Locarno celebrates as a city of peace

Città della pace. The city of peace. This name for Locarno goes back to 1925 when the small town on Lake Maggiore was the focus of the European public for almost two weeks. Leading politicians in Germany, France, Great Britain, Belgiums, Italy, Poland and the then Czechoslovakia met to advise on outside and security issues in Europe. That was seven years after the end of the First World War and six years after the Versailles Treaty was concluded.

In the course of this conference, the “Locarno contracts” were agreed on October 16, 1925, the goal of which was nothing less than a sustainable European security and peace system: after centuries of conflict-true relationships, France, Germany and Belgium did not change the common limits in the contracts. In addition, conflicts between the contracting parties should be resolved in front of an international commission instead of gun violence and Germany should be included in the League of Nations.

In fact, the then conference shows how Switzerland offered its good services as a mediator between hostile parties and could contribute to relaxation. In the years after the conference, there was always talk of the “Spirit of Locarno” in Europe.

How do we create peace?

However, peace was short -lived: in 1936 Germany under Hitler once again occupied the demilitarized Ruhr area, in 1939 the Second World War began. And even today, 100 years later, in a world characterized by conflicts and wars, in a Europe in which there has been war again since 2022, the question arises: How do we create sustainable peace – in Europe and worldwide?

This question will also be very present at the celebrations and events for the 100th anniversary of the Locarno Pact. « The anniversary year is said to be a moment of thinking about current and future international relations, » says Locarno's Mayor Nicola Pini at the opening of the anniversary year, in which Locarno organizes numerous events.

Negotiations on the contracts took place from October 5, 1925 and were concluded with the paraption of the final document on October 16. They were signed on December 1, 1925 in London, and on September 10, 1926 they came into force with the admission of Germany in the League of Nations.

Germans related to separate hotel

The location of the negotiations was the Palazzo del Pretorio from Locarno, the former courthouse. However, the Palazzo has been closed for some time. And so the historical hall, where the delegations once negotiated, will not be accessible in the anniversary year. The city of Locarno regrets this, but the building is owned by the canton of Ticino, who has not yet implemented the desired renovation.

While negotiating in the Pretorio, the delegations of Italy, England, Belgium and France in the Grand Hotel led and had their headquarters there-a kind of mini messages. The German delegation moved into the Hotel Esplanade in Minusio at the time. She did not want to stay with the delegations of the other countries under one roof.