The municipality had a total population of 30,934 on 31 December 2020.[3] The official language of Zug is theSwiss variety of Standard German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of theAlemannicSwiss German dialect.
Its name, translating from German as "pull" or "tug", originates from the fishing vocabulary; in theMiddle Ages it referred to the right topull up fishing nets and hence to the right to fish.
The oldest evidence of humans in the area trace back to 14,000 BC. There have been Paleolithic finds on the north bank ofLake Zug, which come from nomadic hunters and gatherers. Archaeologists have also found over forty lake-shore settlements, known aspile dwellings, on the shores of Lake Zug from the epoch of the first settled farmers in theNeolithic period (5,500-2,200 BC). The peak in these lake-shore village settlements was between 3800 and 2450 BC. For the same epoch, the first pre-alpine land use has been found in Menzingen and in the Ägeri valley. The well-known, historically researched lake-shore village'Sumpf' (the swamp), dated from the late Bronze Age (up until 850 BC). Evidence from these finds resulted in a quite different picture of life in former times, which is on display at the Zug Museum for Prehistory. In addition, finds from the Iron Age (850-50 BC) and the Roman and Celtic-Roman time (from 50 BC) have been unearthed.
In around AD 600, Alemannic families and tribes migrated to the area of present-day canton Zug. The name Blickensdorf, and place names with '-ikon' endings, prove this as the first Alemannic living space.[why?] The churches of Baar and Risch also date back to the early Middle Ages. The first written document on the area originates from the year 858, and refers to KingLudwig the German giving the farmChama (Cham) to the Zürich Fraumünster convent. At this time, the area of present-day Zug belonged to completely different monastic and secular landlords, the most important of whom were the Habsburgs, and who, in 1264, inherited the Kyburg rights and remained a central political power until about 1400.
In the course of the high medieval town construction, the settlement of Zug also received a town wall at some point after 1200. The town founders were probably the counts ofKyburg. The town, first mentioned in AD 1240, was called an "oppidum" in 1242 and a "castrum" in 1255. In 1273, it was bought byRudolph of Habsburg from Anna, the heiress ofKyburg and wife of Eberhard, head of thecadet line ofHabsburg.[4] Through this purchase it passed into the control of the Habsburgs and was placed under a Habsburgbailiff. TheAeusser Amt or Outer District consisted of the villages and towns surrounding Zug, which each had their ownLandsgemeinden but were ruled by a single Habsburg bailiff. Zug was important as an administrative center of the Kyburg and theHabsburg district, then as a local market place, and, thereafter, as a stage town for the transport of goods (particularly salt and iron) over the Hirzel hill towards Lucerne.
On 27 June 1352, both the town of Zug and theAeusser Amt entered theSwiss Confederation, the latter being received on exactly the same terms as the town, and not, as was usual in the case of outer districts, as a subject land. However, 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 ofSchwyz, and from this time Zug took part as a full member in all the acts of the league. In 1379, theHoly Roman EmperorWenceslaus 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 theirlandammann was given to Zug by the Confederation, and a share in the criminal jurisdiction was granted to the Aeusser Amt by German kingSigismund.[4]
The alliance of the four forest cantons ofUri,Schwyz,Unterwalden andLucerne with the city of Zürich in 1351 set much in motion. The town of Zug was seen as having Habsburg ties with the cities of Zürich and Lucerne, and therefore had to be conquered. It is likely that this was more for political than economic reasons: the Lucerne market was very important for central Switzerland, but also strongly dependent on the city ofZürich. Zürich initiated a siege on Zug with the federal army in June 1352. Zug surrendered. On 27 June 1352 Zürich, Luzern, Zug, Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden formed an alliance. Zürich's saw this 'Zugerbund' (Zug alliance) as an alliance of convenience. For the town of Zug, little changed, and Zug remained Habsburg. That same year, the Zug alliance was declared invalid by all parties. A period of Schwyz domination then followed. Only gradually did Zug become sovereign and federal.
Simultaneously, Zug expanded its territory, acquiring a number of rural areas in the form of bailiwicks (Walchwil,Cham, Gangolfswil [Risch]Hünenberg andSteinhausen, and Oberrüti, now part of the canton of Aargau). Zug became a confederation in itself – with the town and its subject territories, and the three outer ('free') municipalities,Ägeri,Menzingen (withNeuheim) andBaar. This problematic dualism dominated until 1798, i.e. until the end of the old confederation, the political structure of the Canton Zug. The unifying element of this miniature confederation was, among others, the rural municipalities and the forty-member city council.
