Einsiedeln, Switzerland

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Einsiedeln Abbey (completed in 1746)

Coordinates: 47°7′N 8°44′E

Einsiedeln

Canton	Schwyz
District	Einsiedeln
Coordinates	47°7′N 8°44′E
Population	13,062 (December 2004)
Area	110.40 km²
Elevation	882 m
Postal code	8840
SFOS number	1301
Mayor	Thomas Bisig (2004-2006)
Website	www.einsiedeln.ch
Einsiedeln

Einsiedeln is a small municipality of 13,062 in Switzerland in the canton of Schwyz best known for its monastery, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey. Einsideln is also the birthplace of Paracelsus.

Einsiedeln is made up of six localities: Bennau, Egg, Willerzell, Euthal, Gross and Trachslau. The village is located on the south end of the Lake of Zurich, up a plateau (ca. 880 m. above sea level) and situated near the artificial mountain lake Sihlsee. The town is located at an altitude of 470 m higher than Zurich, with which it has a railway connection.

The village of Einsiedeln is the most frequented pilgrimage destination in Switzerland. ^{[citation needed]} The Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, located within the village, is the site of the most significant baroque church in Switzerland ^{[citation needed]} with the grace chapel and a statue of the Black Madonna, which is very popular with Roman Catholic pilgrims. A copy of this statue can also be seen in the French Jura town of Pontarlier, owing to the fame of the cult at Einsiedeln.

1 History
- 1.1 Prehistoric Einsideln
- 1.2 Saint Meinrad
2 Tourism
3 Famous people from Einsiedeln
4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Prehistoric Einsideln

About 12,000 years ago Einsiedeln was the sometime home of nomads of the region. Archaeologists have discovered numerous artifacts the stone age and the bronze age. Based upon this evidence, it would appear that at that time there were no fixed settlements in the area. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Saint Meinrad

The site of the Benedictine Abbey is said to have been the site of a shrine to Maria Einsiedeln before the abbey was founded there. According to legend, in 861, Saint Meinrad was killed at the site by two robbers who wanted the treasures left at the shrine by devout pilgrims. After that 2 ravens were said to have haunted the robbers and brought them to the court. This is the reason, for the two ravens on the civic flag.^{[citation needed]}

The story holds that, inspired by St. Meinrad, the site was never left unguarded after his death, as hermits came over the course of the next 80 years to guard the shrine as St. Meinrad had. One of them, named Eberhard, previously Provost of Strasburg, erected a monastery and church there, of which he became first abbot. Work on the monastery is said to have begun in 934.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Tourism

Besides being a site for pilgrimages, Einsiedeln is a tourist destination for those interested in winter sports. The village has its own ski jump, ski lifts, ski tows and winter sports centres, which are in the nearly area Hoch-Ybrig and Brunni.

The nearby reservoir, Sihlsee, is used in summer for swimming, surfing and sailing, and in the winter for ice-skating. The dam, which retains the lake, produces electricity for the trains and protects the city of Zurich further down the valley from the flood of the Sihl.

These days, fewer pilgrims come to Einsiedeln. For that reason, some of the former hotels have now closed. At the same time, the village has experienced a boom with day tourists, owing to the clear air and mountain views. Because of the high quality of life locally, the population is growing faster than is normal in Switzerland.