Loro sono i nostri vicini, noi siamo fratelli: si può riassumere così il discorso che lo scrittore Carl Spitteler lesse a Zurigo esattamente 100 anni fa, agli albori del primo conflitto mondiale. Anche se oggi quasi dimenticato, l'autore nato a Liestal e morto a Lucerna rimane l'unico premio Nobel per la letteratura venuto alla luce in Svizzera.
La spaccatura constatata nel paese allo scoppio delle ostilità, con gli svizzero-tedeschi che parteggiavano per la Germania e i romandi per la Francia, lo indusse a rivolgere un accorato appello ai concittadini. Lo intitolò "La neutralità di noi svizzeri", in tedesco "Unser schweizer Standpunkt". Ormai quasi 70enne esortò a una rigida neutralità nei confronti delle parti in guerra e a una stretta unione fra le comunità linguistiche elvetiche.
Mise il dito nella piaga, convinto di non venire ascoltato, e per questo pagò un prezzo elevato: scatenò un dibattito feroce, fu criticato come "cattivo svizzero" e "incompetente". La sua fama in Germania fu distrutta: i suoi libri non vennero più acquistati né letti.
pon/ATS
RG 12.30 del 14.12.2014 Il servizio di Luca Beti
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