Zürich

Zürich
Zürich - Top: Night view of Zürich from Uetliberg, Middle left: National Museum, Middle right: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Bottom: View over Zürich and the lake.
Top: Night view of Zürich from Uetliberg, Middle left: National Museum, Middle right: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Bottom: View over Zürich and the lake.
Country Switzerland Coat of Arms of Zürich
Canton Zurich
District Zürich
Population 365,098 (Dec 2009)[1]
- Density 3,974 /km2 (10,292 /sq mi)
Area  91.88 km2 (35.48 sq mi)
Elevation 408 m (1,339 ft)
  - Highest 871 m - Uetliberg
  - Lowest 392 m - Limmat
Postal code 8000–8099
SFOS number 0261
Mayor (list) Corine Mauch (as of 2009) SPS/PSS
Surrounded by Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon
Twin towns People's Republic of China Kunming
United States San Francisco
Website www.stadt-zuerich.ch
SFSO statistics
Zürich is located in Switzerland
Zürich
View map of Zürich

Zürich or Zurich (see Name below) is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in central Switzerland [2] at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. While the municipality itself has 380,500 inhabitants, the Zürich metropolitan area is an urbanised area of international importance constituted by a population of nearly 2 million inhabitants.[3] Zürich is a mixed hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Both Zürich Airport and railway station are the largest and busiest in the country.

Permanently settled for around 7,000 years, the history of Zürich goes back to its founding by the Romans, who, in 15 BC, called it Turicum. During the Middle Ages Zürich gained the independent and privileged status of imperial immediacy and, in 1519, was the place of origin and center of the Protestant Reformation in German-speaking Switzerland, led by Ulrich Zwingli.[4]

Zürich is a leading global city and among the world's largest financial centres.[5] The city is home to a large number of financial institutions and banking giants. Also, most of the research and development centers are concentrated in Zürich and the low rate of tax attracts overseas companies to set up their headquarters there. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zürich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe.[6][7][8]

In addition to being Switzerland's main commercial centre, Zürich is sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland.[9] An impressive number of museums and art galleries can be found in the city, among which the Swiss National Museum and the Kunsthaus.[10] Zürich also hosts one of the most important theatres in the German-speaking world.[11]

Contents

Name

The standard German pronunciation of the name is [ˈtsyːʁɪç]  ( listen). In Zürich German without the final consonant, Züri [ˈtsyɾi], although the adjective remains Zürcher [ˈtsyrxer]. The city is called Zurich [zyʁik] in French, Zurigo [dzuˈriːɡo] in Italian, and Turitg [tuˈritɕ] in Romansh.

In English, the name is usually written Zurich, without the umlaut. It is pronounced /ˈzjʊərɪk/ (ZEWR-ik) or /ˈzʊərɪk/; more recently sometimes also with /ts/ as in German.[12]

The earliest known form of the city's name is Turicum, attested on a tombstone of the late 2nd century AD in the form STA(tio) TURICEN(sis) ("Turicum tax post"). Neither the name's linguistic origin (most likely Rhaetic or Celtic) nor its meaning can be determined with certainty. A possibility is derivation from *Turīcon, from the Gaulish personal name Tūros.[13] The stress on the long vowel of the Gaulish name, [tuˈriːkon], was lost in German [ˈtsyːʁɪç] but is preserved in Italian Zurigo [dzuˈriːɡo].

A first development towards its later, Germanic form is attested as early as the 6th century AD with the form Ziurichi. From the 10th century onward, the name has more or less clearly been established as Zürich (Zurih (857), Zurich (924)).[14]

History

Early history

Zürich in Roman times

Settlements of the Neolithic and Bronze Age were found around Lake Zürich. Traces of pre-Roman Celtic, La Tène settlements were discovered near the Lindenhof hill. In Roman times, Turicum was a tax-collecting point at the border of Gallia Belgica (from AD 90 Germania superior) and Raetia for goods trafficked on the Limmat river. After Emperor Constantine’s reforms in AD 318, the border between Gaul and Italy (two of the four praetorian prefectures of the Roman Empire) was located east of Turicum, crossing the Linth River between Lake Walen and Lake Zürich, where a castle and garrison looked over Turicum’s safety. The earliest written record of the town dates from the 2nd century, with a tombstone referring to it, discovered at the Lindenhof.

In the 5th century, the Germanic Alamanni tribe settled in the Swiss plateau. The Roman castle remained standing until the 7th century. A Carolingian castle, built on the site of the Roman castle by the grandson of Charlemagne, Louis the German, is mentioned in 835 (in castro Turicino iuxta fluvium Lindemaci). Louis also founded the Fraumünster abbey in 853 for his daughter Hildegard. He endowed the Benedictine convent with the lands of Zürich, Uri, and the Albis forest, and granted the convent immunity, placing it under his direct authority. In 1045, King Henry III granted the convent the right to hold markets, collect tolls, and mint coins, and thus effectively made the abbess the ruler of the city.[15]

Zürich became reichsunmittelbar in 1218 with the extinction of the main line of the Zähringer family and attained a status comparable to statehood. During the 1230s, a city wall was built, enclosing 38 hectares, when the earliest stone houses at the Rennweg were built as well. The Carolingian castle was used as a quarry, as it had started to fall into ruin.[16]

Emperor Frederick II promoted the abbess of the Fraumünster to the rank of a duchess in 1234. The abbess assigned the mayor, and she frequently delegated the minting of coins to citizens of the city. However, the political power of the convent slowly waned in the 14th century, beginning with the establishment of the Zunftordnung (guild laws) in 1336 by Rudolf Brun, who also became the first independent mayor, i.e. not assigned by the abbess.

