Stilli

To the newly arrived residents and inhabitants of Stilli

Translated from the Still New Resident’s Guide written by Max Baumann

You have recently taken up residence in our community. We would like to extend a warm welcome to you in our village.

Here in Stilli, we live somewhat removed from the major urban centers, but in a relatively quiet and healthy environment. Great importance is placed on good neighborly relations, and people know and greet each other on the street.

We would like to cordially invite all eligible voters to participate in elections and referendums, as well as in the community meetings. Our village depends on the cooperation of all its residents. We encourage you to take part in our village life. The mixed choir, the shooting club, and the gymnastics clubs would also like to welcome you.

This booklet provides you with some information about our community and all the “how, where, and what.” It is intended to help you feel at home in our community as quickly as possible. You can best learn details about village life by talking to the local residents. You can find out who holds which offices in the enclosed personnel list.

We sincerely hope that you will enjoy living in Stilli.

STILLI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

Historical information about Stilli

Stilli differs from all other municipalities in the Canton of Aargau in two respects: Firstly, its municipal area comprises only 56.73 hectares; it forms a strip between 25 and 210 meters wide but almost three kilometers long along the Aare River; the riverbed alone occupies 38% of the total area. Secondly, Stilli has only existed as an independent village since the 15th century; it was created, similar to how cities were founded in the Middle Ages, by a political decision of the then rulers of the region; the founders were the Habsburg knights of Aarburg and Baldegg on Schenkenberg. Both of these characteristics—the small municipal area and its late founding—were connected to the unique economic circumstances of Stilli’s inhabitants: the limited land could not possibly sustain them; thus, they were primarily dependent on the river for their livelihood.

The name “Stilli” is also connected to the Aare River. It refers to an area where the water flows “still,” or calmly. The boatmen of that time, who traveled downstream on the Aare, had to overcome considerable obstacles further upstream: first the rapids of Altenburg, the Aare gorge near Brugg, and the dangerous rock formation at Lauffohr. They must therefore have perceived the subsequent stretch of river as particularly “still.”

A farm called “Stilli” is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1269. The place name “Stillihus,” still in use today and located below the old part of the village, likely refers to this former isolated farmstead. The Stilli family, which formed the original lineage of the community and still exists today – albeit residing elsewhere – also lived here.

It was around 1450 when five pioneering settlers received from the authorities the exclusive ferry and fishing rights between Brugg and Schmidberg (above Beznau) for themselves and their descendants, along with permission to operate a tavern and a mill. This marked the beginning of a proper village and, at the same time, an independent municipality of Stilli.

The aforementioned businesses had previously been operated from the opposite bank of the Aare River. Two settlements named “Freudenau” had existed there: one above the confluence with the Limmat River, with a ferry, inn, and court (now the hamlet of Roost), and the other further downstream, with an extensive castle complex and – at least temporarily – a bridge. The castle was destroyed around 1410; its remains were uncovered and preserved through archaeological excavations between 1970 and 1982. Since then, the castle grounds have served as a recreational area for day-trippers.

Stilli thus succeeded Freudenau: its location below the confluence of the Aare, Reuss, and Limmat rivers was particularly advantageous for through traffic, as it allowed travelers to cross all three rivers at once; this also meant they only had to pay tolls once. Therefore, a ferry operated at this location for 450 years, serving not only people but also carriages, wagons, and entire herds of livestock. The crossing was especially important because of the famous trade fairs held in nearby Zurzach.

As a result, the population increased. The inhabitants of Stilli therefore increasingly turned to river navigation, transporting people and bulk goods in large flat-bottomed boats from Zurich, Lucerne, and Bern to Laufenburg, and occasionally even beyond Basel to the Netherlands. In the 19th century, log rafting, the then-prevailing method of timber transport, was added: strong men steered the logs, bound together into cumbersome rafts, downstream, mostly from Stilli to Laufenburg. With the flourishing of shipping and the ferry service, a blacksmith’s shop, a wagon maker’s workshop, and a shipyard also thrived. Some residents also engaged in fishing, which—especially due to the salmon catch—was of vital importance until the opening of the Beznau power plant. In addition, the inhabitants of Stilli owned—depending on their social standing—varying amounts of arable land and meadows, which primarily served for self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs and for feeding their livestock.

Today, Stilli no longer exhibits such fundamental differences compared to other villages. As is well known, the 19th century saw the shift in transportation from horse-drawn carriages and boats to the railway; as a result, the boatmen lost their main source of income in a very short time. Later, the river regulations implemented by power plants prevented salmon from migrating upstream, which ultimately led to the decline of the professional fishing industry. In 1903, the bridge was also opened, rendering the traditional ferry obsolete. This led to a collapse of the traditional livelihoods in Stilli and consequently to unemployment and emigration, particularly among the younger generation. Between 1850 and 1900 alone, the number of local residents fell from 379 to 190. A cigar factory founded in 1865 offered only a small number of alternative jobs, but it also attracted outsiders to the village.

Only in the period after the Second World War did the population increase significantly again, especially in 1973/74, when unplanned development led to the creation of a new neighborhood below the old village. The number of inhabitants then surged to 522. This also drastically altered the demographic composition: the proportion of foreigners and Catholics increased, and the long-established families (Baumann, Finsterwald, Lehner, Müller, and Strössler) became a minority. By 1986, however, the population had decreased again to 420, due to an increase in single people and childless couples. Most of the working population now commutes to jobs elsewhere. For many of these commuters, Stilli is simply a conveniently located bedroom community.

Some newcomers, however, have integrated into village life, whether through a club, the local shop, the school, the pub, or the community meetings. The older generation meets in the active senior citizens’ exercise group and at the afternoon social gatherings for the elderly. Various traditions bring the villagers together time and again, such as the August 1st celebrations, the children’s festival, and the “Scheibensprengen,” a carnival custom that harks back to the former river trades.

Population growth and overall development have presented the community with new and significant challenges. Over the past few decades, the infrastructure has been adapted to meet present-day needs: a gymnasium, kindergarten, sewage system, wastewater treatment plant, and district heating system have been built, and the road network has been expanded. The former tavern had already been converted into a school and community center some time ago.

The former fishing and shipping village has been completely transformed. Only a few things still recall the community’s unique past: the three restaurants continue an old tradition with their fish specialties. The descendants of the former fishing families still own the fishing rights between Brugg and Schmidberg; however, amateur anglers, who try their luck from the shore, have replaced the professional fishermen. The municipal coat of arms of Stilli also continues to reflect the earlier times: it depicts a white anchor against a blue background, crossed by a white boat hook and a white oar. But above all, the village’s stunningly beautiful location has remained unchanged.

Max Baumann