Gemeindeverwaltung

Gemeindeverwaltung (municipal administration) in Reinach is the town hall of Reinach in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, in the Arlesheim district just south of Basel. It stands in the middle of the municipality at Hauptstrasse 10, inside a modern civic complex. It is a working office rather than a sightseeing stop, but it rewards anyone curious about contemporary Swiss architecture and local history.

What is the building?

The civic centre at Hauptstrasse 10/12 and Wielandstrasse 2/4/6 was completed in 2002 to a design by Morger & Degelo, a Basel practice. The architectural competition took place in 1997. That year also brought a heritage ruling: on 14 January 1997 the cantonal monuments commission added the vaulted cellars of the old brewery, tucked beneath the buildings behind the administration, to the list of protected monuments.

What stood here before?

The site has a brewing past. In 1837 Emanuel Wieland-Häring bought the former salt stores of the Prince-Bishops of Basel and built a brewery on them. Roughly fifty years later a fire destroyed it, and it was rebuilt. Wielandstrasse is named after the family.

What is Reinach itself like?

According to the Historical Lexicon of Switzerland, the village is first recorded as Rinacho between 1168 and 1176. The Bishop of Basel bought the Birseck lordship in 1239, and Reinach belonged to his territory from 1522 to 1792. It turned Protestant in 1525, was brought back to Catholicism by the bishop in 1595 and regained its independence in 1631. Under French rule from 1793 to 1800 it was the seat of the Reinach canton in the Mont Terrible department. The population grew from 558 in 1815 to over 18,000 in 2000, and today Reinach is a suburb of Basel.

How do you get there and what can you do?

The office sits on the main street, Hauptstrasse, in the centre of Reinach, a short trip from Basel. Residents use it for services such as confirmations of residence. Check reinach-bl.ch for current opening hours and services.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Reinach town hall worth a visit?

It is a functional building rather than an attraction. Its interest lies in the 2002 architecture and the history of the former brewery site.

Who designed the civic centre?

Morger & Degelo, completed in 2002.

Is this Reinach in Basel-Landschaft or Aargau?

Reinach BL in the Arlesheim district. A separate municipality of the same name lies in the canton of Aargau.

What lies beneath the buildings behind the office?

The vaulted cellars of the old Wieland brewery, under heritage protection since 1997.