Andermatt
Encyclopedia
Andermatt is a municipality
in the canton
of Uri in Switzerland
.
With Realp
and Hospental
, it is located in the Urseren valley, 22 km (13.7 mi) south of Altdorf
.
Andermatt has an area, , of 62.2 km² (24 sq mi). Of this area, 40.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 5.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.7% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (52%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). , 0.4% of the total land area was heavily forested, while 5.1% is covered in small trees and shrubbery. Of the agricultural land, 4.3% is used for orchards or vine crops and 36.5% is used for alpine pastures. Of the settled areas, 0.5% is covered with buildings, and 1.1% is transportation infrastructure. Of the unproductive areas, 0.5% is unproductive standing water (ponds or lakes), 1.0% is unproductive flowing water (rivers), there is 30.9% that is too rocky for vegatation, and 19.7% is other unproductive land.
Andermatt is located in a high Alpine valley—the Ursern Valley—in the Adula Alps. Since the opening of the Schöllenen route
, around 1200, Andermatt has been on the Gotthard route.
/Grisons and Western Switzerland, i.e. Valais
, Berne and the Swiss Romande. The town is thus connected by four Alpine passes: the Oberalp Pass
(6,706 ft; 2,044 m.) to the East, the St. Gotthard Pass
(6,909 ft; 2,106 m.) to the South, the Furka Pass
(7,992 ft; 2,436 m.) to the West, as well as the Göschenertal Pass (4,652 ft; 1,418 m.) to the North. The Schöllenen Gorge in the Reuss Valley
between Andermatt and Göschenen
is the location of the infamous Devil's Bridge
.
Archaeological finds dating back to 4000 BC indicate that the Ursern Valley was populated already in the Neolithic
period. During Roman times this Alpine valley was probably inhabited by some Helvetic Celtic tribes
. However, the origins of Andermatt can only be traced back to Alemannic tribes
, the Walser
s, who established settlements in the area, where the current town of Andermatt is situated.
The parish
of Andermatt was not mentioned until the year of 1203 AD, serving as a tenure
to the Benedictine
Disentis Abbey
. This first mention refers to it as de Prato. In 1290 it was mentioned as A der Matte. In 1649, with the emergence of an independent Swiss Confederation, the ecclesiastical rights of the Monastery Disentis were revoked in favour of civil legislation.
In the Flight of the Earls
, Gaelic earls lost a fortune of gold down at the Devil's Bridge crossing ravine on St Patrick's Day in 1608. It has never been recovered and is known as the Lost Treasure of the St Gotthard Pass.
Nearby Schöllenen Gorge is the site of a memorial commemorating the 1799 campaign
of the Russian general Alexander Suvorov
.
Between 1818-1831 the nearby St. Gotthard Pass was made accessible to stagecoaches. As the last resort before the pass, Andermatt flourished economically and became a popular spa town
.
The opening, in 1881, of the St. Gotthard railway tunnel
, however, reverted its fortunes as the tunnel runs immediately beneath the town, connecting the Central Swiss
town Göschenen
with Airolo
in Ticino
. Some Andermattians, who worked on the tunnel were killed during its construction. A strike by the tunnel workers, furthermore, was put down through the use of military force killing a further four workers.
Since 1885 AD Andermatt has been converted into a garrison town of the Swiss Federal Army. Here the infrastructure for the High Command of the Swiss Federal Army in an event of war was built. Today it is location of a Training Centre of the Swiss army.
Plans to build a series of reservoirs in the Ursern Valley were voted down by the locals and a huge reservoir was built instead in the next valley called the Göscheneralp.
Several avalanches, in particular in the winter of 1951 and 1975 have caused havoc in some residential areas of Andermatt killing the inhabitants of the houses affected.
By the 1930s the town's income from tourism had seriously declined, and many of the Ursental's hotels were abandoned or changed usage. The Grand Hotel Bellevue, which was built by the aristocratic Müller family from neighbouring Hospental (who at one time or another owned many other hotels nearby including the Hotel Furkablick and Hotel Furka Passhöhe - as well as hotels in Flüelen
, Alpnachstad, Herisau
and Neuchâtel) was converted in the 1970s into apartments, but by 1990 had been abandoned and was demolished with explosives. By the turn of the 21st century, as an alternative to the expensive skiing resorts in the Grisons (Graubünden) at St Moritz and Gstaad
, Andermatt's fortunes again revived and the town has seen considerable expansion and is currently undergoing much speculative building.
In Andermatt about 75.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Andermatt has an unemployment rate of 0.9%. , there were 51 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 22 businesses involved in this sector. 90 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 13 businesses in this sector. 599 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 78 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
Andermatt's ski slopes are part of the Gotthard Oberalp Arena
.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Uri in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
With Realp
Realp
Realp is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-Geography:Realp has an area, , of . Of this area, 41.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.6% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
and Hospental
Hospental
Hospental is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-History:Hospental is first mentioned in 1285 as Hospenthal. In 1499 it was mentioned under its latin name as Hospicium, and in 1616 as Spithal.-Geography:...
