Lötschenpass
Origin of the name Lötschenpass
In French the pass is called col du Lötschen. The meaning of the name is obscure.[1]
Founding of Lötschenpass
The pass, at 2'690 metres, links Kandersteg in the Kander valley (Bern) with Ferden in the Lötschental, between the Balmhorn and the Hockenhorn. The south side is easy to cross on foot, while the north side depends on the state of the glacier. Hunters, herders and traders have used it for at least 4'000 years. Apart from local traffic, it served mainly for exporting cattle. The pass lies in the municipality of Ferden, whose village at its southern foot drew part of its prosperity from it.[1][2][3][4]
History of Lötschenpass
2460-1690 BC. Three bows from this period, found in 1944, show that the pass was used from the end of the Neolithic and the start of the Bronze Age.[1]
around 2000-1800 BC. An Early Bronze Age traveller leaves on the pass a box of cereal flour, bow fragments, three flint arrowheads and a cow-horn container.[3]
13th-14th century. The lords of La Tour, based at Niedergesteln, build a lordship reaching as far as Mülenen-Aeschi and settle colonists from the Lötschental in the Lauterbrunnen valley. They cannot hold their rule against Bern and the dizains of the Upper Valais.[1]
1520. During the Italian Wars, Bern and the bishop of Sion consider improving the pass, for Bern the most direct way to the Simplon. Whether the project was carried out is unknown. In any case it brings no significant transit trade.[1]
16th century. The Little Ice Age makes the crossing dangerous.[1]
1696-1697. The Bernese burghers Ulrich Thormann and Abraham von Graffenried have a paved path built on the east side of the glacier. Valais refuses to extend it on its territory, for confessional reasons and under pressure from the cantons on the Gotthard route.[1]
1741. A road opens over the Gemmi, and the already light traffic moves there. In the 18th century the pass loses its importance beyond the region.[1][2]
1906-1913. The Lötschberg railway tunnel is built.[1]
2007. The Lötschberg base tunnel opens, making the connection much faster.[1]
2011. Beat Dietrich, warden of the Lötschenpass hut, reports objects from a melting firn field to the Archaeological Service of the canton of Bern.[3]
2017. In September the firn field releases the site again after four summers under snow. Archaeologists recover four bow fragments, leather straps, broken arrow shafts and a cord with an antler button.[3]
Historic sites in Lötschenpass
Lötschenpass hut. Hut close to the pass, in the municipality of Ferden.[5]
Remains in Lötschenpass
Finds from the firn field. Besides the Early Bronze Age equipment, the oldest find from the pass, the ice has released Roman and modern wooden objects, medieval barrel staves and an Iron Age vessel with burn marks, reportedly used to carry embers. Wood and leather decay quickly once exposed.[3]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, article sur le col du Lötschen (Klaus Aerni, traduit de l'allemand, version du 15.10.2009)
- Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (version allemande originale), « Ferden » (Werner Bellwald, version du 11.01.2005)
- Plattform J, « Kandersteg: 4000 Jahre alte Bergausrüstung entdeckt » (3.10.2017)
- geo.admin.ch, service de recherche de swisstopo (Lötschepass)
- geo.admin.ch, service de recherche de swisstopo (Lötschenpasshütte)
Other villages near Lötschenpass
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