Der Zürcher Staatswald Tössstock – ein Praxislabor obrigkeitlicher Nachhaltigkeits- und Schutzwaldkonzepte
Abstract
This article deals with the Tössstock state forest in Zurich, which came into the posses-
sion of the canton in 1896 through extensive land purchases in order to supplement the
structural flood protection along the Töss river by biological measures. This allowed the
responsible forestry experts of the State Forestry Administration to realise their ideas of a
modern protective forest concept based on sustainable forest management largely undis-
turbed by particular interests. In this article, the forest management plans of 1910, 1928
and 1948 serve as sources for reconstructing a dialogue on protective sustainability across
different generations of forestry experts. Using the Tössstock forest as a case study, the
great importance attached to the profitability of this forest, particularly in communication
with the political executive, is analysed. Finally, the article examines the extent to which
those responsible took non-forestry aspects into account. They did so by stabilising the
economically hard-hit region socio-economically through reforestation work, forest main-
tenance and different forms of wood harvesting. The article thus makes it clear that clas-
sic environmental-historical explanatory models, such as the Abholzungsparadigma, must
be expanded to include such perspectives.
sion of the canton in 1896 through extensive land purchases in order to supplement the
structural flood protection along the Töss river by biological measures. This allowed the
responsible forestry experts of the State Forestry Administration to realise their ideas of a
modern protective forest concept based on sustainable forest management largely undis-
turbed by particular interests. In this article, the forest management plans of 1910, 1928
and 1948 serve as sources for reconstructing a dialogue on protective sustainability across
different generations of forestry experts. Using the Tössstock forest as a case study, the
great importance attached to the profitability of this forest, particularly in communication
with the political executive, is analysed. Finally, the article examines the extent to which
those responsible took non-forestry aspects into account. They did so by stabilising the
economically hard-hit region socio-economically through reforestation work, forest main-
tenance and different forms of wood harvesting. The article thus makes it clear that clas-
sic environmental-historical explanatory models, such as the Abholzungsparadigma, must
be expanded to include such perspectives.
Date Issued
2025
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Language(s)
de
Additional Credits
Journal
Itinera. Beihefte zur Schweizerischen Zeitschrift für Geschichte
Publisher
Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Geschichte
ISSN
2296-1755
Access(Rights)
metadata.only