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Peter Taugwalder

Swiss mountain guide (1820-1888)

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionDec 19, 2024
Entity authorityQ693041 ↗
Source-derived summary

Peter Taugwalder (4 April 1820 – 10 July 1888) was a Swiss mountaineer and guide. Along with his son of the same name, Taugwalder was one of seven men that made the first ascent of the Matterhorn in July 1865. He was also one of the three men that survived the descent, along with his son and Edward Whymper.

A native of Zermatt, Taugwalder also made the first ascent of Pollux (1864) and the Hohberghorn (1869). Other notable climbs include the second ascent of the Dunantspitze (1851) and the Ober Gabelhorn (1865).

Following the disastrous first ascent of the Matterhorn in which four men died, Taugwalder's conduct was the subject of an investigation in which he was cleared of responsibility. Nonetheless, Taugwalder suffered from recriminations and accusations by other mountaineers. He quit his guide job a few years after the accident and emigrated to North America. He died near Schwarzsee soon after his return to Zermatt.

Taugwalder had two sons, Peter and Joseph Taugwalder.

Editorial summary

“Peter Taugwalder” enters the record as swiss mountain guide (1820-1888). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Peter, Taugwalder and Swiss can confirm, complicate or overturn.

Editorial reviewA valuable geographic starting point for tracing changing names, boundaries, uses and administrative responsibility. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1820, 1888, 1865, 1864—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1820-04-04. Its strongest next move is a source search built around Peter, Taugwalder and Swiss.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

“Peter Taugwalder” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Peter, Taugwalder and Swiss provides the most credible route into that argument.

Evidence profile

The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 19, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q693041. VIAF identifies the subject as 307322662. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1820, 1888, 1865 and 1864.

Critical limits

Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Peter Taugwalder”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Peter Taugwalder primary sources, Peter Taugwalder archive and Peter research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Peter Taugwalder”?
  2. Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
  3. Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Peter Taugwalder” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.