Brugg, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Brugg is a municipality
in the Swiss
canton
of Aargau and is the seat of the district
of the same name. The city is located at the confluence of the Reuss
, Aare, and Limmat
Rivers, with the Aare flowing through the city’s old town. It is located approximately 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the cantonal capital of Aarau
; 28 kilometres (17.4 mi) from Zürich
; and about 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Basel
.
Brugg is the Swiss German
word for bridge (Brücke in High German
). This is an allusion to the purpose of the city’s establishment under the Habsburgs, as the city is located at the narrowest point on the Aare in the Swiss midlands
. The Habsburgs’ oldest known residence is located in the neighborhood of Altenburg, which had previously been an independent community. Prior to their relocation to Austria
, Brugg was the center of the Habsburgs' territory. Between 1415 and Napoleon’s invasion in 1798, Brugg was a subject territory of Bern. Since then it has belonged to the Canton of Aargau.
The city is the home of the Swiss Farmers’ Union and is the location of a campus of the University of Applied Sciences, Northwestern Switzerland. Brugg's Vindonissa
museum is listed as a heritage site of national significance
. An engineer unit of the Swiss army is also based in the city.
on the southern bank and the beginnings of the Jura
on the northern side.
The southwestern-most area of Brugg is primarily a flood plain, known as the Wildischachen, which is located between the Aare and a hill, the Wülpselsberg, upon which the Habsburg castle
in the neighboring community of Habsburg
was built. Approximately two kilometers (1.25 mi.) further north two separate branches of the Aare come together near the village of Altenburg. In between these two branches, which came into being following the construction of a hydroelectric dam, is the forested island of Schacheninsel.
Following a bend in the river, at which it alters its course from the north to the east, the river enters a 200 meter-long (650 ft) gorge. The Aare narrows from its previous width of about 130 meters (425 ft) to a mere 12 m (40 ft). It is along this gorge that the historic center of Brugg formed, with sections of the old town developing on both banks. Today the southern bank is heavily built up and is composed primarily of residential and industrial buildings, while the northern bank, due to the lack of space at the foot of the Bruggerberg (516 m / 1,693 ft), is less settled.
The Aare broadens again after it exits the gorge and departs the old town, where it flows alongside the Aufeld plain. A majority of the population in this area is concentrated in a small band along the southeastern slope of the Bruggerberg. On the eastern border of the municipality three of the most important Swiss rivers flow together, first the Reuss
and the Aare, the combination of which is met approximately one and a half kilometers (1 mi.) further downstream by the Limmat
. In the northeastern-most part of town, nestled between the mouth of the Limmat and the Reinerberg (522 m / 1,713 ft) is the village of Lauffohr.
Brugg has an area, , of 5.56 square kilometres (2.1 sq mi). Of this area, 0.74 square kilometre (0.285715597358476 sq mi) or 13.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while1.58 square kilometre (0.610041410576205 sq mi) or 28.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.79 square kilometres (1.1 sq mi) or 50.2% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.38 square kilometre (0.146718820265163 sq mi) or 6.8% is either rivers or lakes and 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 0.5% is unproductive land.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 7.9% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 24.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 14.7%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 3.1%. 27.9% of the total land area was heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 8.3% is used for growing crops and 4.0% is pastures, while 1.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
Brugg is bordered by the municipalities of Rüfenach
and Villigen
to the north; Untersiggenthal
and Gebenstorf
to the northeast; Windisch
to the east; Hausen
to the south; Umiken
to the west; and Riniken
to the northwest. Over time the built-up areas of Brugg have grown into the neighboring communities of Umiken and Windisch.
. Windisch sold the area around the train station in 1863 and transferred the land around the gas works in 1912. The village of Altenburg was incorporated into Brugg in 1901, and was followed in 1970 by the remainder of Lauffohr. On 1 January 2010 the municipality of Umiken
merged into Brugg.
In 58 BC, or shortly thereafter, the Helvetii
, who had returned to the Swiss Plateau
following the Battle of Bibracte
, founded the settlement of Vindonissa
on a hill between the Aare and Reuss
on what is today territory of the neighboring community of Windisch.
The Romans
constructed a military post at Vindonissa around 15 BC, which they expanded into an encampment of the Roman Legion
. At this time the first wooden bridge over the Aare was built as part of a Roman road
to Augusta Raurica
(known today as Augst
). It was the only position along the Aare between Lake Thun
and the Rhine at which the river could be crossed with a single log. Remains of around 350 Roman graves have since been discovered within Brugg, where two large Roman burial grounds were located, and archeologists estimate that a total of 7,000 graves exist.
