Leuk

Leuk

State :	Switzerland Switzerland
Canton :	Canton of Valais Valais (VS)
District :	Leuk
BFS no. :	6110i1 f3 f4
Postal code :	3953
UN / LOCODE :	CH LEU
Coordinates :	615 081 / 129632 coordinates: 46 ° 19 '5 " N , 7 ° 38' 4" O ; CH1903: 615,081 / 12963246.317917315022 7.6344387673647 731
Height :	731 m above sea level M.
Height range :	548–2965 m above sea level M.
Area :	55.15 km²
Residents:	3949 (December 31, 2018)
Population density :	72 inhabitants per km²
Website:	www.leuk.ch
Look at Leuk
Location of the municipality
w

Leuk ( French Loèche , Valais German Leigg ) is a political municipality , a civic community with a civic council and the capital of the Leuk district and a parish of the dean's office Leuk in the German-speaking part of the Swiss canton of Valais .

Aerial photo (1946)

The community consists of the localities Leuk-Stadt, Susten and since January 1, 2013 Erschmatt as well as several hamlets . The hamlets of Brunnen, Lichten, Rotafen, St. Barbara and Thel are located on the northern slope of the Rhone Valley. Besides Getwing, which is located on the right bank, standing on the left side of Rottens the hamlet Briannen, Feithieren, Gampinen, Pfyn and Pletschen. Two thirds of the community's residents live in Susten.

geography

Leuk is located on the northern slope and in the plain of the Rhone Valley and on the eastern slope of the Dalatals , east of the mouth of the Dala in the Rotten.

history

The area of Leuk was already settled in the Stone Age over 4000 years ago. It is assumed that the place name Leuk comes from pre-Celtic times and that the permanent settlement began at this time. The area of Leuk was settled and influenced successively by Ligurians, Celts, Romans, Burgundians, Franks and Alemanni. The oldest surviving document mentioning Leuks is dated to the year 515 AD. In 1142 Leuk was acquired by the Bishop of Sitten , who thus became the sovereign. The bishop's palace in Leuk served the bishops as a summer residence. In 1256 Leuk received city rights.

Thanks to its location at the junction of east-west and south-north traffic, the place became an important trading center. The Gemmi Pass in the north was already used intensively by the Romans, which is proven by countless finds.

Viticulture has been practiced on the sunny southern slopes since Roman times. The Celts were already familiar with alpine pasture and pasture farming. In the Middle Ages there were over 20 mills in Leuk. In addition, trading posts and lawyers were also based in Leuk.

Leuk was the center of the Reformation in Valais with Bartholomäus Allet and his son-in-law Michael Mageran as leaders. Under Mageran, the bishop's secular and ecclesiastical power was broken by morals.

From 1915 to 1967 the narrow-gauge Leuk-Leukerbad Railway ran from the Leuk SBB station via the Leuk Stadt station up to Leukerbad .

In 1974 the satellite ground station Leuk ( Swisscom ) was put into operation on a hill 1 km east of Leuk .

With effect from January 1, 2013 Erschmatt was incorporated into Leuk.

population

Population development
year	1850	1900	1950	2000	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Residents	1042	1592	2336	3361	3659	3675	3712	3724	3842	3915	3947

politics

The municipal council consists of seven members and is elected for four years on a proportional basis. For the current legislative period from 2017 to 2020, the party-political composition is as follows: 4 CSPs, 2 CVPs and 1 SP.

coat of arms

A griffin is the heraldic animal of Leuk. The griffin is a mythical creature made up of a lion and an eagle. This indicates mastery over earth and air.

Leuk Castle Foundation

The Leuk Bishop's Palace was handed over to the Leuk Castle Foundation in 1996 by the Leuk community . The foundation has set itself the task of restoring the early Romanesque castle and filling it with new life. The architectural part of this task was taken over by the Ticino star architect Mario Botta , who had already designed the striking glass dome on the castle tower. The foundation initiated the Spycher: Leuk Literature Prize in 2001 .

Personalities

Johannes Werra (–1537), Governor (1524–1525)

Peter Allet (around 1510–1569), Governor (1558–1559, 1564–1565, 1568–1569)

Bartholomäus Allet (1540–1620), governor, lord of the banner and officer in foreign service.

Michael Mageran (around 1575–1638), Governor (1631–1638)

Franz Joseph Melchior Zen Ruffinen (1729–1790), Bishop of Sion (1780–1790)

Augustin Sulpiz Zen Ruffinen (1765–1829), Bishop of Sion (1817–1829)

Franz Kaspar Zen Ruffinen (1803–1861), State Councilor (1840–1843, 1848–1855)

Ignaz Zen Ruffinen (1809–1890), State Councilor (1843–1847, 1871–1876)

Alexis Allet (1820–1888), State Councilor (1855–1870)

Julius Zen Ruffinen (1847–1926), State Councilor (1897–1905)

Raphael von Werra (1852–1910), State Councilor (1906–1910)

Otto Bayard (1881–1957), father of iodine prophylaxis

Franz von Werra (1914–1941), German fighter pilot in World War II

Raphael von Werra (* 1926), federal judge (1970–1987)

Michel Villa (* 1955), singer and entertainer

Roberto Schmidt (* 1962), State Councilor, former National Councilor, former Mayor of Leuk

Rolf Hermann (* 1973), writer

Rabea Grand (* 1984), ski racer

Personalities worked or died in the Leuk

Anton de Augustini (born August 4, 1743 in Macugnaga ; † June 18, 1823 in Leuk), lawyer and notary, governor of Monthey , member of the provisional board of directors of the Valais , co-author of the Valais criminal and civil code, member of the Helvetic directorate

Attractions

Roman hearth
Ossuary under St. Stephen's Church with a 20 meter long skull wall: two wall paintings with dance of death scenes from around 1520 have been preserved on the foundation pillar
Gothic St. Stephen's Church
town hall
Episcopal Castle
Pfynwald
Devil's bridge
Castle de Werra in the Leuk-Stadt district