Lucerne
Country Switzerland Canton Lucerne District Lucerne 47°03′N 8°18′E / 47.05°N 8.3°E / 47.05; 8.3Coordinates: 47°03′N 8°18′E / 47.05°N 8.3°E / 47.05; 8.3
Population	77,491 (Dec 2010)[1]
- Density	2,668 /km2 (6,911 /sq mi)
Area	29.06 km2 (11.22 sq mi)[2]
Elevation	436 m (1,430 ft)
Postal code	6000
SFOS number	1061
Mayor (list)	Urs W. Studer (as of 2008) Ind.
Surrounded by	Adligenswil, Ebikon, Emmen, Horw, Kriens, Malters, Meggen, Neuenkirch
Website	Lucerne.ch Profile (German), SFSO statistics
Lucerne
Location of Lucerne

Logo

Lucerne ( /ˌluːˈsɜrn/; German: Luzern, [luˈtsɛrn] ( listen); French: Lucerne, [lysɛʁn]; Italian: Lucerna, [luˈtʃerna]; Romansh: Lucerna; Lucerne German: Lozärn) is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people,^[3] Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and a nexus of transportation, telecommunications, and government of this region. The city's metropolitan area consists of 17 cities and towns located in three different cantons with an overall population of about 250,000 people.^[4]

Due to its location on the shore of Lake Lucerne (der Vierwaldstättersee), within sight of Mount Pilatus and Rigi in the Swiss Alps, Lucerne has long been a destination for tourists. One of the city's famous landmarks is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first erected in the 14th century.

History[link]

Early history and founding (750–1386)[link]

After the fall of the Roman Empire beginning in the 6th century, Germanic Alemannic peoples increased their influence on this area of present day Switzerland. Around 750 the Benedictine Monastery of St. Leodegar was founded, which was later acquired by Murbach Abbey in Alsace in the middle of the 9th century, and by this time the area had become known as Luciaria.^[5] In 1178 Lucerne acquired its independence from the jurisdiction of Murbach Abbey, and the founding of the city proper probably occurred that same year. The city gained importance as a strategically located gateway for the growing commerce from the Gotthard trade route.

By 1290 Lucerne became a good-sized, self-sufficient city with about 3000 inhabitants. About this time King Rudolph I von Habsburg gained authority over the Monastery of St. Leodegar and its lands, including Lucerne. The populace did not appreciate the increasing Habsburg influence, and Lucerne allied with neighboring towns to seek independence from Habsburg rule. Along with Lucerne, the three other forest cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden formed the "eternal" Swiss Confederacy, known as the Eidgenossenschaft, on November 7, 1332. Later the cities of Zurich, Zug and Bern joined the alliance. With the help of these additions, the rule of Austria over the area came to an end. The issue was settled by Lucerne’s victory over the Habsburgs in the Battle of Sempach in 1386. For Lucerne this victory ignited an era of expansion. The city shortly granted many rights to itself, rights which had been withheld by the Habsburgs until then. By this time the borders of Lucerne approximately matched those of today.

From city to city-state (1386–1520)[link]

In 1415 Lucerne gained Reichsfreiheit from Emperor Sigismund and became a strong member of the Swiss confederacy. The city developed its infrastructure, raised taxes, and appointed its own local officials. The city’s population of 3000 dropped about 40% due to the Black Plague and several wars around 1350.

In 1419 town records show the first witch trial against a male person.

Swiss-Catholic town (1520–1798)[link]

Lucerne in 1642

Among the growing towns of the confederacy, Lucerne was especially popular in attracting new residents. As the confederacy broke up during Reformation after 1520, most cities became Protestant, but Lucerne remained Catholic. After the victory of the Catholics over the Protestants in the Battle at Kappel in 1531, the Catholic towns dominated the confederacy. The future, however, belonged to the Protestant cities like Zurich, Bern and Basel, which defeated the Catholics in the second Villmerg War in 1712. The former prominent position of Lucerne in the confederacy was lost forever. In the 16th and 17th centuries, wars and epidemics became steadily less frequent and as a result the population of the country increased strongly.

Lucerne in 1758

Lucerne was also involved in the Swiss peasant war of 1653.

Century of revolutions (1798–1914)[link]

Conflict at Lucerne, Illustrated London News, 1845.