After the invasion of the Alemanni between 259 and 270 AD the Romans converted Vindonissa back into a camp of the Roman Legion, breaking with a 170-year "civilian phase." Around 370 AD the Romans established a fort as part of the Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes in Altenburg. The Romans, though, ultimately withdrew between the years 401 and 406 AD. Settlement of the Alemanni in their stead has been traced to the 7th century.
In the late 10th century a noble dynasty under Lanzelin, which was possibly related to the Alsatian Etichonids
, settled in Altenburg. He expanded the established fort into the Altenburg Castle and made it his seat. Around 1020 Lanzelin’s son, Radbot, ordered the construction of the Habsburg Castle
approximately three kilometers to the southwest on the Wülpelsberg in the modern town of Habsburg
. A few decades later the royal house adopted the castle’s name as its own. Consequently, Altenburg is the first verifiable residence of the Habsburgs. With the acquisition of this territory between the Aare and Reuss, known as the “Eigenamt,” the Habsburgs established the steppingstone of their imperium.
attested to the possession of goods on the part of Muri Abbey
in area. The exact date, however, is contentious, as the Acta Murensia was first drawn up in 1160 and included a number of various older documents. Between 1164-74 it was mentioned as Brucca and between 1227-34 as Brukke. At the end of the 12th century the Black Tower, or Schwarze Turm, was constructed at the behest of Count Albrecht III, Werner II
's son. The Black Tower is the oldest standing structure remaining in Brugg’s old town today.
During the 13th century the settlement at the fortified river crossing took on the characteristics of a small town. Coins were minted from 1232, while a toll post was established in 1273. The town had a mayor, or Schultheiss, by 1278 and the first mention of a market can be traced to 1283. The importance of Brugg to the Habsburg can been seen in their decision to relocate to the town between 1220 and 1230. The confines of the Habsburg Castle had become too small for the family members that lived there. In 1242 the town is said to have been plundered by supporters of the Habsburg's Laufenburg Line
.
Rudolf I, who spent a great deal of time in Brugg before his election to King of the Romans
, awarded Brugg city rights, or Stadtrecht, on July 23, 1284. The decree awarding this new status was identical, word for word, to that of Aarau. At the same time Brugg was granted independence from the Eigenamt and became a separate polity. Although the Habsburgs had moved their center of power a few years earlier to Vienna
, they continued to maintain close ties with Brugg. The “Austrian House,” later known as “Effingerhof,” served as accommodations and a headquarters during military conflicts throughout this period of time in the Austrian forelands
.
On May 1, 1308, King Albrecht I was murdered by his nephew John Parricida
in the neighboring community of Windisch. In memory of this event his wife, Elisabeth of Gorizia-Tyrol, founded Königsfelden Abbey
(Cloister of King's Field), a Franciscan
monastery and Clarisse
convent, in 1310-11 at the site – approximately 200 meters from Brugg. Albrecht’s oldest daughter, Agnes of Hungary, the widow of the Hungarian King Andrew III, moved to Königsfelden in 1317 and led it to commercial success, but did not join a religious order. In 1348 she received the sovereign rights to Brugg as well as the neighboring districts of Bözberg
(including Lauffohr) and the Eigenamt (including Altenburg) from her brother Duke Albrecht II. These rights lapsed after her death in 1364.
Although the city was under Habsburg control, there were still the beginnings of an independent polity. In the 1350s Brugg agreed to association, or Burgrecht
, treaties with Baden
and Mellingen (1351) and with the Cloister of Wittichen in the upper Kinzig Valley
(1353). The departments of Bözburg and Eigenamt, upon their reversion of Habsburg control in 1364, also fell under the military leadership of the town. During this time the Austrians regularly assembled their armed forces in Brugg, as Duke Leopold III
did in 1386 prior to the Battle of Sempach
.
in 1415, after he assisted the flight of the opposition Pope John XXIII
. In response, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund
requested the Swiss to take control of Aargau
. Bern did not hesitate and dispatched troops at once. The residents of Brugg did not resist the invaders and allowed them to enter the town unopposed. In return Bern left the town alone.
The town and the Eigenamt, in turn, found themselves in the northeastern-most section of Bern’s subject territories, known as Bernese Aargau. At the same time, the Habsburgs relinquished control of Schenkenberg, originally in the district of Bözberg
, to creditors they had pledged the territory to following their loss in the Battle of Sempach. This left Brugg in a predicament as its periphery and forest on the Bruggerburg along the northern bank of the Aare remained outside of the jurisdiction of Bern. Brugg was therefore required to consult regularly with the rulers of Schenkenberg concerning its northern territory.