An important event in the early 14th Century was the completion of the Manesse Codex, a key source of medieval German poetry. The famous illuminated manuscript – described as "the most beautifully illumined German manuscript in centuries;"[17] – was commissioned by the Manesse family of Zürich, copied and illustrated in the city at some time between 1304 and 1340. Producing such a work was a highly expensive prestige project, requiring several years work by highly skilled scribes[18] and miniature painters, and it clearly testifies to the increasing wealth and pride of Zürich citizens in this period.

Old Swiss Confederacy

A scene of the Old Zürich War

On May 1, 1351, the citizens of Zürich had to swear allegiance before representatives of the cantons of Lucerne, Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden, the other members of the Swiss Confederacy. Thus, Zürich became the fifth member of the Confederacy, which was at that time was a loose confederation of de facto independent states. Zürich was the presiding canton of the Diet from 1468 to 1519. This authority was the executive council and lawmaking body of the confederacy, from the Middle Ages until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848. Zürich was temporarily expelled from the confederacy in 1440 due to a war with the other member states over the territory of Toggenburg (the Old Zürich War). Neither side had attained significant victory when peace was agreed upon in 1446, and Zürich was re-admitted to the confederation in 1450.[19]

The Murerplan of 1576.

Zwingli started the Swiss Reformation at the time when he was the main preacher in the 1520s, at the Grossmünster. He lived there from 1484 until his death in 1531. The Zürich Bible, based on that of Zwingli, was issued in 1531. The Reformation resulted in major changes in state matters and civil life in Zürich, spreading also to a number of other cantons. However, several cantons remained Catholic and became the basis of serious conflicts that eventually led to the outbreak of the Wars of Kappel.

During the 1500s and 1600s, the Council of Zürich adopted an isolationist attitude, resulting in a second ring of imposing fortifications built in 1624. The Thirty Years' War which raged across Europe motivated the city to build these walls. However, the fortifications required a lot of resources, which were taken from subject territories without reaching any agreement. The following revolts were crushed brutally. In 1648, Zürich proclaimed itself a republic, shedding its former status of a free imperial city.[20]

Fighting on the Paradeplatz during the Züriputsch

The Helvetic Revolution of 1798 saw the fall of the Ancien Régime. Zürich lost control of the land and its economic privileges, and the city and the canton separated their possessions between 1803 - 1805. In 1839, the city had to yield to the demands of its urban subjects, following the Züriputsch of 6 September. Most of the ramparts built in the 17th century were torn down, without ever having been besieged, to allay rural concerns over the city's hegemony. The Treaty of Zürich between Austria, France, and Sardinia was signed in 1859.[21]

Modern history

Bahnhofplatz in 1900

Zürich was the Federal capital for 1839-40, and consequently the victory of the Conservative party there in 1839 caused a great stir throughout Switzerland. But when in 1845 the Radicals regained power at Zurich, which was again the Federal capital for 1845-46, Zürich took the lead in opposing the Sonderbund cantons. Following the Sonderbunb war and the formation of the Swiss Federal State, Zürich voted in favour of the Federal constitutions of 1848 and of 1874. The enormous immigration from the country districts into the town from the "thirties" onwards created an industrial class which, though "settled" in the town, did not possess the privileges of burghership, and consequently had no share in the municipal government. First of all in 1860 the town schools, hitherto open to "settlers" only on paying high fees, were made accessible to all, next in 1875 ten years' residence ipso facto conferred the right of burghership, while in 1893 the eleven outlying districts were incorporated with the town proper

Extensive developments took place during the 19th century. From 1847, the Spanisch-Brötli-Bahn, the first railway on Swiss territory, connected Zürich with Baden, putting the Zürich Hauptbahnhof at the origin of the Swiss rail network. The present building of the Hauptbahnhof (the main railway station) dates to 1871. Zürich’s Bahnhofstrasse (Station Street) was laid out in 1867, and the Zürich Stock Exchange was founded in 1877. Industrialisation led to migration into the cities and to rapid population growth, particularly in the suburbs of Zürich.

Zürich was accidentally bombed during World War II.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms on the Town Hall

The blue and white coat of arms of Zürich is attested from 1389, and was derived from banners with blue and white stripes in use since 1315 . The first certain testimony of banners with the same design is from 1434. The coat of arms is flanked by two lions. The red Schwenkel on top of the banner had varying interpretations: For the people of Zürich, it was a mark of honour, granted by Rudolph I. Zürich's neighbors mocked it as a sign of shame, commemorating the loss of the banner at Winterthur in 1292.

Today, the Canton of Zürich uses the same coat of arms as the city.

Government

The City Council (Stadtrat) constitutes the executive government of the City of Zürich and operates as a collegiate authority. It is composed of nine councilors, each presiding over a department. The president of the executive department acts as mayor. Current city president is Corine Mauch. Departemental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the City Parliament are carried by the City Council. The election of the City Council by registered voters is held every four years. The executive body holds its meetings in the City Hall, on the bank of the Limmat. The building was built in 1883 in Renaissance style.