In 1798, nine years after the beginning of the French Revolution, the French army marched into Switzerland. The old confederacy collapsed and the government became democratic. The industrial revolution hit Lucerne rather late, and by 1860 only 1.7% of the population worked in industry, which was about a quarter of the national average at that time. Agriculture, which employed about 40% of the workers, was the main form of economic output in the canton. Nevertheless, industry was attracted to the city from areas around Lucerne. From 1850 to 1913, the population quadrupled and the flow of settlers increased. In 1856 trains first linked the city to Olten and Basel, then Zug and Zurich in 1864 and finally to the south in 1897.

Recent events in Lucerne[link]

On June 17, 2007, voters of the city of Lucerne and the adjacent town of Littau agreed to a merger in a simultaneous referendum. This took effect on January 1, 2010.^[6] The new city, still called "Lucerne", has a population of around 76,000 people, making it the seventh-largest city in Switzerland. The results of this referendum are expected to pave the way for negotiations with other nearby cities and towns in an effort to create a unified city-region, based on the results of a study.^[7]

Sights[link]

View of the Reuss from the Rathaus-Steg

Since the city straddles the Reuss River where it drains the lake, it has a number of bridges. The most famous is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 204 m (669 ft) long wooden bridge originally built in 1333, although much of it had to be replaced after a fire on August 18, 1993, allegedly caused by a discarded cigarette. Part way across, the bridge runs by the octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm), a fortification from the 13th century. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Luzern's history. The Bridge with its Tower is the city's most famous landmark.

Downriver, between the Kasernenplatz and the Mühlenplatz, the Spreuerbrücke or Mill Bridge zigzags across the Reuss. Constructed in 1408, it is the oldest covered bridge in Europe and features a series of medieval-style 17th Century plague paintings by Kaspar Meglinger titled Dance of Death. The bridge has a small chapel in the middle that was added in 1568.

The Reuss in the old part of Lucerne

Old Town Lucerne is located just north of the Reuss River, and still has several fine half-timber structures with painted fronts. Remnants of the old town walls exist on the hill above Lucerne, complete with eight tall watch towers. An additional gated tower sits at the base of the hill on the banks of the Reuss River.

The twin needle towers of the Church of St. Leodegar, which was named after the city's patron saint, sit on a small hill just above the lake front. Originally built in 735, the present structure was erected in 1633 in the late Renaissance style. However, the towers are surviving remnants of an earlier structure. The interior is richly decorated. The church is popularly called the Hofkirche (German) and is known locally as the Hofchele (in Swiss-German).

The carving of the dying lion

Bertel Thorvaldsen's famous carving of a dying lion (the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal) is found in a small park just off the Lowenplatz. The carving commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when the mob stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris.

The Swiss Transport Museum is a large and comprehensive museum exhibiting all forms of transport, including locomotives, automobiles, ships, and aircraft.

The Culture and Convention Center beside the lake in the center of the city was designed by Jean Nouvel. The center has one of the world's leading concert halls, with acoustics by Russell Johnson.

Geography[link]

Lucerne and Lake Lucerne from the Pilatus

Lucerne has an area of 15.8 square kilometers (6.1 sq mi). Of this area, 11.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 25.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 60.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (2.2%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).^[8] In the 1997 land survey^[update], 25.9% of the total land area was forested. Of the agricultural land, 10.64% is used for farming or pastures, while 0.95% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the settled areas, 33.19% is covered with buildings, 1.71% is industrial, 0.89% is classed as special developments, 8.04% is parks or greenbelts and 16.53% is transportation infrastructure. Of the unproductive areas, 0.51% is unproductive standing water (ponds or lakes), 1.01% is unproductive flowing water (rivers) and 0.63% is other unproductive land.^[9]

View across Lake Lucerne

Before the merger, Littau had an area of 13.3 square kilometers (5.1 sq mi). Of this area, 52.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 21.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 24.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (1.7%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).^[8] In the 1997 land survey^[update], 21.08% of the total land area was forested. Of the agricultural land, 49.17% is used for farming or pastures, while 3.16% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the settled areas, 10.47% is covered with buildings, 4.29% is industrial, 1.96% is classed as special developments, 2.33% is parks or greenbelts and 5.8% is transportation infrastructure. Of the unproductive areas, 1.66% is unproductive flowing water (rivers) and 0.08% is other unproductive land.^[9]

Following the merger in January 2010, the newly expanded city of Lucerne had an area (excluding lakes) of 29.1 square kilometers (11.2 sq mi). Including lakes the total area was 37.4 square kilometers (14.4 sq mi). Of the non-lake area, 47.7% was settled, 28.0% was agricultural, 22.3% was forested and 2.1% was unproductive.^[10]

Demographics[link]

The crowded Rathausquai

Lucerne has a population (as of 31 December 2010) of 77,491.^[1] As of 2007^[update], 19.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 1.2%. Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speak German (84.5%), with Italian being second most common ( 2.7%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 2.5%).

