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Obergoms

Merger 2009 Canton of Valais · District: Goms · 662 inhabitants (31.12.2025, provisional FSO figure)
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Obergoms

The name « Obergoms » is the one given by the 2008 merger decision to the municipality (« Einwohnergemeinde Obergoms ») and to the burgher community (« Burgergemeinde Obergoms »).[1]

Founding of Obergoms

The municipality of Obergoms was created by the merger of Oberwald, Obergesteln and Ulrichen. The three burgher communities are also united into one, and their former burghers become burghers of the new one by law. The municipality then had 712 inhabitants. The territory covers the upper Goms valley, from the Rhône glacier to Ulrichen, at the foot of the Nufenen and Gries passes. Oberwald, on the right bank of the Rhône, also includes Unterwassern, on the other bank, and the Gerental with its now abandoned hamlets. The three villages first belonged to the parish of Münster, and for a long time they profited from the traffic over the Furka, Grimsel and Nufenen passes.[1][2][3][7][8]

History of Obergoms

8th-9th centuries. Alemanni arriving over the Grimsel Germanise the first inhabitants, of Ligurian-Celtic origin and already Romanised.[7]

1235. Ulrichen appears as « Vlrighingen ».[8]

1386. Oberwald is recorded as « Superiore Valde ».[7]

1419. The Bernese plunder Obergesteln. Their invasion attempt, made together with the lords of Rarogne, is driven back near Ulrichen by the people of Goms, led among others by Thomas In der Bünden.[1][8]

1493. Obergesteln leaves the parish of Münster. Oberwald now depends on Obergesteln.[7]

1515. Oberwald, Unterwassern and Obergesteln adopt joint statutes for the use of the alpine pastures, common land and forests.[7]

1720. On 18 February an avalanche buries Obergesteln.[1]

1860-1861. The road from Fiesch to Oberwald is built.[7]

1868. In September a great fire destroys much of Obergesteln. The same year Ulrichen becomes the parish of St Nicholas.[1][8]

1915. The Furka-Oberalp line links Oberwald with Brig.[1][7]

1963-1966. The Gries dam is built on the territory of Ulrichen. It is operated together with the Altstafel power station.[8]

1972. Oberwald, Obergesteln and Ulrichen start running a joint nursery and primary school.[7]

1982. The Furka base tunnel opens. The line runs all year round and also carries cars between Oberwald and Realp.[7]

1999. Ulrichen military airfield, the highest in the country, closes. Its materials are used for the avalanche barrier at Geschinen.[8]

2008. On 13 March the merger decision unites Oberwald, Obergesteln and Ulrichen under the name Obergoms, taking effect on 1 January 2009.[1]

2009. In January the municipality of Obergoms comes into being.[1][2][3]

2015. In February the municipal council withdraws Obergoms from the merger project with the neighbouring municipalities as far as Niederwald. Among other things, it considers that the implementation of the 2009 merger is not yet complete.[4]

2022. From 23 July to 6 August the federal scout camp brings some 30'000 children and young people to the valley. The camp's reception area is in Ulrichen.[5]

Population of Obergoms

Sources and references: [6]

Population of Obergoms
1980850 (present-day territory)
1990668 (present-day territory)
2000676 (present-day territory)
2010712 (commune of Obergoms)
2020654 (commune of Obergoms)
2025662

Historic sites in Obergoms

Municipal administration. The municipal administration has its address in Obergesteln, Bahnhofstrasse 1.[1]

Church of the Holy Cross, Oberwald. Built as a chapel in 1710, it has been the parish church since 1736. Its altars and wood carvings come from the workshops of Johann Ritz and Anton Sigristen (1716).[7]

Gletsch and the Rhône glacier. The territory of Oberwald includes the Rhône glacier, the hotels of Gletsch and the Belvédère hotel on the Furka road. About two centuries ago the glacier reached down to Gletsch.[1][7]

Furka summit line. Served by the railway until 1981, the rack-and-adhesion summit line over the Furka is now a heritage railway. It is listed in the inventory of cultural property of national importance.[1][9]

Chapel of St Anne at Zum Loch, Ulrichen. Destroyed by an avalanche in 1465, the chapel of the hamlet of Zum Loch was rebuilt from 1683 to 1686.[8]

Sources

  1. Gemeinde Obergoms, « Geschichte »
  2. Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), Répertoire officiel des communes, mutation 2756
  3. Canton du Valais, Service des affaires intérieures et communales, « Rapport sur les finances communales 2008 » (2010)
  4. SRF, Regionaljournal Bern Freiburg Wallis, « Gemeinde Obergoms will doch nicht fusionieren » (4.2.2015)
  5. mova, « Pfadibundeslager 2022 im Goms », kompass (juillet 2022)
  6. Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
  7. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Oberwald » (Robert Walpen, version du 05.01.2017)
  8. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Ulrichen » (Alois Grichting, version du 05.01.2017)
  9. Inventaire fédéral des biens culturels (PBC), objets de la commune d'Obergoms (geo.admin.ch)

Localities of the municipality with a page

Other villages near Obergoms

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