The Monumental Houses of Elm

14 October 2021

The picturesque village of Elm is located in the canton of Glarus in the Sernftal valley. In the eighth century, the Säckingen (Germany) abbey acquired the Glarus region.

Saint Fridolin was the patron saint of this abbey and the canton of Glarus, as can still be seen from the canton’s flag.

The Habsburgs ruled Glarus and Elm until the battle of Näfels in 1388. Elm bought itself free from Säckingen Abbey in 1395. Elm adopted the Protestant faith in 1528.

Russia, Austria and France fought in the area in 1799. The Russian general Alexander Suvorov (1730-1800) passed through Elm on his retreat over the Panixer Pass on 5 October 1799, one of the most famous military expeditions across the Alps.

Today, Elm is known for its characteristic and monumental Elmer and Glarus farmhouses.

(Source and further information: www.elm.ch).