Agarn
Coat of arms: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Origin of the name Agarn
The name is recorded in 1252 as « Aert », in 1267 as « Ayert » and in the 16th century as « Agaren ». An older mention from 1229, « apud aer quinque casamenta » (five houses at Agarn), and a Celtic origin from « akarno » (sycamore maple) have also been put forward, but both points are uncertain.[1]
Founding of Agarn
Agarn was built lengthwise on an alluvial fan at the foot of the southern slope of the Rhone valley, between Susten and Turtmann. The village lived from passing traffic: in the 13th and 14th centuries it served as a stopover (sust) for Simplon traffic, and it became an autonomous municipality in the 14th century. In the Middle Ages it belonged to the parish of Leuk (Loèche) in church matters and, politically, to the third of the Leuk dizain called « Ennet dem Rotten ». Two fires caused heavy damage. Around 1800 the through road was moved north of the village, and the Rhone plain was drained in the 19th century. Long agricultural, Agarn turned to small industry and crafts. In 1990, 76 people worked at the Alusuisse plants in Chippis.[1]
History of Agarn
1229. Probable mention « apud aer quinque casamenta » (five houses at Agarn).
1252. Recorded as « Aert ».[1]
1267. Recorded as « Ayert ».[1]
13th-14th centuries. Agarn serves as a stopover (sust) for Simplon traffic.[1]
14th century. Agarn becomes an autonomous municipality.[1]
Middle Ages. The village belongs to the parish of Leuk and to the « Ennet dem Rotten » third of the Leuk dizain.
16th century. Recorded as « Agaren ».[1]
1679. Construction of the Rosary chapel.
1799. A fire causes severe damage to the village. It is attributed to French troops, though this is uncertain.
around 1800. The through road now runs north of the village.[1][4]
1825. The municipality reportedly adopted statutes that year.
1893. A rectorate is established.
1899. Another fire with serious consequences.[1][4]
1922-1923. Founding of the parish and construction of the church of Our Lady of the Rosary.[1]
1935. Separation between resident and non-resident burghers.[4]
1990. 36 businesses provide 187 jobs; 76 workers are employed at the Alusuisse plants in Chippis.[1]
Population of Agarn
Sources and references: [1][2]
| around 1703 | 100 inhabitants approximately |
| 1850 | 186 inhabitants |
| 1900 | 279 inhabitants |
| 1950 | 479 inhabitants |
| 2000 | 758 inhabitants |
| 2025 | 743 inhabitants |
Historic sites in Agarn
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. Parish church built in 1922-1923, when the parish of Agarn was founded.
Rosary chapel. Chapel built in 1679, the village's first place of worship, when it still belonged to the parish of Leuk.
Core of the street village. Village built lengthwise on an alluvial fan, along the old Simplon road before the road was moved north of the village around 1800.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (version allemande), « Agarn » (Philipp Kalbermatter, version du 23.06.2009)
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
- Commune d'Agarn, « Porträt Agarn » (incendies de 1799 et 1899, séparation des bourgeois en 1935, armoiries de 1922)
Other villages near Agarn
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