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The Oberhasli is a historical ''
Landvogtei An , sometimes simply advocate, (German, ), or (French, ), was a type of medieval office holder, particularly important in the Holy Roman Empire, who was delegated some of the powers and functions of a major feudal lord, or for an institutio ...
'' or ''
Talschaft In Swiss politics and the history of the Old Swiss Confederacy, a is the body of voting population in a certain valley. The grouping of voters by valley rather than municipality is a tradition harking back to before the establishment of the curre ...
'' in the
Bernese Highlands The Bernese Oberland (; ; ), sometimes also known as the Bernese Highlands, is the highest and southernmost part of the canton of Bern. It is one of the canton's five administrative regions (in which context it is referred to as ''Oberland'' witho ...
,
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, bordering on the cantons of Obwalden (OW), Nidwalden (NW), Uri (UR) and Wallis (VS). From 1833 to 2009, Oberhasli was incorporated as the Oberhasli district, the easternmost of the 26
districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
of the
canton of Bern The canton of Bern, or Berne (; ; ; ), is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. The bear is the heraldic symbol of the c ...
, bordering the district of
Interlaken Interlaken (; lit.: ''between lakes'') is a Swiss town and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern. It is an important and well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss ...
to the west. Since 2010, Oberhasli and Interlaken have been administratively united as the administrative district Interlaken-Oberhasli. The local dialect is of the
Highest Alemannic Highest Alemannic is a branch of Alemannic German and is often considered to be part of the German language, even though mutual intelligibility with Standard German and other non-Alemannic German dialects is very limited. Highest Alemannic dialect ...
variety. With its area of 551 km2, it is larger than the canton of
Basel-Landschaft Canton of Basel-Landschaft or Basel-Country, informally known as Baselland or Baselbiet (; ; ; ; ), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of five districts and its capital city is Liestal. It is traditional ...
. It consists of the six municipalities of
Gadmen Gadmen is a small village and a former municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014, the former municipality of Gadmen merged into the municipality of Innertkirchen.
,
Guttannen Guttannen is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district), Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern (canton), Bern in Switzerland. Origin of ...
,
Hasliberg Hasliberg is a Swiss municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern. Hasliberg is situated on a south-west facing terrace above the valley of the river Aare. The four villages spread out along this terrace a ...
,
Innertkirchen Innertkirchen is a village and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district), Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in Bern (canton), the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014, ...
, Meiringen and
Schattenhalb Schattenhalb is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district), Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern (canton), Bern in Switzerland. The muni ...
, with a total population of just below 8,000, corresponding to a population density of less than 15/km2 (compared to a Swiss average of 181/km2), due to a significant portion of the area of Oberhasli being uninhabitable
High Alps The High Alps are the parts of the Alps unsuitable for habitation or seasonal transhumance. This includes all regions higher than 3,000 m above sea level, as well as most regions between 2,500 m and 3,000 m ( Juf at 2,126 m is the highest permanen ...
. Haslital is used to refer to the entire region, but as a geographical term the Haslital proper is the main upper
Aare The Aare () or Aar () is the main tributary of the High Rhine (its discharge even exceeds that of the latter at their confluence) and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to i ...
valley, not including the many side valleys, such as
Gadmertal The Oberhasli is a historical '' Landvogtei'' or ''Talschaft'' in the Bernese Highlands, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Obwalden (OW), Nidwalden (NW), Uri (UR) and Wallis (VS). From 1833 to 2009, Oberhasli was incorporated as the ...
,
Ürbachtal The Oberhasli is a historical ''Landvogtei (Switzerland), Landvogtei'' or ''Talschaft'' in the Bernese Highlands, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Canton of Obwalden, Obwalden (OW), Canton of Nidwalden, Nidwalden (NW), Canton of Uri, Uri ...
,
Gental The Oberhasli is a historical ''Landvogtei (Switzerland), Landvogtei'' or ''Talschaft'' in the Bernese Highlands, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Canton of Obwalden, Obwalden (OW), Canton of Nidwalden, Nidwalden (NW), Canton of Uri, Uri ...
and
Reichenbachtal Reichenbachtal is an valleys of the Alps, Alpine valley in Oberhasli, canton of Bern, Switzerland. It is situated within the municipality of Schattenhalb, connecting Meiringen with the Grosse Scheidegg pass towards Grindelwald. Its water, the R ...
. The name ''Haslital'' is first attested in 1234. The prefix ''Ober-'' ("Upper ''Hasli''") first appears in the 16th century for disambiguation with
Hasle bei Burgdorf Hasle bei Burgdorf is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the administrative district of Emmental (administrative district), Emmental in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern (canton), Bern in Switzerland. History The settlement ...
, ''Oberhasli'' is in official use since 1798. The origin of the name is likely
Old High German Old High German (OHG; ) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally identified as the period from around 500/750 to 1050. Rather than representing a single supra-regional form of German, Old High German encompasses the numerous ...
''hasal'' "
hazel Hazels are plants of the genus ''Corylus'' of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family, Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K ...
". The upper parts of the Haslital are part of the
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
of the
Jungfrau The Jungfrau (, , , "maiden, virgin"), at is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the northern canton of Bern and the southern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. Together with the Eiger and Mönc ...
– Aletsch–
Bietschhorn The Bietschhorn (3,934 m) is a mountain in canton Wallis to the south of the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. The northeast and southern slopes of the mountain are part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area (formerly ''Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhor ...
as defined in 2007.


