At the book launch for Roger Gasser’s work *Tierra del Fuego: Stories of Life at the End of the World*, the numerous guests in the monastery’s Baroque Hall were transported away from their everyday lives—to a place that sounds almost mythical to many: Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago at the southernmost tip of South America.

Even the images shown at the beginning—of mountains, vast waterways, and wildlife—stirred a longing to travel. A map showing the route from Switzerland to Tierra del Fuego vividly illustrated the enormous distance to this remote region.

During the panel discussion that followed, Mike Bacher guided the audience through the book’s diverse topics. First, however, the discussion focused on how Roger Gasser came to be “enamored” with this region. The author explained that his fascination began as early as his school days. The name “Lake Titicaca” on a postcard from his elementary school teacher sparked his curiosity about South America. This was followed by Spanish classes and trips to South America, which took him as far as Tierra del Fuego.

The evening focused primarily on the life stories of people Roger Gasser has met on his travels. Accompanied by excerpts from his book, he described their pioneering spirit and their willingness to tackle challenges on their own. Many residents of Feuerland come from families with roots in a wide variety of countries. Nevertheless, Feuerland is not, in his view, a classic immigrant destination, but rather a society in which awareness of one’s own migration history fosters openness and tolerance, the author explained.

The examples of solidarity in action were particularly striking. In what is often a harsh environment, people depend on one another. Those who need help receive support and, at the same time, learn to accept it. This attitude continues to shape their community life to this day.

The life story of an author of Indigenous descent was also discussed. The account of people who, despite a difficult past, look ahead and actively shape their future was particularly moving.

In closing, the author circled back to the images. Tierra del Fuego is often referred to as “the end of the world.” At the same time, he observed, Engelberg, too, is in its own way an “end of the world”—a special place, a microcosm with its own identity. Perhaps it was precisely this thought that made the great distance between the two regions seem surprisingly small that evening.

Roger Gasser did an impressive job of introducing us to this fascinating region and its inhabitants in a vivid and authentic way. The book launch offered exciting insights into a distant world, opened up new perspectives, and made us eager to discover Tierra del Fuego for ourselves by reading the author’s book.

Vera Paulus
History Teacher

The book *Tierra del Fuego: Stories of Life at the End of the World* is available in bookstores.