Niederwald, Switzerland

Niederwald
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Niederwald Show map of Switzerland Niederwald Show map of Canton of Valais
Location of Niederwald
Coordinates: 46°26′N 8°11′E / 46.433°N 8.183°E / 46.433; 8.183Coordinates: 46°26′N 8°11′E / 46.433°N 8.183°E / 46.433; 8.183
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Valais
District	Goms
Government
• Mayor	Martin Mutter
Area
• Total	4.7 km2 (1.8 sq mi)
Elevation	1,251 m (4,104 ft)
Population (December 2002)
• Total	66
• Density	14/km2 (36/sq mi)
Postal code	3989
SFOS number	6064
Surrounded by	Bellwald, Blitzingen, Ernen
Website	www.niederwald.ch SFSO statistics

Niederwald is a former municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. On 1 January 2017 the former municipalities of Niederwald, Blitzingen, Grafschaft, Münster-Geschinen and Reckingen-Gluringen merged into the new municipality of Goms.

Niederwald is first mentioned in 1526 as Zniderwaldt.

Niederwald has an area, as of 2011^[update], of 4.7 square kilometers (1.8 sq mi). Of this area, 34.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 43.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 3.0% is settled (buildings or roads) and 18.4% is unproductive land.

The municipality is located above the Fiesch valley and along the old highway which ran from Ernen over the Rhone bridge to the right side of the valley. It consists of the haufendorf village (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Niederwald and the former hamlet of Rottenbrigge.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Or, on Coupeaux Vert three Pine trees of the same trunked proper, a Chief Azure.

Niederwald has a population (as of December 2015^[update]) of 47. As of 2008^[update], 6.8% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of -47.5%. It has changed at a rate of -28.8% due to migration and at a rate of -10% due to births and deaths.