Geography

Oberhasli has historically been of great strategical significance due to its central location in the
Central Alps The Alps form a large mountain range dominating Central Europe, including parts of Italy, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Slovenia, Germany and Hungary. This article describes the delimitation of the Alps as a whole and of subdivi ...
, commanding several passes. Among them are: *The
Grimsel Pass The Grimsel Pass (; ; ) is a mountain pass in Switzerland, crossing the Bernese Alps at an elevation of . The pass connects the Haslital, the upper valley of the river Aare, with the upper valley of the Rhône. In so doing, and as the Aare is a t ...
to the south connecting to the Goms of the
Upper Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion. Valais is situated in the southwestern pa ...
(VS). *The
Susten Pass Susten Pass (German: ''Sustenpass'') (el. 2260 m.) is a mountain pass in the Swiss Alps. The pass road, built from 1938–1945, connects Innertkirchen in the canton of Bern with Wassen in the canton of Uri. A 300-metre long tunnel crosses the pass ...
to the east connection with the connecting with the valley of the Alpine
Reuss Reuss may refer to: *Reuss (surname) * Reuss (river) in Switzerland * Imperial County of Reuss or Reuß, several former states or countries in present-day Germany, and the People's State of Reuss * Principality of Reuss-Greiz and Principality of R ...
(UR), the northern part of the St. Gotthard Route. *The Joch Pass to the northeast at the beginning of the Gental, a foot pass west of the
Titlis Titlis is a mountain of the Uri Alps, located on the border between the cantons of Obwalden and Bern. At above sea level, it is the highest summit of the range north of the Susten Pass, between the Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland. It ...
connecting to the
canton of Nidwalden Canton of Nidwalden or Nidwald ( ; ; ; ) is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven municipalities and the seat of the government and parliament is in Stans. It is tradi ...
and further down to the resort
Engelberg Engelberg (lit.: ''mountain of angel(s)'') is a village resort and a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Obwalden in Switzerland. Alongside the central village of Engelberg, the municipality enc ...
in the
canton of Obwalden Canton of Obwalden or Obwald ( ; ; ; ) is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of seven municipalities and the seat of the government and parliament is in Sarnen. It is traditio ...
. *The low
Brünig Pass The Brünig Pass, at an altitude of , connects the Bernese Oberland and central Switzerland, linking Meiringen in the canton of Bern and Lungern in the canton of Obwalden. It is on the watershed between the upper reaches of the Aare, which flow ...
to the north connects Meiringen and the Haslital with the upper
canton of Obwalden Canton of Obwalden or Obwald ( ; ; ; ) is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of seven municipalities and the seat of the government and parliament is in Sarnen. It is traditio ...
and further down to rest of
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. Central Switzerland is one of the NUTS 2 s ...
, such as
Lucerne Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...
(LU). *And the Grosse Scheidegg, a pass in the southwest with a direct connection to
Grindelwald Grindelwald is a village and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district), Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern (canton), Berne. In additio ...
. Besides the main valley, the ''Haslital'', which includes the alluvial plain of the
Aare The Aare () or Aar () is the main tributary of the High Rhine (its discharge even exceeds that of the latter at their confluence) and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to i ...
between Meiringen and
Lake Brienz Lake Brienz () is a lake just north of the Alps, in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It has a length of about , a width of and a maximum depth of . Its area is ; the surface is above the sea-level. It is fed, among others, by the upper reaches ...
, there are several lateral valleys. Among them are: *The proper Haslital starts at the Grimselpass and the outflow of the Aare at the
Grimselsee The Grimselsee or Lake Grimsel is an artificial lake near the Grimsel Pass in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. With a volume of 95 mio m3 (20.9 billion imperial gallons, 20.1 billion US gallons), it is larger than other hydroelectric reservoirs in ...
, respectively. The upper part of the valley is still quite narrow and secluded and stretches as far as
Innertkirchen Innertkirchen is a village and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district), Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in Bern (canton), the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014, ...
, where the Aare meets the
Ürbachwasser The Oberhasli is a historical ''Landvogtei'' or ''Talschaft'' in the Bernese Highlands, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Obwalden (OW), Nidwalden (NW), Uri (UR) and Wallis (VS). From 1833 to 2009, Oberhasli was incorporated as the O ...
of the
Ürbachtal The Oberhasli is a historical ''Landvogtei (Switzerland), Landvogtei'' or ''Talschaft'' in the Bernese Highlands, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Canton of Obwalden, Obwalden (OW), Canton of Nidwalden, Nidwalden (NW), Canton of Uri, Uri ...
