Lucerne(English:/luːˈsɜːrn/loo-SURN) orLuzern(Swiss Standard German:[luˈtsɛrn])[note 1]is acityin centralSwitzerland,in theGerman-speaking portionof the country. Lucerne is the capital of thecanton of Lucerneand part of thedistrictof the same name. With a population of approximately 82,000 people,[3]Lucerne isthe most populous cityinCentral Switzerland,and a nexus of economics, transportation, culture, and media in the region. The city'surban areaconsists of 19 municipalities and towns with an overall population of about 220,000 people.[4]
Lucerne | |
|---|---|
Clockwise from top:Kapellbrücke,Löwendenkmal,Old town, City walls, Traditional frescoed building | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Lucerne  | |
  Lucerne  Lucerne | |
| Coordinates:47°3′N8°18′E/ 47.050°N 8.300°E | |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Canton | Lucerne |
| District | Lucerne |
| Government | |
| •Executive | Stadtrat with 5 members |
| •Mayor | Stadtpräsident(list) Beat ZüsliSPS/PSS (as of 2020) |
| •Parliament | Grosser Stadtrat with 48 members |
| Area | |
• Total | 37.4 km2(14.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation (Lake shore) | 435 m (1,427 ft) |
| Highest elevation (Sonnenberg) | 800 m (2,600 ft) |
| Lowest elevation (Rotsee) | 422 m (1,385 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2018)[2] | |
• Total | 81,691 |
| • Density | 2,200/km2(5,700/sq mi) |
| Demonym | German:Luzerner(in) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00(Central European Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00(Central European Summer Time) |
| Postal code(s) | 6000 |
| SFOS number | 1061 |
| ISO 3166 code | CH-LU |
| Localities | Luzern,Littau |
| Surrounded by | Adligenswil,Ebikon,Emmen,Horw,Kriens,Malters,Meggen,Neuenkirch |
| Website | www Profile(in German),SFSO statistics |
Owing to its location on the shores ofLake Lucerne(German:Vierwaldstättersee) and its outflow, the riverReuss,within sight of the mountsPilatusandRigiin theSwiss Alps,Lucerne has long been a destination for tourists. One of the city's landmarks is theChapel Bridge(German:Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first erected in the 14th century.
The official language of Lucerne isGerman,[note 2]but the main spoken language is the local variant of theAlemannicSwiss Germandialect,Lucerne German.
History
editEarly history and founding (750–1386)
editAfter thefall of the Roman Empirebeginning in the 6th century, GermanicAlemannicpeoples increased their influence on this area of present-day Switzerland.
Around 750 theBenedictine Monastery of St. Leodegarwas founded, which was later acquired byMurbach AbbeyinAlsacein the middle of the 9th century, and by this time the area had become known asLuciaria.[5]
The origin of the name is uncertain, it is possibly derived from the Latin name of thepike,lucius,thus designating a pike fishing spot in the river Reuss. Derivation from the theonymLugushas been suggested but is phonetically implausible. In any case, the name was associated by popular etymology with Latinlucerna'lantern' from an early time.[6]
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 theGotthardtrade route.
By 1290, Lucerne had become a self-sufficient city of reasonable size with about 3000 inhabitants. About this timeKing Rudolph I von Habsburggained authority over the Monastery of St. Leodegar and its lands, including Lucerne. The populace was not content with the increasingHabsburginfluence, and Lucerne allied with neighboring towns to seek independence from their rule. Along with Lucerne, the three other forest cantons ofUri,SchwyzandUnterwaldenformed the "eternal"Swiss Confederacy,known as theEidgenossenschaft,on November 7, 1332.
Later the cities ofZürich,ZugandBernjoined the alliance. With the help of these additions, the rule ofAustriaover the area came to an end. The issue was settled by Lucerne's victory over the Habsburgs in theBattle of Sempachin 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 were approximately those of today.
From city to city-state (1386–1520)
editIn 1415 Lucerne gainedReichsfreiheitfromEmperor Sigismundand 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 theBlack Plagueand several wars around 1350.
In 1419 town records show the first witch trial against a male person.