The age distribution in Lucerne is; 8,454 people or 14.3% of the population is 0–19 years old. 18,772 people or 31.7% are 20–39 years old, and 19,239 people or 32.5% are 40–64 years old. The senior population distribution is 8,463 people or 14.3% are 65–79 years old, 3,570 or 6% are 80–89 years old and 725 people or 1.2% of the population are 90+ years old.^[9]

The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Lucerne about 73.6% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).

As of 2000^[update] there are 30,586 households, of which 15,452 households (or about 50.5%) contain only a single individual. 853 or about 2.8% are large households, with at least five members.^[9] As of 2000^[update] there were 5,707 inhabited buildings in the municipality, of which 4,050 were built only as housing, and 1,657 were mixed use buildings. There were 1,152 single family homes, 348 double family homes, and 2,550 multi-family homes in the municipality. Most homes were either two (787) or three (1,468) story structures. There were only 74 single story buildings and 1,721 four or more story buildings.^[9]

Historic Population[link]

The historical population is given in the following chart:^[5] <timeline> Colors=

 id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
 id:darkgrey  value:gray(0.8)

ImageSize = width:800 height:500 PlotArea = top:10 left: 100 bottom:90 right:100 Legend = columns:3 left:220 top:70 columnwidth:160 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:70000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:14000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:2800 start:0 Colors=

id:TO     value:yellowgreen      legend:Total
id:GE     value:teal      legend:German_Speaking
id:IT     value:green      legend:Italian_Speaking
id:PR     value:lightpurple      legend:Protestant
id:CA     value:oceanblue      legend:Catholic
id:SW     value:red      legend:Swiss

PlotData=

 color:yellowgreen width:40   mark:(line,white) align:center
 bar:1850 from:start till:10068 text:"10,068" color:TO
 bar:1870 from:start till:14400 text:"14,400" color:TO
 bar:1888 from:start till:20314 text:"20,314" color:TO
 bar:1900 from:start till:29255 text:"29,255" color:TO
 bar:1910 from:start till:39339 text:"39,339" color:TO
 bar:1930 from:start till:47066 text:"47,066" color:TO
 bar:1950 from:start till:60526 text:"60,526" color:TO
 bar:1970 from:start till:69879 text:"69,879" color:TO
 bar:1990 from:start till:61034 text:"61,034" color:TO
 bar:2000 from:start till:59496 text:"59,496" color:TO

LineData =

 points:(244,202)(306,246)  color:GE
 points:(306,246)(368,295)  color:GE
 points:(368,295)(430,339)  color:GE
 points:(430,339)(492,412)  color:GE
 points:(492,412)(554,440)  color:GE
 points:(554,440)(616,384)  color:GE
 points:(616,384)(678,377)  color:GE
 points:(244,92)(306,97)  color:IT
 points:(306,97)(368,103)  color:IT
 points:(368,103)(430,101)  color:IT
 points:(430,101)(492,103)  color:IT
 points:(492,103)(554,117)  color:IT
 points:(554,117)(616,104)  color:IT
 points:(616,104)(678,99)  color:IT
 points:(120,92)(182,97)  color:PR
 points:(182,97)(244,106)  color:PR
 points:(244,106)(306,118)  color:PR
 points:(306,118)(368,133)  color:PR
 points:(368,133)(430,151)  color:PR
 points:(430,151)(492,173)  color:PR
 points:(492,173)(554,173)  color:PR
 points:(554,173)(616,154)  color:PR
 points:(616,154)(678,143)  color:PR
 points:(120,146)(182,165)  color:CA
 points:(182,165)(244,189)  color:CA
 points:(244,189)(306,227)  color:CA
 points:(306,227)(368,267)  color:CA
 points:(368,267)(430,291)  color:CA
 points:(430,291)(492,340)  color:CA
 points:(492,340)(554,395)  color:CA
 points:(554,395)(616,330)  color:CA
 points:(616,330)(678,294)  color:CA
 points:(120,145)(182,167)  color:SW
 points:(182,167)(244,195)  color:SW
 points:(244,195)(306,234)  color:SW
 points:(306,234)(368,275)  color:SW
 points:(368,275)(430,328)  color:SW
 points:(430,328)(492,415)  color:SW
 points:(492,415)(554,437)  color:SW
 points:(554,437)(616,379)  color:SW
 points:(616,379)(678,361)  color:SW