from the west, and the Gadmerwasser of the
Gadmertal The Oberhasli is a historical '' Landvogtei'' or ''Talschaft'' in the Bernese Highlands, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Obwalden (OW), Nidwalden (NW), Uri (UR) and Wallis (VS). From 1833 to 2009, Oberhasli was incorporated as the ...
from the east. Then the Aare runs through the
Aareschlucht The Aare Gorge () is a section of the river Aare that carves through a limestone ridge near the town of Meiringen, in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The gorge is an indirect product of glaciation; 10,000 years ago, just as the L ...
after which it opens to the alluvial plain just before Meiringen where it mainly turns west, and after about it enters Lake Brienz at its most eastern end. *The
Ürbachtal The Oberhasli is a historical ''Landvogtei (Switzerland), Landvogtei'' or ''Talschaft'' in the Bernese Highlands, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Canton of Obwalden, Obwalden (OW), Canton of Nidwalden, Nidwalden (NW), Canton of Uri, Uri ...
has the form of a large 'S' before it enters the Haslital just before Innertkirchen. The Gauligletscher is endorsed in a funnel between the Hangendgletscherhorn,
Bärglistock The Bärglistock (also spelled ''Berglistock'') (3,655 m) is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, located east of Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland. The mountain is the tripoint between the valleys of the Upper Grindelwald Glacier, the Unteraar Glac ...
, and Ewigschneehorn. It enters its water into the Gaulisee, which also collects its waters from the Grienbergligletscher, the Hienderstock, Bächlistock, and the Hiendertelttihorn. After the Gaulischafberg cliffs, the water flows into the Mattenalpsee. It also collects the water from Steinlouwihore and the Ritzlihore. Now the Ürbachwasser turns west and enters the proper Ürbachtal on a lower level between the Gallouwisteck to the east and the Dossen to the west. The water turns slowly east again below the impressive range called Englehörner (Angel's cones) in the east. And after a drop of about 200m the Ürbachwasser enters the Aare just before Innetrkirchen from the left. *the
Gadmertal The Oberhasli is a historical '' Landvogtei'' or ''Talschaft'' in the Bernese Highlands, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Obwalden (OW), Nidwalden (NW), Uri (UR) and Wallis (VS). From 1833 to 2009, Oberhasli was incorporated as the ...
starts at two places: One arm lies right below and south of the Titlis and north of the Fünffingerstöck. Here, the Wendengletscher drains its water into the Wendenwasser. South of the ''Five Finger Stock'' the Susten Pass connects Uri with the Bernese Highlands. South of it the Steingletscher below the Sustenhorn drains its water into the Steisee, which poors it into the Steinwasser. Steinwasser and the Wendenwasser both flow westward and converge below the
Wendenstöcke The Wendenstöcke are a multi-summited mountain of the Uri Alps, overlooking Gadmen in the canton of Canton of Bern, Bern. The main summit (3,042 m) is named ''Gross Wendenstock''. References External links Wendenstöcke on Hikr
Mountains ...
in the north to the Gadmerwasser, 1.5 km before
Gadmen Gadmen is a small village and a former municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014, the former municipality of Gadmen merged into the municipality of Innertkirchen.
. 3 km more west of it, the Gadmerwasser collects the water from the Triftwasser, which starts in the south below the extensive Triftgletscher. Another 4 km downwards, the Gental enters into the Gadmertal, and the Gentalwasser flows into the Gadmerwasser, just 3 km before it flows into the Aare in Innertkirchen. *The
Gental The Oberhasli is a historical ''Landvogtei (Switzerland), Landvogtei'' or ''Talschaft'' in the Bernese Highlands, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Canton of Obwalden, Obwalden (OW), Canton of Nidwalden, Nidwalden (NW), Canton of Uri, Uri ...
starts at the Engstlenalp below the Jochpass in the northeast, west of the Titlis, north of the Wendenstöcke and with a connection to the Melchsee-Frutt (OW) in the west. The Gentalwasser drains from the Engstlensee in southeastern direction in order to enter the Gamdertal downwards south of the Rothorn, which divides also the Melchsee-Frutt (OW) from the Mägisalp (BE) above Meiringen. *the
Reichenbachtal Reichenbachtal is an valleys of the Alps, Alpine valley in Oberhasli, canton of Bern, Switzerland. It is situated within the municipality of Schattenhalb, connecting Meiringen with the Grosse Scheidegg pass towards Grindelwald. Its water, the R ...
connects Meiringen with Grindelwald. The Reichenbach runs through it and forms the cataract
Reichenbach Falls Reichenbach Falls () is a waterfall in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, which drop a height of . At , the upper Grand Reichenbach Fall () is one of the highest waterfalls in the Alps. The Reichenbach loses of height from the top of ...
before joining the Aare at Meiringen. The Reichenbachtal is separated from the Ürbachtal by the
Engelhörner The Grosses Engelhorn is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, located west of Innertkirchen in the Bernese Oberland The Bernese Oberland (; ; ), sometimes also known as the Bernese Highlands, is the highest and southernmost part of the canton of Bern ...
in the south. The Schwarzhoren, the Wildgärst, and the Wandelhoren peaks dominate the picture to the north.


