Waldenburg and its long history seine lange Geschichte

2 February 2024

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)