The moraine terrace of the Brigerberg was inhabited thousands of years ago, as prehistoric finds show. For example, since the Bronze Age there has been a kind of prehistoric fortification on the peak of the castle, presumably for monitoring the Simplon route. In the early Middle Ages, the Brigerberg area belonged to the large community and parish of Naters. But in the 13th and 14th centuries the development into many individual small communities began.
The population of the Brigerberg suffered under the French invasions. On 1 June 1799 the French burned down the village of Termen except for a few houses. The hamlet of Lingwurm on the old Stockalperweg was also robbed of its flames.
The construction of the Napoleonstrasse brought about an internal population shift within the municipality of Ried-Brig. After the opening of the road, Lingwurm and Brei lay apart from the traffic and depopulated themselves, while in the Schlüocht along the modern road new building volume arose.