History

Hasli has a particularly strong tradition of independence, even within Switzerland. It was de facto self-governing from its first settlement in the early medieval period (according to legend by " Swedes and Frisians") until its incorporation into the
Helvetic Republic The Helvetic Republic (; ; ) was a sister republic of France that existed between 1798 and 1803, during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was created following the French invasion and the consequent dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy, ma ...
in 1798. It was nominally part of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
as an imperial bailiwick until 1334, and from 1334 to 1798 a nominal subject of Berne, but remained effectively self-governed with the exception of the forced imposition of the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
during 1528–1557. In 1234 the bailiwick of
Meiringen Meiringen () is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Besides the village of Meiringen, the municipality includes the settlements of Balm, Brünigen, Eisenbolgen, Hausen, Prasti, ...
, which included all of Haslital, is recorded as ''
reichsfrei In the Holy Roman Empire, imperial immediacy ( or ) was the status of an individual or a territory which was defined as 'immediate' () to Emperor and Empire () and not to any other intermediate authorities, while one that did not possess that stat ...
''. Hasli remained an imperial bailiwick until its acquisition by Berne in 1334. Meiringen church is elevated built on top of a number of predecessor buildings, the oldest is estimated to date to the 9th or 10th century. The rights to the parish were given to Seedorf Abbey by
Henry (VII) of Germany Henry (VII) (1211 – 12 February 1242), a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was King of Sicily from 1212 until 1217 and King of Germany (formally '' Rex Romanorum'') from 1222 until 1235, as son and king, co-ruler of Emperor Frederick II. He w ...
in 1234. They were acquired by
Interlaken Monastery Interlaken Monastery ( or ) was a convent of the Augustinian Canons Regular () from about 1133 until 1528 at Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. History The provost of the Mon ...
in 1272. In 1275, Hasli formed an alliance with the city of
Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...
. In 1311, Oberhasli was given to the house of Weissenburg by Henry VII. After an unsuccessful revolt in 1334, Oberhasli passed to the city of Bern as a subject territory in name but regained most of its earlier privileges. Bern was careful to appoint men native to Hasli to administrative posts and as judges. Oberhasli proved an important ally to Bern militarily. In 1339, Oberhasli provided a force of 300 men participating in the
Battle of Laupen The Battle of Laupen was fought in June 1339, between Bern and its allies on one side, and Freiburg together with feudal landholders from the County of Burgundy and Habsburg territories on the other. Bern was victorious, consolidating its positio ...
. The arrangement of Oberhasli as a nominal subject territory with ''de facto'' self-governance endured until 1528, when Bern enforced the
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
