 Alpine12 19 1619 9 11Museum6 15 18 18 B 14 Hotel 2316 Tea19 House17 Dairy 17 2 9 137 20 1720 10 19 12 15 16 1918 A C 2417 20 18 3 Mountain10 14 21 1821 11 20 Guides’13 Hut 168 17 House 20 Research 2518 21 19 19 Laboratory B 11D 4 15 22Vicarage 1922 12 Granary A 14 9 18 21 21 17 2619 22 20 20 5 C 12E 16 23 2023 13 15 Mule 10 19 22 22 B 18 2720 23 21 21 6 Drivers13 24 24 14 Barn D 1711 21 Barn23 Barn House16F 19 20Church 28 2322 C 21 24 22 7 14 25 2225 15 E 17 1812 21 24 24 G 20 2922 25 23 23 8 D 15 26 2326 16 18 1913 22 25 25 F 21 3023 26 24 24 16H A9udioE Guide2014 Menu: 27 2427 17 26 19 22 23 31 2625 G 24 27 25 10 Introduction17 I 21 / Welcome28 2528 18 House – Window F 20 15 24 27 27 23 3225 28 26 26 11 MountainH 18 J Guides’ Hut29 2629 19 Dairy 21 2216 25 28 28 G 24 3326 29 27 27 12 RescueI 19 Sledge2317 30 2730 20 29Granary 22K 25 26 34 2928 H 27 30 28 13 Historic20 Alpine Museum31 2831 21 Barn II J 23 2418 27 30 30 L 26 3528 31 29 29 14 I Mountain21 Guides’ Bench32 2932 22 House 24 2519 28 31 31 K 27 3629 32 30 30 22M 15 J Hotel Monte2620 Rosa – Staircase33 3033 23 32Barn I 25 28 29 3730 33 3231 L N 31 16 Hotel23 Monte27 Rosa – Reception34 3134 24 Church K 26 21 30 33 33 29 3831 34 32 32 17 TeaM24 OHouse 35 3235 25 Vicarage 27 2822 31 34 34 L 30 3932 35 33 33 18 N 25 2923 36 3336 26 35 28P 31 32 40 3534 M 33 36 34 19 The26 museum is accessible37 to wheelchairs3437 27 Tour: approx. 1h O 29 3024 33 36 36 Q 32 4134 37 35 35 20 N 27 38 3538 28 30 3125 34 37 37 P 33 4235 38 36 36 28R 21 O 3226 39 3639 29 38 31 34 35 43 3837 Q 36 39 37 22 29S 40 3740 30 FreeP entry32 3327 36 39 39 35 4437 40 38 38 23 R 30T 41 3841 31 • Swiss33 Museum3428 37 Pass 40 40 Q 36 4538 41 39 39 • 24RaiffeisenS 31 3529 ‘Maestro’,42 ‘VISA’ or ‘MasterCard’3942 32 41 cards 34U 37 38 46 4140 R 39 42 40 25 32 43 4043 33 • SwissT 35 Pass,3630 Swiss39 Flexi Pass and Swiss Youth42 Pass42 V 38 4740 43 41 41 26 S 33 37 44 4144 34 43 36 3931 40 43 U W 4841 44 42 42 34 27 T 3832 45 4245 35 44 37 40 41 49 4443 V 42 45 43 28 35X 46 4346 36 U 38 3933 42 45 45 41 5043 46 44 44 29 W36Y 47 4447 37 39 4034 43 46 46 V 42 5144 47 45 45 30 X 37 4135 48 4548 38 47 40Z 43 44 52 4746 W 45 48 46 31 38 49 4649 39 Y 41 4236 45 48 48 44 5346 49 47 47 32 X 39 50 4750 40 42 4337 46 49 49 Z 45 5447 50 48 48 33 40 51 4851 41 Y 43 4438 47 50 50 46 48 51 49 49 34 41 52 4952 42 Z 44 4539 48 51 51 47 49 52 50 50 35 42 53 5053 43 45 4640 49 52 52 48 50 53 51 51 36 43 54 5154 44 46 4741 50 53 53 49 51 54 52 52 37 44 52 45 47 4842 51 54 54 50 52 53 53 38 45 53 46 48 4943 52 51 53 54 54 39 46 5044 54 47 49 52 53 54 40 47 51 48 50 5345 54 41 48 52 49 51 5446 42 49 50 52 5347 43 50 51 53 5448 44 51 52 54 49 45 52 50 53 46 53 51 54 47 54 52 48 53 49 54 50 51 52 53 54 The First Ascent of the Matterhorn

