In Der groaße Rechn, we meet inhabitants of Tyrol who in 26 conversations talk about their connection to the biggest mountain pasture in Europe: the Seiser Alm, or Alpe di Suisi. The book’s title refers to a tool characteristic of the region: the large rake. An implement that was used in the region far into the twentieth century, as contemporary machinery couldn’t reach the steep slopes of the mountain pasture. The conversations deal with self-sufficiency, the farming life and working in harmony with nature. An inspirational, timely book that documents a search for Indigenous wisdom in South Tyrol, and in the chapters of oral history.
This small, blue tome is beautiful in its simplicity. The gothic lettering on the cover is sparingly repeated in the interior and is a playful reference to the lettering found on cooking aprons from the region. Thanks to its blue cover and the crisp white interior, the book has a fresh, contemporary look, in spite of the classical gothic lettering. The combination of the small size of the lettering and the texture of the cover paper make the subtitle on the spine hard to read.
The 26 conversations are interspersed with grey pages bearing black-and-white illustrations of local flowers, with a text on the reverse giving information on the flower in question. These illustration pages make a clear division between the conversations, and make it possible to navigate the book from the fore edge. The illustrations are repeated in their full glory, printed in colour, on the back of a folded map included as a loose insert. The map shows the homes and farms where the conversations took place. Der groaße Rechn is a true, living document that inveigles us to read it through its simple form.