INTERVIEW - Das Swissair-Grounding und die Schweiz: «Das Misstrauen gegenüber der Wirtschaftselite ist bis heute nicht verschwunden»
Der Wirtschaftshistoriker Tobias Straumann sagt, das Ende der Swissair am 2. Oktober 2001 stehe stellvertretend für den Untergang der Schweiz AG. Die Folge: Eine Kluft zwischen Bevölkerung und Wirtschaft, die es bis heute gibt.
Tobias Straumann, a Wirtschaftshistoriker, argues that the end of Swissair on October 2nd, 2001, is symbolic of the decline of the Swiss economy. As a result, a rift between the population and the economy remains to this day. Swissair was a company that people grew very attached to, and its demise marked the beginning of a new era.
People were proud of their country's airline with the Swiss cross on its tailfin. The end of Swissair, however, also ushered in a new era, where even traditionally successful Swiss corporations faced existential difficulties.
The Swiss experienced a catastrophic year in 2001, which included an assassination in the Zuger Parliament, a fire in the Gotthard Tunnel, the Crossair crash in Bassersdorf, and the Swissair Grounding. People continue to talk about the latter because it represents the Swiss identity, the loss of thousands of jobs, the end of illusions, and the guilt and need for atonement. Some even consider it a collective trauma, but the historian argues that it was more of a shock that shook their self-image rather than a true trauma.
Written by urgent.news from NZZ Wirtschaft's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
