Aarau

Aarau
Aarau
Country Switzerland Canton Aargau District Aarau
Population	16,040 (Dec 2009)[1]
- Density	1,300 /km2 (3,367 /sq mi)
Area	12.34 km2 (4.76 sq mi)
Elevation	381 m (1,250 ft)
- Highest	471 m - Hungerberg
- Lowest	365 m - Aar
Postal code	5000
SFOS number	4001
Mayor	Marcel Guignard (as of 2004) FDP/PRD
Surrounded by	Rohr, Buchs, Suhr, Unterentfelden, Eppenberg-Wöschnau, Erlinsbach
Twin towns	Neuchâtel (Switzerland), Delft (Netherlands), Reutlingen (Germany)
Website	www.aarau.ch SFSO statistics
Aarau
View map of Aarau

Aarau is the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The city is also the capital of the district of Aarau. It is German-speaking and predominantly Protestant. Aarau is situated on the Swiss plateau, in the valley of the Aar, on the river's right bank, and at the southern foot of the Jura mountains,^[2] and is west of Zurich.^[3] The municipality borders directly on the Canton of Solothurn to the west. It is the third-largest city in Aargau after Wettingen and Baden. At the beginning of 2010 Rohr became a suburb of Aarau.^[4]

Contents 1 Geography and Geology 2 History 2.1 Prehistory 2.2 Middle Ages 2.3 1798: Capital of the Helvetic Republic 2.4 Aarau as canton capital 3 Origin of the name 3.1 Old town 4 Economy 4.1 Markets and fairs 5 Transportation 6 Population 7 Heritage sites of national significance 8 Religion 9 Government 9.1 Legislative 9.2 Executive 9.3 National elections 10 Coat of Arms 11 Notable residents 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

Geography and Geology

The old city of Aarau is situated on a rocky outcropping at a narrowing of the Aar river valley, at the southern foot of the Jura mountains. Newer districts of the city lie to the south and east of the outcropping, as well as higher up the mountain, and in the valley on both sides of the Aar. The neighboring municipalities are Küttigen to the north, Rohr and Buchs to the east, Suhr to the south-east, Unterentfelden to the south, and Eppenberg-Wöschnau and Erlinsbach to the west. Aarau and the nearby neighboring municipalities have grown together and now form an interconnected agglomeration. The only exceptions are Unterentfelden and Eppenberg-Wöschnau to the south, whose settlements are divided from Aarau by the expansive forests of Gönhard and Zelgli. Approximately nine tenths of the city is south of the Aar, and one tenth is to the north. It has an area, as of 2006^[update], of 8.9 square kilometers (3.4 sq mi). Of this area, 6.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 34% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 55.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (4.5%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).^[5] The lowest elevation, 365 metres (1,198 ft), is found at the banks of the Aar, and the highest elevation, at 471 metres (1,545 ft), is the Hungerberg on the border with Küttigen.

History

Prehistory

A few artifacts from the Neolithic period were found in Aarau. Near the location of the present train station, the ruins of a settlement from the Bronze Age (about 1000 BC) have been excavated. The Roman road between Salodurum (Solothurn) and Vindonissa passed through the area, along the route now covered by the Bahnhofstrasse. In 1976 divers in the Aar found part of a seven-meter wide wooden bridge from the late Roman times.

Middle Ages

Aarau was founded around AD 1240 by the counts of Kyburg.^[3] Aarau is first mentioned in 1248 as Arowe. Around 1250 it was mentioned as Arowa. However the first mention of a city sized settlement was in 1256.^[6] The town was ruled from the "Rore" tower, which has been incorporated into the modern city hall.

In 1273 the counts of Kyburg died out. Agnes of Kyburg, who had no male relations, sold the family's lands to King Rudolf I von Habsburg. He granted Aarau its city rights in 1283. In the 14th Century the city was expanded in two stages, and a second defesive wall was constructed. A deep ditch separated the city from its "suburb;" its location is today marked by a wide street named "Graben" (meaning Ditch).

In 1415 Bern invaded lower Aargau with the help of Solothurn. Aarau capitulated after a short resistance, and was forced to swear allegiance to the new rulers. In the 16th Century, the rights of the lower classes were abolished. In March 1528 the citizens of Aarau allowed the introduction of Protestantism at the urging of the Bernese. A growth in population during the 16th Century led to taller buildings and denser construction methods. Early forms of industry developed at this time; however, unlike in other cities, no guilds were formed in Aarau.

