Altendorf commune (Schwyz canton, Switzerland)

Last modified: 2023-08-26 by martin karner
Keywords: altendorf | rose |
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• March district
• Schwyz canton
• Switzerland

Altendorf

On white a red rose with yellow blossom, green sepals and green stem.

Altendorf is mentioned for the first time in a document from 972 AD as Rahprehteswilare, which means village or hamlet of Raprecht and probably goes back to an Alemannic founding in the 7th or 8th century. The name evolved to Rapperswil, whose lord Rudolf III decided in 1220 to move to the opposite side of the Lake of Zurich and founded there a new city with the same name: Rapperswil, which later became Rapperswil-Jona. From then on the old Rapperswil was called vetus villa Rapperswile (old village of Rapperswil) which since the 15th century was called in German zu dem alten Dorfe (at the old village), whence became today's Altendorf.
Those historical connections explain the similarity of the two commune's emblems.