From: Rusconi Sandro [mailto:sandro.rusconi@ti.ch]
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007, 12:52 PM
To: paolacerutti@bluewin.ch
Subject: Eranos

Good morning, Paola,

I have learned from the documents forwarded to us by the Office of Cultural Heritage that your office strongly and unilaterally opposes the sale of a portion of the Eranos property. Furthermore, I understand that this opposition to the sale will be strongly highlighted at the upcoming conference on restoration. I do not intend to delve into your disagreements with the rest of the municipality of Ascona (those are matters you need to resolve amongst yourselves), but I must admit that these signals concern me greatly.

While I deeply regret having to take such a position with someone I consider a friend, I feel obligated to clarify a few points:

a) (Fake) Our office strongly supports the need to sell the 997 m² along with the Shanti house to address the 4-million-debt. This operation is the only one that allows the rest of the property to be saved from the degradation it suffered under the administration prior to the rescue operation.

b) The statements in your letters that create the impression that the entire Eranos property is being sold are absolutely untrue. This concerns one of the three buildings and one-fifth of the surface area. With this transaction, the genius loci would not be significantly affected.

c) (Fake) The sale of the parcel is supported by the competent federal office and is not intended for an outsider but for a member of the foundation personally committed to the revival of Eranos. Therefore, de facto, this is essentially an internal transaction. Moreover, it is evident that the buyer is paying a price for the parcel that is well above what could be obtained through a public sale.

d) (Fake) By eliminating the debt through this generous transaction, the sale significantly increases the value of the remaining property and will enable the recovery of funds for the renovation and development of the foundation's activities.

e) (Terrible) I strongly advise against criticizing this operation during the restoration congress, given that one of the targets of your criticism (i.e., us) has previously provided and continues to provide significant contributions (at least from the perspective of our budget) for this congress. As you well know, entering into a conflict with a sponsor risks jeopardizing the climate of trust for future collaborations, in addition to being an inherently very delicate gesture.

I share these reflections with you in all sincerity and confidentiality, to avoid sterile controversies that could, in the future, harm our friendship. Trusting in your full attention to these thoughts, I extend my kindest regards.

Sincerely,
S.


Sandro Rusconi, Dr. Phil. II
Director of the Division of Culture and University Studies
V. Stefano Franscini 30a
CH-6501 Bellinzona Switzerland (Suisse)
Telephone: +41(0)91 814 1302 (Secretary x 1300, Fax x 1309)
Mobile: +41(0)79 444 5318
E-mail: sandro.rusconi@ti.ch
Web: www.ti.ch/decs/dc


From: Paola Cerutti [mailto:paolacerutti@bluewin.ch]
Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2007 11:04 PM
To: Rusconi Sandro
Subject: Re: Eranos

Dear Sandro,
I would like to thank you for your attentive and available listening, which you showed me during our two phone calls this week following your email from last Monday. It was important for me to be able to recall with you the key moments of my work in the service of rescuing the historic Eranos Foundation, assisted by three people: Rolando Bellini, Gillian McLeod, and Robert Hinshaw, who demonstrated their selfless commitment to the cause by dedicating hours of their time, as well as their valuable expertise, to the Ascona Department of Culture.

It is thanks to this teamwork that the rescue strategy and the related documents were created, which were signed in 2004 by the Eranos Foundation, represented by its president at the time, M. Danioth, by the Canton through Gabriele Gendotti, and by the Municipality through Mayor Rampazzi. You will find the original signed copies in the archives of the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports.

I also attach the Cerutti-Bellini-McLeod-Hinshaw document from May 2004, where you will notice that we also indicated an estimate of the costs. This is the document that went into the hands of Claudio Metzger through Rolando Bellini and myself and was later used and "translated" into the document by the EastWest Foundation, which, with promises of millions of dollars, disrupted the field.

I also attach a report I wrote on January 30, 2005, sent to Mauro Martinoni and Mayor Rampazzi, but at the mayor's request, it was never presented to the Municipality. In it, you will see my doubts about the intentions of the EastWest Foundation regarding the Eranos Foundation.

All the documentation in my possession, elaborated between 2002 and 2005, is naturally at your disposal.