King Frederick III
of the House of Habsburg joined with Zürich in 1443 in the Old Zürich War
and demanded the return of his Argovian territories. The residents of Brugg expected an economic boost upon the return of the Habsburgs and were therefore sympathetic to Zürich’s cause. Brugg’s location at the edge of Bern’s territory had led to a substantial economic slowdown in town. As Zürich was besieged by troops from the other Swiss cantons, French King Charles VII
dispatched Armagnac
mercenaries to the conflict region to aid Zürich. To assist in their advance towards the city, Brugg was attacked on the night of the 29th / 30 July 1444. A small band led by Baron Thomas von Falkenstein snuck down the Bruggerberg and forced its way through town, ransacking homes and setting a number of them ablaze. Many citizens were kidnapped in the ensuing chaos and held for ransom.
Although the ordeal did not cause many deaths, it was nonetheless characterized as a downright massacre by Zürich’s opponents and subsequently referred to as the “Brugg Night of Murder” (Brugger Mordnacht). In retaliation, forces from Bern and Solothurn
attacked and destroyed Falkenstein’s family seat near Niedergösgen
. Meanwhile, the Armagnac’s advance was halted at the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs
on August 26, 1444, making the raid on Brugg militarily insignificant. On September 5, 1445, troops from Zürich launched another assault on Brugg, but their raid was detected at an early stage and consequently repelled, whereupon they pillaged surrounding villages.
In 1451, Thüring von Aarburg sold Schenkenberg to Hans und Markwart von Baldegg. The new rulers and Brugg soon found themselves in conflict with one another over Brugg’s right to use the Bruggerberg. The Baldeggs, who had demonstratively aligned themselves with the Austrians, considered their territory on the northern bank of the Aare to be their personal property and took offense at the town’s claims upon it. By 1460, Bern had had enough of the constant harassment of its subject town and seized the dominion.
All residents of Brugg were thereafter subjects of Bern. Nonetheless, this changed little on the outskirts of town, as Bern's border had been pushed to the north by only a few kilometers, and conflict continued to impair the town's economy. During the eighty years subsequent to the “Brugg Night of Murder” the population of Brugg was halved and surrounding communities were able to expand their trading areas and markets at the expense of Brugg.
, and possessed more autonomy than other comparable towns.
At the head of Brugg’s government at this time sat two mayors, or Schultheisse, each of whom served two-year, alternating terms as chair. Together with seven further individuals they made up the “Small Council,” which undertook various administrative tasks. Below them stood the “Large Council,” which was composed of twelve members. It was expected to keep the Small Council in check. Both councils were selected from among the thirty-two-member “Kleinglocke” (literally "Small Bell"), members of which were named by the Small Council. This meant that unwanted candidates had no chance of assuming higher office, other than through the use of bribes. These councils were therefore exclusive, with a small number of influential members of the community sharing these lucrative posts among one another. Meanwhile, the disempowered citizenry possessed only the right to elect the town’s priest and the town’s open assembly, the “Maiding,” was purely symbolic.
In January 1528, Bern decided to introduce reforms to religious institutions and, therewith, join the Reformation
. Referendums were held in all towns and Landvogteien
. The areas surrounding Brugg voted in favor of breaking with the Catholic Church, while the town itself voted by a majority of five to remain Catholic. Brugg was nonetheless isolated in this desire and ultimately caved in to Bern under massive political pressure.
The town’s school, in existence since at least 1396, was consequently converted into a state-administered Latin school
. It served primarily as a preparatory school for students bound for the theological academy in the city of Bern. It was supported financially by the income of the now-disbanded Kloster Königsfelden. The school itself produced an above-average number of priests and scholars, which led many to label Brugg the “Prophet Town” (“Prophetenstadt”).
Despite its subject status, the town repeatedly tried to expand its own influence into the surrounding area. It had, for instance, possessed the patronage of the church in Mönthal
since the 13th century. In 1588 Johann Georg von Hallwyl, later Bishop of Basel, sold two-thirds of the parishes of Bözberg and Rein
to the town, as well as one third of the lower jurisdiction (niedere Gerichtsbarkeit) in Villnachern
. Brugg also acquired Trostburg in the Wynental
from the Hallwyls in 1616. Bern, however, refused to tolerate this gradual expansion of power on the part of its subject territory and ultimately took possession of the titles itself.
During an epidemic of the plague
in 1541 around 180 people died, a total of one forth of the town’s residents. By 1611 the population climbed to a peak of 930, reaching a level not seen in two hundred years. The last and severest of plague epidemics struck in September 1667 and lingered until January 1669, during which time 514, over 60 percent of the population, perished. An accident of note occurred on September 1, 1626, when a ship on its way to Zurzach capsized on the Aare. Over 100 people, included 47 from Brugg, drowned in the incident. It was only in 1840 that the town’s population returned to that of 1611.
