History

Near Arlesheim you can find - next to Münchenstein - the oldest known settlements of the canton from the Old, Stone and Neolithic Periods - the Ermitage Cave, the Hohle Felsen (the Hollow Rock) and the Hollenberg Caves.

In 1239, the abbess Willebirgis of Hohenburg sold the court of Arlesheim to the bishop of Basel. Arlesheim took on great importance when the cathedral chapter which had fled from Basel to Freiburg im Breisgau, settled in Arlesheim in 1679. Domherrenhäuser and the cathedral were built. With the French Revolution, the cathedral chapter of Arlesheim was lost again and the episcopal part of the Birst fell under French rule. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Arlesheim became the canton of Basel. In 1832, the citizens of Arlesheim voted for the separation of the cantons, and since then, the village has been the capital of the district.

The Arlesheim municipal coat-of-arms is closely linked to the coat-of-arms of the former Vogtei Birseck. This can be traced back to the noble coat-of-arms of the Lords of Uesenberg. The wing is worn in a similar form in their coat of arms.
If you would like to learn more about the history of the municipality of Arlesheim, we recommend that you take a look at the historical timeline.

Literature: Heimatkunde Arlesheim, 1993, Verlag des Kantons Basel-Landschaft.

Link:
Das Birseck - Zufluchtsort und Neuland, a hsitorical "hiking trail" of Baselland Tourismus