confession in Oberhasli. About half of the population of Oberhasli participated in an armed revolt against Bern. After this, Bern tried to enforce Bernese administration in Oberhasli, but met such resistance that in a 1557 treaty the old privileges were re-instated. In the 17th to 18th century, an upper class of influential families native to Oberhasli emerged, the so-called ''Ehrbarkeit''. Before the introduction of a separate parish in Innertkirchein in 1709, there was a single parish in Meiringen for all of Oberhasli. In the 19th century, parishes in Gadmen (1808) and Guttannen (1816) followed. In 1558, there were 253 hearths (households) registered in Oberhasli, in 1653 the number had grown to 360. In 1669, population had declined to ca. 500 individuals following an outbreak of plague. Parts of Haslital were affected by the Evangelical Awakening of the 1730s. In 1764, there were 3,253 inhabitants, and population more than doubled over the following century, to 7,054 in 1850. During the existence of the
Helvetic Republic The Helvetic Republic (; ; ) was a sister republic of France that existed between 1798 and 1803, during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was created following the French invasion and the consequent dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy, ma ...
, Oberhasli was part of the Kanton Oberland. Oberhasli was traditionally organized in fifteen collectives of independent farming estates, the so-called ''Bäuerten'', between them forming the ''
Talschaft In Swiss politics and the history of the Old Swiss Confederacy, a is the body of voting population in a certain valley. The grouping of voters by valley rather than municipality is a tradition harking back to before the establishment of the curre ...
'' of Oberhasli. This structure was replaced by the six municipalities of the Oberhasli district in 1834. From 1834 until 2009, Oberhasli formed a district of the
canton of Bern The canton of Bern, or Berne (; ; ; ), is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. The bear is the heraldic symbol of the c ...
. The sovereign law of Oberhasli (''Landrecht'') became inactive in 1843, during the Swiss Restauration. Rapid population growth in the 19th century resulted in
poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...
, and forced
emigration Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
, primarily to America. From about 1880, economic recovery set in as Meiringen became a center of
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
. Population still declined from 7,574 in 1880 to 6,507 in 1920 (loss of employment in tourism during World War I) and began to rise again during the mid-to-late 20th century, to 7,878 in 1950 and 8,189 in 2000. It has slightly declined since, to 7,843 in 2007 and 7,824 in 2016. While total population has remained more or less stable since the mid-20th century, population distribution has shifted from the traditional
dispersed settlement A dispersed settlement, also known as a scattered settlement, is one of the main types of settlement patterns used by landscape historians to classify rural settlements found in England and other parts of the world. Typically, there are a num ...
structure to the core settlement in Meiringen. Meiringen accounted for 30% of the population of Hasli in 1764 (33% in 1850), but for 60% as of 2016. Oberhasli district was merged with Interlaken district in 2010 to form the new Interlaken-Oberhasli district. The population of
Gadmen Gadmen is a small village and a former municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014, the former municipality of Gadmen merged into the municipality of Innertkirchen.
declined from 739 in 1850 to 250 in 2007, Gadmen municipality being merged into
Innertkirchen Innertkirchen is a village and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district), Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in Bern (canton), the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014, ...
in 2014.