History Between 1857 and 1865, 15 unsuccessful attempts were made on the Matterhorn from the Italian side and 3 from the Swiss side. In July 1865, London-born Edward Whymper made a further attempt with the Italian mountain guide Jean-Antoine Carrel. As Whymper waited for good weather in Breuil / Cervinia, he heard that Carrel had set out for the Matterhorn with an Italian roped party. By chance, Whymper met Lord Francis Douglas and learned of his intention to conquer the summit from Zermatt with .

Departure On 12th July, Whymper and Douglas reached Zermatt through the Theodul Pass and met the mountain guide , who was also planning the ascent with the Reverend and D. Robert Hadow. They decided to make the ascent together and also involved Peter Taugwalder’s son, also called Peter. They spent the night at the foot of the Matterhorn on 13th July and on 14th July 1865 at 3.40 a.m. climbed onto the rock pyramid on the Hoernli Ridge (Hörnligrat). The higher they climbed, the more diffi- cult the ascent became – the inexperienced Hadow relied on help. The Triumph 14th July 1865, 1.40 p.m.: The group stood together on the Matter- horn summit. There were no traces of their Italian competitors. Whymper spied the Italians far below. The victors drew attention to themselves with cries of joy and by throwing stones down the mountainside. Carrel recognised Whymper by his brightly-colour- ed trousers and disappointed began his descent. The Disaster After an hour, Croz, Hadow, Hudson and Douglas roped up to their strong rope and started their descent. Taugwalder senior also se- cured Douglas, the last in the party. He used his thin reserve rope, which was the only one he had available. Whymper, father and son Taugwalder followed in a second rope party. Douglas noticed Hadow’s lack of confidence and asked Whymper to rope himself to Taugwalder senior. The seven men now formed a single rope party. To secure them, Taugwalder senior tied the fixed club rope that connected him to Whymper to a rock spur. Hadow suddenly slipped and pulled Croz, Hudson and Douglas with him. The impact of the auxiliary rope hit Taugwalder senior and injured his hands and chest, then severed off. The four unfortunate men plummeted down the North wall. The three survivors were deeply shocked and spent the night under the Hörnli shoulder. Whymper wrote later that, at sunset, they saw shadows that looked like crosses above the . On Saturday morning 15th July they arrived back in Zermatt.

The Rescue The following day, Whymper climbed with three Anglican priests and five foreign mountain guides to the . They discovered the shattered bodies of Hadow, Croz and Hudson. They only found Douglas’ gloves, one shoe and his belt. The body re- mained missing. The three dead were buried in the compacted snow of the glacier. On the orders of religious and secular author- ities, the corpses were transferred to Zermatt on 20th July. Croz was buried with Roman Catholic rites in the cemetery, Hadow and Hudson were buried outside of the cemetery by an Anglican priest. Hadow’s bones were later transferred to England, and Hudson’s remains were enclosed within the altar of the Anglican Church in Zermatt. The Epilogue The court decided that Hadow was to blame for the accident. And yet no crime had been committed. Malicious tongues later claimed that Whymper or Taugwalder senior had cut through the rope to save themselves. The two suffered badly from this accu- sation. The tragedy brought worldwide attention to Zermatt and had a lasting effect on tourism development in the village. Matterhorn Museum Kirchplatz 11 CH-3920 Zermatt Tel. +41 (0)27 967 41 00 [email protected]

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