In 1385, Zug joined the league of the Swabian cities againstLeopold III of Austria and shared in the victory ofSempach, as well as in the variousArgovian (1415) andThurgovian (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.[4]
In 1478, the building of a larger town wall began, which increased the town area six-fold – the same year as the building of the late gothic St. Oswald Church began. The building master of the new town wall was Hans Felder from Bavarian Swabia. The ground plan of the town wall is indicative of an ideal symmetric plan of the Renaissance period – something very rare at that time. The overall urban planning implemented in the small town of Zug was modern for its time.
During the turmoil of the Reformation, Zug remained on the Catholic side of central Switzerland and retained the old faith. Warring religious confederates fought at Kappel am Albis (1531) and at Gubel in Menzingen. Its location on the edge of central Switzerland made Zug a confessional border town. During the Reformation, Zug clung to the old faith and was a member of theChristliche Vereinigung of 1529. In 1586, it became a member of the Golden League.[4]
The period up until 1798 was marked by internal political rivalries and turbulence. The invasion of the French troops marked the end of the old order, and with the Helvetic order came a radical political change. Zug became part of the canton Waldstätten, and the cantonal capital for a short time. After a 50-year struggle between federalism and centralism, between confederation and central state, between conservative and liberal-radical vision, in 1848, today's federal government of Switzerland emerged. Zug was given its current cantonal structure, consisting of eleven local municipalities.
Until well into the 19th century, Zug consisted of agricultural land. Actual industrialization began with the entrepreneur Wolfgang Henggeler, who in 1834 built a cotton mill in Unterägeri. This was followed by the two companies in Neuägeri and Baar. In 1866, the American George Ham Page founded the first European condensed milk factory in Cham, which later merged withNestlé. Industry in Zug was dominated by the companyLandis+Gyr, founded in 1896, and now owned byToshiba. The connection to the Swiss railway network in 1864 was important, as was the connection of mountain and valley with an electric tram at the beginning of the 20th century.
In the second half of the century, dynamic expansion took place and Zug became a national and international financial and trading centre, aided by its proximity to Zürich, and by an attractive tax policy. In parallel, large industrial and commercial zones evolved; employment increased rapidly; the population rose sharply, and the building boom skyrocketed. Canton Zug catapulted itself into being at the top of the financially strong cantons. And the town today has become, as the British Guardian once wrote, 'a compass of the global economy'.
Zug is alow tax region and is headquarters for a number of multinational enterprises. The Expat City Ranking in 2019, based on a study of more than 20,000 respondents, rated the quality of life in Zug highest among all cities in the survey.[5] The town's best-known agricultural product isKirsch.
On 27 September 2001, amentally-ill 57-year-old residentshot 32 people, killing 14 before killing himself in the cantonal parliament building (Parlamentsgebäude Zug).[6]
Zug has an area (as of the 2004 survey) of 21.63 km2 (8.35 sq mi).[7] Of this area, about 33.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 37.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 26.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and 2.5% is unproductive land. In the 2004 survey a total of 353 ha (870 acres) or about 16.3% of the total area was covered with buildings, an increase of 60 ha (150 acres) over the 1982 amount. Over the same time period, the amount of recreational space in the municipality increased by 8 ha (20 acres) and is now about 2.53% of the total area. Of the agricultural land, 54 ha (130 acres) is used for orchards and vineyards, 651 ha (1,610 acres) is fields and grasslands and 39 ha (96 acres) consists of alpine grazing areas. Since 1982 the amount of agricultural land has decreased by 74 ha (180 acres). Over the same time period the amount of forested land has increased by 2 ha (4.9 acres). Rivers and lakes cover 20 ha (49 acres) in the municipality.[8][9]
Zug has an average of 136.1 days of rain per year and on average receives 1,224 mm (48.2 in) ofprecipitation. It has an average of 5.5 days per year with visibility reduced to less than 1 km, the international definition of fog. The wettest month is August during which time Zug receives an average of 158 mm (6.2 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 12.7 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is June, with an average of 13.7, but with only 156 mm (6.1 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is January with an average of 67 mm (2.6 in) of precipitation over 12.7 days.[11]