Administrative divisions

The Oberhasli district is the easternmost of the 26
districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
of the
canton of Bern The canton of Bern, or Berne (; ; ; ), is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. The bear is the heraldic symbol of the c ...
, from 1833 to 2009, encompassing an area of 550 km2. The administrative capital is Meiringen. Oberhasli since 1843 comprised six
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
, reduced to five in 2014 when
Gadmen Gadmen is a small village and a former municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014, the former municipality of Gadmen merged into the municipality of Innertkirchen.
(population 250 as of 2007, area 116.4 km2) was merged with
Innertkirchen Innertkirchen is a village and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district), Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in Bern (canton), the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014, ...
. From 1 January 2010, the district lost its administrative power while being replaced by the
Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district) Interlaken-Oberhasli District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010, uniting the former Interlaken District, Interlaken and Oberhasli districts. It is part of the Bernese Oberland, Oberland administrative region. It contains 28 munici ...
, whose administrative centre is Interlaken. Since 2010, it remains therefore a fully recognised district under the law and the Constitution (Art.3 al.2) of the Canton of Berne. The black eagle on a golden field formerly represented the entire ''Talschaft'' of Oberhasli. It is the imperial coat of arms. The right to use of the ''
Reichsadler The ' (; "Imperial Eagle") is the heraldic eagle, derived from the Roman eagle standard, used by the Holy Roman Emperors, later by the Emperors of Austria and in modern coat of arms of Austria and Germany. The term is also translated as "Rei ...
'' as an at least formal claim of
imperial immediacy In the Holy Roman Empire, imperial immediacy ( or ) was the status of an individual or a territory which was defined as 'immediate' () to Emperor and Empire () and not to any other intermediate authorities, while one that did not possess that stat ...
was one of the special privileges granted to the people of Hasli by Berne. When municipal coats of arms were introduced, Meiringen insisted to retain the imperial coat of arms without modification, and other municipalities conceded by using the eagle in combination with other heraldic designs.


Economy and infrastructure

The economy of Oberhasli was based on agriculture and
transhumance Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or Nomad, nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and low ...
(
goats The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the famil ...
, sheep) in the Late Middle Ages, shifting to
livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...
breeding (cattle, horses) and
cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
production during the Early Modern period. Livestock and cheese was exported to Italy across the
Grimsel The Grimsel Pass (; ; ) is a mountain pass in Switzerland, crossing the Bernese Alps at an elevation of . The pass connects the Haslital, the upper valley of the river Aare, with the upper valley of the Rhône. In so doing, and as the Aare is a t ...
and Nufenen passes. In the 18th century, there were three yearly livestock markets. There was also some iron mining, beginning in the 15th century, and phased out after 1798. From the 17th century, there was
rockhounding Amateur geology or rock collecting (also referred to as rockhounding in the United States and Canada) is the non-professional study and hobby of collecting rocks and minerals or fossil specimens from the natural environment.Sinkankas, John. Miner ...
for
crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...
s, intensified with the rise of
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
in the 19th century. Booming tourism triggered significant investments in structure, notably the Brünig road in 1857 and the
Brünig railway Brünig or Bruenig may refer to: * The Brünig Pass, between the Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland * The Brünig railway line, linking Interlaken and Lucerne in Switzerland * Elizabeth Bruenig (born 1990), American opinion writer and editor ...
in 1888, connecting Oberhasli to
Lucerne Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...
via
Obwalden Canton of Obwalden or Obwald ( ; ; ; ) is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of seven municipalities and the seat of the government and parliament is in Sarnen. It is traditio ...
, and from there to
Greater Zürich The European Metropolitan Region of Zurich (EMRZ), also Greater Zurich Area (GZA, German '), the metropolitan area surrounding Zurich, is one of Europe’s economically strongest areas and Switzerland’s economic centre. It comprises the area th ...
and the Swiss plateau in general; the
Grimsel The Grimsel Pass (; ; ) is a mountain pass in Switzerland, crossing the Bernese Alps at an elevation of . The pass connects the Haslital, the upper valley of the river Aare, with the upper valley of the Rhône. In so doing, and as the Aare is a t ...
road opened in 1894 and the
Susten Susten Pass (German: ''Sustenpass'') (el. 2260 m.) is a mountain pass in the Swiss Alps. The pass road, built from 1938–1945, connects Innertkirchen in the canton of Bern with Wassen in the canton of Uri. A 300-metre long tunnel crosses the p ...
road in 1945. The number of hotels in Meiringen grew from two in 1831 to eighteen in 1900. After 1973, additional infrastructure turned
Hasliberg Hasliberg is a Swiss municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern. Hasliberg is situated on a south-west facing terrace above the valley of the river Aare. The four villages spread out along this terrace a ...
into a major
skiing resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area–a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North A ...
. As of 2005, employment in the primary sector (agriculture) was down to below 20%, while the tertiary sector (mostly tourism) had risen to above 65%. Another important branch of industry is the production of
hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
, Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG currently producing about 1.1 GW or 12% of Swiss electricity consumption. The
Swiss Air Force The Swiss Air Force (; ; ; ) is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on 31 July 1914, three days after the outbreak of World War I, as a part of the Swiss Army, army and in October 1936 as an independent service. In peaceti ...
has an airbase in Unterbach, Meiringen municipality.


