Local history in Switzerland.
30 January 2022
The town of Bremgarten (Canton of Aargau) was founded by the Habsburgs at the beginning of the 13th century. Two settlements and a castle already existed before this time. The name Bremgarten is derived from the Celtic name vermagodunon, meaning “large fortified enclosure in the open field”. The town experienced a cultural and economic boom … Read more » “Vermagodunon becomes Bremgarten”
28 January 2022
The Käppelijoch on the Mittlere Brücke in Basel has always had a special meaning. Käppelijoch means little chapel built on a pillar (Joch). The relief shows a bishop holding an object with two bows in his hand. Four angels with a cross and a lance stand beside the bishop. They symbolise divine protection. The object … Read more » “The Käppelijoch on the Bridge”
27 January 2022
After the conquest of Aargau by the Confederation Orte (the Eidgenossenschaft) of the Eight Sovereign Orte (the name cantons appeared in the sixteenth century) in 1415, the centuries-old county of Baden (Grafschaft Baden) in Aargau was governed by the eight Orte. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the county was held by the counts of … Read more » “Aargau, the County of Baden and the border stone in the Dominiloch”
27 January 2022
Between 18 April and 18 May 1415, the Orte (cantons) of Bern, Zurich, Lucerne and other Eidgenosses conquered the Aargau. Only the Fricktal remained in Habsburg’s possession. After 1415, four regions emerged on the conquered territory: the Freiamt, the County of Baden, the Bernese Aargau and Fricktal (Habsburg). Of great importance for the development of … Read more » “The Joint Administration of Aargau”
20 January 2022
The medieval town of Mellingen (Canton of Aargau) is located on the left bank of the Reuss. The village dates back to Alemannic times, but it was on the right bank for centuries. The Counts of Lenzburg possessed the town in the High Middle Ages. In the 11th century, they built a church on the … Read more » “The Bridges of Mellingen”
11 January 2022
Baulmes originates from Baulmes/Balmensis, Balma, and Baume, which translates to a cavity under the rock. Scientists have not solved the presence of the ‘l’ in the word. The place was already inhabited in prehistoric times, around 12,000 BC. It is one of the oldest settlements in the canton of Vaud. Many unique finds have been … Read more » “Baulmes and its abbey”
26 December 2021
The French-speaking village of Crans-Montana (Canton of Valais) did not exist in the mid-nineteenth century. The Rhone Valley near Sierre had been inhabited since the Bronze and Iron Ages, and the Celts and Romans also left their traces; however, the mountains were not cultivated until centuries later. Nearby Lens had about a dozen houses and … Read more » “Crans-Montana and James Bond alias 007”
12 December 2021
Baden (Aquae Helveticae) had five large bathing houses (thermae) on the banks of the Limmat in the second century. There were also several small springs for bathing. Temples for offerings to the gods and houses for bathers were next to the baths. Today, this district is called the Römerquartier. The Freibad and the St. Verenabad … Read more » “Poggio Bracciolini in Baden”
11 December 2021
The history of Zermatt im Mattertal dates back to the 13th century. In 1280, the village was first mentioned in a charter under the name “Pratobornum”. The first German name was mentioned in documents from 1495 and 1544. The German names were “zer mat”, “zer Mat”, or “zur Matt”. “Zermatt” was the name in the … Read more » “Zermatt, the Matterhorn and the Matter Valley”
8 December 2021
Montfaucon is one of the oldest villages on the Franches-Montagnes plateau (canton of Jura). The church of Montem falconis (Mont du Faucon) is mentioned in a bull by Pope Innocent II in 1139. The village already existed before the 12th century, however. The church of Montfaucon was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. In 1384, Imier of … Read more » “Montfaucon, one of the oldest villages of the Franches-Montagnes”
