The end of communal chores tradition in Swiss village

For centuries, residents of Auboranges have participated in communal duties, from cleaning sewers to maintaining forest paths. With the municipality set to merge next year, Saturday marked the last day of this tradition. On Saturday, November 2, around 50 residents from Auboranges in canton Fribourg gathered for their final day of communal chores. Each participant discovered their assigned tasks on the day itself. In Auboranges, these duties are outlined in the municipal by-laws: each resident is required to complete six hours of service per household annually, scheduled on a designated Saturday in autumn. The local council “sets the date and announces it at least ten days in advance through a household notice and a poster on the public noticeboard,” according to the by-law updated in December 2005. 'Since the dawn of time' “It’s a tradition that has existed almost since the dawn of time! Our cantonal government has always sought to preserve it,” says Mayor Christophe Jaccoud ...