Country wall chamois
The Landmauer Gamsen or Gamsenmauer is a medieval Letzi in Gamsen near Brig-Glis in the Swiss canton of Valais . It is considered to be the best preserved letzi in Switzerland and is a cultural asset of national importance (KGS No. 6659).
history
The chamois wall was built between 1352 and 1355 to defend the upper part of the Valais against attacks from the west. It was first mentioned in writing in 1392. The Savoy ruled as patrons of the abbey of Saint-Maurice from the 11th century, the Lower Valais and the Large-St-Bernard Pass .
In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Savoyers tried to seize the Simplon Pass out of economic and political-military interests , which was flourishing at the time: more goods passed through it than over the Great St. Bernard Pass . In the 13th century, the Bishop of Sitten and the Valais peasants fought together against the influence of the Zähringer and the Savoy. In the 14th century the Savoy succeeded in getting the bishop of their line (Eduard von Savoyen) or representing their interests (Witschard Tavel / Tavelli) to their side.
The Upper Valais Zehenden did not manage to unite against the powerful aristocrats like the original Switzerland . The tens Raron and Leuk counted on the help of the emperor while the uppermost tens ( Naters / Brig , Ostlich Raron (Mörel) , Goms ) allied themselves with the Ursern and Urners in 1346 .
When Bishop Witschard Tavel / Tavelli appointed the Count of Savoy as governor in 1352, Amadeus VI started a campaign . of Savoy against the Upper Valais. The tens of Siders , Raron and Visp submitted, but not the top tens. The land wall of Gamsen was built at this time as a defense against the Savoy by the Zehnds Naters (later called Brig), Mörel and Goms with the participation of the Knights of Simplon, the Barons of Attinghausen and possibly the Lords of Turn .
On the Massa , in 1355, the Zehenden signed the famous peace in which all seven Valais Zehnders came together to form a union. This shifted the border between Upper and Lower Valais to the west ( Leuk - Salgesch - Siders ) and the land wall lost its defensive role. In 1388 the Upper Valais defeated the Lords of Savoy in a decisive battle in Visp .
The wall
The dam was originally around two kilometers long and could hardly be bypassed because gorges ( Nanztal with Gamsabach, Gredetschtal with Mundbach) formed their natural continuation on both sides . These were difficult to pass up to the top. The wall, up to six meters high, could hardly be climbed without aids. It was originally equipped with battlements, battlements and towers. The enemy side of the wall was directed to the west (Lower Valais). There were previous walls as barrier walls against flooding by the Gamsa, which lie under the current walls and mostly deviate towards the west. The archaeological investigation by Louis Blondel (1885–1967) from 1958 revealed that the wall was built in several stages and by various construction teams. In 2008 a piece of charcoal from the masonry mortar was dated to the middle of the 12th century using the radiocarbon method .
The wall had a street gate, the remains of which are under the old country road. A protruding round tower (half-towers, Savoyard defense architecture) is embedded in the wall 40 meters to the south, which was used to monitor the gate. There was a second round tower 60 meters north of the gate. Since the land wall was not in a straight line, the flanking towers facing west allowed effective bombardment of the enemy wall. Because of this and because of the Gamsa, the land wall was easier to defend than other Letzimauern. However, such fortifications could not withstand a long siege. The Gamsa flowed west along the wall and served as a moat. Two dams from the years 1686 and 1757–1764 in the uppermost part of the rubble cone led the Gamsa away from the land wall in later years.
The wall was primarily a defensive wall, but had other functions as well: It was a suitable place to raise tariffs, an efficient barrier against the spread of epidemics (plague), a protection against cattle theft and raids (feuds, guerrilla warfare) and protection from flooding of the Gamsa. It is very likely that the wall marked the rule limit of the then powerful Lords of Attinghausen.
"Landmauer Gamsen Foundation"
The archaeological investigation by Louis Blondel in 1958 and the expert opinion by Werner Meyer in 1981 indicated the importance of the only preserved defense system of this type and size in Switzerland, which required effective protection. The “Pro Historia Glis” initiated the establishment of a foundation. In 1995 the "Landmauer Gamsen Foundation" was established: The state of Valais and the municipality of Brig-Glis transferred their property rights to the foundation for a symbolic amount.
In 1998 a first piece of the wall was renovated and in 1999 the building was classified as a cultural monument of national importance. The historian and first president of the Sigmund Widmer Foundation is considered the real savior of the land wall .
The foundation is carrying out various projects to renovate the land wall. Along the land wall, eight information boards provide detailed information about the former dam and the renovated Suste has become a didactic center where visitors can find information about the land wall, green belt and the village of Gamsen.
literature
- Louis Blondel: Le mur de Gamsen (murus vibericus). In: Vallesia. XIII, 1958, p. 232.
- André Donnet, Louis Blondel: Castles and palaces in Valais. Zurich 1963, p. 101.
- Werner Meyer: Expert opinion on the chamois wall. Basel 1981.
- Hans Steffen: The wall of Gamsen. (PDF). From: Sheets from Valais history, volume 2010.
Web links
- Landmauer Gamsen on the ETHorama platform
- Landmauer Gamsen , website of the «Landmauer Gamsen Foundation»
- Hans Steffen: Country wall chamois. Educational film Landmauer Foundation, Gamsen 2005.
Individual evidence
- ↑ The history of the land wall of Gamsen
- ↑ Hans Steffen: The wall of Gamsen. from: Sheets from Valais history. Volume 2010.
- ↑ Landmauer Gamsen Foundation ( Memento of the original dated November 2, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Land wall of Gamsen after the restoration. In: Walliser Bote. April 5, 2001.
- ↑ Landmauer Gamsen: Projects 2014
- ↑ The country wall with Suste and arena. ( Memento of the original from March 25, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Louis Blondel: Le mur de Gamsen. 1958.
Coordinates: 46 ° 18 '8.1 " N , 7 ° 56' 57.5" E ; CH1903: six hundred and thirty-nine thousand three hundred forty-four / 127998