Author: Maarten Koning

Reigoldswil, Region Wasserfallen, Mills, Cable Car and Rifenstein Castle

The first known owners of the village Reigoldswil (canton of Basel-Landschaft) were the Lords of Frohburg. The name Rigoltswire (Rigolt’s hamlet) was first mentioned in 1152. In 1366, the village passed to the Bishop of Basel. From 1400 to 1798, the village fell under the rule of the city of Basel.

Rifenstein Castle was inhabited from 1200 to the middle of the 14th century, after which it fell into disrepair. During the years of the separation of the Canton of Basel (1832-1833), Reigoldswil initially remained on the side of the city. To support Reigoldswil, Basler troops marched into the village on August 3 in vain.

On 26 August 1833, the secession was decided by a resolution of the Tagsatzung, the meeting of representatives of the cantons, and Reigoldswil became part of the new canton of Basel-Landschaft.

The Reigoldswil-Wasserfallen Luftseilbahn was put into operation in 1956.

The building was constructed in the 19th century as an office for the Wasserfallen railway. This railway line would have connected Liestal with Olten in the 19th century. There was, however, no money to build the tunnel, and the office subsequently became a sawmill, the Äussere Säge. It was powered by a waterwheel until 1943. Waterwheels also powered two other saws and two mills in the little village! The wheel on the picture is a 1991 copy, but it still functions and provides energy!

(Source: www.reigoldswil.ch).

The hunters trail  (Das Jägerswägli)

 

The Region Wasserfallen, nomen est omen

The Village of Salvan, Marconi and the Titanic

As is well known, Switzerland does not border the sea, although 20 million years ago, the country was by and in the sea. Yet the small mountain village of Salvan (canton of Valais) has its maritime history.

The Titanic, the largest and most luxurious passenger ship of its time, collided with an iceberg on April 14, 1912, during her journey from Southampton to New York. Alexis Bochatay (1881-1912) from Salvan was also on board as a cook. He did not survive.

Another event occurred 17 years earlier in Salvan and was significant for the Titanic. It did not help Alexis Bochatay, but SOS signals saved countless people. The Titanic also sent this signal, and about 700 people could still be rescued.

This tragedy highlighted the humanitarian role of telegraphy. Thanks to the invention of Italian Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937), the Titanic could send a SOS (Save Our Souls) message.

On the colossal boulder Pierre Bergère, Marconi sent the first telegraphic messages in the summer of 1895. After many attempts, he succeeded, first 5, then 100 and then over hundreds of metres. Telegraphy was born in Salvan!

The Marconi Trail (Sentier Marconi) and the Marconi Museum (musée Marconi) in Salvan show the Nobel laureate’s experiments.

(Source and further information: Commune of Salvan)

The house (on the right), where Marconi lived in the summer of 1895.

Waldenburg and its long history seine lange Geschichte

Waldenburch was first mentioned in a document in 1244. The name goes back to Walenburg, which means “castle of the Welscher,” the French-speaking people of Switzerland. In the early Middle Ages, the Alsatian monastery of Murbach owned the Waldenburg area. The Lords of Froburg were their successors.

After the opening of the Gotthard Pass around 1230, Hermann von Froburg founded the town of Waldenburg. The Bishop of Basel acquired the town in 1366, and in 1400, it fell to the city of Basel.

In 1525, Waldenburg had a hammer mill and an iron forge, which was later converted into a paper mill. These craft businesses used the water power of the stream Frenke.

Waldenburg became the district capital of the new canton of Basel-Landschaft in 1833. After the traffic over the Oberer Hauenstein Pass came to a standstill due to the construction of the railway, the municipality introduced the clock industry in 1853. Specialists from the Jura started this venture.

Source and further information: Municipality of Waldenburg; B. Degen, Waldenburg, Historisches Lexicon der Schweiz)