Local history in Switzerland.
31 July 2021
Bever (canton of Graubünden), whose name originates from the Celtic word ‘Beberos’, meaning ‘beaver’, is mentioned in 1137 in the Treaty of Gamertinger, a sales contract between the counts of Gamertingen and the bishop of Chur. In 1499, the Austrians destroyed the village in the Swabian War (Schwabenkrieg). Bever is a village with many well-preserved … Read more » “Bever in Graubünden”
29 July 2021
The monastery is first mentioned in 1222 in a bull by Pope Honorius III (1150-1227). The name of the village Klosters is derived from this. The barons of Vaz were its patrons. The valley and the village came into the hands of the barons of Toggenburg in 1338. The Counts of Montfort inherited the town … Read more » “Kloster became Klosters”
29 July 2021
The original residence of the Counts of Rapperswil was in Altensdorf (Schwyz Canton). The counts profited from the important trade route over the mountain passes in Graubünden to Lombardy and Venice. The Counts settled on the hill of today’s castle in Rapperswil in 1220. It is the origin of the town. The opening of the … Read more » “Rapperswil, Habsburg and the Confederation”
29 July 2021
Urnäsch (Canton Appenzell Innerrhoden) is a street village on the left bank of the Urnäsch and, in terms of area, the largest municipality in the canton. The name ‘Urnasca’ appears as early as the 9th century. Under the rule of St. Gallen Abbey, the village first formed a district with Herisau. In the 14th century, … Read more » “Urnäsch, the largest municipality of Appenzell Innerrhoden”
28 July 2021
Emma Kunz (1892-1951) was known as an artist, naturopath and researcher. She lived from 1951 until 1963 in Waldstatt (canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden). For her, her pictures and illustrations were not art but linked to her work as a naturopath. The contents of her designs and illustrations were a guide in her profession. She explored the … Read more » “Emma Kunz in Appenzell Ausserrhoden”
28 July 2021
Appenzell (population 5800) is the capital of the smallest Swiss canton. It is the political, economic and cultural centre of the canton of Appenzell-Innerrhoden. The parish of Appenzell was founded in 1071. The church of St. Mauritius was already built in 1069. It was a church of the monastery of St. Gallen. Around 1300, it … Read more » “The Village Appenzell and Canton Appenzell Innerrhoden”
28 July 2021
Available in German and Dutch.
28 July 2021
Romanshorn (Canton of Thurgau) and the Old Church (Alte Kirche) were first mentioned in a deed of donation from the year 779. The noblewoman Waldrata left her property in “Rumanishorn” to the monastery of St. Gallen. The convent’s bailiffs resided in the castle. The old church was used by Catholics and Protestants from 1563, as … Read more » “Romanshorn”
28 July 2021
The village of Glarus has always been the administrative centre of the Canton of Glarus. The Landsgemeinde has been held here on the first Sunday in May for 600 years. The industrialisation of the canton began as early as 1740. In that year, a company in Oberdorf experimented with textile and cotton manufacturing for the … Read more » “The early industrialisation of Glarus”
27 July 2021
The Schächental (canton of Uri) was already inhabited before the arrival of the Romans. The Alemanni came after the Romans, including the Spiro clan, who settled in Spiringen. The numerous place names with ‘ingen’ are reminders of the Alemannic period. The Schächen valley was Christianised around 650. As early as 1275, Spiringen participated in the … Read more » “The Schächen valley and Spiringen”