, it is located in the Urseren valley, 22 km (13.7 mi) south of Altdorf
Altdorf, Switzerland
Altdorf is the capital of the Swiss canton of Uri. The municipality covers an area of and is located at a height of above sea-level, to the right of the river Reuss.-Location:...
.
Geography
Andermatt is located in a high Alpine valley—the Ursern Valley—in the Adula Alps. Since the opening of the Schöllenen route
Schöllenen Gorge
Schöllenen Gorge is a gorge located in the Swiss canton of Uri between the towns of Göschenen to the north and Andermatt to the south. It is 5 km long along the Reuss River in central Switzerland, and provides access to the St...
, around 1200, Andermatt has been on the Gotthard route.
Transport
Andermatt serves as a crossroads between southern Switzerland and the North as well as between eastern Switzerland i.e. GraubündenGraubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
/Grisons and Western Switzerland, i.e. Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
, Berne and the Swiss Romande. The town is thus connected by four Alpine passes: the Oberalp Pass
Oberalp Pass
Oberalp Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the cantons of Graubünden and Uri between Disentis and Andermatt.-Winter closure:...
(6,706 ft; 2,044 m.) to the East, the St. Gotthard Pass
St. Gotthard Pass
The Gotthard Pass or St. Gotthard Pass is a high mountain pass in Switzerland between Airolo in the canton of Ticino, and Göschenen in the canton of Uri, connecting the northern German-speaking part of Switzerland with the Italian-speaking part, along the route onwards to Milan.Though the pass...
(6,909 ft; 2,106 m.) to the South, the Furka Pass
Furka Pass
Furka Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting Gletsch, Valais with Realp, Uri. The Furka-Oberalp-Bahn line through the Furka Tunnel bypasses the pass...
(7,992 ft; 2,436 m.) to the West, as well as the Göschenertal Pass (4,652 ft; 1,418 m.) to the North. The Schöllenen Gorge in the Reuss Valley
Reuss River
The Reuss is a river in Switzerland. With a length of and a drainage basin of , it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland...
between Andermatt and Göschenen
Göschenen
Göschenen a village in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-History:Göschenen is first mentioned in 1280 as Geschenden. In 1290 it was mentioned as Gescheldun, then in 1294 as Geschenen and in 1429 as ze Gestinen.-Geography:...
is the location of the infamous Devil's Bridge
Devil's Bridge
Devil’s Bridge is a term applied to dozens of ancient bridges, found primarily in Europe. Most of these bridges are stone or masonry arch bridges and represent a significant technological achievement...
.
History
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period. During Roman times this Alpine valley was probably inhabited by some Helvetic Celtic tribes
Helvetii
The Helvetii were a Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their contact with the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC...
. However, the origins of Andermatt can only be traced back to Alemannic tribes
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
, the Walser
Walser
The Walser are German-speaking people who live in the Alps of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein and Austria. The Walser people are named after the Wallis , the uppermost Rhône River valley...
s, who established settlements in the area, where the current town of Andermatt is situated.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Andermatt was not mentioned until the year of 1203 AD, serving as a tenure
Land tenure
Land tenure is the name given, particularly in common law systems, to the legal regime in which land is owned by an individual, who is said to "hold" the land . The sovereign monarch, known as The Crown, held land in its own right. All private owners are either its tenants or sub-tenants...
to the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Disentis Abbey
Disentis Abbey
Disentis Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the Canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland, around which the present town of Disentis grew up.-Foundation to 19th century:...
. This first mention refers to it as de Prato. In 1290 it was mentioned as A der Matte. In 1649, with the emergence of an independent Swiss Confederation, the ecclesiastical rights of the Monastery Disentis were revoked in favour of civil legislation.
In the Flight of the Earls
Flight of the Earls
The Flight of the Earls took place on 14 September 1607, when Hugh Ó Neill of Tír Eóghain, Rory Ó Donnell of Tír Chonaill and about ninety followers left Ireland for mainland Europe.-Background to the exile:...
, Gaelic earls lost a fortune of gold down at the Devil's Bridge crossing ravine on St Patrick's Day in 1608. It has never been recovered and is known as the Lost Treasure of the St Gotthard Pass.
Nearby Schöllenen Gorge is the site of a memorial commemorating the 1799 campaign
Suvorov's Italian and Swiss expedition
The Italian and Swiss expeditions of 1799 and 1800 were undertaken by the Russian commander Alexander Suvorov against French forces in Piedmont and Switzerland as part of the Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars in general and the War of the Second Coalition in particular.-Italian...
of the Russian general Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov , Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince in Italy, Count of the Holy Roman Empire , was the fourth and last generalissimo of the Russian Empire.One of the few great generals in history who never lost a battle along with the likes of Alexander...