On the other hand, the City Parliament (Gemeinderat) holds the legislative power. It is made up of 125 members, with elections also held every four years. The City Parliament decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the City Council and the administration. The sessions of the City Parliament are public. Unlike the member of the City Council, the members of the City Parliament are not politicians by profession, but they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Zürich allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the City Parliament. The legislative body holds its meetings in the Town Hall, opposite to the City Hall.[22]

As of 2010, the Zürich City Council is made up of four representatives of the SDP (Social Democratic Party, one of whom is the mayor), two members of the FDP (Free Democratic Party), two members of the Green Party and one member of the CVP (Christian Democratic Party).[23]

Geography

The Limmat river in Zürich

Zurich is situated at 408 m above sea level on the lower (northern) end of Lake Zürich (Zürichsee) about 30 km north of the Alps, nestled between the wooden hills on the west and east side. The Old Town stretches on both sides of the Limmat river, which flows from the lake, running northwards at first and then gradually turning into a curve to the west. The geographic (and historic) center of the city is the Lindenhof, a small natural hill on the west bank of the Limmat, about 700 meters north of where the river issues from Lake Zürich. Today the incorporated city stretches somewhat beyond the natural hydrographic confines of the hills and includes some neighborhoods to the northeast in the Glatt Valley (German: Glattal) and to the north in the Limmat Valley (German: Limmattal). However the boundaries of the older city are easy to recognize by the Schanzengraben canal. This artificial watercourses has been used for the construction of the third fortress in the 17th and 18th century.

Topography

The municipality of Zürich has an area of 91.88 square kilometers, of which 4.1 km² is composed by Lake Zürich. The area includes a section of the northern Swiss Plateau. The banks of the Limmat constitute the densest part of the city. The river is oriented in the southeast-northwest direction, with the flat valley floor having a width of two to three kilometers. The partially channeled and straightened Limmat does not flow in the central part of the valley, but always along its right (northeastern) side. The river Sihl meets with the Limmat at the end of Platzspitz, which borders the Swiss National Museum. The Limmat reaches the lowest point of the municipality in Oberengstringen at 392 m above sea level.

The Uetliberg from Lake Zürich

On its west side the Limmat valley is flanked by the wooded heights of the Albis chain, which runs on the western border. The Uetliberg is, with 869 m above sea level, the highest elevation of the surrounding area. Its summit can be reached easily by the Uetlibergbahn. From the platform of the observation tower on the summit, an impressive panorama of the city, the lake and the Alps can be seen.

The northeast side of the Limmat valley includes a range of hills, which marks the watershed between the Limmat and the Glatt. From the northwest to the southeast, the height of the mostly wooded knolls increases: the Gubrist (615 m), the Hönggerberg (541 m), the Käferberg (571 m), the Zürichberg (676 m) and the Adlisberg (701 m). Between the Käferberg and the Zürichberg is located the saddle of the Milchbuck (about 470 m), an important passage from the Limmat valley to the Glatt valley.

The northernmost part of the municipality extends to the plain of the Glatt valley and to the saddle which makes the connection between the Glattal and Furttal. Also a part of the Katzensee (nature reserve) and the Büsisee, both of which are drained by the Katzenbach to Glatt, belong to the city.

Climate

Zürich has, depending on the definition used, an oceanic or humid continental climate (Köppen Cfb/Dfb), with four distinct seasons. Decisive for the climate of Zurich are both the winds from westerly directions, which often result in precipitations and, on the other hand, the Bise (east or north-east wind), which is usually associated with high-pressure situations, but cooler weather phases with temperatures lower than the average. The Foehn wind, which plays an important role in the northern alpine valleys, has a limited impact on Zürich.

The annual mean temperature at the measuring station of the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology in Zurich (556 m above sea level on the slope of the Zürichberg, 150 m above the level of the city center) is 8.5 °C (47.3 °F). The coldest month mean temperatures are measured in January with −0.5 °C (31.1 °F) and the warmest are measured in July with 17.6 °C (63.7 °F). On average there are 88 days in which the minimum temperature is below 0 C°C, and 26 days in which the maximum temperature is below 0 °C. There are on average 30 summer days (above 25 °C) throughout the year, while hot days (with a temperature reaching 30 °C) are only three. The average high temperature in July are 23.6 °C (74.5 °F) and low temparature are 11.6 °C (52.9 °F). Spring and autumn are generally cool to mild. These values are relatively low compared to other stations on the plateau but they can be explained by the altitude of the station. In the Limmat valley more summer days and hot days can be expected. Zürich has an average of 1482 hours of sunshine per year. The 1,136 millimetres (44.7 in) rainfall spread throughout the year. During the summer months and especially the three summer months, levels of rainfall are higher than those measured in winter. The meteorological station at Kloten gives an average precipitation of 1,031 millimetres (40.6 in).

