Discover 60 curated stories about St. Gallen in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland — covering hidden gems, dark history, legends, weird facts and funny anecdotes.
In the 10th century, the St. Gallen monastery was a major cultural center, but it was also a target for raids. In 926, the Ungarn overran the city, burning down houses and killing the recluse Wiborad…
St. Mangen Church · · 💀 Dark history
Sainte Wiborada, a female saint, was brutally killed during the Magyar invasion of the Abbey of Saint Gall around 925, and later became the first woman to be canonized by Pope Clement II in 1047.
Abbey of Saint Gall · · 💀 Dark history
A bear is said to have appeared to Gall as he was warming his hands by a fire in the woods. The bear, instead of attacking him, gathered firewood and shared the heat with Gall. This miraculous encoun…
Woods near the Abbey of Saint Gall · 🏛️ Legendary
The Säntis mountain was the site of a gruesome double murder in 1922, where the weather station keeper Heinrich Haas and his wife Maria Magdalena were killed. The murder was only discovered due to mi…
Säntis · · 💀 Dark history
A Stolperstein at Rosenbergstrasse 44 commemorates Szloma Sochaczewski, a Jewish resident of St. Gallen who was deported by the Nazis and wrote a haunting last letter from a freight car, saying 'We'r…
Rosenbergstrasse · · 💀 Dark history
A Stolperstein at Wassergasse 16 honors Martha Wodiunig, a woman from St. Gallen who was killed in Hartheim in 1941 due to her mental illness, and whose story was only recently uncovered by her relat…
Wassergasse · · 💀 Dark history
The Abbey of Saint Gall was also attacked by Muslim slave-raiders in 939, which is a little-known event in the history of the abbey. This attack highlights the abbey's strategic location and its vuln…
Abbey of Saint Gall · · 💀 Dark history
A large painting of Ulrich Varnbüler, a former mayor of St. Gallen, returning triumphantly to the city after the Battle of Grandson in 1476, is still displayed in St. Gallen. This painting commemorat…
City Hall · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Irabach stream, which once flowed through the city center, was covered up in 1880 and now runs underground, having caused flooding in the past, including a notable incident in 1904 that submerged…
St. Gallen · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Abbey of St. Gallen was secularized on September 17, 1798, and the Prince-Abbot Pankraz Vorster fled to Vienna. However, he was returned to his throne by an Austrian army in 1799, only to be driv…
Abbey of St. Gallen · · 💀 Dark history
A devastating fire broke out in 937, destroying much of the abbey and the adjoining settlement, but miraculously, the library was left undamaged.
Abbey of Saint Gall · · 💀 Dark history
The Abbey of Saint Gall was once home to a vast library that was threatened by the invasion of the Magyars between 924 and 933, forcing the monks to send their precious books and parchments to Reiche…
Abbey of Saint Gall · · 💀 Dark history
The Abbey of Saint Gall has a unique architectural plan, known as the 'Plan of Saint Gall', which is the only major architectural drawing from the period between the end of the Roman Empire and the 1…
Abbey of Saint Gall · · 🤯 Weird
The Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen's manuscripts were saved from the Ungarneinfall in 926 by the Inklusin Wiborada, who had foreseen the attack and moved the manuscripts to the Insel Reichenau for safek…
Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen was plundered during the Toggenburgerkrieg in 1712, and many valuable manuscripts and prints were taken to Zürich and Bern. The 'Kulturgüterstreit' between St. Gallen…
Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen · · 💀 Dark history
Saint Gall was known for his ability to tame a bear that emerged from the woods, and the bear became his companion. According to legend, the bear even gathered firewood for Gall. This story has been…
Abbey of Saint Gall · · 🏛️ Legendary
According to legend, Saint Gallus was excommunicated by Columban for disobeying him and refusing to continue their missionary journey. Gallus then settled near the Steinach river, where he had a rema…
Steinach river · · 🏛️ Legendary
Saint Gall, the founder of the Abbey of Saint-Gall, was known for his ability to preach in the local language, making him the first missionaire in Central Europe to do so. He converted many locals an…
Abbey of Saint-Gall · · 🏛️ Legendary
The introduction of the federal factory labor law in 1877 had an unexpected consequence: it led to an increase in child labor in the embroidery industry, as workers could now use their children to wo…
St. Gallen · · 💀 Dark history
The Mühleggbahn funicular in St. Gallen has a unique history, having been originally opened in 1893 as a water counterbalancing funicular with two cars and a passing loop, before being replaced by a…
Mühleggbahn · · 🤯 Weird
The Mühleggbahn funicular has a remarkable feature - it is almost entirely hidden in a tunnel, with 287 meters of its 323-meter track being underground, making it a unique and fascinating mode of tra…
Mühleggbahn · 🔍 Hidden gems
The University of St. Gallen was rocked by a series of scandals in 2018/19, including questionable expense claims and allegations of misconduct. An administrative investigation found that some instit…
University of St. Gallen · · 💀 Dark history
In 2022, a professor at the University of St. Gallen was accused of plagiarism in his dissertation and habilitation thesis. Despite the university's investigation, which found no evidence of academic…
University of St. Gallen · · 💀 Dark history
The Kunkler-Bau, a former theater building, was demolished in 1971 and is now the site of a McDonald's restaurant.
