The St. Alban Church

24 May 2019

Fishermen, boatmen and traders already inhabited the valley near Basel before the arrival of the Romans. The Romans introduced the water mills. The first church dates from the fifth century when Basel was the bishop’s residence.

Burkhard von Hasenburg (1040-1107), bishop of Basel, founded the monastery of St. Alban in 1083. The powerful abbey of Cluny administered the monastery.

The monastery was rebuilt in 1304 in the Gothic style, but in 1356 (earthquake) and 1417 (fire), the monastery was destroyed. The church remained intact, however. The canton approved the restoration of the church in 1845.

(Source: A. Meyer, Ursprung und Geschichte von St. Alban in Basel, Landquart, 1975).