The Uri Institute Cultures of the Alps is dedicated to the special features of the entire Alpine arc in all its thematic breadth: from prehistoric evidence and specific traditions to the most pressing challenges of the present, which affect the basis of life for the whole of humanity. Due to the topography, research focuses on the close coexistence and interaction of living, cultural, recreational and production areas, on the transit across the Alps in the middle of Europe, on resources such as wood, agricultural products, water, sun and wind.
We never see the reappraisal of archives, stories and history as an end in itself, but as basic research to make the present and future of this highly sensitive area as fruitful as possible for wider-ranging forecasts. Structural change is always also cultural change and is visible in the landscape. The Alps are exemplary for this: for protection against the 'forces of nature' and for nature conservation, for the magical explanation of the world, for the management of common property or for the testing of the latest models and technologies. In its holistic orientation, the Institute aims to develop new forms of perception, narrative and action.
With its fundamental focus on cultural and social sciences, the institute has an explicitly transdisciplinary orientation and seeks to engage in an exchange with the natural sciences and the arts. The Institute is organized as an independent Uri affiliated institute at the University of Lucerne. It offers researchers workplaces and is a central starting point for archive and field research in the middle of the Alpine arc. It sees itself as a platform for regional, national and international exchange on Alpine research and related issues. It regularly organizes events, publishes relevant research results and maintains a lively dialogue with the public. It is open to any kind of cooperation in all the thematic areas envisaged.