Arlesheim

Coat of arms

Arlesheim

Location of Arlesheim

Coordinates: 47°29′N 7°37′E / 47.483°N 7.617°ECoordinates: 47°29′N 7°37′E / 47.483°N 7.617°E

Country

Area

• Total

6.93 km² (2.68 sq mi)

Elevation

335 m (1,099 ft)

Population (Mar 2016)

• Total

9,224

• Density

1,300/km² (3,400/sq mi)

Postal code

4144

SFOS number

2763

Surrounded by

Dornach (SO), Gempen (SO), Münchenstein, Muttenz, Reinach

Website

www.arlesheim.ch
SFSO statistics

Arlesheim (Swiss German: Arlese) is a municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland. Its cathedral chapter seat, bishop's residence and cathedral (1681 / 1761) are listed as a heritage site of national significance.

The cathedral has a Baroque organ built by the German builder Johann Andreas Silbermann, based in Alsace, in 1761. The instrument was restored by Metzler in 1959-62, and is an example of the fusion of French and German organ building styles. It has been used in several recordings, including Lionel Rogg's recording of the complete organ works of J. S. Bach, for Harmonia Mundi France in 1970.

Arlesheim is first mentioned in 708. In 1239 it was mentioned as Arlisheim.

The protected location on the western foot of the Gempen Plateau encouraged an early settlement of the area. Paleolithic Magdalenian culture items from around 10,000 BC were discovered in the Birseck-Ermitage and Hollenberg 3 caves. Birseck-Ermitage was discovered in 1910 by Fritz Sartorius-Preiswerk, and Hollenberg 3 was discovered in 1950 by Martin Herkert. The caves contained traces of fires, spear points carved from reindeer antler and pendents from snail and mussel shells. From the end of the Palaeolithic era, Birseck-Ermitage cave contains galets colori, red-stripe like painted limestone pebbles, and flint tools. From the Mesolithic period (ca. 6000-5000 BC), flint tools have been discovered at the Abri overhang at Hohlefels, excavated in 1905 by Fritz Sarasin, and in the Birseck-Hermitage cave. Some funerary objects from the largely unexplored transitional period between the Mesolithic to Neolithic period (around 5200 BC) were also discovered. Several Neolithic ax blades were discovered across the municipal area, with a concentration at Dachsenhöhle and Kleinen Höhle am Hohlefels which were excavated in 1952-54 by Martin Herkert, Bernhard Hesse and Andreas Schwabe. In the Kleinen Höhle skeletal remains of children with grave goods as well as a typological flint spear points were also found. Horgen culture (around 3000 BC.) ceramic vessels have also been found. From the Bronze Age, only a few, mostly are generic items have been discovered. So far, no items from the Iron Age have been found.

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Wikipedia