Neuchâtel's living tradition adds to Ballenberg's rich heritage. Since July 20, visitors to the Swiss Open Air Museum can try out bowling in Neuchâtel. This ancestor of bowling was widely practiced in our regions in the 19th century. It was the equivalent of lotteries and card games, and sometimes the prize was a pig.
The game is played using 9 pins and a ball on a 15-meter long, perimeter-shaped track called a “bridge.” The project was led by Inter-Cantonal Association of Neuchâtel Grands Goes Bulls, Who participated in the establishment of the installation in Ballenberg. Today it has four clubs and about forty members.
Its president, Claude-Alain Vuillem, explains that at that time, people would cut down a fir tree and split it in two to clear the way. During the game, each pin that a player managed to knock down in one shot was worth one point. It was necessary to knock down the first pin in order for the score to be validated. The ball used was hollowed out in two places to provide grip for the fingers and thumb. The throw was made with or without momentum, according to Claude-Alain Vuillem. “We must not bend over,” he added.
The president explains that the game created for Ballenberg is a “carbon copy” of the one in Grand-Sommartel. However, there is one difference: the Ballenberg track is made of oak while the La Sagne track is made of fir. The museum wanted to use local species, Claude-Alain Vuillem points out.
The track was created near the Chaux-de-Fondière peasant house in La Recorne. The official opening is scheduled for Monday, September 16. /sbm
