TOGGENBURG, THE, an ancient county in the upper valley of the river Thur (Switzerland). On the death of the last count of Toggenburg (1436) Zurich and Schwyz, in the first intercantonal war, disputed its possession. Purchased by the abbot of St. Gall in 1468, it was an area of constant strife be tween the abbots and the inhabitants, many among whom em braced Protestantism. The Toggenburg war between the Roman Catholic cantons and Protestant supporters of the Toggenburgers resulted in a Catholic defeat (1712) and in the restoration of the ancient liberties. To-day it is a pleasant, highly prosperous part of the canton of St. Gall, inhabited by approximately equal num bers of Protestants and Catholics. Its exact limits are differently interpreted, but the entire upper valley of the Thur above the. right-angled bend, near Wil, to the source near Wildhaus, is about 3o m. long, and runs mainly south-east to north-west, be tween steep fir-clad slopes. Near the valley head are the Chur
firsten range (Hinterruck, 7,575 ft.) southwards and the bold peaks of the Santes (8,215 ft.) northwards. The valley is well populated and has good through communications ; a 20 m. rail way runs from Wil, on the Winterthur-St. Gall main line, to Nesslau, and public omnibuses make use of the excellent roads beyond, crossing the watershed near Wildhaus for Gams in the Rhine valley. The Toggenburg as a holiday area is still mainly confined to the Swiss themselves. The pastures throughout are unusually rich, but the predominant pastoral occupation of the upper half is replaced by manufactures, chiefly muslins, in the lower half. The old market centre of the valley was Lichtensteig, now surpassed in point of importance by several well built towns and villages, of which Wattwil (pop. 6,392), near the entrance of the Ricken tunnel, is the largest.