Gais, Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Switzerland

🇨🇭 Gais is a village and a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. In 1977, the village Gais received the Wakker Prize for the development and preservation of its architectural heritage. The village square, the Protestant church of 1782, the former spa hotel Neuer Ochsen of 1796 and the Krone inn of 1781 are listed as heritage sites of national significance.

Gais has an unemployment rate of 1.01%. As of 2005, there were 130 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 57 businesses involved in this sector. 240 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 39 businesses in this sector. 600 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 119 businesses in this sector.

History The village of de Geis is first mentioned in a list of offerings given to the Abbey of St Gall in 1272. While under the Abbey, Gais was a semi-independent village with its own Ammann (bailiff) and judge. By the 14th century Gais was already acting as an independent community. Under the Ammann Konrad Geppensteiner Gais joined the Swabian Cities Alliance (German: Schwäbischer Städtebund) in 1377. In 1401 the town allied with the League of God's House. One of the most important battles of the Appenzell Wars (1401–29), the battle of Stoss Pass, took place in the territory of Gais.

Geography Gais is quite centrally located in the hilly grass and woodland known as Appenzell or Appenzellerland at around 900 m (3,000 ft) above sea level. The Rotbach, a tributary of the Sitter flows from north-east to the south-west through the village and then turns north-west in the direction of Teufen AR.

Gais has an area, as of 2006, of 21.21 km² (8.19 sq mi). Of this area, 49.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 44.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).

The municipality is located in the former District of Mittelland. It consists of the village of Gais and several hamlets and individual farm houses.

Sights The village is home to several Swiss heritage sites of national significance including the village square, the Protestant church of 1782, the former spa hotel Neuer Ochsen of 1796 and the Krone inn of 1781.

The old village, lined with traditional wooden houses with curved gables, was rebuilt following a fire in 1780 and has remained mostly unchanged since then. The houses along the town square (German: Dorfplatz) and on Webergasse are the centre of the old village.

The Protestant Church was built in 1781–82 by Hans Ulrich Haltiner. The interior is decorated in a Rococo style. The interior work was done in 1782, from the shop of Andreas and Peter Anton Mosbrugger.