Engelberg Magazin Nr. 19

Engelberg and its Abbey – or is it the Abbey and its Engelberg? The two have formed an insepara- ble entity for almost 900 years – ever since a group of Benedictine monks founded the Abbey in 1120 and set about taming this wild, remote valley and encouraging people to settle here. For centuries, the Abbey had dominion over the valley, and Engelberg was an autonomous state. Under the direc tion of the Abbot, the Ab- bey decided the destinies of the va lley commu- nity for many years. Yet the day came when the inhabitants no longer wished to be regarded as

esca lated. A blaze at the Abbey in 1729 rev ived a sense of solidarity between the monks and the people as they worked together to reas- semble the wrecked building. But the Abbey was much more than a politica l and religious entity for the popu lace – it a lso took care of their materia l needs. During the reign of Ab- bot Leodegar Sa lzmann (f rom 1769 to1798), for example, a silk-combing workshop was set up to a llow loca ls to earn additiona l income. However, when French troops marched into the va lley in 1798, ever y thing changed.

mere subjec ts. Instead, they began demanding civ il rights and liber ties. The Abbey suc- cessively granted priv ileges f rom 1422 onwards; and the monks and va lley dwellers proceeded to coex ist in a

The Abbey renounced its dominion over the va lley, handing sovereignty to the loca l community instead. And thus, Engelberg ceased to ex ist as an independent state. Af ter severa l years

The Abbey and the valley com- munity have remained a big happy family to this day.

remarkable fellowship, collec tively adminis- tering justice and enac ting legislation for the nex t 400 years or so. The va lley cour t played an impor tant role in this regard, and its ru lings had a direc t impac t on daily life in Engelberg. A highpoint in relations between the Abbey and the loca l community came with the reign of Abbot Barnabas Bürki (f rom 1505 to 1546). Weathering the storms that came with the Reformation, he managed to introduce impor tant innovations in the va lley. Under Barnabas, new laws were passed, the Abbey School improved, conf lic ts with neighbour- ing communities set tled, and the course of the Aa river diver ted to reduce the risk of f lood- ing. The reign of Abbot Jakob Benedik t Sigrist (f rom 1603 to 1619) was more problematic. The zea lous reformer fell fou l of the va lley dwell- ers and the surrounding cantons, par ticu larly through his at tempts to govern as an absolute ru ler. Jakob failed to bring Engelberg under his thumb and, u ltimately, the situation de-

of strife and uncer tainty, the Abbey and the va lley joined the canton of Obwa lden in 1815. Thanks to its geographica l distance f rom the rest of the canton and the specia l rights it had negotiated, Engelberg was, however, able to retain a degree of autonomy. Strong ties a lso remained between the Abbey and the people of the va lley. It cared for the poor, and helped promote tourism in the region. As a land- owner and even a shareholder, it suppor ted the construc tion of new hotels, the railway to Engelberg, and the mountain cableways. It a lso promoted the education of the loca l popu lation by set ting up schools. The va lley dwellers have long appreciated this cordia l cooperation with their erstwhile overlords, and the close, happy union remains unabated to the present day.

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