'Zug' (German: ) is the capital of the
Swiss canton of
that name.
Zug is a picturesque small town at the northeastern corner of the
Lake Zug and at the foot of the
Zugerberg (992 m (3255 ft.)), which rises gradually, its lower slopes thickly covered with fruit trees. Its population, 6,508 in
1900, numbered 23,000 in
2004, the town is mainly German-speaking and predominantly Roman Catholic.
History
View of Zug before 1547
The town, first mentioned in
1240, was called an "
oppidum" in
1242 and a "
castrum" in
1255. In
1273, it was bought by
Rudolph of Habsburg from
Anna, the heiress of Kyburg and wife of
Eberhard, head of the
cadet line of
Habsburg. Part of its territory, the valley of Aegeri, was pledged by Rudolph in 1278 as security for a portion of the marriage gift he promised to Joanna, daughter of
Edward I of England. She was betrothed to his son Hartmann, but his death in 1281 prevented the marriage from taking place. The town of Zug was governed by a bailiff, appointed by the Habsburgs, and a council, and was much favored by that family. Several country districts (e.g., Baar, Menzingen, and Aegeri) each had its own "
Landsgemeinde" but were governed by one bailiff, also appointed by the Habsburgs; these were known as the "Aeusser Amt," and were always favorably disposed to the
Swiss Confederation.
Sunset on
Lake Zug as seen from Zug (September 2004 image)
On
June 27,
1352, both the town of Zug and the Aeusser Amt entered the Confederation, the latter being received on exactly the same terms as the town, and not, as was usual in the case of country districts, as a subject land; but in September 1352, Zug had to acknowledge its own lords again, and in 1355 was obliged to break off its connection with the league. About 1364, the town and the Aeusser Amt were recovered for the league by the men of
Schwyz, and from this time Zug took part as a full member in all the acts of the league. In
1379, the
Holy Roman Emperor Wenceslaus exempted Zug from all external jurisdictions, and in 1389 the Habsburgs renounced their claims, reserving only an annual payment of 20 silver marks, which came to an end in 1415. In 1400 Wenceslaus gave all criminal jurisdiction to the town only. The Aeusser Amt, in 1404, then claimed that the banner and seal of Zug should be kept in one of the country districts and were supported in this claim by Schwyz. The matter was finally settled in 1412 by arbitration, and the banner was to be kept in the town. Finally in 1415, the right of electing their ''
landammann'' was given to Zug by the Confederation, and a share in the criminal jurisdiction was granted to the Aeusser Amt by German king
Sigismund.
In
1385, Zug joined the league of the Swabian cities against
Leopold III of Austria and shared in the victory of
Sempach, as well as in the various
Argovian (
1415) and
Thurgovian (
1460) conquests of the Confederates, and later in those of Italy (
1512), having already taken part in the occupation of the Val d'Ossola. Between
1379 (
Walchwil) and
1477 (
Cham), Zug had acquired various districts in its own neighborhood, principally to the north and the west, which were ruled till 1798 by the town alone as subject lands. At the time of
the Reformation, Zug clung to the old faith and was a member of the ''Christliche Vereinigung'' of
1529. In
1586, it became a member of the Golden League.
In
2001, 11 members of the local (cantonal) parliament and three members of the (cantonal) government were shot and killed in Zug by the assassin
Friedrich Leibacher.
Today
The lake shore has been embanked and forms a promenade, from which glorious views of the snowy peaks of the
Bernese Oberland, as well as of the
Rigi and
Pilatus, are gained. Towards its northerly end, a monument marks the spot where a part of the shore slipped into the lake in
1887. The older part of the town is rather crowded together, though only four of the wall towers and a small part of the town walls still survive.
The most striking old building in the town is the parish church of St Oswald (late
15th century), dedicated to
St Oswald, king of
Northumbria (d. 642), one of whose arms was brought to Zug in 1485. The town hall, also a
15th-century building, now houses the Historical and Antiquarian Museum. There are some quaint old painted houses close by. A little way higher up the hillside is a
Capuchin convent in a striking position, close to the town wall and leaning against it. Still higher, and outside the old town, is the fine new parish church of St Michael, consecrated in
1902. The business quarter is on the rising ground north of the old town, near the railway station. Several fine modern buildings rise on or close to the shore in the town and to its south, whilst to the southwest is a convent of Capuchin nuns, who manage a large girls' school and several other educational establishments.
The ''Museum of Prehistory Zug'' houses an important collection of archaeological remains, especially from the late
Bronze Age (
urnfield culture) settlement of
Zug-Sumpf. Many of
Catharine II of Russia's relatives descended from Zug and became known as the
Volga Germans.
Transportation
The new railway station (August 2004 image)
Zug acts as an important transportation node.
The
SBB-CFF-FFS and other 'railways' link at
Zug Railway Station for
Cham -
Horgen -
Zürich,
Steinhausen -
Affoltern am Albis,
Arth-Goldau -
St. Gotthard -
Ticino and Italy, and
Rotkreuz -
Luzern.
The
A4 'motorway' and other 'main roads' connect Zug with the rest of the nation.
'Water transportation' has its node on
Lake Zug at Zug.
References
★ ''Please update as needed.''
External links
★ http://www.stadtzug.ch Official city website
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