Aesch is first mentioned in 1252 as
Esch. In 1977, along the Fluhstrasse, the remains of a middle
Bronze Age settlement were discovered. The settlement dates from 1500 to 1300 BC and includes a fireplace and stone settings, the foundation of a house, and pot shards. In Känelacker in 1923, a shop used for casting
bronze from about 1300 BC was discovered. The site included copper cake and bronze fragments, including two medium-sized winged axes and various partially decorated plates and sickles. Late Bronze Age artifacts and pottery from 1300 to 800 BC were found at the old tram depot on the main road and along the road to Lerch.
Early modern era This area was part of the
bishop's bailiwick of Pfeffingen from the 13th Century until 1519, when it was inherited by the
Count of Thierstein. It was owned by that family until 1792. During that time, it was administered by the
landvogt of Pfeffingen. Between 1583 and 1792, the landvogt's office was held by the Blarer family. In 1566, the bishop built a brick barn and in 1611 the bishop had a new
wine-press built. In 1702, Aesch became the bailiwick seat, and the bailiff moved into
Blarer Castle, which had been built in 1604–07. After the construction of the Angensteiner bridge, Aesch became a
customs station. The Customs House at the "Mugge" was built in 1715. The inhabitants of this area were part of the
parish of Pfeffingen. In 1672 the Blarer family donated a chapel (dedicated to St. Joseph) to the village. In the
Late Middle Ages there was a
nunnery along the Klus, however there are scant written records or archeological evidence of the building. The residents of Aesch, like the rest of the bailiwick of Pfeffingen, did not hold citizens' rights in the city of
Basel. However, in 1529 they converted to the
Protestant Reformation along with Basel. Between 1582 and 1588, the village stood in the center of the last successful
Counter-Reformation efforts of the
Bishop of Basel, Jacob Christoph Blarer of Wartensee. Due to its border location, Aesch suffered repeated looting and pillaging, during the
Thirty Years War (1618–48) and other religious conflicts of this era. Due to the repeated attacks, very few buildings from before the 17th Century survived. The farming village was dominated by vineyards, due to fertile soils, mild climate and sunny slopes. In 1745 there were six
coopers (barrel makers) living in the village and the village farmers and rural poor were hired by the village farmers. After the short-lived
Rauracian Republic (1792–93), the village was under French rule from 1793 to 1815. Between 1793 and 1800 it was part of the
Département of
Mont-Terrible and then in 1800-1815 it was part of the Département of
Haut-Rhin. As part of Haut-Rhin, it became a separate parish in 1803. The
parish church of St. Joseph was built in 1819-20 and rebuilt in 1938–39. In 1815, the entire
Birseck region, including Aesch, was awarded to the Canton of Basel. During the
revolutions of 1830, revolutionary political leaders, including Anton von Blarer, rose to prominence in Aesch. In late 1830, a
liberty pole with the slogan "Freedom or death" was erected in Aesch.
Modern Aesch Until the 20th Century Aesch retained its predominantly agricultural character even though some companies moved in. These companies included the Stoecklin rope factory (1865) and the Vogel fabricated metal products factory (1876). The number of acres under cultivation as vineyards dropped sharply during the late 19th Century. In 1846 there were , while in 1906 it had dropped to . The local farmers fought back with
phylloxera eradication and a wine cooperative, so that Aesch now has the largest proportion of vineyards in Basel-Country. In 1985 there were of vineyards under cultivation. Despite the accessibility of the Jura Bahn railway from Basel to Delémont (built in 1875) and the tram line Basel-Aesch (in 1907), very few industrial and commercial companies moved into Aesch until after
World War II. In the post-war years, companies in the metal processing, mechanical engineering and pharmaceutical industry settled in the new industrial zones. The correction of the river
Birs in 1970 opened up further industrial land. The number of farms decreased from 88 (1929) to 21 (1980) to 16 (1999). Strong population growth has led to brisk construction activity, including the entirely new settlement of Neu-Aesch which was built in 1987. In 1990, 54% of the jobs were in the services sector, and 74% of workers were commuters. In 1851, Blarer Castle was bought by the municipality and converted into a school house. It was auctioned off and renovated in 1959 into a modern office building. ==Geography==