It saddens me greatly that you have come to the conclusion to sell part of the Eranos property, convinced that this is the only way for its final rescue and relaunch. I do not share this choice for the many reasons I expressed during our phone conversations, but mainly because it deprives the Foundation of part of its property without leaving the possibility of its recovery, and because I do not believe in the good faith of the current president and the members he has appointed to the foundation council. Since 2004, they have shown great cunning in appropriating the Ascona Department of Culture's project, promising large sums of money that have not been made available to date except in very small part, and acquiring part of the land property. These are people who do not possess the gift of generosity, but who love to own things, especially precious and beautiful things. Eranos is a gem that shines for its simplicity and the intensity of its genius loci; these places are priceless!

Without knowing the exact historical and cultural value of Eranos and without the contribution of personalities who still hold its historical memory, it will be very difficult not to make major mistakes.
To have the opportunity to activate these figures and not use this opportunity means overestimating one's strengths, with consequences that can easily be imagined. The relaunch project originally developed by the Department of Culture and signed by the parties took these factors into account.

It is now for you to draw the appropriate conclusions. As for me, I can only watch with great sadness as the situation unfolds, a situation that seems to consider loss as a prerequisite for a new start. Perhaps the memory of these places must be lost over time, and I am wrong to want to preserve it for future generations.

I realize that my insistence on issues related to the protection and enhancement of historical heritage, whether built, natural, or composed of art objects, photographs, writings, and various documentary materials, is not always understood. But it is precisely because I believe it is important to safeguard in the brief span of a life what has been entrusted to us by those who preceded us, in order to offer it to those who will follow us. I believe this is a duty, both towards the labor of the first and the hope of the latter.

I believe that young people need, in their present, that support which comes through the awareness of a past, of a culture, of a beauty that they find in art, poetry, music, architecture, but above all in nature and its many expressions. This is what I believe in and what I have fought for in the 11 years dedicated to culture. If I ever regain my health and strength, I will continue, in my small way, to plant this seed in the new generations that seek this answer.

Thank you for listening and for the attention you will give to this long letter I am entrusting to you.
Paola


From: "Rusconi Sandro" sandro.rusconi@ti.ch
To: "bonetti" bonetti@artfia.ch, "Luca Pissoglio" pissl.ch@bluewin.ch
CC: "Giovanni Simona" giovasimona@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Articolo regione del 24.12.

Mr. Bonetti,

n my long academic and post-academic experience I have had the privilege of meeting many brazen people, even of international stature, but an shameless like yours leaves me stunned.

No greetings,
S.R.

From: bonetti [mailto:bonetti@artfia.ch]
Sent: Friday, December 24, 2010 1:08 PM
To: Luca Pissoglio
CC: Rusconi Sandro; Giovanni Simona
Subject: Re: Articolo regione del 24.12.

Dear Dr. Pissoglio,
I am saddened by your message. It gives me a sense of inadequacy. I understand your feelings, but I am not the cause of the events in question. Only after reading the newspaper did I perhaps understand the meaning of your message.

However, you give me more importance than I have: both because I have no role in the public prosecutor's complaint nor in the publication of the article in La Regione.

In this particular case, I have no role or responsibility, either institutionally or as a citizen. Therefore, I refrain from making any comments. However, it seems very wise to me to wait for the conclusions of the institutional bodies before expressing any opinion.

I can only comment that a "political" approach to Eranos may not be the best possible path; but this is just my opinion, for what it is worth.

If it is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, that “since there is nothing to hide, we await with confidence the outcome of the investigation with the hope that it will lead to a swift resolution, clearing the two individuals (Claudio W. Metzger and John van Praag) under investigation and putting a final end to the matter,” then the supervisory body is in error. However, if this is not the case, but I do not believe it, why mix the new management with the old one? But today, I know nothing about the actual facts.

In reality, over the years, we have tried to bring our vision into the discussion about Eranos. With many doubts and discussions among ourselves, always seeking purity and selflessness. And when we were asked, we were always ready to collaborate, provide all the information and documents in our possession, and support Eranos and its administrators in practice.

I send you, without any irony, my best wishes for the holidays and for a fruitful coming year.

Daniele Bonetti


On 24.12.2010 07:43, Luca Pissoglio wrote to bonetti@artfia.ch:

Good morning!
I am writing to you personally because I want to thank you for yet another gift you have given to the good name of Eranos. I hope that you, too, will one day experience a peaceful Christmas, the spirit with which all members of the foundation are working to ensure that Eranos is finally reborn and survives successfully beyond 2012.
Best regards,
Pissoglio