.
Between 1818-1831 the nearby St. Gotthard Pass was made accessible to stagecoaches. As the last resort before the pass, Andermatt flourished economically and became a popular spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
.
The opening, in 1881, of the St. Gotthard railway tunnel
Gotthard Rail Tunnel
The Gotthard Rail Tunnel, is a 15-kilometre long railway tunnel and forms the summit of the Gotthard Railway in Switzerland. It connects Göschenen with Airolo and was the first tunnel through the Gotthard massif...
, however, reverted its fortunes as the tunnel runs immediately beneath the town, connecting the Central Swiss
Central Switzerland
Central Switzerland is the region of the Alpine foothills geographically the heart and historically the origin of Switzerland, with the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Lucerne and Zug....
town Göschenen
Göschenen
Göschenen a village in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-History:Göschenen is first mentioned in 1280 as Geschenden. In 1290 it was mentioned as Gescheldun, then in 1294 as Geschenen and in 1429 as ze Gestinen.-Geography:...
with Airolo
Airolo
Airolo is a municipality in the district of Leventina in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:In the settlement of Madrano, Roman tombs from the 2nd and 3rd Centuries AD were found. They belonged to a Vicus, whose inhabitants probably collected crystal, which was processed in Locarno into...
in Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
. Some Andermattians, who worked on the tunnel were killed during its construction. A strike by the tunnel workers, furthermore, was put down through the use of military force killing a further four workers.
Since 1885 AD Andermatt has been converted into a garrison town of the Swiss Federal Army. Here the infrastructure for the High Command of the Swiss Federal Army in an event of war was built. Today it is location of a Training Centre of the Swiss army.
Plans to build a series of reservoirs in the Ursern Valley were voted down by the locals and a huge reservoir was built instead in the next valley called the Göscheneralp.
Several avalanches, in particular in the winter of 1951 and 1975 have caused havoc in some residential areas of Andermatt killing the inhabitants of the houses affected.
By the 1930s the town's income from tourism had seriously declined, and many of the Ursental's hotels were abandoned or changed usage. The Grand Hotel Bellevue, which was built by the aristocratic Müller family from neighbouring Hospental (who at one time or another owned many other hotels nearby including the Hotel Furkablick and Hotel Furka Passhöhe - as well as hotels in Flüelen
Flüelen
Flüelen is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-Geography:Flüelen has an area, , of . Of this area, 22% is used for agricultural purposes, while 55.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.1% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
, Alpnachstad, Herisau
Herisau
Herisau is a municipality of the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. It is the seat of the canton's government and parliament; the judicial authorities are situated in Trogen....
and Neuchâtel) was converted in the 1970s into apartments, but by 1990 had been abandoned and was demolished with explosives. By the turn of the 21st century, as an alternative to the expensive skiing resorts in the Grisons (Graubünden) at St Moritz and Gstaad
Gstaad
Gstaad is a village in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Berne in southwestern Switzerland. Part of the municipality of Saanen, Gstaad is known as one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world....
, Andermatt's fortunes again revived and the town has seen considerable expansion and is currently undergoing much speculative building.
Demographics
Andermatt has a population (as of ) of . , 10.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -8.8%. Most of the population speaks German (95.2%), with Portuguese being second most common ( 1.0%) and Italian being third ( 0.9%). the gender distribution of the population was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.In Andermatt about 75.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
Andermatt has an unemployment rate of 0.9%. , there were 51 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 22 businesses involved in this sector. 90 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 13 businesses in this sector. 599 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 78 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1799 | 605 |
| 1850 | 677 |
| 1900 | 818 |
| 1950 | 1,231 |
| 1970 | 1,589 |
| 2000 | 1,282 |
Weather
Andermatt has an average of 147.3 days of rain per year and on average receives 1422 mm (56 in) of precipitation. The wettest month is April during which time Andermatt receives an average of 135 mm (5.3 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 14 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 14.1, but with only 128 mm (5 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 106 mm (4.2 in) of precipitation over 14 days.Ski Area
Andermatt has two mountain's around it which are used for ski slopes in the winter.- NaetschenNaetschenNaetschen railway station is run and served by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn It has 1 platform, but also has a passing track for when trains need to pass each other....
, which is north of Andermatt - GemsstockGemsstockGemsstock is a mountain in the Lepontine Alps, overlooking Andermatt in the canton of Uri. A glacier named Gurschenfirn lies over its northern flanks...
, which is south of Andermatt
Andermatt's ski slopes are part of the Gotthard Oberalp Arena
Gotthard Oberalp Arena
The Gotthard Oberalp Arena is a ski area located in Andermatt and Sedrun, in Switzerland. It has 16 ski lifts and approximately 30 runs, and just over 100km of pistes...
.