Bohl · · 🤯 Weird
The FC St. Gallen's first international match was against Alemannia Karlsruhe in 1902, which they won with a surprising score of 26:0.
FC St. Gallen · · 🏛️ Legendary
During his time in St. Gallen, Vadian played a crucial role in introducing the Reformation, which would eventually lead to the city's adoption of Protestantism and a significant shift in its cultural…
St. Gallen · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 1416, three Italian scholars, Poggio, Cencius, and Bartholomä, visited the St. Gallen library with the intention of 'rescuing' ancient Roman and Greek texts, potentially by stealing or buying them…
St. Gallen Library · · 🤯 Weird
A Jaguar owner in St. Gallen discovered that a garage employee took his car for a 75-kilometer joyride, including a private shopping trip, while it was supposed to be in for repairs.
Emil Frey Garage · · 😂 Funny
A 60-year-old Czech man was involved in a dramatic incident on Rorschacher Strasse in 2023, where he threatened a driver with two blank guns and later shot at a police officer.
Rorschacher Strasse · · 💀 Dark history
A Swiss politician, Mike Egger, was hit with a milkshake by unknown assailants from a moving car at the St. Gallen train station.
St. Gallen Train Station · · 😂 Funny
A stolen Mercedes crashed into a railing at the Platztor underpass after a wild chase through the streets of St. Gallen.
Platztor underpass · · 💀 Dark history
A charred cat was found in a fee-paying bag on the Feldli cemetery path leading to the crematorium, sparking an investigation into animal cruelty and possible motives behind the disturbing discovery.
Feldli cemetery · · 💀 Dark history
A bearded vulture chick has successfully flown out of its natural nest in the Taminatal, marking the first time in over a decade that a wild bearded vulture has been born in the canton of St. Gallen.
Taminatal · · 🔍 Hidden gems
A 56-year-old woman was severely injured by a Pitbull in Altstätten, with the dog tearing off a third of her right ear.
Altstätten · · 💀 Dark history
A Pitbull in Flawil attacked a 73-year-old cyclist, biting off a piece of her ear, and was later put down.
Flawil · · 💀 Dark history
A burnt cat was found on the Feldli cemetery in St. Gallen, prompting an investigation into potential animal cruelty.
Feldli cemetery · · 💀 Dark history
The city of St. Gallen is also known as the 'City of Thousand Steps' due to its unique topography, with many stairs leading up to the Freudenberg and Rosenberg hills.
St. Gallen · 🤯 Weird
A fire in 937 destroyed the Abbey, but the library remained intact, a remarkable feat considering the flammability of medieval buildings.
Abbey library of St Gall · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen was protected from the Reformation turmoil in 1529 by the humanist and mayor of St. Gallen, Joachim von Watt, also known as Vadian. He recognized the value of the libr…
Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen · · 🏛️ Legendary
Gall was offered the position of bishop of Constance, but he refused, citing that the election of a stranger would be contrary to church law. This humble act showcases Gall's commitment to his faith…
Abbey of Saint Gall · · 🏛️ Legendary
Saint Gallus allegedly fell into a thorn bush and took it as a sign from God to stay and build his first cell. This event is often seen as the founding moment of the Abbey of Saint Gall.
