Energie!» - Reading by Seraina Kobler and Panel with Max Baumgart and Boris Previšić

On September 14, 2026, the University of Lucerne hosted the reading «Energie!» with author Seraina Kobler, followed by a discussion with Prof. Dr. Boris Previšić, founding director of the Urner Institut Kulturen der Alpen in Altdorf and Professor of Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Lucerne, and Prof. Dr. Max Baumgart, Professor of Energy Law and Blockchain at the University of Lucerne and member of the executive board of ZIBR. The event opened the "Alps - Energy - Innovation" theme evenings on alpine identity and its significance for Switzerland.

The evening centered on Kobler's speculative novel «Tal der Schwalben» (Valley of the Swallows): the young energy scientist Alesch returns to his remote home village in the Swiss Alps, which has been declared a restricted zone for hydropower generation. Since the newly built reservoirs will only supply energy until the last glaciers have melted, Alesch's research, as promising as it is risky, draws him into a conflict between preserving the mountain landscape and the hope of technological progress.

Building on the novel, Kobler, Previšić, and Baumgart explored the significance of energy for our economy and society, what its generation and use mean for life in Switzerland, and the role the Alps play in this, from literary, cultural-historical, and energy-law perspectives. The discussion touched on hopes for technological progress and the question of where, and what kind of, energy should be produced.