ABSTRACT
In Chapter 5, ‘Scopes and challenges of a huge corporation over time: the case of the Korporation Uri (Canton Uri)’, Rahel Wunderli outlines the history of the Korporation Uri, which is one of the biggest common-pool organisations in Switzerland, its property covering about 70 per cent of the canton of Uri. The basis of this situation lies in the early Middle Ages, when the Landleute von Uri started to organise themselves on a regional scale in order to regulate transport routes and the cooperative use of pastures and forests. Later on, this union grew into a political entity and was able to take over legislative and juridical competences. Until the nineteenth century, it was identical to the state. As a result of the nation-building process the Corporation was withdrawn from the state authorities in 1888. Since then, the organisation has met the challenges required to keep its position within the canton, to expand its economic base, to adapt the use of its forests and pastures and to adjust to issues such as women’s civic rights. Today, the Corporation finds itself in a condition of financial strength, with a lively organisational structure, but also several issues, among them the growing number of citizens that are not involved in agriculture and make different demands on the organisation.