Starting in the early 18th century, the textile industry was established in Aarau. German immigration contributed to the city's favorable conditions, in that they introduced the cotton and silk factories. These highly educated immigrants were also responsible for education reform and the enlightened, revolutionary spirit that developed in Aarau.

1798: Capital of the Helvetic Republic

On December 27, 1797, the last Tagsatzung of the Old Swiss Confederacy was held in Aarau. Two weeks later a French envoy continued to foment the revolutionary opinions of the city. The contrast between a high level of education and a low level of political rights was particularly great in Aarau, and the city refused to send troops to defend the Bernese border. By Mid-March 1798 Aarau was occupied by French troops.

On March 22, 1798 Aarau was declared the capital of the Helvetic Republic. It is therefore the first capital of a unified Switzerland. Parliament met in the city hall. On September 20, the capital was moved to Lucerne.

Aarau as canton capital

In 1803, Napoleon ordered the fusion of the cantons of Aargau, Baden and Fricktal. Aarau was declared the capital of the new, enlarged canton of Aargau. In 1820 the city wall was torn down, with exception of the individual towers and gates, and the defensive ditches were filled in.

The wooden bridge, dating from the Middle Ages, across the Aar was destroyed by floods three times in thirty years, and was replaced with a steel suspension bridge in 1851. This was replaced by a concrete bridge in 1952. The city connected to the Swiss Central Railway in 1856.

The textile industry in Aarau broke down in about 1850 because of the protectionist tariff policies of neighboring states. Other industries had developed by that time to replace it, including the production of mathematical instruments, shoes and cement. Beginning in 1900, numerous electrical enterprises developed. By the 1960s, more citizens worked in service industries or for the canton-level government than in manufacturing. During the 1980s many of the industries left Aarau completely.

In 1802 the Canton School was established; it was the first non-parochial high school in Switzerland. It developed a good reputation, and was home to Nobel Prize winners Albert Einstein, Paul Karrer, and Werner Arber, as well as several Swiss politicians and authors.

The purchase of a manuscript collection in 1803 laid the foundation for what would become the Cantonal Library, which contains a Bible annotated by Huldrych Zwingli. More newspapers developed in the city, maintaining the revolutionary atmosphere of Aarau. Beginning in 1820, Aarau has been a refuge for political refugees.

The urban educational and cultural opportunities of Aarau have been extended through numerous new institutions. A Theater and Concert Hall was constructed in 1883, which was renovated and expanded in 1995-96. The Aargau Nature Museum opened in 1922. A former cloth warehouse was transformed into a small theater in 1974, and the alternative culture center KIFF (Culture in the fodder factory) was established in a former animal fodder factory.

Origin of the name

The earliest use of the place name was in 1248 (in the form Arowe), and probably referred to the settlement in the area before the founding of the city. It comes, along with the name of the River Aar (which was called Arula, Arola, and Araris in early times), from the German Au, meaning floodplain.

Old town

The historic old town forms an irregular square, consisting of four parts (called Stöcke). To the south lies the Laurenzenvorstadt, that is, the part of the town formerly outside the city wall. One characteristic of the city is its painted gables, for which Aarau is sometimes called the "City of beautiful Gables". The old town, Laurenzenvorstadt, government building, cantonal library, state archive and art museum are all listed as heritage sites of national significance.^[7]

The buildings in the old city originate, on the whole, from building projects during the 16th century, when nearly all the Middle Age period buildings were replaced or expanded. The architectural development of the city ended in the 18th century, when the city began to expand beyond its (still existing) wall. Most of the buildings in the "suburb" date from this time.

The "Schlössli" (small Castle), Rore Tower and the upper gate tower have remained nearly unchanged since the 13th century. The "Schlössli" is the oldest building in the city. It was already founded at the time of the establishment of the city shortly after 1200; the exact date is not known. City hall was built around Rore Tower in 1515.

The upper gate tower stands beside the southern gate in the city wall, along the road to Lucerne and Bern. The jail has been housed in it since the Middle Ages. A Carillon was erected in the tower in the middle of the 20th century, the bells for which were provided by the centuries-old bell manufacturers of Aarau.

The town church was built between 1471 and 1478. During the Reformation, in 1528, its twelve altars and accompanying pictures were destroyed. The "Justice fountain" (Gerechtskeitbrunnen) was built in 1634, and is made of french limestone; it includes a statue of Lady Justice made of sandstone, hence the name. It was originally in the street in front of city hall, but was moved to its present location in front of the town church in 1905 due to increased traffic.