The City Council (Stadtrat) constitutes theexecutive government of the Town of Zug and operates as acollegiate authority. It is composed of five councillors (German:Stadtrat/-rätin), each presiding over a department (Departement) comprising several bureaus. The president of the executive department acts asmayor (Stadtpräsident). In the mandate period 2015–2018 (Legislatur) the City Council is presided byStadtpräsidentKarl Kobelt. Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the Grand Municipal Council are carried by the City Council. The regular election of the City Council by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every four years. The current mandate period (Legislatur) is from 2019 to 2022. Any resident of Zug allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the City Council. The delegates are selected by means of a system ofMajorz (since 2014). The mayor is elected as such as well by public election while the heads of the other departments are assigned by the collegiate. The executive body holds its meetings in theStadthaus (Town Hall) on Kolinplatz.[12]As of October 2018[update], Zug's City Council is made up of two of FDP (FDP.The Liberals, of whom one is also the mayor), and one each of CVP (Christian Democratic Party), CSP (Christian Social Party), and SVP (Swiss People's Party). The last regular election was held on 7 October 2018.[13]
In the2015 federal election the most popular party was theSVP with 25.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were theCVP (22.5%), theFDP (19.5%) and theSP (17.2%). In the federal election, a total of 9,438 votes were cast, and thevoter turnout was 55.4%. The 2015 election saw a large change in the voting when compared to 2011. The percentage of the vote received by the SP increased sharply from 6.4% in 2011 to 17.2% in 2015, while the percentage that theGPS received dropped from 21.3% to 9.5%.[14]
Zug has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 30,934.[3] As of 2014[update], 31.7% of which are foreign nationals.[16] Over the last 10 years [when?] the population has grown at a rate of 11.4%. Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (81.8%), with Italian being second most common (3.8%) and Serbo-Croatian being third (3.2%).[17]
In Zug about 76% of the population (between the ages 25 and 64) have completed either non-mandatoryupper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or aFachhochschule).[17]
Zug has an unemployment rate of 2.28%. As of 2005[update], there were 172 people employed in theprimary economic sector and about 51 businesses involved in this sector. 5,821 people are employed in thesecondary sector and there are 269 businesses in this sector. 21,445 people are employed in thetertiary sector, with 3,205 businesses in this sector.[17]
Zug is known as a hockey town in Switzerland. The town's main team isEV Zug, which plays in theNational League (NL). They play their home games in the 7,200-seatBossard Arena. Their affiliate team, the EV Zug Academy, competes in theSwiss League (SL) and their home games are either held in the 7,200-seat Bossard Arena or in the 1,500-seat Academy Arena. EV Zug II plays in the Second Regio League, the fifth highest league in Switzerland. Their home games are held in the Academy Arena. HC Zugerland plays in the Third Regio League, the sixth highest league in Switzerland. The team plays its home games in the Bossard Arena. Zug also has numerous junior teams that compete in the different junior leagues of Switzerland.
There are also an amateurassociation football team,Zug 94, which was formed in 1994 and one amateur Rugby Team, Zug Rugby Club,[18] in the national 3rd Division. They also have the largest junior (minis) club in Switzerland. They have had many junior players representing Switzerland at U18 & U19 Internationally. Additionally, there is an amateurfloorball team,Zug United. Zug has a rowing clubSee-Club Zug, which is repeatedly the highest ranked rowing club in Switzerland.[19]
As of 2012[update], there were a total of 40,166 people employed in the municipality. Of these, a total of 142 people worked in 42 businesses in theprimary economic sector. Thesecondary sector employed 5,939 workers in 351 separate businesses. Finally, thetertiary sector provided 34,085 jobs in 6,592 businesses. In 2013 a total of 15.3% of the population received social assistance.[20]
Since 2016, Zug has accepteddigital currency, first for small payments of municipal fees up to CH200. To reduce risk, Zug immediately converts any cryptocurrency received into Swiss francs. This is part of a strategy to associate Zug with new technologies.[21][22] Zug is a popular location for incorporation of companies, such asSiemens Building Technologies, andNord Stream AG. Zug has also been referred to as Crypto Valley because of the large number of companies engaged incryptocurrency in the city. These includeEthereum,Cardano,Polkadot and Bitcoin Suisse.[21] By 2018, a Crypto Valley Association had been formed, with Oliver Bussmann as its president.[23]
The lake shore has been embanked and forms a promenade, from which views of theRigi andPilatus, as well as of the snowy peaks of theBernese Oberland, 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 toSt Oswald, king ofNorthumbria (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 aCapuchin 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.
There are three museums in the town: the Museum of Prehistory, which displays archaeological finds from Canton Zug; the castle houses the Museum of Cultural History of the town and Canton Zug, and the Zug Art Gallery attracts visitors with its exhibitions. Several municipalities also have their own local museum. The Casino Theatre in Zug and the ZugBurgbachkeller, along with theChollerhalle cultural center, are the most famous establishments. The event centers in Baar, Cham and Rotkreuz and the Zug youth scene (Galvanik, Podium Industrie 45) enrich the range of cultural events.
