Mühlebach (Ernen)

Geschichte

Ernen is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. In 2005 Ernen incorporated the formerly independent municipalities of Ausserbinn, Mühlebach, and Steinhaus.In 1979, Ernen was awarded the Wakker Prize for the preservation of its architectural heritage.HistoryErnen is first mentioned in 1214 as Aragnon. In 1220 it was mentioned as Arengnon and in 1510 it was Aernen.GeographyErnen has an area, of 35.4km2. Of this area, 36.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 35.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.5% is settled (buildings or roads) and 27.0% is unproductive land.The municipality is located on a moraine terrace above the left side of the Rhone. It consists of the village of Ernen and the hamlet of Niederernen.On 1 October 2004 the former municipalities of Steinhaus, Ausserbinn and Mühlebach merged into the municipality of Ernen, keeping the name Ernen.Coat of armsThe blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per pale Gules and Argent, two Greek Crosses couped palewise counterchanged.DemographicsErnen has a population of. In 2008, 5.2% of the population were resident foreign nationals. Over the 10 years 1999–2009, the population changed at a rate of -8.3%. It has changed at a rate of 0% due to migration and at a rate of -7.1% due to births and deaths.