The people of Glarus conquer the hearts of Switzerland at Esaf with a festival of hospitality

This small canton has it all – the canton of Glarus, with its approximately 40,000 inhabitants, was the festival capital of Switzerland this weekend with the Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival (ESAF). With great warmth and charm, the people of Glarus demonstrated that ESAF can also work in the countryside, away from major traffic routes.

Against the magnificent backdrop of the Glarus Alps, illuminated by the sun on Sunday, the event at times had almost the magic of a mountain festival. Almost a miracle, considering the fact that the wrestling competition took place in a massive arena with a capacity of 56,500 spectators, and that the Mollis airfield isn't a particularly inviting place on a normal day.

The positive atmosphere was also helped by the fact that things were going almost perfectly for the locals. Armon Orlik from Graubünden, a member of the host Northeast Swiss Wrestling Association, won the title. However, he only achieved this after a rather disappointing, all-Northeast Swiss final bout between Werner Schlegel and Samuel Giger; the Toggenburg and Thurgau wrestlers provided the winning score.

The smooth running of this major event is primarily thanks to the hosts. The slogan "Chani hälfe?" on the T-shirts of the more than 8,000 volunteers – a record number at the ESAF – was more than just a cliché. The hardworking hosts were there wherever they were needed. From the good morning greeting "Äs schöös Fescht" (Good morning) to the friendly but firm invitation to the last few surviving wrestlers in the festival tent: the friendly Glarus residents and their fellow wrestlers ensured that Mollis will go down in wrestling history as a brilliant festival.

Clever as they are, the residents of this small canton didn't overestimate their capabilities and therefore relied on support from outside. Volunteers were recruited not only in the three Glarus municipalities, but also in 23 surrounding municipalities in the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz. One of them is Kurt Baumer from Schmerikon (SG). The wrestling fan has already attended 16 federal competitions as a spectator. This was the third time he was also on hand as a volunteer. In the run-up to the competition, he guided visitors around the festival grounds and through the still-empty arena.

"There's a unique sense of solidarity among the helpers before and after the festival, one that extends far beyond the sport of wrestling," says Baumer. "Friendships develop that can be rekindled every three years." His role has the undeniable advantage of being able to be there live as a fan in the stadium on the ESAF weekend. But the hard-working souls who toiled away over the weekend also enjoyed a dusting of sawdust. Whenever the helpers had time, they could also watch a few rounds from a specially set-up grandstand. But then it was time to get back to work.

It's the small gestures and conversations that characterize every Eidgenössische and make it a special occasion in this gallery, which has existed since 1895. This traditional event has now reached such dimensions that the organizers' creative freedom is limited. A rigid list of requirements from the Swiss Wrestling Federation (ESV) must be met, which runs to over 100 pages.

Any concerns beforehand that the Glarus residents wouldn't be up to scratch in this regard were quickly dispelled. The feared traffic chaos didn't materialize. Public transport into the valley ran largely smoothly, and traffic jams were also manageable. The festival participants evidently took the organizing committee's request to "arrive early and leave later" to heart. Given the hospitality, visitors also found it easy to linger a little longer at Zigerschlitz.

What's astonishing, but has now become a welcome habit, is how little security presence is required at the federal mega-event. Whenever more than 300,000 people converge in a confined space over three days, a certain nervousness and tension is always palpable among the security forces.

Not so in Mollis. Here, the reinforced Glarus Cantonal Police, along with private security services, were sufficient to ensure a peaceful atmosphere. Besides a few drunks, the greatest danger wasn't the knives that numerous spectators had brought into the arena. It was the empty glass bottles that occasionally tumbled accidentally from the stands.

The organizers also took a relaxed approach to the ever-growing fan base surrounding the actual wrestling festival. While they couldn't and didn't want to prevent sponsors from presenting ever larger and more unusual attractions, they did everything they could to at least achieve a gentle glamourization. Thus, at least in the festival tents, the traditional Landsgemeinde meal of veal sausage was available, and locals and guests didn't have to miss out on the traditional roasted fish.

The potential for confusion over the excessive mixing of commerce and national interests was evident at one of the most visited booths. A boy exclaimed enthusiastically, "Mommy, look, there's a Victorinox tank!" His mother had some difficulty explaining to the boy that the sign with the Swiss cross in this case didn't represent the knife manufacturer, but the army. Along with the Civil Defense, the army was one of the largest providers of free services to the organizing committee.

Unfortunately, the Swiss Wrestling Festival was overshadowed by a tragic accident. On Friday evening, a 33-year-old man was struck by a train near the campsite set up for wrestling fans. The man suffered fatal injuries.

The people of Glarus have to say goodbye not only to their guests from all over Switzerland, but also to Max the Bull. The wooden bull, which has attracted everyone's attention in recent days and weeks, is changing territory and moving to the neighboring canton of Uri. Investors from the canton with the bull in its coat of arms have raised 1.85 million Swiss francs for the enormous sculpture. The people of Glarus would also have liked to keep the 20-meter-high and 32-meter-long colossus. A group launched a crowdfunding campaign to give the landmark a new home in the spa town of Braunwald.

Finding a location for the wooden sculpture in the Gotthard canton won't be easy. "Due to Max's enormous dimensions, this poses a spatial planning problem for the canton," said Uri Council of States member Josef Dittli with a wink on the sidelines of the wrestling festival. In recent years, the people of Glarus have often thought in grand terms with regard to the Federal Wrestling and Alpine Festival. In this respect, many Glarus residents are perhaps glad that the hype surrounding Max the Bull is over. They certainly deserve some peace and quiet after this weekend.