From the beginning of next year, a third of residents in one Valais town will be moving addresses, without having to pack their bags and relocate. Here’s why the town of Gampel-Bratsch has decided to change its Swiss German street names.
Speaking to Walliser Bote, the local council in Gampel-Bratsch confirmed that it would be switching its street names from Swiss German to High German, starting on January 1, 2025. As a result, many residents of the Valais town will have to change their address, even though they won't have actually moved.
Street names written in traditional Valais German will be targeted specifically. For instance, Bärgjistrasse will become Bergstrasse, Heruviertil will become Herrenviertel and Hanuviertil will switch to Hahnenviertel. As the change will lead to duplicate names, some streets will be renamed or incorporated into others - Pletschenweg for instance will be made part of Kreuzstrasse.
The change will also see Gampel-Bratsch adopt the modern address network used by the Swiss postal system and other departments, where every barn, stable and outbuilding will be assigned a number. By the time the changes are made, the town in the mountains will sport 1.365 addresses instead of 863.
Some may be wondering why the town is moving to scrap its Swiss German street names. While Switzerland is home to many weird and wonderful street names, since 2018 the government has recommended that towns change their street names from Swiss dialect to High German.
The reason for the switch is quite practical: as each dialect writes its words differently, using it to spell street names leads to confusion among drivers and visitors from other cantons. Gampel-Bratsch Municipal Clerk Marco Volken told Walliser Bote that the new system will also make it easier for the police, fire brigade and other emergency services to find the right address.
Since the declaration in 2018, only a few towns in Switzerland have decided to keep their dialect street names. In Gampel-Bratsch’s case, Volken explained that various administrative delays meant the change would only come into force next year.
Approximately a third of the residents of Gampel-Bratsch will have a new street address, house number or both. Locals will have a grace period between January and the end of March 2025 to let their banks, insurance and other important providers know of the change. From April 1, 2025, only the new address will be valid.