Swiss-Catholic town (1520–1798)
edit
Among the growing towns of the confederacy, Lucerne was especially popular in attracting new residents. Remaining predominantly Catholic, Lucerne hosted its own annualpassion playfrom 1453 to 1616, a two-day-long play of 12 hours performance per day.[7]As the confederacy broke up during theReformation,after 1520, most nearby cities became Protestant, but Lucerne remained Catholic. After the victory of the Catholics over the Protestants in theBattle at Kappelin 1531, the Catholic towns dominated the confederacy. It was during this period thatJesuitsfirst came to Lucerne in 1567, with their arrival given considerable backing by CardinalCarlo Borromeo,Archbishop of Milan.[8]The region, though, was destined to be dominated by Protestant cities such as Zürich, Bern andBasel,which defeated the Catholic forces in the 1712Toggenburg War.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 was besieged by a peasant army and quickly signed a peace treaty with the rebels in theSwiss peasant war of 1653.
Century of revolutions (1798–1914)
edit
In 1798, nine years after the beginning of theFrench Revolution,the French army marched into Switzerland. TheOld Swiss Confederacycollapsed and the government became democratic. TheIndustrial Revolutionhit 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.[citation needed]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 toOltenand Basel, then Zug and Zürich in 1864 and finally to the south in 1897.[citation needed]
The 1804 playWilliam TellbyFriedrich Schillerdid much to establish the reputation of Lucerne and its environs.[9]Schiller himself had not been to Lucerne, but was inspired to write the play by his wife Lotte and his friendJohann Wolfgang von Goethe,who had both personally visited the city and its surrounding canton. Goethe had lodged in the Hirschenplatz on his route to Italy in 1779.[10]
It was during the latter part of the 19th century that Lucerne became a popular destination for artists, royalty and others to escape to. The German composerRichard Wagnerestablished a residence atTribschenin 1866, where he lived and worked.[11]The city was then boosted by a visit byQueen Victoriato the city in 1868, during which she went sightseeing at theKapellbrückeandLion Monumentand relished speaking with local people in her native German.[12]
-
Pension Wallis(close toChâteau Gütsch), where Queen Victoria stayed in 1868 -
"The Queen's View, Lake of Lucerne, from the Pension WallisbyCollingwood Smith",fromThe Illustrated London News,1869
The American writerMark Twainfurther popularised the city and its environs in his travel writings after visiting twice, in 1878 and 1897.[13]In 1892 Swiss poet and futureNobel laureateCarl Spitteleralso established himself in Lucerne, living there until his death in 1924.[14]
Lucerne's status as a fashionable destination led to it becoming one of the first centres of modern-style tourism.[15]Some of the city's most recognisable buildings are hotels from this period, such as the Schweizerhof Hotel (1845),Grand Hotel National(1870), andChâteau Gütsch(1879).[16][17]It was at theNationalthat Swiss hotelierCésar Ritzwould establish himself as manager between 1878 and 1888.
1993 great fire
edit
In August 1993, theKapellbrückein the centre of the city suffered from a great fire which destroyed two thirds of its interior paintings.[18]The bridge was subsequently reconstructed and reopened to the public in April 1994, after a total of CHF 3.4 million was spent on its repair.[19]
Merge with Littau
editOn June 17, 2007, voters of the city of Lucerne and the adjacent town ofLittauagreed to a merger in a simultaneousreferendum.This took effect on January 1, 2010.[20]The new city, still called Lucerne, has a population of around 80,000 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.[21]
Geography and climate
editTopography
editLucerne is located at the outfall ofLake Lucerneinto the riverReuss,which flows from south-east to north-west. The city occupies both banks of the river and the lowest reach of the lake, with the city centre straddling the river immediately downstream of the outfall. The city's suburbs climb the hills to the north-east and south-west, and stretch out along the river and lake banks, whilst the recently added area ofLittauis to the north-west.[22]
Besides this contiguous city area, the municipality also includes anexclaveon the south shore of Lake Lucerne some 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) away, comprising the northern slopes of theBürgenstock.This section of the municipality is entirely surrounded by the lake and by land of thecanton of Nidwalden.It does not contain any significant settlements, but the summit of the Bürgenstock is the highest point of the municipality.[22]