</timeline>

Politics[link]

In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SPS which received 21.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (20.2%), the FDP (19.5%) and CVP (19.4%).^[8]

Religion[link]

Jesuit Church

The city grew up around Sankt Leodegar Abbey, founded in 840 AD, and remained strongly Roman Catholic into the 21st Century. In 1850, 96.9% of the population was Catholic, in 1900 it was 81.9% and in 1950 it was still 72.3%. In the 2000 census^[update] the religious membership of Lucerne was; 35,682 (60%) were Roman Catholic, and 9,227 (15.5%) were Protestant, with an additional 1,979 (3.33%) that were of some other Christian faiths. There are 196 individuals (0.33% of the population) who are Jewish. There are 1,824 individuals (3.07% of the population) who are Muslim. Of the rest; there were 1,073 (1.8%) individuals who belong to another religion, 6,310 (10.61%) who do not belong to any organized religion, 3,205 (5.39%) who did not answer the question.^[9]

Culture and Entertainment[link]

Culture[link]

The Culture and Congress Center at night

Since plans for the new culture and convention center arose in the late 1980s, Lucerne has found a balance between the so-called established culture and alternative culture. A consensus was reached that culminated in a culture compromise (Kulturkompromiss). The established culture comprises the Culture and Congress Centre (KKL), the city theater (Luzerner Theater) and, in a broader sense, smaller establishments such as the Kleintheater, founded by a native of Lucerne who was a comedian Emil Steinberger, or Stadtkeller, a music restaurant in the city's old town. KKL houses a concert hall as well as the Museum of Art Lucerne (Kunstmuseum Luzern).

Alternative culture took place mostly on the premises of a former tube factory, which became known as Boa. Other localities for alternative culture have since emerged in the same inner city area as Boa. Initially, Boa staged various plays, but concerts became more and more common; this new use of the building clashed with the development of apartment buildings on nearby lots of land. Due to possible noise pollution, Boa was closed and a replacement in a less heavily inhabited area is currently under construction. Critics claimed though that the new establishment would not meet the requirements for an alternative culture.

Events[link]

Jodelling festival 2008

Every year, towards the end of winter, Carnival (Fasnacht) breaks out in the streets, alleyways and squares of the old town. This is a glittering outdoor party, where chaos and merriness reign and nothing is as it normally is. Strange characters in fantastic masks and costumes make their way through the alleyways, while carnival bands (Guggenmusigen) blow their instruments in joyful cacophony and thousands of bizarrely clad people sing and dance away the winter. Lucerne Carnival starts every year on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday with a big bang. There are big parades on Dirty Thursday and the following Monday, called Fat Monday, which attract tens of thousands of people. Lucerne's Carnival ends with a crowning finish on Fat Tuesday evening with a tremendous parade of big bands, lights and lanterns. After the parade, all the bands wander through the city playing joyful music.

Lucerne Fasnacht

The city hosts various renowned festivals throughout the year. The Lucerne Festival for classical music takes place in the summer. Its orchestra, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, is hand-picked from some of the finest instrumentalists in the world. In July, the Blue Balls Festival brings jazz, blues and punk music to the lake promenade and halls of the Culture and Convention Center. The Lucerne Blues Festival is another musical festival which usually takes place in November. Since spring 2004, Lucerne has hosted the Festival Rose d'Or for television entertainment. And in April, the well-established comics festival Fumetto attracts an international audience.

Being the cultural center of a rather rural region, Lucerne regularly holds different folklore festivals, such as Lucerne Cheese Festival, held annually. In 2004, Lucerne was the focus of Swiss Wrestling fans when it had hosted the Swiss Wrestling and Alpine festival (Eidgenössisches Schwing- und Älplerfest), which takes place every three years in a different location. A national music festival (Eidgenössiches Musikfest) attracted marching bands from all parts of Switzerland in 2006. In summer 2008, the jodelling festival (Eidgenössisches Jodlerfest) is expected to have similar impact.

