Fricktal
Encyclopedia
The Fricktal region is the northwest finger extending from the Swiss
canton of Aargau
. It is situated in Northwestern Switzerland
east of Basel
, between the High Rhine
forming the border with Germany
in the north and the Jura Mountains
in the south. The Fricktal contains the districts of Laufenburg
and Rheinfelden
. The region is named after its former chief village Frick
.
In the Early Middle Ages
, Fricktal was part of the Alamannia
n Augstgau
shire between the Rhine and Aar rivers, from the 10th century onwards of the smaller Frickgau region within Upper Burgundy
. The western Fricktal was held by the Burgundian Lords of Rheinfelden
, their last scion Rudolf of Rheinfelden became Duke of Swabia
in 1057 and upon his death in 1080 his possessions passed to his son in law Berthold II
from the House of Zähringen. After the extinction of the line in 1218, the area eventually passed to the Counts of Habsburg
, who already held the Vogt
ei of Laufenburg
.
After the Habsburg dynasty had lost large parts of its original Swabian possessions south of the Rhine to the Swiss Confederacy
at the 1386 Battle of Sempach
, the remaining Fricktal was administered from the Oberamt Breisgau
of Further Austria
(Vorderösterreich) at Freiburg, while the adjacent Unteraargau
region to the south was finally conquered by the Swiss at Bern in 1415. In 1469 indebted Archduke Sigismund
of Further Austria sold the Breisgau with Fricktal to the Burgundian
Duke Charles the Bold, neverteheless upon Charles' death in 1477 it fell back to Archduke Maximilian I of Habsburg
by marriage with the duke's daughter Mary the Rich
.
In the early 18th century, the Bern citizens attempted to purchase Fricktal from the Habsburg Emperors without success. Subsequent to the 1797 Treaty of Campo Formio
, Fricktal was occupied by France
and in 1802 it was briefly a canton of the Helvetic Republic
, as the Canton of Fricktal
. On 9 March 1803, Fricktal was integrated into the Aargau canton of the Swiss Confederation by order of Napoleon
.
Today Fricktal with its mild climate is an important location for wine
and cherry
production as well as a base of chemical
and pharmaceutical industries.
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....
canton of Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
. It is situated in Northwestern Switzerland
Northwestern Switzerland
Northwestern Switzerland is the common name of the region of Switzerland encompassing the cantons of Basel-City, Basel-Country and Aargau. It is one of the NUTS-2 regions of Switzerland....
east of Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, between the High Rhine
High Rhine
The High Rhine is the name used in Germany for the part of the Rhine River that flows westbound from Lake Constance to Basel.The High Rhine begins at the outflow of the Rhine from the Untersee in Stein am Rhein and turns into the Upper Rhine in Basel...
forming the border with Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in the north and the Jura Mountains
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
in the south. The Fricktal contains the districts of Laufenburg
Laufenburg (district)
Laufenburg District is a district of the canton of Aargau, Switzerland, essentially consisting of the upper Fricktal valley in the Aargau Jura south of the Rhine. Its capital is the town of Laufenburg. It has a population of .-Geography:...
and Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden (district)
Rheinfelden District lies in the northwest of the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, in the Fricktal region. Its capital is Rheinfelden. Around 88% of the population live in the conurbation of Basel. There are 14 municipalities, with a population of living in an area of 112.09 km²...
. The region is named after its former chief village Frick
Frick, Switzerland
Frick is a municipality in the district of Laufenburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. A dinosaur graveyard containing more than 100 Plateosaurus was found there in August 2007.-History:...
.
In the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, Fricktal was part of the Alamannia
Alamannia
Alamannia or Alemannia was the territory inhabited by the Germanic Alamanni after they broke through the Roman limes in 213.The Alamanni expanded from the Main basin during the 3rd century, raiding the Roman provinces and settling on the left bank of the Rhine from the 4th century.Ruled by...
n Augstgau
Kaiseraugst
Kaiseraugst is a municipality in the district of Rheinfelden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It is named for the Ancient Roman city of Augusta Raurica whose ruins are situated nearby...
shire between the Rhine and Aar rivers, from the 10th century onwards of the smaller Frickgau region within Upper Burgundy
Upper Burgundy
Upper Burgundy is the part of Burgundy east of the Jura mountains, that together with the western County of Burgundy from 868 formed the Kingdom of Upper Burgundy, encompassing both sides of the Jura mountains range...