The municipality has an area of 29.1 square kilometers (11.2 sq mi). Of this area and as of 2009[update],28.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 22.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 47.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (2.1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[23]
Climate
editBetween 1961 and 1990 Lucerne had an average of 138.1 days of rain per year and on average received 1,171 mm (46.1 in) ofprecipitation.The wettest month was June during which time Lucerne received an average of 153 mm (6.0 in) of rainfall. During this month there was rainfall for an average of 14.2 days. The driest month of the year was February with an average of 61 mm (2.4 in) of precipitation over 10.2 days.[24]Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. TheKöppen Climate Classificationsubtype for this climate is "Cfb"(Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).[25]
| Climate data for Lucerne (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.0 (39.2) |
5.8 (42.4) |
10.9 (51.6) |
15.3 (59.5) |
19.4 (66.9) |
22.9 (73.2) |
24.9 (76.8) |
24.3 (75.7) |
19.6 (67.3) |
14.3 (57.7) |
8.2 (46.8) |
4.5 (40.1) |
14.5 (58.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.1 (34.0) |
1.9 (35.4) |
6.0 (42.8) |
9.9 (49.8) |
14.1 (57.4) |
17.6 (63.7) |
19.5 (67.1) |
18.9 (66.0) |
14.8 (58.6) |
10.3 (50.5) |
5.1 (41.2) |
1.9 (35.4) |
10.1 (50.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.6 (29.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
1.5 (34.7) |
4.8 (40.6) |
9.1 (48.4) |
12.8 (55.0) |
14.6 (58.3) |
14.4 (57.9) |
10.8 (51.4) |
6.9 (44.4) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
6.1 (43.0) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 56 (2.2) |
61 (2.4) |
75 (3.0) |
96 (3.8) |
149 (5.9) |
164 (6.5) |
166 (6.5) |
170 (6.7) |
109 (4.3) |
88 (3.5) |
78 (3.1) |
78 (3.1) |
1,291 (50.8) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 11 (4.3) |
14 (5.5) |
4 (1.6) |
1 (0.4) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
3 (1.2) |
13 (5.1) |
46 (18) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.7 | 8.7 | 11.0 | 11.2 | 13.1 | 13.5 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 10.2 | 10.0 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 132.8 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 1.0 cm) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 10.9 |
| Averagerelative humidity(%) | 83 | 78 | 72 | 68 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 75 | 80 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 77 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 51 | 80 | 133 | 162 | 173 | 187 | 209 | 198 | 149 | 99 | 53 | 39 | 1,530 |
| Percentpossible sunshine | 23 | 32 | 39 | 43 | 40 | 42 | 47 | 49 | 42 | 33 | 23 | 19 | 38 |
| Source:MeteoSwiss[26] | |||||||||||||
Politics
editGovernment
edit
The City Council (Stadtrat) constitutes theexecutivegovernment of the city of Lucerne and operates as acollegiate authority.It is composed of five councilors (German:Stadtrat/-rätin), each presiding over a directorate (Direktion) comprising several departments and bureaus. The president of the executive department acts asmayor(Stadtpräsident). In the mandate period (Legislatur) September 2020 – August 2024 the City Council is presided byStadtpräsidentBeat Züsli.Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the Grand City Council are carried by the City Council. The regular election of the City Council by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every four years. Any resident of Lucerne allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the City Council. The delegates are selected by means of a system ofMajorz.The mayor is elected as such as well by public election while the heads of the other directorates are assigned by the collegiate.[27]
As of September 2020[update],Luzern's City Council is made up of one representative of the SP (Social Democratic Party,who is also the mayor), and one each of CVP (Christian Democratic Party), GPS (Green Party), FDP (FDP.The Liberals), and glp (Green Liberal Party). The last regular election was held on 29 March/28 June 2020. All members have been re-elected, though two of them (Bitz Staub and Jost) only with the second round.[28]
| City Councilor (Stadtrat/-rätin) |
Party | Head of Directorate (Direktion,since) of | elected since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beat Züsli[SR 1] | SP | Education and Mayor's Office (Bildungsdirektion/Präsidiales,2016) | 2016 |
| Franziska Bitzi Staub | CVP | Finances (Finanzdirektion,2016) | November 2016 |
| Adrian Borgula | GPS | Environment and Transport (Umwelt- und Verkehrsdirektion,2012/20) | 2012 |
| Manuela Jost | glp | Building and Civil Engineering (Baudirektion,2012) | 2012 |
| Martin Merki | FDP | Social Services and Security (Sozial- und Sicherheitsdirektion,2012/20) | 2012 |
- ^Mayor (Stadtpräsident)
Michèle Bucher (FDP) is Town Chronicler (Stadtschreiberin) since 2020.