Climate data for Zürich (Kloten, 1961-1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: MeteoSchweiz [24]

Climate protection

The city of Zürich is among the world-leaders in protecting the climate by following a manifold approach. Recently, for example, the people of Zürich voted in a public referendum to write into law the quantifiable and fixed deadline of one tonne of CO2 per person per annum by 2050. This forces any decision of the executive to support this goal, even if the costs are higher in all dimensions. Some examples are the new disinfection section of the public city hospital in Triemli (Minergie-P quality – passive house), the continued optimization and creation of public transportation, enlargement of the bicycle-only network, research and projects for renewable energy and enclosure of speed-ways.

Urban area

The areas surrounding the Limmat are almost completely built over (residential, industrial areas, commercial zones). Also densely built, the sun-exposed and preferred residential locations on the hills overlooking Zürich, Waidberg and Zürichberg and the bottom section of the slope on the western side of the valley on the Uetliberg.

The green lungs of the city include the vast forest areas of Adlisberg, Zürichberg, Käferberg, Hönggerberg and Uetliberg. Major parks are also located along the lakeshore (Zurichhorn and Enge). Furthermore, the cultivated area through parks and gardens is loosened. Larger contiguous agricultural lands are located near Affoltern and Seebach. Of the total area of the municipality of Zürich (in 1996, without the lake), 45.4% are settlements, industry and commerce, 15.5% are transports, 26.5% are forests, 11%: is agriculture and 1.2% is water.

View over Zürich and Lake Zürich from the Uetliberg

City districts

Satellite photo of central Zürich
Zürich's twelve municipal districts.

The previous boundaries of the city of Zürich (before 1893) were more or less synonymous with the location of the old town. Two large expansions of the city limits occurred in 1893 and in 1934 when the city of Zürich merged with many surrounding municipalities, that had been growing increasingly together since the 19th century. Today, the city is divided into twelve districts (known as Kreis in German), numbered 1 to 12, each one of which may contain anywhere between 1 and 4 neighborhoods:

Most of the district boundaries are fairly similar to the original boundaries of the previously existing municipalities before they were incorporated into the city of Zürich.

Transport

A paddle steamer on Lake Zürich

Public transports are extremely popular in Zürich and its inhabitants use public transport in huge numbers. About 70% of the visitors to the city take the tram or bus and about half of the displacements within the municipality take place on public transport.[25] Within Zürich and throughout the canton of Zürich, the ZVV network of public transport has traffic density ratings among the highest worldwide. When adding frequency, which in Zürich can be as often as 7 minutes, it does become the densest across all dimensions. Three means of mass-transit exist: the S-Bahn (local trains), trams, and buses (both diesel and electric, also called trolley buses). In addition, the public transport network includes boats on the lake and river, funicular railways and even the Luftseilbahn Adliswil-Felsenegg (LAF), a cable car between Adliswil and Felsenegg. Tickets purchased for a trip are valid on all means of public transportation (train, tram, bus, boat). The Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (commonly abbreviated to ZSG) operates passenger vessels on the Limmat river and the Lake Zürich, connecting surrounding towns between Zürich and Rapperswil.

The busy Hauptbahnhof main hall

Zürich is a mixed hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Zürich Hauptbahnhof is the largest and busiest station in Switzerland and is an important railway hub in Europe. It has several other railway stations, including Oerlikon, Stadelhofen, Hardbrücke, Tiefenbrunnen, Enge, Wiedikon and Altstetten. The railway network is mainly operated by the Federal Railways but Zürich is also served by the major InterCity trains from the neighbouring countries.

Zürich Airport is located less than 10 kilometres northeast of the city in Kloten. Zürich Airport has its own railway station, which is located underground. It is directly connected to Zürich and most of the major Swiss cities. There is also an airfield in Dübendorf.

The A1, A3 and A4 motorways pass close to Zürich. The A1 heads west towards Berne and Geneva and eastwards towards St. Gallen; the A4 leads northwards to Schaffhausen; and the A3 heads northwest towards Basel and southeast along Lake Zurich and Lake Walen towards Sargans.

Demographics

Augustinergasse in the old town

There are officially 358,540 people living in Zürich (as of 2007),[26] making it Switzerland's largest city. Of registered inhabitants, 30.6% (115,379 people) do not hold Swiss citizenship.[27] Of these, German citizens make up the largest group with 22.0%, followed by Italians. The population of the city proper including suburbs totals 1.08 million people.[28] However, the entire metropolitan area (including the cities of Winterthur, Baden, Brugg, Schaffhausen, Frauenfeld, Uster/Wetzikon, Rapperswil-Jona and Zug) has a population of around 1.68 million people.[29]

Languages

The official language used by the government and in most publications is German, while the main language is Zürich German (Züritüütsch or Zürichdeutsch in German), which is a dialect of Alemannic As of 2000, German/Alemannic is the mother-tongue of 77.7% of the population. Italian follows behind at 4.7% of the population. Other native languages spoken by more than 1% of the population include South Slavic languages (2.2%)—this includes Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, and Slovenian, Spanish (2.2%), French (2.1%), English (1.8%), Portuguese (1.6%), Albanian (1.5%).[30]

Religion

Since the reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli, Zürich has remained the center and stronghold of protestantism in Switzerland. In the course of the 20th century, this has changed as Catholics became larger then the reformed church in the city, with 33.3% in the year 2000.[31] An increasing number of residents, about 16.8% of the population in 2000, declared themselves as being without religion.. However since 2000 those declaring no religion or having another religion then either mainstream protestantism and catholicism has grown rapidly with as per the end of 2009, this group without confession or another confession being the largest of the Kanton Zurich as well as for the city Zurich.[32] For the stadt Zurich / city Zurich, as per the end of 2008, less than a third (112.000) were catholics, even fewer (97.000) were reformiert and by far the largest group with 157.000 is those with none or another confession (like muslims).[33]

Social

The level of unemployment in Zürich was 2.6%[34] in August 2007. About 4% of the city population, 15,500, live either directly or indirectly on welfare payment from the state (April 2005).[35]

Main sights

The Bahnhofstrasse seen from Paradeplatz

Most of Zürich's sights are located within the area on either side of the Limmat river, between the Main railway station and Lake Zürich. The churches and houses of the old town are clustered here, as are the most expensive shops along the famous Bahnhofstrasse.

