In his treatise on economic history, written in 1900, Aloys Schulte concludes that the Gotthard was an important trade route in the Middle Ages and favoured the establishment of the Swiss Confederation.
Gonzague de Reynold adds to the legend of the Gotthard, writing that he sees it as the cradle of Europe and its Christian and cultural values. These notions shape the country’s spiritual defence during the Second World War.
In his contribution to “Geschichte der Alpen in neuer Sicht” in 1979, Fritz Glauser examines the volumes of traffic passing across the Alps in the Middle Ages. His observations play down the economic importance of the Gotthard.
Judith Schueler investigates the Gotthard Railway’s influence on the Swiss national identity. The public image of the rail line through the Gotthard was overwhelmingly positive in the middle of the 20th century, whereas reactions had been mixed in 1882.
Literature professor Boris Previšić’s book “Gotthardfantasien” (Gotthard Fantasies) is a collection of studies focusing on various aspects of the Gotthard. The legend of the Gotthard is deconstructed, but the story is far from over.
