PETER A

SWITZERLAND (see also List of Individuals)

\

25.4.1882 Aarberg/CH - 25.7.1953 Bern/CH

\

Arthur Peter graduated as a civil engineer from the Swiss Polytechnic in 1905 and joined the Vereinigte Kanderund Hagneck-Werke for seven years to contribute to the hydropower scheme Augst-Whylen. He continued then until 1916 as a chief engineer for harbor works in Marseille with the contractor Zschokke founded by Conradin Zschokke (1842-1918). During the following two years Peter added to the hydropower plant Mühleberg on the Aare River, downstream of Bern. Peter joined in 1918 the public works section of the Berne Canton as chief engineer for the next 35 years.

\

The correction of the Jura waters in Western Switzerland was an ambiguous project. Based on the first Jura water correction executed in the 1870s and 1880s, the Aare River was diverted into Lake Biel by the Hagneck Canal. Further, Lake Morat and Lake Neuchâtel were connected with the Broye Canal, and Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Biel with the Zihl Canal. Previously Aare River bypassed these lakes and discharged through the Grosse Moos plain, thereby resulting in periodic inundations. The second correction of the Jura waters aimed to the improvement of all waters of the Jura plains from Entreroches North of Lausanne to Luterbuch close to Solothurn. Similar to the Linth plain, the Grosse Moos was transformed from an originally deserted swamp into the present agricultural garden of Switzerland. Extensive drainage works were needed to regulate the groundwater level. Peter designed further the Nidau weir including the lock for inland navigation purposes. This last work belonged to the second correction of the Jura waters lasting from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s, with Robert Müller (1908-1987) as design engineer. Both Peter and Müller have therefore contributed to the improvement of one of the few large plains of their country.

\

_{Blattner, H. (1953). Zum Andenken an Ing. Arthur Peter-Gerber. Rhone-Rhein 34(3): 9-10. P Minor, H.-E., Hager, W.H., eds. (2005). River engineering in Switzerland. Stäubli: Zurich. P Peter, A. (1922). Die Juragewässer-Korrektion: Bericht über die Vorgeschichte, Durchführung,}

_{Wirkung und Neuordnung 1921 der Korrektion der seeländischen Gewässer von Entreroches bis Luterbach. Fischer: Bern.}

_{Peter, A. (1922). Die 2. Juragewässerkorrektion. Schweizerische Bauzeitung 80(27): 291-295. Peter, A. (1929). Die zweite Juragewässerkorrektion. Schw. Wasserwirtschaft 21(7): 107-114. Peter, A. (1937). Das neue Stauwehr Nidau. Wasserund Energiewirtschaft 29(6): 81-87. Peter, A. (1947). Die Grundwasserregulierung im bernischen Grossen Moos. Wasserund Energiewirtschaft 39(5/6): 55-66.}