Mushroom mania

The fly agaric, depicted by Swiss artist and researcher Hans Walty, 1917. Wikimedia / Swiss National Library

Foraging for mushrooms has become a popular pastime throughout Switzerland. And fungi hold immense promise in science and industry. Yet these fascinating organisms were once seen as harmful. How has this fundamental change in their image come about?

Swissinfo regularly publishes articles from the Swiss National Museum’s blog External linkdedicated to historical topics. The articles are always written in German and usually also in French and English.

Do you know what the largest living thing in Switzerland is? It can be found in the Swiss National ParkExternal link spanning 35 hectares, an area the size of 50 football pitches. The answer: a fungus. No other plant or animal can grow to such dimensions. The colossal specimen in the national park is a Honey Mushroom, a member of the Armillaria genus famous for its gigantic myceliaExternal link. These interlaced, underground networks made up of numerous microscopic fungal strands form the actual body of the organism.

For a few short weeks, it produces fruiting bodies that sprout out of the ground. These visible reproductive organs are what we typically call ‘mushrooms’. Gathering, cooking and eating them is a relatively new phenomenon. For a long time, these particular fungi were considered mysterious and dangerous. Little was known about them, and people feared breathing in their ‘evil’ fumes.

For a long-time mushrooms were seen as eerie and often associated with witchcraft. Illustration by Franz Wacik. Wikimedia

It’s true that mushrooms can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and headaches, changes in sensory perception, an increased heartrate or even, in the worst cases, death. Given these risks, it’s no wonder that mushrooms were not seen as fit for human consumption until it became possible to systematically distinguish the poisonous varieties from those that were safe to eat. Even though mushrooms were being cultivated in the Paris catacombs and used here and there in regional dishes, the requisite knowledge only really began to develop and spread in the 19th century.

Mushrooms were cultivated in the Paris catacombs from the 18th century and soon came to be considered a delicacy. Internet Archive

This newfound interest in mushrooms was stimulated both by researchers and amateur enthusiasts. The life sciences also turned their attention to fungi, applying new methods und findings. Among the many academics fascinated by fungi was one of the most famous names of the time. French scientist Louis Pasteur, still known today as the man who discovered pasteurisation, showed that a yeast fungus was responsible for the fermentation of grapes into wine. All talk of poisonous fumes was forgotten in people’s eagerness to drink up.

At the same time as this academic research was taking place, a culture of lay expertise was also developing. For these amateur mycologists, everything revolved around large wild mushrooms. Their aim was clear: to identify edible fungi and prevent poisoning. The problem was how to teach people to systematically and safely identify mushrooms. The answer: through art. As mushrooms were difficult to preserve, paintings and drawings became a useful way of capturing their colours and forms. Scientists like Louis RuffieuxExternal link in Fribourg and private scholars like Jeanne Favre in Geneva dedicated themselves to producing illustrations of mushrooms. As did Hans Walty (1868–1948). Unlike the others, he had actually trained as a fine artist. His watercolour images therefore have an artistic quality all of their own, as can be rediscovered on leafing through the new edition of his book (see box). But Walty also managed to gain a great deal of self-taught knowledge about mushrooms and grew into a kind of semi-professional researcher in the field.

Louis Pasteur, pictured heroically in his laboratory. The portrait was painted in 1885 by Albert Edelfelt. Wikimedia / Musée d’Orsay

Drawing on his skill as an artist and his passion for research, Walty was able to hit a nerve. When the population began suffering food shortages towards the end of the First World War, mushrooms became a highly sought-after foodstuff. More and more people could be seen combing their way through the Swiss woods and forests, hoping to find edible fungi. Mushroom markets sprang up in many towns. This rise in popularity culminated with the founding of a Swiss federation of mycological associations, the Verband Schweizerischer Vereine für Pilzkunde, in 1919. It began publishing its own magazine, the Schweizerische Zeitschrift für PilzkundeExternal link, in 1923 and a field guide to mushrooms, Schweizer Pilztafeln, in 1942. Small enough to tuck into your trouser pocket, these soon became an indispensable tool for all mushroom foragers. Hans Walty’s drawings were used to illustrate these guides.

Mushrooms for sale at the Bürkliplatz market in Zurich, late summer 1973. e-pics

After things quietened down somewhat during the post-war economic boom, interest in fungi was rekindled in the 21st century. This time, it is the climate and waste crises that are bringing fungi into focus: as a building material, they are set to replace climate-damaging concrete; as a packaging material, they will make polystyrene redundant; and as a recycling tool, they will break down plastic and industrial waste. As a metaphor, they can also inspire our coexistence in cooperative networks.

At a time when global networks have become part of our common parlance, mycelia are a fascinating and inspiring phenomenon. Fungi are now sprouting up everywhere in economic, scientific, artistic and literary circles. Sometimes, it even sounds like they could save the world. But if that strikes you as too fanciful, why not simply go for a walk in the autumnal woods and keep your eyes peeled for mushrooms? It will lift your spirits. And that’s not a bad start.

About the author

Hannes Mangold is responsible for research partnerships at Schweizerische Mobiliar Genossenschaft. He creates exhibitions, books and projects at the intersection of science, art and history.

Original article on the Swiss National Museum blogExternal link