Churches

Museums

Parks and nature

Other

The Sunrise Towers
Along the river with several churches in the background

Economy

The approximate extent of Greater Zürich Area is marked in green.

Zürich is a leading financial center and global city.[5] The Greater Zürich Area is Switzerland's economic center and home to a vast number of international companies. By far the most important sector in the economy of Zürich is the service industry, which employs nearly four fifths of workers. Other important industries include light industry, machine and textile industries and tourism. Most Swiss banks have their headquarters in Zürich and there are numerous foreign banks in the Greater Zürich Area. Located in Zürich, the Swiss Stock Exchange was established in 1877 and is nowadays the fourth most prominent stock exchange in the world. In addition Zürich is the world's largest gold trading centre. Ten of the country's 50 largest companies have their head offices in Zurich, among them UBS,[44] Credit Suisse, Swiss Re and Zurich Financial Services.[45]

Contributory factors to economic strength

The high quality of life has been cited as a reason for economic growth in Zürich. The consulting firm Mercer has for many years ranked Zürich as a city with the highest quality of life in the world.[6][7] In particular, Zürich received high scores for work, housing, leisure, education and safety. Local planning authorities ensure clear separation between urban and recreational areas and there are many protected nature reserves.[46] Other cities in the country, Berne and Geneva, were also listed among the top ten. Zürich is also ranked the sixth most expensive city in the world. In 2008, Zürich was ranked ninth. The city ranked behind Hong Kong and ahead of Copenhagen. It is the third most expensive city in Europe and second most expensive city in Switzerland after Geneva.[47]

Zürich benefits from the high level of investment in education that is typical of Switzerland in general and provides skilled labor at all levels. The city is home to two major universities, thus enabling access to graduates and high technology research. Professional training incorporates a mix of practical work experience and academic study while, in general, emphasis is placed on obtaining a good level of general education and language ability. As a result the city is home to many multilingual people and employees generally demonstrate a high degree of motivation and a low level of absenteeism. Such characteristics are reflected in the high level of productivity the region enjoys and account for the opening of offices and research centers in the city by large corporations.[46]

The Swiss stock exchange

Swiss stock Exchange in Zürich.

The Swiss stock exchange is called SIX Swiss Exchange, formerly known as SWX. The SIX Swiss Exchange is the head group of several different worldwide operative financial systems: virt-x, Eurex, Eurex US, EXFEED and STOXX. The exchange turnover generated at the SWX was in 2007 of 1,780,499.5 million CHF; the number of transactions arrived in the same period at 35,339,296 and the Swiss Performance Index (SPI) arrived at a total market capitalization of 1,359,976.2 million CHF.[48][49]

The SIX Swiss Exchange goes back more than 150 years. In 1996, fully electronic trading replaced the traditional floor trading system at the stock exchanges of Geneva (founded in 1850), Zürich (1873) and Basel (1876).

Since 2008, the SIX Swiss Exchange has been part of the SIX Group, as SWX Group, SIS Group and Telekurs Group merged.

Education and research

Main building of the University of Zürich

About 60,000 people study at the 20 universities, colleges and institutions of higher education in Zürich. Two of Switzerland's most distinguished universities are located in the city. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich) which is controlled by the (federal) state and the University of Zürich that is under direction of the canton of Zürich. Both universities were listed in the top 50 world universities rated in 2007.[50]

ETH was founded in 1854 by the Swiss Confederation and opened its doors in 1855 as a polytechnic institute. ETH achieved its reputation particularly in the fields of chemistry, mathematics and physics and there are 21 Nobel Laureates who are associated with the institution. ETH is usually ranked the top university in continental Europe.[51] The institution consists of two campuses, the main building in the heart of the city and the new campus on the outskirts of the city.

The University of Zürich was founded in 1833, although its beginnings date back to 1525 when the Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli founded a college of theology. Nowadays with its 24,000 students and 1,900 graduations each year, the University of Zürich is the largest in Switzerland and offers the widest range of subjects and courses at any Swiss higher education institution.

The Pedagogical College, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and the Zürich University of the Arts (ZHdK) are another three top-class technical colleges which contribute to Zürich's reputation as a knowledge and research pole by providing applied research and development. Zürich is also one of the co-location centres of the Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.[52]

Media

Many large Swiss media conglomerates are headquartered in Zürich, such as tamedia, Ringier and the NZZ-Verlag. Zürich is one of the most important media locations in the German speaking part of the country. This status has been recently reinforced by the increase in availability of online publications published in Zürich.

