Goldau

Geschichte

Goldau is a city in the community of Arth, canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. It lies between two mountains, the Rigi (known as Queen of the Mountains) and the Rossberg. Well known attractions include the Natur- und Tierpark Goldau and the Arth-Goldau valley station of the Arth-Rigi Bahn connecting to the Rigi mountain.Goldau landslideOn September 2, 1806 heavy rains triggered a landslide from the Rossberg which destroyed Goldau and the adjacent villages of Busingen, Röthen and Lauerz. The landslide comprised 40000000m3 of material, with a mass of 120000000t.Part of the mass hit Lake Lauerz (which had been created by an even larger landslide in the 14th century), and the resulting tsunami-like displacement wave caused more devastation towards Seewen. The event destroyed 111 houses, 220 barns, and two churches in a disaster area of about 20km2, parts of which were covered with debris to a height of 30-. It resulted in the confirmed death of 457 people.A museum outside the Natur- und Tierpark shows findings and photos of this natural disaster.