Zug is surrounded with mountains, rivers and lakes including the mountains Zugerberg and the Walchwilerberg Oberallmig, the Höhronen and the river Sihl. The Choller nature reserve is also near Lake Zug.
Sights within the town include the late Gothic church of St. Wolfgang, near Hünenberg, or St. Oswald in Zug, the old town of Zug with the Town Hall and theZytturm (clock tower), theHuwiler Tower, the Zurlaubenhof, feudal estate of the family Zurlauben, on the outskirts of the town.
Zug's culture also includes the famous Zuger cherry liqueur cake. Local specialties, in addition to the cherry and the cherry liqueur cake, include the Zug 'Rötel', a fine lake charfish, found on many menus.[24]
TheIG Culture Zug society, anumbrella organization of museums, theaters, orchestras and other cultural organizations, was founded in Zug in 1995. The society publishes calendars and a magazine of cultural events in the canton. In 2019 it had 167 members.[25]
There are a number of Swissheritage sites of national significance in Zug. These include two libraries, the Library of the former Capuchin monastery and the library of theparish church of St. Michael. One archeological site, theSumpf a late Bronze Age lake shore settlement, is included, as are three museums; theBurg (Castle museum),Kunsthaus (Art museum) andMuseum für Urgeschichte (Museum for ancient history). There are three archives that are included in the list;Bürgerarchiv Zug (Citizen's archive of Zug),Staatsarchiv Zug (State/Canton of Zug archive) and theUnternehmensarchiv der Landis & Gyr AG (Landis & Gyr AG company archives). The rest of the sites are the Catholic Church of St. Oswald withCharnel house, theSeminary of St. Michael, the town walls and several buildings in the old town of Zug.[26]
The Zug education system is based on equal abilities and includes compulsory primary and secondary school, with optional secondary education and vocational training. Two thirds of young people go into vocational education, connected to an apprenticeship, joining the professional world after the 9th grade of secondary school. The international business community of Zug offers many and varied apprenticeships along with the Zug technical and industrial college, GIBZ, and the business college, KBZ, provide the academic knowledge and skills.
Zug has a long tradition of education. Private schools, like the Montana Institute Zug, on Zugerberg, International School of Zug or Lucerne (ISZL), or the Dr. Pfister Institute AG, Oberägeri supplement the range available. In addition, there are the three former non-state teacher training colleges in Menzingen, Holy Cross in Cham and St. Michael in Zug.
Canton Zug has two high schools: the Canton High School in the town of Zug, and the Cantonal School in Menzingen. Also at higher secondary level, is the Vocational School Zug and the Business Studies School, incorporated within the Canton School. Zug is one of the university cantons, with, on the one hand, the University of Teacher Training, PHZ Zug, on the other, a polytechnic for financial services.
There are also six technical colleges (for business, computer science, engineering design, naturopathy and homeopathy, child education, and rescue services).
In 2022 the European Institute of Management and Technology (EIMT) has been duly established in the Canton of Zug, Switzerland as a Business, Management and Technology Tertiary education school offering bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees, through online, onsite or hybrid mediums and through other schools worldwide under the aegis of the laws, regulations and authorities of Switzerland. The European Institute of Management and Technology has been granted Accreditation for two years by the Diplomatic Research and Policy Foundation (DRPF). Diplomatic Research and Policy Foundation is a prestigious Intergovernmental Organization a Government recognized Accreditation Agency founded by Ministry of Education and Science, Republic of Macedonia and Ministry of Diaspora, Republic of Albania. The same is now graced by the presence of Ministry of Labour and Social Service, Government of Kosovo.
The range of educational institutions is a key factor for location in the globalized world of competition, especially for foreign employees, the so-called 'Expats'. The four international schools have been developed accordingly, and report a high student intake.
Zug is also at the end ofZürich S-Bahn suburban railway network, on linesS5 andS24.
TheZugerbergbahn is a funicular linking the Zug suburb ofSchönegg (558 m) with theVordergeissboden (literally: anterior goat terrain, 925 m), the plateau of theZugerberg overlooking the town and Lake Zug.
TheA4 motorway and other main roads connect Zug with the rest of the nation.
Water transportation onLake Zug is centred on the town, with public transport on the lake provided by (Motor Ship)MS Zug,MS Schwyz,MS Rigi andMS Schwan. These vessels belong to the Zugersee Schifffahrt, a partner of the local public transport executive, ZVB Zugerland Verkehrsbetriebe.
.png)