Television and radio

Buildings of the Swiss television

The headquarters of Switzerland's national license fee funded German language television network ("SF") are located in the Leutschenbach neighborhood, to the north of the Oerlikon train station. Regional commercial television station "TeleZüri" (Zürich Television) has its headquarters near Escher-Wyss Platz. The production facilities for other commercial stations "Star TV", "u1" TV and "3+" are located in Schlieren.

One section of the Swiss German language license fee funded public radio station "Schweizer Radio DRS" is located in Zürich. There are commercial local radio stations broadcasting from Zürich, such as "Radio 24" on the Limmatstrasse, "Energy Zürich" in Seefeld on the Kreuzstrasse, Radio "LoRa" and "Radio 1". There are other radio stations that operate only during certain parts of the year, such as "CSD Radio" (May/June), "Radio Streetparade" (July/August) and "rundfunk.fm" (August/September).

Print media

There are three large daily newspapers published in Zürich that are known across Switzerland. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), the Tages-Anzeiger and the Blick, the largest Swiss tabloid. All three of those newspapers publish Sunday editions. These are the "NZZ am Sonntag", "SonntagsZeitung" and "SonntagsBlick". Besides the three main daily newspapers, there are free daily commuter newspapers which are widely distributed: 20 Minuten (20 minutes), published weekdays in the mornings, News (weekday morning) and Blick am Abend,[53] weekdays but in the late afternoon, and Cash,[54] a finance-related weekday free newspaper published in the mornings, but only available at certain branded newspaper sales kiosks.

There are a number of magazines from major publishers that are based in Zürich. Some examples are: Bilanz, Die Weltwoche, and Annabelle.

Culture

Events

Zürich during the Street Parade (2008)

Art movements born in Zürich

Opera, ballet and theaters

Opernhaus

The Zurich Opera House (German: Zürcher Opernhaus) is one of the principal opera houses in Europe. Buil in 1834, it was the first permanent theater in the heart of Zürich and was at the time, the seat of Richard Wagner's activities. Later in 1890, the theater was re-built as an ornate building with a neo-classical architecture. The portico is made of white and grey stone ornamented with the busts of Wagner, Weber and Mozart. Later, busts of Schiller, Shakespeare and Goethe were also added. The auditorium is designed in the rococo style. Once a year, it hosts the Zürcher Opernball with the President of the Swiss Confederation and the economic and cultural élite of Switzerland.[61]

The Schauspielhaus Zürich is the main theater complex of the City. It has two dépendances: Pfauen in the Central City District and Schiffbauhalle, an old industrial hall, in Zürich West. The Schauspielhaus was home to emigrants such as Bertolt Brecht or Thomas Mann, and saw premieres of works of Max Frisch, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Botho Strauss or Elfriede Jelinek. The Schauspielhaus is one of the most prominent and important theatres in the German-speaking world.[62]

The Theater am Neumarkt is one of the oldest theaters of the city. Established by the old guilds in the Old City District, it is located in a baroque palace near Niederdorf Street. It has two stages staging mostly avantgarde works by European directors.

Food

The traditional cuisine of Zürich consists of traditional fare, reflecting the centuries of rule by patrician burghers as well as the lasting imprint of Huldrych Zwingli's puritanism. Traditional dishes include Zürcher Geschnetzeltes and Tirggel.

Nightlife and clubbing

Zürich at night.

Zürich offers a great deal of variety when it comes to night-time leisure. It is the host city of the world-famous Street Parade, which takes place in August every year.

The most famous districts for Nightlife are the Niederdorf in the old town with bars, restaurants, lounges, hotels, clubs, etc. and a lot of fashion shops for a young and stylish public and the Langstrasse in the districts 4 and 5 of the city. There are authentic amusements: Brazilian bars, punk clubs, HipHop stages, Caribic restaurants, arthouse-cinemas, Turkish kebabs and Italian espresso-bars, but also sex shops or the famous red light district of Zürich.

In the past ten years new parts of the city have risen into the spotlight. Notably, the area known as Zürich West in district 5, near the Escher-Wyss square and the S-Bahn Station of Zürich Hardbrücke.

Sports

The people of Zürich enjoy an active lifestyle and sport is an integral part of Swiss culture and society. The abundance of international sporting facilities make Zürich an attractive place for sport lovers and several international sport federations are located in the city.

FIFA headquarters

Association football is an essential aspect of sports in Zürich. The city is home to two major Swiss football teams listed in Switzerland's highest league; Grasshopper-Club Zürich founded in 1886 and FC Zürich which has existed since 1896. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is headquartered in the city. In 2007 were inaugurated the new FIFA headquarters building, designed by architect Tilla Theus

Among the most popular sports in Switzerland is ice hockey. In Zürich it is represented by the ZSC Lions. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) officiating as head organisation for ice hockey leagues worldwide is based in Zürich as well.

Biking is a popular sport as well as a mean of transport in Zürich. Biking routes are generally marked with red and white signs and the yellow lanes are exclusively meant for the bikers. Also hiking trails are well marked with yellow signs, which give the hiker the probable time it will take him to reach his destination. There are specific maps available for hiking and walking trails throughout Switzerland. Some of the most accessible walks in the Zürich area are the Uetliberg and the Zürichberg.

