Raron, Rilke and UNESCO

6 November 2021

Raron (Ragogne in French) is one of the Seven Tithings (Zenden/Zehnden in German, dizains in French) of the Upper Valais. They occupied the Lower-Valais (Unterwallis/Bas-Valais) from 1512-1524 until 1798 (the French invasion) and governed it as an occupied territory or Untertanengebiet (territoire sujet).

The Lords of Raron occupied an area extending as far as the Val d’Hérens until the 15th century. The town is primarily known for the church on the hill, built between 1512 and 1518, and the small church of St. German.

The German poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) is buried in the church’s cemetery on the hill.

Raron also has another heritage site: the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Schweizer Alpen Jungfrau-Aletsch and the Bietschtal.

(Source: www.raron.ch).