Stalden (VS)
Origin of the name Stalden (VS)
The place was formerly called « Morgi », a form recorded in 1213. « Staldun » appears in 1224. The etymology of Stalden has not yet been explained.[1]
Founding of Stalden (VS)
Eight bracelets from the La Tène period and the old name « Morgi » suggest that the Seduni settled this meeting point of the St. Niklaus and Saas valleys. Other place names of Alemannic origin point to Germanisation in the 8th and 9th centuries. In the 13th century several noble families lived in Stalden, among them the Embda. They held allodial land and noble or ecclesiastical fiefs. Until 1798 Stalden formed, with Staldenried, Embd, Törbel and Grächen, a quarter of the Visp dizain, which took turns in providing the dizain's officials. The present municipality brings together three former municipalities: Stalden (Dorfmark), Chinegga and Niederrusen, today Neubrück. The inhabitants lived mainly from farming and livestock.[1]
History of Stalden (VS)
1213. Recorded as « Morgi ».[1]
1215. The chapel of Merjen is mentioned.[1]
1224. Recorded as « Staldun ».[1]
13th century. Several noble families live in Stalden, among them the Embda, who own a stone residential tower.[1]
1518, 1531 and 1589. Regulations on the use of water and alpine pastures are adopted.[1]
1535. Stalden, until then a dependency of the parish of Visp, becomes a parish.[1]
1544-1545. Ulrich Ruffiner builds the Chibrücke (« Chibrigga »), a stone arch bridge founded in the rock on both sides.[3]
1686. Törbel separates from the parish of Stalden.[1]
1688. The three municipalities adopt a common statute (Bauernzunft).[1]
1750 and 1771. Grächen (1750) and then Embd (1771) separate from the parish.[1]
1777. St. Michael's parish church is extensively remodelled in late Baroque style.[1]
1805. The former municipality of Chinegga is joined to Stalden.[1]
1817. The former municipality of Niederrusen, today Neubrück, is joined to Stalden.[1]
1869. Staldenried separates from the parish.[1]
1890. The station on the Visp-Zermatt line opens.[1]
1892. Eisten separates from the parish.[1]
1894. The municipality buys the Pontimia alp in the Zwischbergental.[1]
1951. The cable car to Staldenried and Gspon goes into service.[1]
2000. About 65 % of the working population works outside the municipality, mainly in Visp and St. Niklaus.[1]
2023. The village bypass is completed in October. The Chinegga bridge (271 m) had been inaugurated on 29 November 2019.[3]
Population of Stalden (VS)
Sources and references: [1][4]
| 1802 | 232 inhabitants |
| 1850 | 291 inhabitants |
| 1900 | 443 inhabitants |
| 1950 | 870 inhabitants |
| 2000 | 1'149 inhabitants |
| 2025 | 1'140 inhabitants |
Historic sites in Stalden (VS)
St. Michael's parish church. Church extensively remodelled in 1777 in late Baroque style. Its bell tower is probably a former medieval defensive tower.[1]
Chapel of Merjen. Chapel already mentioned in 1215, at the place called Merjen.[1]
Bridges of Stalden. As the starting point of the roads to Embd, Saas, Törbel and Zermatt, the municipality has a great many bridges and engineering structures. The Chibrücke (« Chibrigga »), a stone arch bridge, was built in 1544-1545 by Ulrich Ruffiner.[1][3]
Remains in Stalden (VS)
Tower of the Embda. Stone residential tower of the noble Embda family, a witness to the noble families living in Stalden in the 13th century.[1]
La Tène bracelets. Eight bracelets from the La Tène period which, together with the old name « Morgi », suggest Celtic settlement before Germanisation.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Stalden (VS) » (Bernard Truffer, trad. Florence Piguet, version du 10.01.2013)
- Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, « Stalden (VS) » (version allemande)
- Canton du Valais, Service de la mobilité (arrondissement 1, Haut-Valais), brochure « Umfahrung Stalden » (octobre 2023)
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Stalden (VS)
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