Thecanton of Lucerne (German:Kanton Luzern[ˈkantɔnluˈtsɛrn];Romansh:Chantun Lucerna;French:Canton de Lucerne;Italian:Cantone Lucerna) is acanton ofSwitzerland. It is located in the country's central,German-speaking part. The population of the canton (as of 31 December 2020) is 416,347.[2] As of 2007[update], the population included 57,268 foreigners, or about 15.8% of the total population.[4] The cantonal capital is the city ofLucerne.
Reconstruction of several stilt houses atWauwilermoos
The oldest traces of humans in the Lucerne area are stone artifacts andcave bear bones found in the Steigelfadbalm cave on Mt.Rigi from theMiddle Paleolithic or about 30,000 BC. Other animal bones including mammoth, reindeer and giant deer from thelocal glacial maximum have also been found in the canton. Around 17,000 BC the glaciers disappeared from theSwiss plateau and recolonization is likely at that time.
The Wauwilermoos houses had wooden or bark floors and hearths of clay. The villages had ceramic vessels and wood, bone, antler, stone and flint tools as well as textiles. Copper ax blades and knives provide the first evidence of metal use in Switzerland. Imported mollusks show that there were trade connections to the Mediterranean. The bones at Egolzwil 3 are over two thirds from domestic animals with the remainder from wild animals. The main domesticated animals were sheep, goats and pigs with only a few domestic cattle. The animals hunted included deer, roe deer, wild boar and elk.[8]
During theBronze Age the canton was quite settled. There were a number of settlements on the shores of Lake Sempach and Lake Baldegg along with hilltop settlements, graves and scattered items throughout the area. At Hochdorf-Baldegg a fenced village from the early Bronze Age (2200–1500 BC) was uncovered. The single-story houses all had clay or stone hearths. During the Middle Bronze Age (1550–1350 BC) most of the villages were not located directly on the lake shores. The Late Bronze Age settlement at Sursee-Zellmoos on Lake Sempach featured houses arranged in rows with mortared stone. The walls were timber lined with clay. Another Late Bronze Age settlement near the village of Schötz was densely populated between 1350 and 800 BC.
While numerous individualIron Age items have been found, almost no settlements have been discovered. From theHallstatt period (800–480 BC) mainly graves have been discovered. Very little is known about theLa Tène period (480–30 BC) in Lucerne. Some iron tools, gold coins, ceramic vessels and a glass bangle as well as a burial ground with at least four graves have been found.
During theRoman era, the canton was once again thickly settled. A number of farms were built in the north–south running valleys (Wigger,Suhre,Wyna and See valleys). During the 1st century AD, the farms provided food for theLegion camp inVindonissa and for the larger settlements located in the Swiss plateau.
Towards the end of the 1st century there was avicus atSursee. The remains of houses show that there were a number of small shops and manufacturing buildings in the town. The west bank of the Suhre was fortified with a stone slip and may have served as a ship or raft berth. Imports from various regions of the Roman Empire (southern Spain, southern Italy, Lipari, southern and eastern Gaul and the Germanic areas) provide evidence of extensive trade relations. Sursee was likely a freight hub for trade with the entire Alpine region.[8]
Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, the canton of Lucerne was settled by theAlamanni, who generally settled away from the Roman settlements. Some exceptions include a Roman manor atBüron and the Roman town of Sursee. AnAlamannic grave field was found atAesch with 61 graves with wooden coffins from before the 7th century before. In the women's graves there were necklaces with glass and amber beads, while swords were found in the men's graves. Belt buckles and small iron knives were found in the graves of both sexes. A few items from the southern Alpine region, southern Germany and Burgundy indicate that trade continued.
Two early medieval stone grave vaults, both of which were used for multiple burials, were found in the church ofAltishofen. In the treasury ofBeromünster Abbey there is a 7th-century ornatereliquary of gilded copper plates, which probably came from northern Italy.[8]
Lucerne grew up around a Benedictine monastery, founded about 750 on the right bank of the Reuss byMurbach Abbey in Alsace, of which it long remained a "cell". It is first mentioned in a charter of 840 under the name ofLuciaria, which is probably derived from the patron saint of the monastery, StLeodegar. The nameLucerrun is first mentioned in 1252. At some point, a small village grew up around the monastery. The first signs of a municipal constitution appear in 1252.