Culture and folklore

Oberhasli is situated at the core of
Highest Alemannic Highest Alemannic is a branch of Alemannic German and is often considered to be part of the German language, even though mutual intelligibility with Standard German and other non-Alemannic German dialects is very limited. Highest Alemannic dialect ...
Alpine culture and preserves a number of elements typical of
Swiss folklore Swiss folklore describes a collection of local stories, celebrations, and customs of the alpine and sub-alpine peoples that occupy Switzerland. The country of Switzerland is made up of several distinct cultures including German, French, Italian, ...
. Oberhasli became affected by the
modern era The modern era or the modern period is considered the current historical period of human history. It was originally applied to the history of Europe and Western history for events that came after the Middle Ages, often from around the year 1500 ...
comparatively late, in the second half of the 19th century with the booming of
tourism in Switzerland Tourists are drawn to Switzerland's diverse landscape as well as the available activities, which take advantage of the Alpine climate and Alpine region, landscapes, in particular Alpine skiing, skiing and Alpinism, mountaineering, but also due to ...
, and it preserved a rich tradition of folklore into the 20th century. The main yearly festival of Oberhasli is the ''
Ubersitz The Ubersitz is a traditional custom in Hasli, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. On Christmas day, at nightfall, schoolboys begin with '' Treichlen'', walking through the villages in small troops, sounding giant cow-bells. The following nights, the b ...
'' (lit. the "sitting out" of the night drinking) culminating a week of Trychel marches in Meiringen. In 1846, Johann Georg Kohl travelled to Oberhasli, describing both its natural landscape and its population. Kohl recorded a tradition claiming
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
n origin of the people of Oberhasli, telling of a march of 6,000 Frisians and Swedes exiled from their homes by a famine. The names of the leaders of the immigrating Swedes is reported as ''Restius'' and ''Hastus''. Kohl describes the architecture of the Meiringen church as reminiscent of North Frisian and Scandinavian types. This legend was first recorded by
Petermann Etterlin Petermann Etterlin (c. 1430/40 – c. 1509) was born in Lucerne, Switzerland, as the son of Egloff Etterlin, who served as chronicler of the city of Lucerne from 1427 to 1453.Müller, p. 397. Although his parents had destined him for an eccl ...
in his 1507 ''
Chronicle A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events ...
''. ''Der Glaube an ihre Abstammung von den Schweden ist unter den Oberhaslern ganz allgemein. Und da mir an dieser uns leider so unwahrscheinlich überlieferten Sage eben jener allgemein im Volke verbreitete Glaube das Merkwürdigste ist, so will ich über diesen Punkt noch einige Beobachtungen, die ich machte, mittheilen. Nicht nur jeder Prediger und Gelehrte in diesen Gegenden weiss von dieser Sage, die dahin geht, dass zur Zeit einer Hungersnoth (das Jahr Christi kennt man nicht) 6000 Schweden und Friesen sich den Rhein hinauf gekämpft und nach der Erreichung der hiesigen Bergthäler, die ihrem Vaterlande so ähnlich gesehen, hier fixirt hätten – sondern auch fast alle Bauern glauben selbst daran.'' ... ''Das Volk von Hasli trägt sich sogar noch täglich mit den Namen der ersten Anführer der Schweden herum. Sie sollen Restius und Hastus geheissen