neuhaus and its history

Neuhaus 1863

The name „Neuhaus“ (the new house) is first mentioned in a document dated 1539, but traces of this important site at the upper end of lake Thun can be found dating back to the early Middle Ages. The „Sust zur Platten“* as it was called at the time, or Neuhaus, its later name, was for hundreds of years an extraordinarily important landing place, collecting point and depot for the entire passenger and goods traffic between the lakes of Thun and Brienz, the Lütschinen valleys and the mountain passes in the Oberhasli region. At the time it was considerably easier to travel by boat than on land, as hardly any roads existed along the shores of the lakes, many of those extremely unsafe.

From time immemorial the mountain passes leading from the Bernese Oberland to the south had processed great importance as trade routes. For that reason the State of Berne took great pains to improve and keep up these alpine passages. Even before 1500 the monastery in Interlaken , which owned large areas of the Bernese Oberland, maintained a transfer point in Neuhaus. This consisted of a so-called „Gehaltshaus“** and a landing place for boats. After the State of Bern ordered the dissolution of the monastery in Interlaken , 1528, the landing place together with all the other possessions of the monastery became public property. In 1543 Interlaken , Unterseen, Unspunnen and Ringgenberg jointly rebuilt the installations at great cost. The foundations of the present building formed part of a new construction erected in 1678.

In 1668 the Plague once again scourged the Bernese Oberland. It is thought that an itinerant tradesman brought the disease into the region. The man died while travelling across the lake of Thun. The Governor of the region of Interlaken ordered the man to be buried in Leissigen. At the same time 850 people died in Grindelwald during a period of five months and in the Oberhasli region the number of victims reached 1200. For that reason guards were posted in Neuhaus to prevent travellers from entering the Bernese Oberland.

The Lombach, an unpredictable stream, flows into lake Thun near Neuhaus. In May 1747 it overflowed its banks as it had so often done in the past, devastating the facilities in Neuhaus to such an extent that the building had to be completely reconstructed. A few years later in 1756, the Neuhaus once again became a victim of the mountain torrent from the Habkern valley.

In 1405, 1453, 1573, 1595, 1685 and 1695 the lake of Thun froze over during the winter. A contemporary report states, „In February 1573, soon after Candlemas, the winter having been dreadfully cold and the majority of the sheets of water having frozen over, the lake Thun, too, was covered with such thick ice that one could walk, ride on horseback and travel by sled over it, a thing that had not occurred for the past 120 years. - Birds fell dead from the air, others froze to the ground.“

In 1831 the composer Mendelssohn visited the Bernese Oberland. He wrote, „The wind blew with a terrible force and caused great damage. Fortunately a ferryman was there who took me over to Neuhaus, even though the journey in an open barge in the pouring rain was anything but pleasant. On my arrival in Neuhaus, my appearance was quite pitiful. I looked as though I was wearing high boots over my light-coloured trousers. I arrived in Interlaken in this condition and was received in an unfriendly manner. Nobody wanted to give me a place to stay, so I had to go to Unterseen where I have found excellent accommodation and am extremely comfortable.“

Until 1835 only rowing boats aided by sails were used to ferry passengers on the lake of Thun. The journey from Thun to Interlaken lasted approximately five hours. In 1835 a steamboat was put into service on the lake for the first time. It belonged to a shipping company owned by the Knechtenhofer family. Neuhaus was the first steamboat station on the upper reaches of lake Thun . As a result there was a considerable rise in the number of passengers and the amount of goods transported. The tourist trade finally took root. At times up to a hundred horse-drawn carriages could be seen waiting at Neuhaus to take the newly arrived travellers to their destinations. At that time the ship only ran from May to October. The direct journey from Thun to Interlaken , which took place three times a day, lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes.

In 1871 the Neuhaus station lost much of its importance. The „Bödeli Railway“ from Därligen to Bönigen was inaugurated. From then on passengers changed to the train at Därligen. Goods continued to be transported via Neuhaus. After the construction of the railway line from Thun to Spiez and Därligen, the regular boat service on the lake was discontinued. It was only reintroduced in 1912 and since then all the regular courses – except unfortunately the paddle steamer „Blümlisalp“ – call at Neuhaus.

Neuhaus has seen frequent changes in its owners and lessees during the last century. The forces of nature also caused damage again and again. In 1999 the lake of Thun rose above its normal level and flooded the entire main building with the restaurant, cellars and kitchen. In the nearby annexe the whole of the ground floor was devastated. A similar catastrophe took place 180 years ago.

Translators notes:

*Sust“ is an old Swiss word for a storehouse or customs‘ office or sometimes both.

** A „Gehaltshaus“ was, most probably, a warehouse.

Source from „Das grosse Landbuch“ von H. Hartmann