Welcome to the Poetry Trail of the Municipality of Egerkingen
“Life is a journey.” This idea forms the basis of the Egerkingen Poetry Trail. It winds past 14 stations along the Lampastweg, from Nackgrube to Blüemlismatt—or vice versa. At each station, visitors can read short texts written by Christoph Schwager, an author and theater artist from the Gäu region. The poems are like windows through which observers can glimpse life. Just as life presents itself in many different ways, so too do these poetic texts vary in form and content, taking on different tones: light, heavy, funny, critical, down-to-earth, surreal……….
Christoph Schwager is from Egerkingen, where he also spent his childhood; he is married and lives in Härkingen. He has four adult children and eight grandchildren.
After completing his first apprenticeship in an office, he studied religious education and later theology. As a pastor, he worked from 1983 to 2002 in the poor neighborhoods of Peru, at the parish in Härkingen, and at the hospital in Zofingen.
After completing his training as a body language and theater instructor in Freiburg im Breisgau, he founded the Schwager Theater Institute and, later, in 2006, the Schwager Theater in Olten. On stage, he usually performs as a solo artist.
He became known to a wide audience through his pantomime sermons, with which he has been touring for over 25 years. He also works as a playwright and director.
In 2011, he received the Solothurn Award for Cultural Education in recognition of his dedication. For his work in theater, he was awarded the City of Olten Recognition Award in 2013 and the “Prix pro Wartenfels” in 2016. In 2021, he received a special award from the “Rentsch Foundation.”