As many as 30 clubs and 7 indoor Curling facilities can be found in the greater Zürich area. The Curling season starts in early September and continues until the end of April.[63]

Events

2007 Zürich Weltklasse

Weltklasse Zürich, sometimes referred to as the one day Olympics, is one of prestigious one day athletics meet held annually at the Letzigrund Stadium. The Weltklasse is reputed as one of the best and most classy athlete meet in the world after the Olympics. Since it started in August 12, 1928, the sporting event has witnessed new world records and national records. Till date as many as 24 world records were set in Weltklasse.[64][65][66]

Zürich Marathon is a popular sport event, inviting numerous athletes from every corner of the globe. Zürich Marathon is a long distance running event, covering approximately 43 kilometers at one stretch. The running course starts from Zürich and passes through Bahnhofstrasse, Bellevue, Mythenquai, Quaibrücke, Talstrasse and Utoquai, and along Lake Zurich to several other places. New Year's Eve run is another important running event. The race is held on January 1 each year and the start takes place at midnight exactly.

Zürich was one of six venues of the 1954 FIFA World Cup and one of eight venues of the UEFA Euro 2008. The Euro 2008 games were held in the Letzigrund Stadium. Work on the new Letzigrund was completed in exceptionally quick time and the stadium opened in August 2007 just one year after the demolition of the old arena.

Zürich also hosted the 1998 World Ice Hockey Championships. The city previously co-hosted the 1953 and 1939 editions.

Notable people

People who were born or died in Zürich:

Famous residents:

