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Villages / Valais / Goms district / Richelsmatt

Richelsmatt

Lost village Canton of Valais · District: Goms · No published figure for the locality; the municipality of Ernen has 539 inhabitants (31.12.2025, provisional FSO figure)
Part of the municipality of Steinhaus
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Remains Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Richelsmatt

The hamlet appears as Richelsmatt and Richulschmatt, and as «Richelsmat» in an inscription at Steinhaus. The name has not been explained.[1][2]

Founding of Richelsmatt

Richelsmatt was a medieval hamlet between the Rufibach and the Bettelbach, near the village of Steinhaus. It was one of a series of small medieval settlements between Mühlebach and Niederwald, along with Löüwine, Rufine and Rufibord. It is now part of the municipality of Ernen (former municipality of Steinhaus, joined to Ernen in 2004). It was probably the most important of the small settlements around and had its own jurisdiction. The site is deserted, like the neighbouring hamlets of Hofstette, Rufine and Rufibord.[1][2]

History of Richelsmatt

1530. Richelsmatt and Steinhaus adopt a joint communal statute (Bauernzunft) governing citizenship rights and the use of common land.[1][2]

1629. The plague reportedly began the decline. The hamlet then joined with Steinhaus.[2]

1687. The record of a pastoral visitation mentions a chapel at Richelsmatt and another at Rufibord, both since vanished.[2]

1794. On 12 April an inscription in the former town hall of Steinhaus names «Die lobliche Gemeind Steinhaus und Richelsmat».[2]

around 1830. The last inhabitants leave. According to tradition, they took their houses with them to Steinhaus.[2]

2004. Steinhaus, to which the site belongs, is joined to the municipality of Ernen.[1]

Remains in Richelsmatt

Barn-stables. All that remains of the hamlet are crumbling barn-stables.[2]

Sources

  1. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Steinhaus » (Bernard Truffer, version du 04.01.2017, traduit de l'allemand)
  2. Landschaftspark Binntal, « Kulturwege Mühlebach und Steinhaus » (textes de Roland Flückiger-Seiler et Peter Clausen), 2023
  3. Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de

Other villages near Richelsmatt

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