Parliament
editTheGrosse Stadtratof Luzern for the mandate period of 2020-2024
The Grand City Council (Grosser Stadtrat) holdslegislative power.It is made up of 48 members, with elections held every four years. The Grand City Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the City Council and the administration. The delegates are selected by means of a system ofproportional representation.
The sessions of the Grand City Council are public. Unlike members of the City Council, members of the Grand City Council are not politicians by profession, and they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Luzern allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Grand City Council. The parliament holds its meetings in theRathaus(Town Hall) am Kornmarkt.[29]
The last regular election of the Grand City Council was held on 29 March 2020 for the mandate period (German:Legislatur) from September 2020 to August 2024. Currently the Grand City Council consist of 13 members of theSocial Democratic Party (SP/PS)and one of its junior section, theJUSO,9The Liberals (FDP/PLR),7Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC),7Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC),6Green Party (GPS/PES)and one of its junior section, thejg of Luzern,and 4Green Liberal Party (GLP/PVL).[28]
National elections
editNational Council
editIn the2019 federal electionfor theSwiss National Councilthe most popular party was thePSwhich received 25.0% (-0.7) of the vote. The next five most popular parties were theGreen Party(20.8%, +7.4), theSVP(15.0%, -4.6), theCVP(14.1%, 0),FDP(13.0%, -2.5), theglp(10.5%, +1.8).[30]In the federal election a total of 25,836 votes were cast, and thevoter turnoutwas 49.5%.[31]
In the 2015 election for theSwiss National Councilthe most popular party was theSPwhich received 25.8% of the vote. The next five most popular parties were theSVP(19.5%), theFDP(15.4%), theCVP(14.1%), theGPS(13.3%), and theGLP(8.9%). In the federal election, a total of 26,521 voters were cast, and the voter turnout was 49.48%.[32]
International relations
editTwin towns
edit
Demographics
editPopulation
edit| Largest groups of foreign residents 2021[36] | ||
| Nationality | Numbers | % of total (% of foreigners) |
|---|---|---|
 Germany |
3,772 | 4.56 (18.39) |
 Italy |
2,225 | 2.69 (10.85) |
 Portugal |
1,376 | 1.66 (6.71) |
 Eritrea
|
866 | 1.05 (4.22) |
 Serbia |
843 | 1.02 (4.11) |
 Kosovo |
783 | 0.95 (3.82) |
 Spain |
713 | 0.86 (3.48) |
 Sri Lanka |
629 | 0.76 (3.07) |
 Turkey
|
499 | 0.60 (2.43) |
 Croatia |
428 | 0.52 (2.09) |
 North Macedonia |
365 | 0.44 (1.78) |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
323 | 0.39 (1.57) |
Lucerne has a population (as of 31 December 2021) of 82,771[37]As of 2021, 20,508 or 24.78% of the population was made up of foreign nationals, of which 18.22% are fromEurope,3.63% fromAsia,1.85% fromAfricaand 0.97% fromAmerica.[38]Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 1.2%.
Most of the population (as of 2020) speakGerman(83.26%), withEnglishwith 7.45%, as well asItalian(5.06%) andSerbo-Croatian(3.80%) being respectively second, third and fourth most common first languages reported. Following, there arePortuguese(2.81%),Spanish(2.53%),Albanian(2.25%) andFrench(2.11%) language speakers.[39]
The age distribution in Lucerne is (as of 2013[update]); 12,916 people or 15.7% of the population is 0–19 years old. 26,381 people or 33.8% are 20–39 years old, and 25,863 people or 32.1% are 40–64 years old. The senior population distribution is 10,530 people or 13.1% are 65–79 years old, 4,208 or 5.2% are 80–89 years old and 900 people or 1.1% of the population are 90+ years old.[40]
In Lucerne about 73.6% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatoryupper secondary educationor additional higher education (either university or aFachhochschule).
