Schwyz

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Coordinates: 47°1′N, 8°39′E

Schwyz
Country Switzerland Coat of Arms of Schwyz
Canton Schwyz
District Schwyz
47°1′N, 8°39′E
Population 14,171  (December 2006)
  - Density 267 /km² (690 /sq.mi.)
Area 53.17 km² (20.5 sq mi)
Elevation 516 m (1,693 ft)
Postal code 6430
SFOS number 1372
Mayor Beat Bürgler
Localities Schwyz, Ibach, Seewen, Rickenbach
Surrounded by
(view map)
Alpthal, Illgau, Ingenbohl, Lauerz, Morschach, Muotathal, Oberiberg, Rothenthurm, Sattel, Steinen
Website www.schwyz.ch

The town of Schwyz  (French: Schwyz, Italian: Svitto) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.

As of 2006 its population is 14'171. With the territory of 53.17 km², the population density is 269/km².

The Bundesbrief can be seen at the Bundesbriefmuseum.

Schwyz with Brunnen on Lake Lucerne, Mount Rigi and Lake Lauerz, seen from Grosser Mythen
Schwyz with Brunnen on Lake Lucerne, Mount Rigi and Lake Lauerz, seen from Grosser Mythen

[edit] History of the toponym

The name Schwyz is first attested in 972 as the village Suittes and is perhaps related to Old High German suedan "to burn", referring to the area of forest that was burned and cleared to build[1]. The name was extended to the area dominated by Schwyz (the Canton of Schwyz), and later to the entire Old Swiss Confederacy: while other cantons tended to resent this in the 15th century, the term Schwyzer was widely adopted as self-designation after 1499, out of spite, as it had been employed as a term of abuse by the Swabian side during the Swabian War, and Eidgenossenschaft and Schwytzerland could be used interchangeably in the 16th century. von weber


[edit] References

  1. ^ Room, Adrian. Placenames of the World. London: MacFarland and Co., Inc., 1997.

[edit] External links

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