Medieval Allschwil

2 April 2019

The municipality of Allschwil in the canton of Basel-Landschaft has a long history, dating back to the Stone-, Bronze- and Roman times when the Celtic tribe of the Rauracen inhabited the area.

In the year 1033, the town was mentioned for the first time in a document. The name of the town was Almswilre. The town belonged to the duchy of Alsace and the prince-bishopric of Basel in the eleventh century.

Allschwil signed a defensive treaty (Schirmvogtei) with the city of Basel in 1525 but remained part of the prince-bishopric of Basel.

Although the Eidgenossenschaft, apart from Grisons (Graubündner Wirren 1618-1639), was not a battlefield during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), Allschwil was plundered by Swedish troops in 1634.

At the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815), Allschwil (and the entire Birseck) was assigned to the canton of Basel. The town is part of the canton Basel-Landschaft since 1833.

Allschwil borders on France and the architecture, urban planning and language are the cultural heritage of this multicultural region.