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.[41]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 weremixed usebuildings. 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.[41]
Historic population
editThe historical population of Lucerne is given in the following table:
|
|
|
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| Source:City of Lucerne - Population by Nationality and Sex since 1860 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Religion
editThe city grew up around Sankt Leodegar Abbey, founded in AD 840, and remained stronglyRoman Catholicinto the 21st century. By 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%) Roman Catholic, 9,227 (15.5%) Protestant, with an additional 1,979 (3.33%) who were of some other Christian denominations; 1,824 individuals (3.07% of the population) Muslim; 196 individuals (0.33% of the population) Jewish. Of the remainder, 1,073 (1.8%) individuals were another religion; 6,310 (10.61%) stated they do not belong to any organized religion; and 3,205 (5.39%) did not answer the question.[41]
Economy
editAs of 2012[update],there were a total of 77,641 people employed in the municipality. Of these, a total of 166 people worked in 53 businesses in theprimary economic sector.Thesecondary sectoremployed 7,326 workers in 666 separate businesses. Finally, thetertiary sectorprovided 70,149 jobs in 6,929 businesses. In 2013 a total of 11.0% of the population received social assistance.[42]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.[41]
Lucerne is home to a number of major Swiss companies, includingAlpTransit Gotthard rail link,Schindler Group,Chronoswiss,Emmi,and theLuzerner Kantonalbank.Suva,one of Switzerland's oldest accident insurance companies, is also based in Lucerne, as is theUniversity of Lucerne,the youngest of Switzerland's traditional universities. An international company is theEF Education First.
Thanks to its continuous tax-cutting policies, Lucerne has become Switzerland's most business-friendly canton. As of 2012[update]Lucerne offers Switzerland's lowest corporate tax rate at cantonal level.[43]
Furthermore, Lucerne also offers very moderate personal income tax rates. In a recent published study of BAK Basel Economics taxation index 2012, Lucerne made it to the 4th place with an only marginally 2% higher tax rate compared to the top canton in this comparison.[44]
One of the first export oriented branches was the production ofscythesfrom the 14th century onwards.[45]Lucerne imported iron and steel and the cities blacksmiths produced scythes which were exported to western Switzerland and northern Italy.[45]The workshops of the blacksmiths were located in the outskirts of the city due to fire concerns.[45]The workshops at the Krienbach creek included hammers moved by watermills.[45]
Sights
edit
Since the city straddles theReusswhere it drains the lake, it has a number of bridges. These include the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 204 m (669 ft) long wooden covered bridge originally built in 1333, the oldest covered bridge inEurope,although much of it had to be replaced after a fire on 18 August 1993, allegedly caused by a discarded cigarette. Partway 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 Lucerne's history.
Downriver, between the Kasernenplatz and the Mühlenplatz, theSpreuer Bridge(SpreuerbrückeorMühlenbrücke,Mill Bridge) zigzags across the Reuss. Constructed in 1408, it features a series of medieval-style 17th century plague paintings byKaspar Meglinger(de) titledDance of Death(Totentanzzyklus). The bridge has a small chapel in the middle that was added in 1568.
Old Town Lucerne is mainly located just north of the Reuss, and still has several finehalf-timberstructures 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 theReuss.
The twin needle towers of theChurch 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 lateRenaissancestyle. However, the towers are surviving remnants of an earlier structure. The interior is richly decorated. The church is popularly called theHofkirche(in German) and is known locally as theHofchile(in Swiss-German).
Bertel Thorvaldsen's carving of a dying lion (theLion Monument,orLöwendenkmal) is found in a small park just off the Löwenplatz. The carving commemorates the hundreds ofSwiss Guardswho weremassacred in 1792during the French Revolution, when an armed mob stormed theTuileries PalaceinParis.
TheSwiss Museum of Transportis a large and comprehensive museum exhibiting all forms of transport, includinglocomotives,automobiles,ships,andaircraft.It is to be found beside the lake in the northern-eastern section of the city.
TheCulture and Convention Center(KKL) beside the lake in the center of the city was designed byJean Nouvel.The center has one of the world's leading concert halls, with acoustics byRussell Johnson.
