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Villages / Valais / Leuk district / Unterems
Coat of arms of Unterems

Unterems

Canton of Valais · District: Leuk · 161 inhabitants (2000, former municipality of Unterems, last figure before the merger)
Part of the municipality of Turtmann-Unterems
View of Unterems
Photo: Roland Zumbühl, GFDL, Wikimedia Commons · Coat of arms: Public domain
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Unterems

The name first appears in 1270, as « inferiorem hemesa ». Its origin is not explained.[1]

Founding of Unterems

Unterems overlooks the Rhône valley on the left bank. Besides the village, the former municipality included the hamlets of Ze Schmidu, Feldishaus and Prupräsu. In the 14th century Unterems belonged to Turtmann. It then appears as an independent commune and adopted a Bauernzunft (communal statutes) in 1457. It later formed an association of communes with Turtmann, and in the 16th century issued statutes partly shared with Oberems. The two Ems then left the parish of Leuk to form the parish of Ems, whose church of St Bartholomew was built in Unterems. Alongside livestock and alpine farming, the service sector provides jobs.[1][3]

History of Unterems

1270. First mention as « inferiorem hemesa ».[1]

14th century. Unterems belongs to Turtmann.[1]

1419. Unterems appears as an independent commune.[1]

1457. Unterems adopts a Bauernzunft (communal statutes).[1]

1479. Unterems forms an association of communes with Turtmann.[1]

1501. Unterems takes on a fifth of the burdens and offices of the association with Turtmann.[1]

16th century. Unterems issues communal statutes, partly together with Oberems.[1]

1728. Unterems and Oberems leave the parish of Leuk to form the parish of Ems.[1]

1803. The parish church of St Bartholomew is built in Unterems.[1]

1946. Renovation of St Bartholomew's church, followed by others in 1984 and 2008.[1]

1952. A cableway links Unterems with Turtmann.[1]

1961. A road links Unterems with Turtmann.[1]

2013. On 1 January, Unterems merges with Turtmann to form the municipality of Turtmann-Unterems.[1][3]

Population of Unterems

Sources and references: [1]

Population of Unterems
180262 inhabitants
1850114 inhabitants
1900133 inhabitants
1950197 inhabitants
2000161 inhabitants

Historic sites in Unterems

Parish church of St Bartholomew. Church of the parish of Ems, built in Unterems in 1803 and renovated in 1946, 1984 and 2008.[1]

Chapel of Our Lady at Feldishaus. Chapel of the hamlet of Feldishaus, one of the hamlets of the former municipality.[1]

Hamlets of Ze Schmidu and Prupräsu. Hamlets which, with the village and Feldishaus, made up the former municipality of Unterems.[1]

Sources

  1. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Unterems » (Alois Grichting, version du 05.01.2017)
  2. Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, « Unterems » (Alois Grichting, version originale allemande)
  3. Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), Répertoire officiel des communes de Suisse, mutation n° 3398 (fusion de Turtmann et Unterems en Turtmann-Unterems, 01.01.2013)
  4. geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)

Other villages near Unterems

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