haben. Bei jenen 6000 Schweden, die einen Grafen Peter von Franken am Rhein besiegten, die daher allerfrühestens doch erst am Anfange des Mittelalters kommen konnten, begreift man nicht, wie sie sich ohne gewaltige Kämpfe, von denen die Geschichte uns gewiss einige Kunde aufbewahrt hätte, in den Besitz der jener damals längst bewohnten Thäler, die ihnen zugeschrieben werden, setzen konnten.'' ''Man beschreibt die Oberhasler gewöhnlich als auffallend grosse, langgewachsene, starke und blondhaarige Leute und bringt auch dies mit ihrer schwedischen Abkunft in Verbindung. ... Ganz Merkwürdig ist es, dass die Kirche in Meiringen ähnlich gebaut ist, wie die Kirchen in Nordfriesland und Skandinavien. Ihr Thurm steht nämlich neben der Kirche, ganz von dem Gebäude derselben isolirt.'' cited afte
jungfrauzeitung.ch
16 May 2008. C.f. Grimm
Deutsche Sagen
(1818), citing Etterlin.
The Oberhasli legend was received in Scandinavian
Romantic nationalism Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...
, with e.g. Danish poet
Adam Oehlenschläger Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger (; 14 November 177920 January 1850) was a Danish poet and playwright. He introduced romanticism into Danish literature. He wrote the lyrics to the song ''Der er et yndigt land'', which is one of the national anthe ...
publishing a poem ''Haslidalen'' in 1849. A collection of folk tales was published in 1943 by Melchior Sooder (1885–1955), a teacher at
Rohrbach Rohrbach or Röhrbach may refer to: Places Municipalities in Switzerland *Rohrbach, Switzerland, in the canton of Bern Municipalities in Germany *Rohrbach, Bavaria, in the district of Pfaffenhofen, Bavaria *Rohrbach, Birkenfeld, in the district o ...
and a native of Schattenhalb, as ''Zelleni us em Haslital''. Dwarves figure prominently in these tales, with a dwarf king called ''Muggestutz''. They also tell of the disappearance of the dwarves after their help was not appreciated by the people of Oberhasli. A grammar of the Hasli dialect was published by Hans Dauwalder (born 1925) in 1992.


See also

*
Highest Alemannic Highest Alemannic is a branch of Alemannic German and is often considered to be part of the German language, even though mutual intelligibility with Standard German and other non-Alemannic German dialects is very limited. Highest Alemannic dialect ...
*
Walser The Walser people are the speakers of the Walser German dialects, a variety of Highest Alemannic. They inhabit the region of the Alps of Swiss Alps, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as the fringes of Italy and Austria. The Walser peopl ...
*
Ubersitz The Ubersitz is a traditional custom in Hasli, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. On Christmas day, at nightfall, schoolboys begin with '' Treichlen'', walking through the villages in small troops, sounding giant cow-bells. The following nights, the b ...
*
History of the Alps The valleys of the Alps have been inhabited since prehistoric times. The Alpine culture, which developed there, centers on transhumance. Currently the Alps are divided among eight countries: France, Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Aus ...


References

* Gottlieb Kurz und Christian Lerch, ''Geschichte der Landschaft Hasli'', Meiringen 1979 * * Johann Ludwig Wurstemberger, ''Geschichte der alten Landschaft Bern'' (1862

*Peter Glatthard, ''Dialektologisch-volkskundliche Probleme im Oberhasli'' (1981), .


External links


haslimuseum.chhaslital.ch
{{Authority control Oberhasli, Bernese Oberland Valleys of the Alps Aare