TheRichard Wagner Museumis found on the lake atTribschenand is dedicated to the composerRichard Wagner.[46]Wagner lived in Lucerne from 1866 to 1872 and his former villa now hosts the museum dedicated to him.[11]
Culture and events
editCulture
edit
Since plans for the new culture and convention centre arose in the late 1980s, Lucerne has found a balance between the so-called established culture andalternative culture.A consensus was reached that culminated in a culture compromise (Kulturkompromiss). The established culture comprises theLucerne Culture and Congress Centre(KKL), the city theater (Luzerner Theater) and, in a broader sense, smaller establishments such as the Kleintheater, founded bycomedianEmil Steinberger,a Lucerne native, 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 asBoa.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 ofapartmentbuildings 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.
Südpolis a center for performing arts in Lucerne presenting music-, dance- and theatre-events. The house at the foot ofPilatusopened in November 2008.
Lucerne is home to theLuzerner Sinfonieorchester,a category Asymphonic orchestra,and to the21st Century Symphony Orchestra,and they both hold most of their performances in the Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre.
Lucerne is also home to Keramikkonzerte, a series of classicalchamber musicconcerts held throughout each year,[47]as well as Zaubersee, a festival dedicated toRussian classical music.[48]
Lucerne in art
edit
Events
editEvery year, towards the end of winter,Fasnacht(Carnival) 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, whileGuggenmusiken(carnival bands) blow their instruments in joyful cacophony and thousands of bizarrely clad people sing and dance away the winter. TheLucerner Fasnacht,based on religious, Catholic backgrounds, starts every year on the Thursday beforeAschermittwoch(Ash Wednesday) with a big bang at 5am calledMorgenwacht(Morning Watch). There are big parades in the afternoon onSchmotzige Donnerstag(literally:Lardy Thursday)[49]and the following Monday, calledGüdismontag(literally:Paunch Monday), which attract tens of thousands of people. Lucerne's Carnival ends with a crowning finish onGüdisdienstag(literally:Paunch Tuesday) evening with theMonstercorso,a tremendous parade ofGuggenmusiken,lights and lanterns with even a larger audience. Rather recently a fourth Fasnacht day has been introduced on the Saturday between the others Fasnacht days, theRüüdige Samstagwhile mainly several indoor balls take place. From dusk till dawn on the evenings ofSchmotzige Donnerstag,Güdismontag,and after theMonstercorsomany bands wander through the historical part of the city playing typical Fasnacht tunes. Until midnight, the historical part of the city usually is packed with people participating. A large part of the audience are also dressed up in costumes, even a majority in the evenings.
The city hosts various renowned festivals throughout the year. TheLucerne Festivalfor classical music takes place in the summer. Its orchestra, theLucerne Festival Orchestra,is hand-picked from some of the finest instrumentalists in the world. In June yearly the pop music festival B-Sides takes place in Lucerne. It focuses on international acts inalternative music,indie rock,experimental rockand othercutting edgeandleft fieldartistic musical genres. In July, theBlue Balls Festivalbrings jazz, blues and punk music to the lake promenade and halls of the Culture and Convention Center. TheLucerne Blues Festivalis another musical festival which usually takes place in November. Since spring 2004, Lucerne has hosted theFestival Rose d'Orfor television entertainment. And in April, the well-established comics festivalFumettoattracts an international audience.
Being the cultural center of a rather rural region, Lucerne regularly holds differentfolklorefestivals, such asLucerne Cheese Festival,held annually. In 2004, Lucerne was the focus ofSwiss Wrestlingfans 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, theyodellingfestival (Eidgenössisches Jodlerfest) had a similar impact.
The2021 Winter Universiadewas planned to be hosted by Lucerne, but was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
Transport
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AfterFerdinand von Zeppelinlanded hisairshipin Lucerne in 1909,[50]the city became a pioneer for the aeronautical industry in Switzerland. In February 1910 the countries first (and after theDELAGof Germany the second in the world[51]) air transport company was founded,[52]in July the same year then also the firstairship hangarat Tribschenmoos.[53]The company provided flights with airships until 1914 without notable accidents.[51]
Lucerne boasts a developed and well-run transport network, with the main operator,Verkehrsbetriebe Luzern (VBL),running both thetrolleybuses in Lucerneand amotor busesnetwork in the city and to neighboring municipalities. Other operators, such asPostAuto SchweizandAuto AG Rothenburg,providebusservices to other towns and villages.
