Der Felssturz von Fidaz (10. April 1939)

"Switzerland's biggest natural disaster in decades"

This was the headline in the Schweizer Illustrierte in April 1939 after a huge rock mass of around 100,000m3 broke away from the Flimserstein and thundered down onto the village of Fidaz.

The falling material captured the children's home "Sunnehüsli" in Fidaz. The house was completely destroyed and 18 people were killed. Fortunately, three children were rescued almost unscathed from the pile of rubble.

In order to protect the village from further spontaneous departures of the dissolved rock masses, the rock face was then bombarded with an infantry cannon to bring it down prematurely.

Even 10 years after the accident, the path of the rockfall is clearly visible. Like a "scar" it runs vertically through the forest below the rock face.

From an ecological perspective, however, the rockfall is also the birth of young life. The resulting swath forms a new niche for the growth of pioneer vegetation and thus a habitat for many animals.

scars of the rockfall are damaged and the forest is quite fast and already 70 years the forest has reclaimed the devastated area.

A visit to the village of Fidaz at the foot of the gigantic Flimserstein is always worthwhile! The Höhenwanderung Bargis-Fidaz-Flims leads along the foot of the Flimserstein and thus offers a good opportunity to search for the faded traces of the rockfall on your own.

Already estimated 9450 years ago, probably the largest landslide in the Swiss Alps occurred on the Flimserstein - the Flims landslide - in which about 10km3 of rock fell to the valley, which led to the creation of today's impressive landscape, such as the unique Ruinaulta (Rhine Gorge).

Would you like to learn more about rockslides and landslides or earthquakes in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Sardona? Then a visit to the exhibition BergeBeben in Vättis.