The Swiss History of Wahlen

26 November 2025

The Romans came, saw, conquered, and then left the territory of present-day Switzerland, but they left behind a lasting presence. They founded the first Roman colonies (Colonia Iulia Equestris (Nyon), Colonia Augusta Rauracorum (Augst and Kaiseraugst), Colonia Pia Flavia Constans Emerita Helvetiorum Foederata, known as Aventicum (Avenches), and Forum Claudii Vallensium (Martigny). Moreover, the Roman presence is still clearly felt in many other places, such as Vindonissa (Windisch), Orbe-Boscéaz, or Vallon.

Without the Romans, there would be no Christianity and no bishoprics, cathedrals, basilicas, and monasteries in Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg, Sion, Basel, Zurich, Lugano, St. Gallen, Romainmôtier, Chur, and many other places.

Wahlen

In many other places, however, the Roman presence is hardly or not at all visible. The Roman watchtower on the Stürmenchopf (768 m) and the Roman villa in Wahlen (Canton Basel-Landschaft) have been left to nature. Yet, the history of this small village is a typical Swiss story.

Wahlen lies on an old Roman military road. From the French-speaking part of Switzerland, it led through the “Val Terbi” near Delémont (Delsberg), over the Fringeli and the Plattenpass at Blauen, to the Rhine bend near Basel. Numerous finds also point to settlement during the Bronze and Celtic ages. The Alemanni arrived in the 5th and 6th centuries, followed by the Merovingians, Carolingians, Burgundians, the Holy Roman Empire, local dynasties, the Bishopric of Basel, and the Habsburgs.

Blauen

The name of the village is associated, on the one hand, with the Latin “Vallum” (wall, fortification), and, on the other hand, with the Alemannic “Walch,” meaning “Welsch.” The village was first mentioned in documents in 1166 and 1179.

The Wahlen dynasty appears in 1275. Through inheritance, half of the village later passed to the House of Austria, while the other half went to the Bishopric of Basel. Bailiffs ruled the village until the French invasion in 1792.

In 1525, Wahlen entered into a “Burgrecht” (citizenship agreement) with the city of Basel and adopted the new faith in 1529, only to have Bishop Christoph Blarer von Wartensee (1542–1608) enforce the Counter-Reformation in 1589.

In 1792, the French invasion, occupation and the proclamation of the Rauracian Republic followed. Three months later, France annexed the village and assigned it to the Département Mont-Terrible, and in 1800 to the Département Haut-Rhin. In 1815, Wahlen was assigned to the Canton of Bern by decision of the Congress of Vienna. In 1994, after a referendum, the village transferred to the Canton of Basel-Landschaft.

Frontier of the cantons Basel-Landschaft and Solothurn

The Swiss Alpine Club/ Section SAC-Basel

For the annual celebration of the SAC-Basel, Wahlen is a symbolic place. The yearly celebration of the SAC Basel is always dedicated to the long-standing members, some of whom have been involved for 50, 60, or even 70 years! Although most of them did not personally experience the developments described above, two or almost three generations of membership are noteworthy.

The Swiss Federal Yodelling Festival (Das Eidgenössische Jodlerfest) will take place from 26 to 28 June 2026 in Basel.

The route from Bärschwil to Wahlen also offers various historical and natural highlights, including the Kalköfen Stritteren, the Buechloch of Bärschwil, the poets Albin Fringeli (1899–1993) and Dieter Fringeli (1942–1999) and their farm, as well as the former glassworks on the Birs.

The Swiss Alpine Club (Schweizer Alpen Club, SAC/Club Alpin Suisse, CAS) organises ski tours, hiking trips, and other sports in the high mountains and other areas.