Lucerneis one of Switzerland's principal stations, and is well-connected to the rest of Switzerland viarailwayservices operated bySwiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS),theSüdostbahn SOB,theBLSand theZentralbahn (zb).There are 40 trains per day between Lucerne andZürich,with an average travel time of 48 minutes.[54]Zurich Airportcan be reached in just over an hour.[55]Adjacent to the station isLuzern Bahnhofquai,from which ships of theLake Lucerne Navigation Companyoperate to various destinations onLake Lucerne.Between April and mid October, the tourist orientedGotthard Panorama Expressconnects Lucerne withLuganoonce a day by boat and train, travelling by boat along the length ofLake Lucerneand then by train over the historic high-level Gotthard route.[56]
Three other railway stations are located within the city boundaries, withLucerne Allmend/Messeclose to theSwissporarenain the south of the city,Luzern Littauin the former municipality ofLittauand theLuzern Verkehrshausadjacent to theSwiss Museum of Transportin the east.
Lucerne's city transit system is fully integrated into the coherent and integrated fare network system calledpassepartoutencompassing all kind of public transport in the cantons ofLucerne,Obwalden,andNidwalden.[citation needed]
A funicular,Gütschbahn,links the city toChâteau Gütsch,90 m above.Standseilbahn Hotel Montanaruns from the lakefront toHotel Montana.From 1912 to 1978, there wasDietschibergbahnatDietschiberg.
Sport
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There are severalfootballclubs throughout the city. The most successful one isFC Luzernwhich plays in Switzerland's premier league (Swiss Super League). The club plays its home matches at the newSwissporarena,with a capacity of 16,800.
The city's mainhockeyteam is the HC Luzern which plays in theSwiss Second League,the fourth tier of Swiss hockey. They play their home games in the 5,000-seatSwiss Life Arena.
In the past, Lucerne also produced national successes in men'shandballand women'svolleyballandsoftball.
Having a long tradition ofequestrian sports,Lucerne has co-hosted CSIO Switzerland, an international equestrianshow jumpingevent, until it left entirely forSt. Gallenin 2006. Since then, the Lucerne Equestrian Masters replaced it. There is also an annualhorse racingevent, usually taking place in August.
Lucerne annually hosts the final leg of theWorld Rowing CuponRotseeLake. NumerousWorld Rowing Championshipshave been held in Lucerne including the inaugural World Championships of1962and then the regattas of1974,1982and2001.
Lucerne hosts the annualSpitzen Leichtathletik Luzerntrack and fieldmeeting, which attracts world class athletes such asYohan BlakeandValerie Adams.
The city also provides facilities forice-hockey,figure-skating,golf,swimming,basketball,rugby,skateboarding,climbingand more.
Lucerne hostedFIVB Beach Volleyball World Tourevent Lucerne Open 2015 andFIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championshipin 2016.
Gallery
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Lucerne'sLion Monumentcommemorates the Swiss Guards ofLouis XVIwho were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution -
The crowded Rathausquai -
Yodellingfestival 2008 -
The Suva head office, set on a hill overlooking the centre of Lucerne -
Lucerne's town hall has been home to the city's government for centuries
Notable people
editSee also
editNotes and references
editNotes
edit- ^Other languages:Lucerne German:Lozärn;Italian:Lucerna[luˈtʃɛrna];Romansh:Lucerna[luˈtsɛrnɐ];French:Lucerne[lysɛʁn].
- ^The official language in any municipality in German-speaking Switzerland is always German. In this context, the term 'German' is used as an umbrella term for any variety of German. So, according to law, you are allowed to communicate with the authorities by using any kind of German, in written or oral form. However, the authorities will always useSwiss Standard German(aka the Swiss variety ofStandard German) in documents, or any written form. And orally, it is eitherHochdeutsch(i.e., Swiss Standard German or what the particular speaker considers asHigh German), or then it depends on the speaker's origin, which dialectal variant (s)he is using.