Economy[link]

Lucerne has an unemployment rate of 3%. As of 2005^[update], there were 134 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 21 businesses involved in this sector. 5568 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 416 businesses in this sector. 47628 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 3773 businesses in this sector.^[8] As of 2000^[update] 51.7% of the population of the municipality were employed in some capacity. At the same time, women made up 47.9% of the workforce.^[9]

Thanks to its continuous tax-cutting policies, Lucerne is on the way to becoming Switzerland's most business-friendly canton. The next 50 per cent cut is due in 2012. With that cut, Lucerne will have Switzerland's lowest corporate tax rate at cantonal level.^[8]

People[link]

• Hans Erni, Swiss painter, designer and sculptor
• Michael Koch, Swiss Film director and actor
• Edith Mathis, Swiss soprano
• Emil Steinberger, Swiss comedian, writer, director and actor
• Claudio Castagnoli, Wrestler
• Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, Writer, publisher and television presenter
• Rolf Dobelli, Writer

Sports[link]

There are several football (soccer) clubs throughout the city. The most successful one is FC Luzern which plays in Switzerland's premier league (Swiss Super League). The club plays its home matches at the new Swissporarena, with a capacity of 16,800.

In the past, Lucerne also produced national successes in men's handball and women's volleyball.

Having a long tradition of equestrian sports, Lucerne has co-hosted CSIO Switzerland, an international equestrian show jumping event, until it left entirely for St. Gallen in 2006. Since then, the Lucerne Equestrian Masters replaced it. There is also an annual horse racing event, usually taking place in August.

Lucerne annually hosts the final leg of the Rowing World Cup on Rotsee Lake, and has hosted numerous World Rowing Championships, among others the first ever in 1962. Lucerne was also bidding for the 2011 issue but failed.

The city also provides facilities for ice-hockey, figure-skating, golf, swimming, basketball, rugby, skateboarding, climbing and more.

Transport[link]

Lucerne railway station.

Lucerne boasts a developed and well-run transport network, with the main operator, VBL, running both the Lucerne trolleybus system and a motor bus network in the city. Other operators, such as Auto AG Rothenburg, provide bus services to neighboring towns and villages. Lucerne station enjoys excellent links to the rest of Switzerland via rail services operated by SBB and Zentralbahn.

International relations[link]

Twin towns — Sister cities[link]

Lucerne is twinned with the following towns:^[11]

• Bournemouth, United Kingdom (1981)
• Chicago, Illinois, United States (1999)
• Cieszyn, Poland (1994)
• Guebwiller / Murbach, France (1978)
• Olomouc, Czech Republic (1994)
• Potsdam, Germany (2002)

Weather[link]

Lucerne has an average of 138.1 days of rain per year and on average receives 1,171 mm (46.1 in) of precipitation. The wettest month is June during which time Lucerne receives an average of 153 mm (6.0 in) of rainfall. During this month there is rainfall for an average of 14.2 days. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 61 mm (2.4 in) of precipitation over 10.2 days.^[12]

See also[link]

• List of mayors of Lucerne

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lucerne

• City of Lucerne official website
• List of Universities and Schools in Lucerne
• university of Luzern
• Business School in Luzern
• Lucerne Tourism
• LucerneGuide
• Lucerne in 3D with Google Earth
• Lucerne Festival
• Lucerne travel guide from Wikitravel
• website of the neighbourhood Basel-/Bernstrasse Luzern
• Lucerne photo gallery
• Media
  • Tele 1 (local TV channel) (German)
  • Radio Pilatus (German)
  • Radio 3fach (German)
  • Radio Central (German)
  • Neue Luzerner Zeitung: www.zisch.ch (German) (local newspaper)
  • Anzeiger Luzern (German)
• Lucerne (municipality) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

v t e Municipalities in the district of Lucerne, Switzerland Adligenswil Buchrain Dierikon Ebikon Gisikon Greppen Honau Horw Kriens Lucerne Malters Meggen Meierskappel Root Schwarzenberg Udligenswil Vitznau Weggis Canton of Lucerne Districts of Canton Lucerne Municipalities of the canton of Lucerne