Speakers of the Walser German dialects
Distribution of Highest Alemannic dialects
Juf
(
Avers
), at 2,126 meters (6,975 ft) above sea level, is the highest permanently inhabited settlement in Europe. This Walser village was established in 1292 a few kilometers upstream of the
Latin
Val Ferrera
.
The
Walser people
are the speakers of the
Walser German
dialects, a variety of
Highest Alemannic
.
[1]
They inhabit the region of the
Alps
of
Switzerland
and
Liechtenstein
, as well as the fringes of
Italy
and
Austria
.
The Walser people are named after the
Wallis
(Valais), the uppermost
Rhone
valley, where they settled from roughly the 10th century in the late phase of the migration of the
Alamanni
, crossing from the
Bernese Oberland
; because of linguistic differences among the Walser dialects, it is supposed that there were two independent immigration routes.
From the upper Wallis, they began to spread south, west and east between the 12th and 13th centuries, in the so-called
Walser migrations
(
Walserwanderungen
). The causes of these further population movements, the last wave of settlement in the higher
valleys of the Alps
, are not entirely clear. Some think
[
who?
]
that the large
Walser
migrations took place because of conflicts with the valley's feudal lords. Other theories contend
[
who?
]
it was because of overpopulation and yet others
[
who?
]
that they were reinforced by the respective local authorities in order to settle previously unpopulated regions. Starting in 1962, every three years a meeting of Walser people called
Walsertreffen
occurs in a Walser inhabited area.
[2]
History
[
edit
]
Flag of the Walser people
The Walser people originate from the Swiss canton of Valais. Around 1300, they started to migrate. As of 2022, the reasons are not historically documented and are speculated to be due to overpopulation, climate change or poverty.
In many places Walser settlers received the "Walser right" (colonist right), that is, personal freedom, with the right to form their own judicial communities and the right of the free hereditary rights of land. When a settler died, the estate passed to his heirs. The "Walser law" was granted against a moderate interest and the obligation to serve in the war.
[3]
Geographical distribution
[
edit
]
In
Switzerland
, the German-speaking part of the canton of
Valais
is the original region of the Walser. There are 26 Walser communities that were settled by the Walser migration (and seven others that originally were, but where Walser German is not spoken any more). These are:
Simplon
, in Canton of
Valais
;
Bosco/Gurin
, in Canton of
Ticino
; and the following communities in
Graubunden
(Grisons):
Obersaxen
;
Valsertal
(
Vals
,
St. Martin
);
Safiental
(
Valendas
,
Versam
,
Tenna
,
Safien
);
Rheinwald
(
Medels
,
Nufenen
,
Splugen
,
Sufers
,
Hinterrhein
,
Avers
);
Schanfigg
(
Arosa
,
Langwies
);
Albula
(
Mutten
,
Schmitten
,
Wiesen
);
Landquart
(
Davos
,
Klosters
,
Furna
,
Says
,
St. Antonien
,
Valzeina
).
Wartau
, (
Matug
,
Walserberg
,
Palfris
) and Walser speaking people may live in the
canton of Geneva
.
[
citation needed
]
Walser settlements in northwestern Italy
In
Italy
, there are nine communities that were settled by the Walser migration (and four others that originally were, but where Walser German is not spoken any more (with exception of a few elders)). These are:
Gressoney-La-Trinite
,
Gressoney-Saint-Jean
and
Issime
(
Lys
Valley, in the
Aosta Valley
);
Formazza
,
Macugnaga
,
Campello Monti
(
Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province
);
Alagna Valsesia
,
Riva Valdobbia
,
Carcoforo
,
Rimasco
,
Rima San Giuseppe
,
Rimella
(Sesia Valley or
Valsesia
, in
Vercelli province
).
In
Liechtenstein
, there is one Walser community:
Triesenberg
, including
Saminatal
and
Malbun
. Until the 1930s, the dialects of Walser German and
Romandy
based on the
French language
was still spoken among a few hundred residents.
[
citation needed
]
In
Austria
, there are 14 Walser communities:
Grosses Walsertal
(Blons, Fontanella, Raggal, St. Gerold, Sonntag, Thuringerberg),
Kleinwalsertal
(Mittelberg, a
practical enclave
of Germany),
Brandnertal
(Brand),
Montafon
(Silbertal), Reintal (Laterns), Tannberg (
Schrocken
, Lech, Warth), all in
Vorarlberg
; and in
Paznauntal
(
Galtur
), in
Tyrol
.
Additionally, Walser communities are reportedly found in
Haute-Savoie
, France (Vallorcine, in the
Chablais
), where the local Walser dialect is no longer spoken, and in the
Berner Oberland
(or Bernese Highlands), Switzerland (Grimseljoch-Sustenpass area,
Lauterbrunnen
,
Murren
, etc.), where the local Walser dialect has assimilated to the (likewise
Highest Alemannic
) dialects of the Berner Oberland.
Some Walsers later settled portions of eastern
Hungary
, most were found in the
Tokay
wine region. Walsers, along with
French Swiss
speakers and
French
(
Lorraine
)
vintners
from the French with wine-producing skills arrived in the 19th century by invitation of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
. Their descendants in the early 20th century were known as
Francais du Banat
or the "
Banat
French", as well the
Romandie de l'Ungerne
or "the
Romandies
of Hungary".
[
citation needed
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
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]
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