Economy

As of 2007^[update], Aarau had an unemployment rate of 2.35%. As of 2005^[update], there were 48 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 9 businesses involved in this sector. 4,181 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 164 businesses in this sector. 20,186 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 1,461 businesses in this sector.^[5] This is a total of over 24,000 jobs, since Aarau's population is about 16,000 it draws workers from many surrounding communities. As of 2000^[update] there were 8,050 total workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 4,308 or about 53.5% of the residents worked outside Aarau while 17,419 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 21,161 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality.^[8]Statistical Department of Canton Aargau-Bereich 11 Verkehr und Nachrichtenwesen (German) accessed 21 January 2010</ref>

The largest employer in Aarau is the Canton government, the offices of which are distributed across the entire city at numerous locations. One of the two head offices of the Aargauer Zeitung, Switzerland's fifth largest newspaper, is located in Aarau, as are the Tele M1 television channel studios, and several radio stations.

Kern & Co., founded in 1819, was an internationally known geodetic instrument manufacturer based in Aarau. However, it was taken over by Wild Leitz in 1988, and was closed in 1991.

More than half of the workers in Aarau live in the city's suburbs, or farther away in the surrounding area. This leads to a busy rush hour, and regular traffic jams. Statistically, Aarau has the most jobs per capita of any Swiss city.

The small scale of Aarau causes it to continually expand the borders of its growth. The urban center lies in the middle of the "Golden Triangle" between Zurich, Bern, and Basel, and Aarau is having increasing difficulty in maintaining the independence of its economic base from the neighboring large cities. The idea of merging Aarau with its neighboring suburbs has been recently discussed in hopes of stopping the slowly progressing losses.

Manufacture include bells, mathematical instruments, electrical goods, cotton textiles, chemicals, shoes, and other products.

Markets and fairs

Every Saturday morning there is a vegetable market in the Graben at the edge of the Old City. It is supplied with regional products. In the last week of September the MAG (Market of Aarauer Tradesmen) takes place there, at which regional companies sell their products. The "Rüeblimärt" is held in the same place on the first Wednesday in November, which is a Carrot fair. The Aarau fair is held at the ice skating rink during the Spring.

Transportation

Aarau is a terminal station of the S-Bahn Zürich on the line S3.

Population

The population of Aarau grew continuously from 1800 until about 1960, when the city reached a peak population of 17,045, more than five times its population in 1800. However, since 1960 the population has fallen by 8%. There are three reasons for this population loss: firstly, since the completion of Telli (a large apartment complex), the city has not had any more considerable land developments. Secondly, the number of people per household has fallen; thus, the existing dwellings do not hold as many people. Third, population growth was absorbed by neighboring municipalities in the regional urban area, and numerous citizens of Aarau moved into the countryside. This trend might have stopped since the turn of the century. Existing industrial developments are being used for new purposes instead of standing empty.

Aarau has a population (as of 31 December 2009) of 16,040.^[1] As of 2008^[update], 19.8% of the population was made up of foreign nationals.^[9] Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 1%. Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speaks German (84.5%), with Italian being second most common ( 3.3%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 2.9%).^[5]

The age distribution, as of 2008^[update], in Aarau is; 1,296 children or 8.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 1,334 teenagers or 8.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 2,520 people or 15.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 2,518 people or 15.8% are between 30 and 39, 2,320 people or 14.6% are between 40 and 49, and 1,987 people or 12.5% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,588 people or 10.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 1,219 people or 7.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 942 people or 5.9% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 180 people or 1.1% who are 90 and older.^[10]

As of 2000^[update], there were 1,365 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 3,845 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 2,119 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 1.99 individuals.^[11] In 2008^[update] there were 1,594 single family homes (or 18.4% of the total) out of a total of 8,661 homes and apartments.^[12]

The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Aarau about 74.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule).^[5] Of the school age population (in the 2008/2009 school year^[update]), there are 861 students attending primary school, there are 280 students attending secondary school, there are 455 students attending tertiary or university level schooling, there are 35 students who are seeking a job after school in the municipality.^[11]

Population Growth[6]
year	population	Swiss Nationals	% German Speaking	% Italian Speaking	% Romansh Speaking	% Protestant	% Roman Catholic
1558	ca. 1,200
1764	1, 868
1798	2, 458
1850	4,657	4,299	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
1880a	5,914	5,381	99.2%	0.7%	0.2%	81.9%	17.4%
1910	9,593	7,986	90.6%	2.2%	6.7%	71.7%	26.6%
1930	11,666	10,472	95.3%	1.7%	2.3%	72.7%	25.4%
1950	14,280	13,373	93.8%	2.2%	3.2%	70.4%	27.9%
1970	16,881	13,782	82.4%	1.6%	11.2%	60.1%	37.6%
1990	16,481	13,146	81.7%	1.0%	5.3%	49.7%	33.0%