With the growing power of theHabsburgs in the area the ties that bound Lucerne to Murbach weakened. In 1291 the Habsburgs finally purchased Lucerne from Murbach. The purchase of Lucerne by the Habsburgs drove the three forest cantons (Uri,Schwyz andUnterwalden) to form anEternal Alliance, an act that is considered to be the foundation of Switzerland. In 1332 Lucerne became the fourth member of theEidgenossen orSwiss Confederation, and the first town to join the rural forest cantons.
The Battle of Sempach solidified Lucerne's place in the Swiss ConfederationAmstaldenhandel, an event in the history of the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland
TheBattle of Sempach (1386) near Sempach (which while allied wouldn't become part of the canton for 8 more years) drove the Habsburgs out of the region and strengthened the Confederation. That victory led also to the gradual acquisition of territory ruled by and from the town.
Amstalden, a wealthy innkeeperSchüpfheim in the Entlebuch valley of the canton of Lucerne, was the leader of a planned rebellion of the valley against the city of Lucerne. In a plot to limit the power of the city, officials from the neighbouringcanton of Obwalden had promised their support. The conspiracy was detected before they could stage the planned coup. On 24 August 1478, Amstalden was arrested, tortured and interrogated, and finally beheaded in November 1478.
The incident furthered the distrust amongst rural and urban cantons in theOld Swiss Confederacy and was one of the reasons for the conclusion of theStanser Verkommnis (Treaty ofStans) in 1481, an important coalition treaty of the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy
During theReformation Lucerne remained attached to Roman Catholicism. Thepapal nuncio resided here from 1601 to 1873. In the 16th century, during theearly modern age, the town government fell into the hands of an aristocraticoligarchy, whose power, though shaken by theSwiss peasant war of 1653 in the Entlebuch, lasted until 1798. Under theFrench-supportedHelvetic republic (1798–1803) Lucerne was the seat of the central government. When the republic collapsed, under theAct of Mediation (1803) it was one of the six "Directorial" cantons and during theRestoration (from 1815 to 1848) it was one of the three ruling cantons.
Thepatrician government was swept away by the cantonal constitution of 1831. But in 1841 the Conservatives regained power. They quickly recalled theJesuits, who had been expelled by earlier radical governments, to head the cantonal school system. The riots that followed brought about theSonderbund War (1847) in which the Conservatives were defeated, the decisive battle taking place at Gisikon, not far from Lucerne.[9]
The canton of Lucerne is part ofCentral Switzerland. The lands of the canton lie on the northern foothills of theSwiss Alps (Urner Alps). The highest elevation of the canton of Lucerne is at theBrienzer Rothorn at 2,350 m (7,710 ft). It borders the cantons ofObwalden andNidwalden to the south,Schwyz andZug to the east,Aargau to the north, andBern to the west.Its territory corresponds to the subject territories acquired by the city ofLucerne during the 14th and 15th centuries, including:Lucerne proper at the outflow of theReuss river fromLake Lucerne; the stretch of the Reuss river between Lucerne andHonau, alongRooterberg hill (connecting toLake Zug with the territory ofMeierskappel municipality);theKleine Emme basin (including its tributariesEntle andRümlig);the tributaries of theAare betweenNapf andLindenberg, including (west to east)Wigger,Suhre (Lake Sempach),Wyna,Aabach (Lake Hallwil,Lake Baldegg);two territories connected only by water, across Lake Lucerne: the northern slope ofBürgenstock (part ofLucerne municipality), and the municipalities ofGreppen,Weggis andVitznau on the western and south-western slopes ofMount Rigi.
The area of the canton is 1,493 km2 (576 sq mi). 817.7 km2 (315.7 sq mi), about 55% of the total land area, is used for agriculture. An additional 449.0 km2 (173.4 sq mi) (about 30%) of the canton is wooded. The remainder of the canton is either developed, 125.3 km2 (48.4 sq mi) (8.4%), or unproductive (lakes, rivers or mountains), 101.5 km2 (39.2 sq mi) (6.8%).[10]
Before 2007, the districts were calledÄmter. There were five districts until 2013, whenLuzern District was divided intoLuzern-Land andLuzern-Stadt, the latter corresponding to the city ofLucerne proper (includingLittau, incorporated into Lucerne in 2010).
The Constitution of Lucerne of 2007 entered into force on 1 January 2008, replacing the 1875 constitution.
With the new constitution, the legislative bodyGrosser Rat (Grand Council) was renamed toKantonsrat (Cantonal Council). It is composed of 120 members elected by proportional representation.
