Amden
The terrace of Amden above Lake Walen
Amden ( in local dialect amde [ ɑ̝mdə ] ) is a village and a municipality in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen.
- 4.1 Prehistory and Early History
- 4.2 1st century BC to the 5th century
- 4.3 6th to 12th century
- 4.4 13th to 18th century
- 4.5 1798-1910
- 4.6 landslide of Amden
Geography
With an area of 43 km ² Amden is one of the larger municipalities in the canton. 12:09 km ² is forest. The highest point is 2101 m above sea level Amden on the Leistchamm, the deepest point of 421 m at Lake Walen.
The community Amden is divided into four parts: the village (900 m asl), Arvenbuel (1250 m asl), as well as on the banks of Lake Walen or Fli Fly ( 430 m asl) and Betlis (430 m above sea level) to the parts of the upper and Unterbetlis.
Population
The number of inhabitants in the four parts in 2008 was 1612; them in the village and Arvenbuel 1314 in Fli: 270 and in Betlis 28 Of 659 were local citizens, 1035 Catholic and 313 Protestant. The residents of Amden be called Ammler.
Economy
Jobs are available in the areas of agriculture, hospitality and construction industry and in different areas of the service.
Tourism
Amden offers a local museum, a natural ice rink, a ski resort, hiking trails, tennis courts, opportunities for canyoning and climbing and water sports at Lake Walen.
The most famous mountains are Leistchamm, Flügenspitz, Gulmen, Mattstock, Chapf and Durschlegi. In Amden also is the Seerenbachfall, with a height of 305 meters, the highest waterfall in Switzerland. Right at the foot of which lies the source of the Rin, a flow source from an underground cave system. The municipal area also are various high moorlands.
Traffic
1882 The road was opened to Weesen. Ten years later reversed twice per day a stagecoach, until 1918, the municipality took over the transport operation. She bought two old army truck and built this to siebzehnplätzigen buses. The Weesen- Amden was founded. The company, which contributed significantly to the development of the resort, brought to work and merit in the community. In 1950, the garage and workshop building was created. Today the company has 14 vehicles, in addition to the course operation ( approximately 200,000 passengers per year ), he organized trips, maintains a truck and taxi operation and worried in the winter snow removal.
By Arvenbuel of the 87 -kilometer trail runs from Toggenburg. He leads in five stages of wild house on Atzmännig and MUHLRUTI to Wil.
History
Prehistory and Early History
50,000 years ago, settled in Churfirst region, probably only temporarily, the first inhabitants settled. Among other things, they settled in the Wildenmannlisloch in the upper Toggenburg. Unclear, however, is the colonization Amden by the Rhaetian in the period before the birth of Christ. What is known is that they populated the region from Lake Walen addition to the Glarus.
1st century BC to the 5th century
A settlement in Amden by Romansh speakers can not be proven with certainty, there are only hints. Thus, field-names of Romansh words can be derived, for example: Furggeln ( furca, fork ), Tschingel ( cingulum, projecting ledge ) or Gulmen ( Cuolm, the mountain ).
An evidence of a Roman settlement found in the ruins Strahlegg in Betlis that was created in the 1st century BC for military purposes.
6th to 12th century
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the men alternated in rapid succession. After the Ostrogoths, Franks and Swabians came Amden and the whales sea area to the Lenzburg and the County of Kyburg. Also the monastery GeopathSchänis acquired large areas. Amden is first mentioned in a bull of 1178, which is preserved in a later copy, in which the Pope confirmed the possessions of the monastery in Andimo monte.
13th to 18th century
When the Toggenburg came into the possession of the land on Lake Walen, broke out between the people of Zurich, the people of Schwyz and Glarus a hassle. Zurich would have important transit area likes to see for themselves where Glarus and Schwyz saw the rights on their side.
1438 the whole district Gaster for 3000 florins to Glarus and Schwyz was pledged. The pledge was never redeemed, and so remained until 1798 Amden peasant lands of the Confederates.
1798-1910
The French Revolution meant dismissal from the subjects ratio. Amden was first assigned to the Canton Linth, then the Canton of Glarus in 1815 and finally to the Canton of St. Gallen.
1817 resulted in a great famine in Amden to a strong decrease in the population because many people emigrated. 1829 burnt down the settlement Hofstetten and 1874 destroyed another fire under the village stream. 1908, the weaving factory was built in Sittli. By emerging from the mid-19th century silk weaving were working against 300 women.
Landslide of Amden
Since 1972, a tilting movement of Schrattenkalks was observed in the area Black Mountain sheep's bed, the top rock mass. It was estimated at ½ million cubic meters and threatened to cross the street Weesen -Amden crashing into the Lake Walen. The initial slip rate of 5 cm per month increased noticeably. Exaggerated news reports spread the impression that the village itself was in danger. The passers-by traffic went back to a minimum, hotels, inns and lift the company had to take financial losses in purchasing.
In the fall of 1973 was a Notstrasse built into Toggenburg with the help of the military ( Sap Kp II / 8 and I/35 Sap Kp ) in the shortest possible time. Was used for this one already elaborated road project Amden- Nesslau of 1906, the execution of which would have cost 710,000 francs, and was therefore not performed. However, the Notstrasse could not be used in the following winter because of avalanche danger. Since the Schwarzenberg tended threatening, began the loose masses of rock to watch around the clock and illuminate at night with headlights.
In mid-January 1974, the road was blocked. Helicopter of the army, the Rega and Heliswiss took over the care of the community. On foggy days, when the air traffic had to be stopped, it was in Amden deserted. On the night of January 21, 1974, triggered a large part of the rock mass (about 50,000 m³) and crashed into the quarry. The road was only slightly damaged. Days later, still fall hazard parties were blasted ( 40,000 m³). In mid-February, the road was reopened to traffic. 1981 rockfall galleries to secure the road Weesen -Amden were built.
Attractions
The ruins Strahlegg stands on the banks of Lake Walen in Hinterbetlis. There are the ruins of a Roman watchtower, which was rebuilt in the Middle Ages a castle. The building is under Swiss federal monument.
The parish has three churches. The Catholic parish church of St. Gallus can be traced back to the 13th century but was rebuilt in the 20th century. The Catholic St. Anne's Chapel and the evangelical mountain church were rebuilt both in the third third of the 20th century.
Personalities
- Otto Meyer -Amden (1885-1933), Swiss artist
- Michael von der Heide (born 1971 ), Swiss singer