Mühleggschlucht · · 🏛️ Legendary
Despite being offered the position of bishop of Constance and abbot of Luxeuil, Gall refused, preferring to continue his missionary work from his hermitage. This humility and dedication to his faith…
Hermitage of Saint Gall · · 🏛️ Legendary
The embroidery industry in St. Gallen was so large that it employed up to 100,000 people at the end of the 18th century, with many farmers and artisans working from home to increase their income. Thi…
St. Gallen · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Remise, a historic train depot, was converted into a cultural center with theater rooms and a cinema in 2008.
Remise · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Gare de Saint-Gall, also known as the St. Gallen railway station, was initially built between 1853 and 1856, but was found to be insufficient just 25 years later, leading to a major overhaul and…
Gare de Saint-Gall · · 🏛️ Legendary
The University of St. Gallen's campus is home to an impressive collection of modern art, featuring works by famous artists such as Miró, Calder, and Giacometti.
University of St. Gallen · 🏛️ Legendary
The University of St. Gallen's campus features an impressive art collection, including works by famous artists such as Miró, Arp, Braque, Calder, Soulages, and Giacometti, which are displayed in the…
University of St. Gallen · 🔍 Hidden gems
The current theater building was designed with a unique architectural concept, featuring a regular hexagon and 120° angles.
Theater St. Gallen · · 🔍 Hidden gems
At the Institut Schönberg in St. Gallen, a group of young merchants learned football from English classmates and founded the FC St. Gallen in 1879. They initially played with smaller goals, leading t…
Institut Schönberg · · 🤯 Weird
In St. Gallen, the FC St. Gallen was initially divided into different social classes, with the club being considered a team for the upper class, while their rivals, F.C. Brühl St. Gallen, were seen a…
St. Gallen · 🔍 Hidden gems
Joachim Vadian, a renowned humanist and reformer, lived in the 'Haus zum tiefen Keller' in the Hinterlauben area, where he raised his family and influenced the city's religious and cultural landscape.
Hinterlauben · · 🏛️ Legendary
Vadian, a 16th-century humanist and reformer, left behind a legacy in St. Gallen, including a library of 451 volumes that still exists today. He was a key figure in the city's conversion to the Refor…
Vadiana Library · · 🏛️ Legendary
The St. Gallen library was so poorly guarded in 1416 that the abbot and the provost, the only two men running the convent, didn't even suspect the true intentions of the visiting Italian scholars. Th…
St. Gallen Library · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Italian scholars were drawn to St. Gallen's library by its reputation for housing ancient texts, including works by Cicero, Varro, and Livius. They hoped to discover lost manuscripts and bring th…
St. Gallen Library · · 🏛️ Legendary
A man collapsed and died on a bus in St. Gallen, prompting a medical emergency response.
St. Gallen · · 💀 Dark history
Two men were arrested in Rapperswil-Jona after a fight, with one of them reportedly carrying a club.
Rapperswil-Jona · · 💀 Dark history
The city of St. Gallen is home to the Stiftskirche and Stiftsbibliothek, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which showcases the city's rich cultural and historical significance.
St. Gallen · 🏛️ Legendary
The old train station building from 1856 was demolished in 1972 to make way for the new city hall, which was completed in 1976.
St. Gallen Train Station · · 🔍 Hidden gems
In 1518, in St. Gallen, Vadian, a skilled doctor, treated patients using knowledge gained from his studies in Vienna, influenced by Arabic and Latin medical traditions.
St. Gallen · · 🏛️ Legendary
Vadian wrote a treatise on the plague in 1519, showcasing his medical expertise. Although he is more famous for his work as a historian and humanist, his medical contributions should not be overlooke…
St. Gallen · · 🔍 Hidden gems
💀 Dark history · 😂 Funny · 🔍 Hidden gems · 🏛️ Legendary · 🤯 Weird
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