Interlaken: History

Pre-20th-Century History

The area that is now Interlaken has had a mercurial history of nomenclature. It first received its name from Roman conquerors in 58 BC who dubbed it Interlacus, meaning 'between the lakes'. When the Alemanni, a Germanic tribe, made their home between the lakes around AD 260, they eventually Germanicised the name to Inderlappen. With a few other changes along the way, such as Aaremühle (Aare River Mill), it wasn't until the late 19th century that the current name became official. Even today it retains another nickname of Bödeli ('little floor'), referring to the plains between the lakes.

Though all of Switzerland fell under Frankish rule during the sixth century, the major local turmoil was caused in 1528 when the feudalesque monks, the Augustinians, who were the major landholders at the time and, indeed, all the people living on their lands, were forced by the Reformation to give up their Catholicism. This in turn spurred conflict between the Interlaken monastery and Bern, known as the Inderlappen War. The Unspunnen Festival, held every 13 years, was instigated almost 300 years later to relieve the tension between the two areas.

Modern History

During the late 19th century, the opening of the Kursaal (spa) established the town as a rejuvenating mountain retreat and a popular summer destination. At this time, a group of almost 40 hotel owners purchased the huge central park known as the Höhematte (high field).

The result since then has been a constant flow of tourists beckoned by the R'n'R of a popular health spa and the striking views of the snow-capped Jungfrau.

Recent History

Interlaken is now a mecca for thrill seekers and caters to backpackers like nowhere else in Switzerland. So much so that history itself takes a back seat as the travellers keep coming to empty their wallets on white-knuckle sports.

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