Einsiedeln: Difference between revisions
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During the next eighty years Saint Meinrad's hermitage was never without one or more hermits emulating his example<ref name="Catholic"/>. One of the hermits, 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<ref name="Abbey"/>. Following a miraculous vision by Eberhard, the new church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary<ref name="Abbey"/>. |
During the next eighty years Saint Meinrad's hermitage was never without one or more hermits emulating his example<ref name="Catholic"/>. One of the hermits, 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<ref name="Abbey"/>. Following a miraculous vision by Eberhard, the new church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary<ref name="Abbey"/>. |
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===Growth of the town=== |
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At the time of the foundation of the Abbey, the local hunters and small farmers of the forest, placed themselves underr the authority of the noble Abbot. The surrounding population was known as ''Waldleute'' (forest people) because of the forests around the Abbey<ref name="HDS"/>. The Abbey encouraged the Waldleute to settle in surrounding villages and begin farming. The alpine valleys were used to raise cattle, which became increasingly more important to the village. By 1250 the major business in the village was breeding and raising cattle. Expansion of grazing land into nearby alpine valleys led to a two century conflict with [[Canton Schwyz|Schwyz]]. |
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As early as 1100, the villages of Einsiedeln and Schwyz were in conflict over land near the two [[Mythen]] mountains<ref name="HDS Marchenstreit">{{HDS|25760|Marchenstreit}}</ref>. Over the following century, conflicts over the land led to many court battles and actual battles. In 1173 when the [[House of Hapsburg|Hapsburgs]] gained rights over the village of Schwyz and in 1283 when they acquired the responsibility to protect the Abbey, this raised a local conflict into a regional one. The Hapsburgs were able to quiet the conflict for a few years, until 1291 when Schwyz, [[Canton of Uri|Uri]] and [[Unterwalden]] [[Federal Charter of 1291|revolted against the Habsburgs]]. In 1314 the conflict flared up again with an attack by Schwyz into Einsiedeln. This attack triggered a series of border raids that, along with other events, in 1315 led to a Hapsburg invasion and their crushing defeat at the [[Battle of Morgarten]]<ref name="HDS Marchenstreit"/>. It wasn't until 1350 that the conflict was resolved and the borders between Einsiedeln and Schwyz were fixed. |
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==Geography== |
==Geography== |
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Revision as of 01:24, 25 October 2008
Einsiedeln | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Einsiedeln  | |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Canton | Schwyz |
| District | Einsiedeln |
| Area | |
| • Total | 110.40 km2 (42.63 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 882 m (2,894 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2018)[2] | |
| • Total | 15,867 |
| • Density | 140/km2 (370/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (Central European Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time) |
| Postal code(s) | 8840 |
| SFOS number | 1301 |
| ISO 3166 code | CH-SZ |
| Surrounded by | Alpthal, Altendorf, Feusisberg, Freienbach, Innerthal, Oberägeri (ZG), Oberiberg, Rothenthurm, Unteriberg, Vorderthal |
| Website | www SFSO statistics |
Einsiedeln is a municipality of 13,062 in Switzerland in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland known for its monastery, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey. Einsiedeln is also the birthplace of Paracelsus, a medival doctor and alchemist who is credited for first naming zinc.
History
Prehistoric Einsiedeln
Archaeologists have discovered numerous artifacts from the stone age and the Bronze Age in the Einsiedeln area. However it appears that these artifacts, some of which are about 12,000 years old, that the area was thickly wooded and only used by hunters. Until the Early Middle Ages there were no permanent settlements in the area[3].
Saint Meinrad
St. Meinrad, of the family of the Counts of Hohenzollern[4], a Benedictine monk from Reichenau Island in Lake Constance on the German/Swiss border came to the region in 835[5] seeking isolation. He established his hermitage on the slopes of Mt. Etzel. He had with him a wonder-working statue of the Virgin Mary which he had been given by the Abbess Hildegarde of Zurich. He established a small shrine to house the statue, which became a small pilgrimage site. According to legend he died in 861 at the hands of two robbers who coveted the treasures offered at the shrine by pilgrims. The robbers were then followed by two ravens into town and drew attention to them with loud squawking[6]. This is the reason, for the two ravens on the village flag.
During the next eighty years Saint Meinrad's hermitage was never without one or more hermits emulating his example[4]. One of the hermits, 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[5]. Following a miraculous vision by Eberhard, the new church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary[5].
Growth of the town
At the time of the foundation of the Abbey, the local hunters and small farmers of the forest, placed themselves underr the authority of the noble Abbot. The surrounding population was known as Waldleute (forest people) because of the forests around the Abbey[3]. The Abbey encouraged the Waldleute to settle in surrounding villages and begin farming. The alpine valleys were used to raise cattle, which became increasingly more important to the village. By 1250 the major business in the village was breeding and raising cattle. Expansion of grazing land into nearby alpine valleys led to a two century conflict with Schwyz.
As early as 1100, the villages of Einsiedeln and Schwyz were in conflict over land near the two Mythen mountains[7]. Over the following century, conflicts over the land led to many court battles and actual battles. In 1173 when the Hapsburgs gained rights over the village of Schwyz and in 1283 when they acquired the responsibility to protect the Abbey, this raised a local conflict into a regional one. The Hapsburgs were able to quiet the conflict for a few years, until 1291 when Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden revolted against the Habsburgs. In 1314 the conflict flared up again with an attack by Schwyz into Einsiedeln. This attack triggered a series of border raids that, along with other events, in 1315 led to a Hapsburg invasion and their crushing defeat at the Battle of Morgarten[7]. It wasn't until 1350 that the conflict was resolved and the borders between Einsiedeln and Schwyz were fixed.
Geography
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.
Tourism
The village of Einsiedeln is a popular tourist destination in central Switzerland. The Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, located within the village, is considered one of the most important Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites in Europe and is called "the most important place of pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Switzerland"[8]. In addition to the Abbey, Einsiedeln is also a popular destination for sports year round. The village has 3 ski areas which include lifts as well as ski jumps[8].
Since the middle ages the Gracesthe site of the most significant baroque church in Switzerland with the grace chapel and a statue of the Black Madonna, which is very popular with 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.
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.
Famous people from Einsiedeln
- Paracelsus (1493-1541).
- Andreas Küttel, (born 25 April 1979) ski jumper.
- Meinrad Lienert, (1865-1933) Swiss dialect poet.
External links
Einsiedeln in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
References
- ^ a b "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
- ^ "Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie Geschlecht und Gemeinde; Provisorische Jahresergebnisse; 2018". Federal Statistical Office. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
- ^ a b Einsiedeln in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^ a b Catholic Encyclopedia accessed October 24, 2008
- ^ a b c Einsiedeln Abbey Website-History accessed October 20, 2008
- ^ Sacred Destinations.com accessed October 24, 2008
- ^ a b Marchenstreit in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^ a b Swiss Tourism-Einsiedeln accessed October 24, 2008