Heritage sites of national significance

Aarau is home to a number of sites that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. The list includes three churches; the Christian Catholic parish house, the Catholic parish house, and the Reformed City Church. There are five government buildings on the list; the Cantonal Library and Art Gallery, the old Cantonal School, the Legislature, the Cantonal Administration building, and the archives. Three gardens or parks are on the list; Garten Schmidlin, Naturama Aargau and the Schlossgarten. The remaining four buildings on the list are; the former Rickenbach Factory, the Crematorium, the Haus zum Erker at Rathausgasse 10 and the Restaurant Zunftstube at Pelzgasse.^[13]

Religion

From the 2000 census^[update], 4,473 or 28.9% are Roman Catholic, while 6,738 or 43.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there are 51 individuals (or about 0.33% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic faith.^[11]

Government

Legislative

In place of a town meeting, a town assembly (Einwohnerrat) of 50 members is elected by the citizens, and follows the policy of proportional representation. It is responsible for approving tax levels, preparing the annual account, and the business report. In addition, it can issue regulations. The term of office is four years. In the last two elections the parties had the following representation:

Party	2001	2005
FDP	13	12
SP	12	12
SVP	11	9
CVP	4	4
Pro Aarau	4	4
Green	2	4
EVP	3	3
JETZT!	1	2

At the district level, some elements of the government remain a direct democracy. There are optional and obligatory referendums, and the population retains the right to establish an initiative.

Executive

The executive authority is the town council (Stadtrat). The term of office is four years, and its members are elected by a plurality voting system. It leads and represents the municipality. It carries out the resolutions of the assembly, and those requested by the canton and national level governments.

The seven members (and their party) for the period 2006-2009 are:

• Dr. Marcel Guignard (FDP) (City President)
• Beat Blattner (SP) (City Vice President)
• Jolanda Urech (SP)
• Rudolf Zinniker (FDP)
• Lukas Pfisterer (FDP)
• Carlo Mettauer (CVP)
• Michael Ganz (Pro Aarau)

National elections

In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SP which received 27.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (22.1%), the FDP (17.5%) and the Green Party (11.8%).^[5]

Coat of Arms

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Argent an Eagle displayed Sable beaked langued and membered Gules and a Chief of the last.^[14]

Notable residents

• Johann Kaspar Riesbeck (1754–1786), author and actor
• Johann Rudolf Dolder (1753–1807), politician
• Sebastian Fahrländer (1768–1841), politician, physician
• Johann Heinrich Daniel Zschokke (1771–1848), writer
• Ignaz Paul Vitalis Troxler (1780–1866), physician, politician, philosopher
• Carl Feer-Herzog (1820–1880), politician
• Albert Einstein (1879–1955)
• Charles Tschopp (1899–1982), writer
• Born in Aarau:
  • Eugen Bircher (1882–1956), politician
  • Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler, (1770–1843), first director of the United States Coast Survey.^[15]
  • Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner
  • Urs Faes, author
  • Friedrich Frey-Herosé (1801–1873), member of the Swiss Federal Council
  • Hans Herzog (1819–1894), general
  • Paul Hubschmid, actor
  • Klaus Merz, author
  • Nicolas Hunziker, Automotive Fine Artist
  • Nicolas Müller, snowboarder

See also

• Lenzburg (boasts a historical museum)

References

This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.

External links

• Media related to Aarau at Wikimedia Commons

• http://www.aarau.ch
• Aarau in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

Municipalities in the district of Aarau, Switzerland Aarau | Biberstein | Buchs | Densbüren | Erlinsbach | Gränichen | Hirschthal | Küttigen | Muhen | Oberentfelden | Suhr | Unterentfelden Aargau | Districts of Canton Aargau | Municipalities of the canton of Aargau

Capitals of Swiss cantons     Aarau, Aargau Herisau/Trogen, AR Appenzell, AI Basel, Basel-Stadt Liestal, Basel-Land Bern, Bern Fribourg, Fribourg Geneva, Geneva Glarus, Glarus Chur, Graubünden Delémont, Jura Lucerne, Lucerne Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel Stans, Nidwalden Sarnen, Obwalden Schaffhausen, SH Schwyz, Schwyz Solothurn, Solothurn St. Gallen, St. Gallen Frauenfeld Thurgau Bellinzona, Ticino Altdorf, Uri Sion, Valais Lausanne, Vaud Zug, Zug Zurich, Zürich