Elgg and the United Dutch Provinces

14 May 2026

Elgg (Canton of Zurich) is a town with a rich history on the upper reaches of the river Eulach. The first written mention dates back to 760 under the name Ailaghoga. St Gallen Abbey, founded only in 719, acquired the town and the surrounding region in 760.

Elgg

The Lords of Elgg then served the abbey for centuries. In 1289, the abbot of St. Gallen granted the place as a fief to the Habsburgs. 1371 Elgg obtained city rights and jurisdiction. Since 1452, the town has been in the canton of Zurich. The city retained its authority and political autonomy with a Grosse and Kleine Rat until 1798.

The Juliusbanner of the canton of Zug, 1521. Collection: British Museum Inv. No. 1912,0709.1

The town was also the proud holder of the Julius banner. This banner consists of two cloths with text, a sword, and a hat, all of which are blessed by the Pope.

The warlike Pope Julius II (1443-1513) donated this banner in 1512 to 42 Swiss cantons (Zugewandte Orte/Allies) and local rulers as a gesture of gratitude for their military support during the war against France in northern Italy from 1508 to 1510. Elgg had also fought with soldiers/mercenaries for the Pope. Twenty years later, the town adopted the Protestant faith.

Swiss mercenaries in the Dutch Republic. Collection: Landesmuseum Zürich

There is also a Dutch history in Elgg, as in many places in Switzerland. Hans Felix Werdmüller (1658-1725) acquired the castle in 1712.

Johann Caspar Ulinger (1703-1768)., 1741, Elgg Castle

This citizen of Zurich was not just anyone but a Major General in the service of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces and a member of the Grand Council (Grosse Rat) of Zurich. After his death, he stipulated that Elgg Castle would always remain in his family, a stipulation that remains in effect to this day.

The reformed church of Elgg

The French invasion in 1798 marked the end of Elgg’s independent jurisdiction. The town served as the district capital in the Helvetic Republic (1798-1803) and was an independent municipality within the district (Bezirk) of Winterthur in the new Confederation (1803-1813).

The multifaceted industrial, commercial, and service industries are also reflected in the factory buildings, merchant houses, taverns, and listed buildings. Watch, shoe, steel, metal, stone, glass, and textile industries, as well as inns for travellers and transhipment sites for goods and other services, have come and gone over the past centuries.

The connection to the railway network (1855) and the canalisation of the River Eulach (1914) created new opportunities after the loss of other industries. However, the landscape in this border region with Canton Thurgau is unchangingly beautiful and fascinating.

(Source and further information: Gemeinde Elgg)