. The western Fricktal was held by the Burgundian Lords of Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden is a municipality in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, seat of the district of Rheinfelden. It is located 15 kilometres east of Basel. The name means the fields of the Rhine, as the town is located on the Hochrhein. It is home to Feldschlösschen, the most popular beer in...
, their last scion Rudolf of Rheinfelden became Duke of Swabia
Duke of Swabia
The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
in 1057 and upon his death in 1080 his possessions passed to his son in law Berthold II
Berthold II, Duke of Swabia
Berthold II was the Duke of Swabia from 1092 to 1098.Berthold was a son of Berthold II, Duke of Carinthia and initially supported Rudolf of Rheinfelden against King Henry IV. Both the Zähringer and Rheinfeldener were relieved of their titles and possessions by the king in 1077...
from the House of Zähringen. After the extinction of the line in 1218, the area eventually passed to the Counts of Habsburg
Habsburg castle
Habsburg Castle is a medieval fortress located in Habsburg, Switzerland in the canton of Aargau, near the Aar River. At the time of its construction, the location was part of the Duchy of Swabia. Habsburg Castle is the originating seat of the House of Habsburg, which became one of the leading...
, who already held the Vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
ei of Laufenburg
Laufenburg, Switzerland
Laufenburg is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It is the seat of the district of the same name. On 1 January 2010 the municipality Sulz merged into Laufenburg....
.
After the Habsburg dynasty had lost large parts of its original Swabian possessions south of the Rhine to the Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
at the 1386 Battle of Sempach
Battle of Sempach
An armistice was agreed upon on 12 October, followed by a peace agreement valid for one year, beginning on 14 January 1387.The battle was a severe blow to Austrian interests in the region, and allowed for the further growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy....
, the remaining Fricktal was administered from the Oberamt Breisgau
Breisgau
Breisgau is the name of an area in southwest Germany, placed between the river Rhine and the foothills of the Black Forest around Freiburg im Breisgau in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, which partly consists of the Breisgau, is named after that area...
of Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
(Vorderösterreich) at Freiburg, while the adjacent Unteraargau
Unteraargau
The Unteraargau is the lower watershed of the Aar River in the Swiss canton of Aargau.-Geography:It corresponds approximately to the canton's southwestern districts of Aarau, Brugg, Kulm, Lenzburg and Zofingen...
region to the south was finally conquered by the Swiss at Bern in 1415. In 1469 indebted Archduke Sigismund
Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
Sigismund of Austria, Duke, then Archduke of Further Austria was a Habsburg archduke of Austria and ruler of Tirol from 1446 to 1490....
of Further Austria sold the Breisgau with Fricktal to the Burgundian
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
Duke Charles the Bold, neverteheless upon Charles' death in 1477 it fell back to Archduke Maximilian I of Habsburg
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
by marriage with the duke's daughter Mary the Rich
Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy ruled the Burgundian territories in Low Countries and was suo jure Duchess of Burgundy from 1477 until her death...
.
In the early 18th century, the Bern citizens attempted to purchase Fricktal from the Habsburg Emperors without success. Subsequent to the 1797 Treaty of Campo Formio
Treaty of Campo Formio
The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on 18 October 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of revolutionary France and the Austrian monarchy...
, Fricktal was occupied by France
French First Republic
The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I...
and in 1802 it was briefly a canton of the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
, as the Canton of Fricktal
Canton of Fricktal
Fricktal was a canton of the Helvetic Republic from February 1802 to February 1803, consisting of that part of the Breisgau south of the Rhine...
. On 9 March 1803, Fricktal was integrated into the Aargau canton of the Swiss Confederation by order of Napoleon
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
.
Today Fricktal with its mild climate is an important location for wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
and cherry
Cherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
production as well as a base of chemical
Chemical industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
and pharmaceutical industries.