References
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- ^https:// pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/pxweb/fr/px-x-0102020000_201/-/px-x-0102020000_201.px/.Retrieved2 June2020.
{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^Statistik, Bundesamt für (April 9, 2019)."Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie, Geschlecht und Gemeinde, Provisorische Jahresergebnisse, 2018 - 2018 | Tabelle".Bundesamt für Statistik.
- ^Statistik, Bundesamt für (December 18, 2014)."Räume mit städtischem Charakter der Schweiz 2012 - 2012 | Tabelle".Bundesamt für Statistik.
- ^LucerneinGerman,FrenchandItalianin the onlineHistorical Dictionary of Switzerland,03 November 2016.
- ^Andres Kristol (ed.),Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen(2005), p. 558.
- ^Zucker, A. E. (1944). "The Passion Play of Lucerne, an Historical and Critical Introduction by M. Blakemore Evans".Journal of English and Germanic Philology.43(4): 455–457.JSTOR27705155.
- ^"History".University of Lucerne.Retrieved2020-03-03.
- ^"The William Tell Express: A great Swiss lake adventure".The Independent.September 17, 2011.
- ^"Lucerne's Hirschenplatz—" get the message "?".November 12, 2012.
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- ^Douez, Sophie (21 July 2018)."How Queen Victoria transformed the Swiss tourism industry - SWI".Swissinfo.ch.Retrieved2020-01-09.
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- ^Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz, Mutationsmeldungen 2009 / Répertoire officiel des communes de Suisse, Mutations 2009 / Elenco ufficiale dei Comuni della Svizzera, Mutazione 2009(PDF)(Report). Federal Statistical Office. 2009. 3161. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2010-11-18.Retrieved2010-03-06.
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data from 2012
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- ^"Luzern, Switzerland Climate Classification (Weatherbase)".Weatherbase.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016.
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- ^"Nationalratswahlen 2015: Stärke der Parteien und Wahlbeteiligung nach Gemeinden"(official statistics) (in German and French). Neuchâtel, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Statistical Office. 4 March 2016. Archived fromthe original(XLS)on 2 August 2016.Retrieved2016-08-03.
- ^abcdefg"Partnerstädte der Stadt Luzern".Stadt Luzern(in German). Archived fromthe originalon 2013-06-21.Retrieved2013-08-01.
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- ^"Die Partnerstädte der Landeshauptstadt Potsdam".potsdam.de(in German). Archived fromthe originalon 25 June 2010.Retrieved24 June2010.
- ^"Ausländische Personen nach Nationalität und Status Ende 2021 - Stadt Luzern".lustat.ch.
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- ^"Wohnbevölkerung nach Hauptsprachen seit 2010".lustat.ch.
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- ^abcdLUSTAT Lucerne Cantonal StatisticsArchived2011-11-27 at theWayback Machine(in German)accessed 12 August 2009
- ^Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Regional portraitsArchived2016-01-05 at theWayback Machineaccessed 2 May 2016
- ^Schöchli, Hansueli (17 January 2012)."Die Steuern sind weiter gesunken"[Taxes have fallen further in 2012].Neue Zürcher Zeitung(in German).Retrieved20 December2010.
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- ^abcdDubler, Anne-Marie (1975).Luzerner Wirtschaftsgeschichte im Bild.Lucerne:Luzerner Kantonalbank.pp. 34–36.
- ^"Startseite".Richard-wagner-museum.ch.Retrieved2020-01-09.
- ^"Keramikkonzerte".Keramikkonzerte. 2019-10-10.Retrieved2020-01-09.
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Further reading
edit- "Lucerne".Switzerland.Coblenz: Karl Baedeker. 1863.
- "Lucerne",Switzerland, Together with Chamonix and the Italian Lakes(26th ed.), Leipzig: Karl Baedeker, 1922,OCLC4248970,OL23344482M
- Coolidge, William Augustus Brevoort(1911)..Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 17 (11th ed.). p. 97.
- André Meyer:The Jesuit church of Lucerne,Berne 1985 (= Schweizerische Kunstführer, ser. 32, Nr. 314).
- Laura Stokes:Demons of urban reform. Early European witch trials and criminal justice, 1430–1530.Basingstoke 2011.ISBN978-1-4039-8683-2.
External links
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