Obergesteln
Origin of the name Obergesteln
First recorded in 1322 as « castellione » and in 1415 as « obergestillen ». The village was formerly called Châtillon-le-Haut in French. The etymology is unexplained.[1]
Founding of Obergesteln
Obergesteln (Châtillon-le-Haut) stands on a terminal moraine of the Rhône glacier, on the right bank of the river, at 1'353 m. First inhabited by Ligurians and Celts, later Romanised, it was Germanised in the 8th and 9th centuries by Alemanni arriving over the Grimsel. In the Middle Ages and under the Ancien Régime it was one of the nine quarters of the tithing (dizain) of Goms and an important staging post, with a sust (warehouse) and toll station, on the route from the Bernese Oberland to northern Italy. Mule transport, livestock and alpine farming were the main livelihoods. In 1515 a peasant regulation (« Bauernzunft ») governed the use of the alps, common land and pastures of Obergesteln, Unterwassern and Oberwald. The first burgher statutes date from 1647. Initially part of the large parish of Münster, Obergesteln became an independent parish in 1493. Tourism later developed, with the Schlüsselacker holiday village (500 beds), a model for supplementary accommodation, and a golf course opened in 1999. Since 1 January 2009 Obergesteln has formed the municipality of Obergoms with Oberwald and Ulrichen.[1]
History of Obergesteln
8th-9th centuries. Alemanni arriving over the Grimsel Germanise a Romanised Ligurian and Celtic population.[1]
1211. The historically disputed battle of Ulrichen is said to have taken place on the territory of Obergesteln.[2]
1309. A chapel of St Martin is recorded as the centre of the rectorate.[1]
1322. First recorded as « castellione ».[1]
1415. Recorded as « obergestillen ».[1]
around 1425. Frescoes of the old chapel, fragments of which survive in the choir, now the cemetery chapel.[1]
1435-1467. Disputes with Ulrichen over the Blasalp (1435, 1444, 1467).[2]
1493. Obergesteln becomes an independent parish.[1]
1515. Peasant regulation for the alps, common land and pastures of Obergesteln, Unterwassern and Oberwald.[1]
1647. First burgher statutes.
1693. Consecration of the new church.[1]
1720. A powder-snow avalanche destroys the western half of the village, killing 84 people.[1]
1860-1861. Construction of the Fiesch-Oberwald road.[1]
1868. Fire in the village; rebuilt in stone instead of timber.[1]
1915. Connection to the Furka-Oberalp railway.[1]
1972. Kindergarten and primary school run jointly with Oberwald and Ulrichen.[1]
1982. Opening of the Furka base tunnel. The village turns towards tourism.
1999. A golf course opens on the valley floor.[1]
2009. On 1 January Obergesteln merges with Oberwald and Ulrichen into the municipality of Obergoms.[1][2][3]
Population of Obergesteln
Sources and references: [1]
| 1850 | 249 |
| 1900 | 242 |
| 1950 | 240 |
| 2000 | 195 |
Historic sites in Obergesteln
Parish church. Consecrated in 1693, it replaces the old chapel of St Martin, centre of the rectorate in 1309 and then of the independent parish created in 1493.[1]
Stone village. After the fire of 1868 Obergesteln was rebuilt in stone rather than timber.[1]
Schlüsselacker holiday village. On the left side of the valley, this 500-bed holiday village is cited as a model for supplementary accommodation.[1]
Remains in Obergesteln
Cemetery chapel. The choir of the old chapel of St Martin, preserved as the cemetery chapel, retains fresco fragments from around 1425.[1]
Sources
- Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, « Obergesteln » (Robert Walpen, version du 05.01.2017, version allemande)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Ulrichen » (Alois Grichting, trad. Florence Piguet, version du 05.01.2017)
- Office fédéral de la statistique, Répertoire officiel des communes, mutation n° 2756 (01.01.2009)
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
Other villages near Obergesteln
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