History
For thousands of years, Mother Nature has created an impressive work of art with the glacier water! The history of the gorge begins with the formation of the Alps. Grindelwald was flooded by a sea 250 million years ago. Deposits on the seafloor formed massive layers of limestone.
History
The collision
With the collision of the African and European continental plates, the Alps began to form 115 million years ago. The former sea deposits were lifted and pushed over one another in the form of blankets. With the uplift, erosion set in, which gave rise to the imposing relief of the Alps.
Powerfull glaciers
Powerful glaciers shaped our landscape. The pushing ice masses carved out wide valleys with tremendous pressure. The valley of Grindelwald was still covered by ice until about 10,000 years ago.
Advances and retreats
The Lower Grindelwald Glacier, with its advances and retreats, has shaped the glacier gorge and Grindelwald massively for centuries. The reconstruction of its change in length goes back to 1535, making it the longest of its kind in the world. However, the fluctuations were great: in the 16th century, the ice melted so far that the passage to the Valais was accessible. Marriage documents with Valais partners attest to this glacier pass.
Massive Glacial growth
From 1600 onwards, the glacier increased again and grew about 500 m over the gorge. Part of the village had to be relocated around 1600 because the glacier grew over one house at a time.
Alpine tourism
In the 18th century, interest in the mountains grew and alpine tourism emerged. In Grindelwald the mighty glaciers reached down into the valley – nowhere else could you reach the legendary, glistening “eternal ice” as easily as here. Because of this unique accessibility, the two Grindelwald glaciers soon became a world-famous tourist attraction.
Albrecht von Haller
In his poem “The Alps”, Albrecht von Haller describes the beauty of the mountains and nature. It becomes the initial spark for many to visit and explore the Alps.
Marble mining
The mining of marble began on the edge of the glacier.
Glacier Village
The glacier advanced strongly and reached the valley floor in the area of today’s hotel «Gletscherschlucht». The marble mine was also run over by the glacier.
The first scientific papers and works appeared which focussed entirely on the glaciers and some of which are illustrated with the “first views”.
Scientists, philosophers, writers, but also aristocrats travelled through the “glacier village”, which lead to the construction of roads and hotels.
Caspar Wolf documented this advance in the painting in 1974. The picture served as a template for a copper engraving, which was sold with other motifs in a folder as souvenirs to tourists.
Reaching out to Grindelwald
The Upper and Lower Grindelwald Glaciers rolled like two giant ice arms towards the valley and “embraced” Grindelwald.