The executive body is theRegierungsrat (Government Council), composed of 5 members.
TheChristian Democratic People's Party (CVP) is traditionally the largest party, having won 38 seats in the Cantonal Council as of the 2015 elections, and having two out of five members in the Government Council as of 2016[update].
Lucerne has a population (as of December 2020[update]) of 416,347.[2] As of 2013[update], 18.1% of the population are resident foreign nationals, of which 15.5% are fromEurope, 1.4% fromAsia, 0.7% fromAfrica, and 0.5% fromAmerica.[13] Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of −0.4%. Migration accounted for −1.2%, while births and deaths accounted for 1.3%.[14]
Of the population in the canton, 115,233 or about 32.9% were born in Lucerne and lived there in 2000. There were 101,980 or 29.1% who were born in the same canton, while 66,486 or 19.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 55,314 or 15.8% were born outside of Switzerland.[16] As of 2000[update], children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.4%.[14]
As of 2000[update], there were 158,345 people who were single and never married in the canton. There were 159,152 married individuals, 18,853 widows or widowers and 14,154 individuals who are divorced.[16]
As of 2000[update], there were 13,430 private households in the canton, and an average of 2.5 persons per household.[14] There were 47,012 households that consist of only one person and 12,952 households with five or more people. As of 2009[update], the construction rate of new housing units was 4.7 new units per 1000 residents.[14]
As of 2003[update] the average price to rent an average apartment in Lucerne city was 1150.31Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$920, £520, €740 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 646.07 CHF (US$520, £290, €410), a two-room apartment was about 879.64 CHF (US$700, £400, €560), a three-room apartment was about 1033.60 CHF (US$830, £470, €660) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 2032.38 CHF (US$1630, £910, €1300). The average apartment price in Lucerne was 103.1% of the national average of 1116 CHF.[17] The vacancy rate for the canton, in 2010[update], was 0.77%.[14]
Much of the land in the canton is used for agriculture. Agriculture is the most significant source of income, but industry is also developed. The most important agricultural products arecrops, fruit and cattle breeding. Industry concentrates on textiles,machinery, paper, wood, tobacco and metallurgical goods.
Tourism is of great importance. The canton of Lucerne is a gateway to holiday resorts in the nearby Alps, and much of the transit traffic between Germany andItaly crosses the region.
As of 2010[update], Luzern had an unemployment rate of 1.4%. As of 2008[update], there were 1,764 people employed in theprimary economic sector and about 703 businesses involved in this sector. 5,388 people were employed in thesecondary sector and there were 324 businesses in this sector. 9,431 people were employed in thetertiary sector, with 1,113 businesses in this sector.[14]
In 2008[update] the total number offull-time equivalent jobs was 160,133. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 9,608, of which 9,462 were in agriculture, 119 were in forestry or lumber production and 27 were in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 48,191 of which 31,698 or (65.8%) were in manufacturing, 142 or (0.3%) were in mining and 14,990 (31.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 102,334. In the tertiary sector; 25,105 or 24.5% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 8,182 or 8.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 8,146 or 8.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 3,835 or 3.7% were in the information industry, 7,000 or 6.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 10,979 or 10.7% were technical professionals or scientists, 8,111 or 7.9% were in education and 15,924 or 15.6% were in health care.[18]
Of the working population, 12.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 48.5% used a private car.[14]
From the 2000 census[update], 248,545 or 70.9% wereRoman Catholic, while 39,426 or 11.2% belonged to theSwiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 7,801members of an Eastern Orthodox church (or 2.23% of the population), there were 471 individuals (or 0.13% of the population) who belonged to theChristian Catholic Church, and there were 7,564 individuals (or 2.16% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 399 individuals (or 0.11% of the population) who were Jewish, and 13,227 (or 3.77% of the population) followed the religion ofIslam. There were 875 individuals who wereBuddhist, 1,715 individuals who wereHindu and 293 individuals who belonged to another church. 20,681 (or 5.9% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic oratheist, and 13,007 individuals (or 3.71% of the population) did not answer the question.[16]
InLuzern about 127,331 or (36.3%) of the population have completed non-mandatoryupper secondary education, and 42,391 or (12.1%) have completed additionalhigher education (eitheruniversities or aFachhochschule). Of the 42,391 who completed tertiary schooling, 65.0% were Swiss men, 23.6% were Swiss women, 7.0% were non-Swiss men and 4.4% were non-Swiss women.[16]