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Canton of Zurich Statistical Office (German) accessed 26 May 2010
  2. ↑ "Zurich entry at the Swiss Tourist Board". Myswitzerland.com. http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/destinations/resorts/holiday-destinations-in-switzerland/zurich.html. Retrieved 2010-07-03. 
  3. ↑ The Zürich Metropolitan Area: a motor for Europe, Stadt-zuerich.ch. Retrieved on 2010-03-10
  4. ↑ History zuerich.com. Retrieved on 2010-03-10
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 World's 10 Most Powerful Cities prlog.org. Retrieved on 2010-03-10
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "2007 World-wide quality of living survey". Mercer. 2007-04-02. http://www.mercer.com/referencecontent.htm?idContent=1173105. Retrieved 2008-08-08. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Mercer's 2008 Quality of Living survey highlights". Mercer. 2008-06-10. http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving?siteLanguage=100. Retrieved 2008-08-08. 
  8. ↑ Mercer – Quality of Living global city rankings 2009 – Mercer survey, 28 April 2009
  9. ↑ The political capital being Bern
  10. ↑ Museums and galleries zurich-relocation.ch. Retrieved on 2010-03-10
  11. ↑ Zurich Culture worldtravelguide.net. Retrieved on 2010-03-10
  12. ↑ Jones, Daniel (1997). English Pronouncing Dictionary. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. p. 559. ISBN 0521-45903-6. 
  13. ↑ Andres Kristol, Zürich ZH (Zürich) in: Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses – Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen – Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni svizzeri (DTS|LSG), Centre de dialectologie, University of Neuchâtel, Verlag Huber, Frauenfeld/Stuttgart/Wien 2005, ISBN 3-7193-1308-5 und Éditions Payot, Lausanne 2005, ISBN 2-601-03336-3, p. 992f.
  14. ↑ Zürcher Ortsnamen - Entstehung und Bedeutung, H. Kläuli, V. Schobinger, Zürcher Kantonalbank (1989), p. 109.
  15. ↑ Early History of Zurich europe-cities.com. retrieved 2010-07-15
  16. ↑ Zurich as the part of the German Empire europe-cities.com. Retrieved 2010-07-15
  17. ↑ Ingeborg Glier, reviewing Koschorreck and Werner 1981 in Speculum 59.1 (January 1984), p 169.
  18. ↑ Koschorreck and Werner 1981 discern no fewer than eleven scribes, some working simultaneously, in the production.
  19. ↑ Old Swiss Confederacy europe-cities.com. Retrieved 2010-07-14
  20. ↑ Reformation to Napoleonic Era europe-cities.com. Retrieved 2010-07-15
  21. ↑ "New International Encyclopedia – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". En.wikipedia.org. 2009-04-10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_International_Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-05-06. 
  22. ↑ "Official site of the city parliament in German". Gemeinderat-zuerich.ch. http://www.gemeinderat-zuerich.ch/. Retrieved 2010-07-03. 
  23. ↑ Politics & Law stadt-zuerich.ch. Retrieved 2010-07-14
  24. ↑ "MeteoSchweiz - Tabellen" (in German). MeteoSchweiz. http://www.meteosuisse.admin.ch/web/de/klima/klima_schweiz/tabellen.html. Retrieved 2009-05-28. 
  25. ↑ Public transportation zurich-relocation.com. Retrieved on 2010-06-26
  26. ↑ Bundesamt fur Statistik (Federal Department of Statistics) (2008). "Bilanz der ständigen Wohnbevölkerung (Total) nach Bezirken und Gemeinden". http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/02/blank/key/raeumliche_verteilung/kantone__gemeinden.html. Retrieved November 5, 2008. 
  27. ↑ "Bevölkerung Stadt Zürich" (in German) (PDF). Statistical Office of the City of Zürich. 2008-03-06. http://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/internet/stat/home/publikationen/regelmaessige-publikationen/quartalsweise_erscheinende/2007_4Q_BEV.ParagraphContainerList.ParagraphContainer0.ParagraphList.0002.File.pdf/BEV_4Q_2007.pdf. Retrieved 2008-08-22. 
  28. ↑ Statistical Office of the City of Zürich
  29. ↑ "Statistical Office of the Canton of Zürich". Statistik.zh.ch. http://www.statistik.zh.ch/raum/agglomerationen.php?p=3. Retrieved 2010-07-03. 
  30. ↑ Population Numbers Flyer (German)
  31. ↑ "Gemeinde Zürich:". Data.statistik.zh.ch. https://data.statistik.zh.ch/infospc/geport/gemeinde.jsp?bfs=171. Retrieved 2009-05-06. 
  32. ↑ "Wohnbevölkerung nach Konfession". http://www.statistik.zh.ch/themenportal/themen/daten_detail.php?id=673. Retrieved 2010-06-25. 
  33. ↑ http://www.zh.kath.ch/publikationen/arbeitspapiere/wohnbevoelkerung-der-gemeinden-nach-der-konfession-am-31-dezember-2008-amtsblatt/wohnbevoelkerung-der-gemeinden-nach-der-konfession/file
  34. ↑ Stadt-zuerich.ch
  35. ↑ Population chart
  36. ↑ Kunsthaus Zürich - das Kunstmuseum in Zürich. Kunsthaus.ch (2008-06-30). Retrieved on 2010-02-09.
  37. ↑ Swiss National Museums. Musee-suisse.com. Retrieved on 2010-02-09.
  38. ↑ Museum-gestaltung.ch. Retrieved on 2010-02-09.
  39. ↑ Haus Konstruktiv. Hauskonstruktiv.ch. Retrieved on 2010-02-09.
  40. ↑ Zoo.ch
  41. ↑ Uetliberg - Zürich - Your city - Official Website of Zürich Tourism. Zuerich.com. Retrieved on 2010-02-09.
  42. ↑ Neuoerlikon.ch
  43. ↑ (German) Datei: Zuerich Sunrise Tower 7.jpg. de.wikipedia.org (2006-01-13). Retrieved on 2010-02-09.
  44. ↑ "UBS AG in Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse 45." (PDF) UBS. Retrieved on 2 July 2010.
  45. ↑ Zurich bcg.thetime.co.uk. Retrieved on 2010-06-26
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Zurich: Overview usatoday.com. Retrieved on 2010-06-26
  47. ↑ Worldwide Cost of Living survey 2009. Mercer.com (2009-07-07). Retrieved on 2010-02-09.
  48. ↑ SWX.com Market capitalization of listed securities, 2000-2007
  49. ↑ SWX.com Key figures: annual turnover and trades, 1998-2007
  50. ↑ "Newsweek Ranking" (PDF). http://ucla.nus.edu.sg/NewsweekTop100GlobalUniversities2006.pdf. Retrieved 2010-07-03. 
  51. ↑ ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) topuniversities.com. Retrieved on 2010-04-30
  52. ↑ "Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation". Knowledge and Innovation Community. http://eit.europa.eu/fileadmin/Content/Downloads/PDF/news_items/Summary_Climate-KIC.pdf. Retrieved 9 February 2010. 
  53. ↑ "Blickamabend.ch". Blickamabend.ch. http://www.blickamabend.ch. Retrieved 2010-07-03. 
  54. ↑ Cash.ch
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 "Zurich festivals". Markstravelnotes.com. 2008-01-20. http://www.markstravelnotes.com/europe/switzerland/canton_zurich/zurich/faescht/. Retrieved 2010-07-03. 
  56. ↑ "Theaterspektakel". Theaterspektakel.ch. http://www.theaterspektakel.ch/(cyneig45iqfbdv2qwogr1w55)/Frames/index.aspx?Page=default&Parm=. Retrieved 2009-05-06. 
  57. ↑ Kunstzuerich.ch. "Kunst Zürich 2007 | Kunstmesse Zürich". Kunstzuerich.ch. http://www.kunstzuerich.ch/. Retrieved 2009-05-06. 
  58. ↑ "Weltklasse.ch". Weltklasse.ch. http://www.weltklasse.ch. Retrieved 2010-07-03. 
  59. ↑ "Freestyle.ch". Freestyle.ch. http://www.freestyle.ch. Retrieved 2010-07-03. 
  60. ↑ "Zürifäscht 2010". Zuerifaescht.ch. http://www.zuerifaescht.ch/. Retrieved 2010-06-15. 
  61. ↑ Opera House Zurich, mapsofworld.com. Retrieved on 2010-06-27
  62. ↑ Zurich Culture worldtravelguide.net. Retrieved on 2010-06-27
  63. ↑ Sport zurich-relocation.ch. Retrieved on 2010-07-14
  64. ↑ [http://www.weltklassezuerich.ch/assets/files/2008/ZurichWR.pdf weltklassezuerich.ch. Retrived on 2010-07-14
  65. ↑ Zurich is number one with 16 Berlin Champions competing weltklassezuerich.ch. retrieved on 2010-07-14
  66. ↑ IAAF considers expanded Golden League supersport.com. Retrieved on 2010-07-14

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