Obergommer countryside

 
                                                                                                
  Information in English  
            

The main content of this site is the genealogy of the old Obergommer families. Obergommer = people of Obergoms. The Obergoms is the uppermost valley of the Rhone river, in the eastern extremity of the Swiss canton Valais.

History
The people of Obergoms belonged to a German speaking community, which colonized between the 8th and 10th century the Obergoms and other areas of the eastern Valais. From there they began to spread south and east between the 13th and 15th century, which is known as the Walser migration. They preferred to settle in the highest valleys too inhospitable for the Roman Celtic inhabitants. Only in Valais the German speaking community conquered also lower areas. There they ousted between the 14th and the 15th century all feudal landlords and build an independent state. First with a bishop as their head, after 1613 a so said "Landeshauptmann" (President of the "Republik Wallis", in French Valais). In the 17th and 18th century the most important export market for to create income was mercenary. At the end of the 18th century the waves of the French revolution ended the Wallis independence. For a short time Valais became a French department and since 1815 Valais belongs to Switzerland.

Genealogy
As families names in our sense didn’t exist before the 14th century and documents are incomplete - the Obergommer family trees starts within the 14th and 18th century. But we can assume that all of them are linked via mothers or fathers with the mentioned alpine settlers.

On this website you will find the genealogical data of all old, not extinct Obergommer families. That are the
Andereggen, Anthenien, Aufdereggen, Bacher, Bellwalder, Biderbost, Blatter de Ulrichen, Blatter de Reckingen, Chastonay, de Courten, Eggs, Frankiny, Garbely, Guntern, Hagen, Hallenbarter, Hauser, Hischier, Holzer, Hutter, Imahorn, Imfeld, Imhof, Imoberdorf, Imwinkelried, Jergen / Jerjen, Jost / Yost, Kaempfen, Kiechler, Kraft, Kreuzer, Lagger, Michlig, Minnig, Müller, Nessier, Pfefferle, Ritz, Rovina, Schmidt, Seiler, Senggen, Steffen, Thenen, von Riedmatten, Walpen, Walther, Weger, Werlen, Wirthner, Zehner, Zeiter y Zumoberhaus.

Click one of the family names will open a family information with a short family history, coats of arms and more.

Where they lived View of Obergoms.

With exception of the Imwinkelried, Walpen and major elements of the von Riedmatten, the mentioned genealogies are accessible to public for the very first time. Researches and build up required a huge amount of time and also some money. So please RESPECT THE COPYRIGHT: As long as you only use or publish genealogical data of your own family tree, it's all FREE and without restrictions. The definition of "own family tree" and other terms of use, see  Impressum.

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Publisher and responsible for content:

Franco Werlen
Rosenweg 4
Ch 4153 Reinach BL / Switzerland

Email: franco.werlen*werlen.ch
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The Obergoms, in late September. A valley modelled by the Rhone Glacier.
Ober = Upper. Goms = derive from a Roman-Celtic word for "shell".
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Obergoms. Nighfall. Down valley. In the Background the Weisshorn, a neighbour of the Matterhorn.

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