Rottenschwil

The earliest trace of a human settlement in the area around Rottenschwil, is a Roman era farm. The modern municipality of Rottenschwil is first mentioned in 1281 as Rotolfswile. The major land owner in the area was Hermetschwil Abbey, but the Habsburgs held the vogtei office over the Abbey's land. With the conquest of the Aargau in 1415 those rights transferred to the Swiss Confederation. From 1415 until 1798, Rottenschwil was a part of the district of Muri in the Freie Ämter, which were governed as "subject lands" by all or some of the Confederates. A ferry over the Reuss river is first mentioned in 1312. In 1510, Muri Abbey sold their quarter of the profits from the ferry to the city of Bremgarten. Frequent floods strongly affected the population and buildings. In 1580 Hermetschwil Abbey helped construct a milldam on the river.

During the Helvetic Republic it was part of the district of Bremgarten in the Canton of Baden. After 1803, it was part of the Muri District in the newly formed Canton of Aargau. In 1860, a canal between Mühlau and Hermetschwil opened up additional agricultural land for the municipality. The Reuss bridge was built in 1905-06, which simplified transportation. In 1969, the Reuss Valley Amelioration opened up more usable land, and reduced the damage that the river caused in the village. A 60 hectares nature conservation area was set aside in 1972.

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