Artisan
ry and craftsmanship were predominant trades at this point in Brugg’s history. They catered primarily to the needs of the surrounding area and, along with the increasing expansion of transportation routes, to travelers. This was particularly so after the construction of a road over the Bözberg Pass
between 1773 and 1779. No guilds of any political significance existed in town at this time. In the 18th century the salt trade grew in importance. The Salt House (Salzhaus), constructed in 1732, was one of the largest salt depots in the Swiss Confederation. It supplied not only Bernese Aargau, but the neighboring districts of the Freie Ämter (Free Bailiwicks) and County of Baden as well.
After the beginning of the French Revolution
, demands for equality and rights found a great deal of support in town. As the French proceeded through Swiss territory and the end of Bern’s rule drew near at the beginning of 1798, a revolutionary committee seized power. On April 12, 1798, General Guillaume Marie Anne Brune
proclaimed the Helvetic Republic
.
cantons
were purely administrative entities, which were in turn divided into districts and municipalities. Brugg thus lost all of its previously privileges and became a district capital in the Canton of Aargau.
The revolutionary atmosphere that had followed the declaration of the Helvetic Republic dissipated rapidly in 1799. Responsible for this sudden shift was the War of the Second Coalition
, during which the battlefront ran directly through the Aare Valley and hundreds of French
soldiers were quartered in houses in the town. When the French withdrew from Switzerland
for a number of months in 1802, the supporters of the old order had the upper hand. During the ensuing Stecklikrieg
farmers from the surrounding area plundered the town's armory. Following the Act of Mediation
, signed by Napoléon Bonaparte on March 19, 1803, Brugg was definitively made a district capital in the newly arranged Canton of Aargau.
At the beginning of the 19th century Brugg became a stronghold of Liberalism
and its politicians played a leading role in the development of the new canton. In an outward symbol of this break from the past the town’s moat was filled in 1811, followed by the destruction of its fortifications between 1829 and 1840. The steep incline of the Hauptstrasse, the most important thoroughfare through the old town, hindered transportation and was therefore leveled in 1836 under the supervision of the later-renowned engineer Alois Negrelli
. In 1823 Brugg reached an agreement with Lauffohr to purchase about one-forth of Lauffohr’s territory for the sum of 1,669 Swiss Franc
s. Four years later, in 1827, the town purchased a tract of land near the Brunnenmühle from Umiken
in the vicinity of the “Vorstadt” and, in return, agreed to abstain from its right to wood and fields in the “Umiker Schachen.”
The initially positive outlook held by the town when it came to facing the challenges posed by the modern gave way to a more conservative mindset. In turn, the residents of Brugg concentrated primarily on their supposed strengths – handicraft
, artisanry and trade
. At this time the town lacked the political will and commitment necessary for the development of industry
. Brugg’s bourgeoisie
was particularly prejudiced against factory workers. This hesitation benefited neighboring communities such as Windisch and Turgi
, where large textile factories emerged.
The Schweizerische Nordostbahn expanded its Zürich-Baden line to Brugg on September 29, 1856 and the cantonal capital of Aarau on May 15, 1858. The expansion of the railroad initially hurt the town’s economy, as the road over the Bözberg Pass was replaced by rail and the businesses serving these travelers lost their clientele. Brugg also found fault with the location of the train station, which was built ten minutes from the town itself. Windisch, on the other hand, complained about the fact that stationed was named for Brugg despite actually being located on its territory.
The cause of this conflict was the complex border between the two towns. Brugg had only possessed a thin strip of land, known as the "Burgerziel," around the town’s old wall. To the south of this was the “Ehfäde,” which was agricultural land located in a special district owned entirely by citizens of Brugg. Although all changes in ownership had to be approved by Brugg, the land was politically and taxably part of Windisch. The town had repeatedly attempted to acquire the territory, but to no avail. In 1856 the cantonal government found that the situation was no longer appropriate and awarded control of the Ehfäde to Windisch. Windisch, however, was in a difficult fiscal position and found itself in need of funds. In 1863 they agreed to sell the land, where the train station was located, to Brugg for 25,000 Swiss Francs.
With the construction of additional rail lines Brugg became an important rail junction. The Bözbergbahn to Basel opened on August 2, 1875, while the Aargauische Südbahn commissioned its line to Hendschiken
on June 1, 1882. Despite these excellent transit links and the availability of land, industrial development was still slow to take root. In 1864 a printing press opened on the site of the “Effingerhof,” the former town residence of the Habsburgs, which necessitated its demolition. Another prominent building, the Hallwylerfestung (Hallwyler Fortress), was torn down in 1883 and replaced with a schoolhouse. 1882 saw the development of a new water system and, beginning in 1896, a sewage system.
The town’s military tradition began in 1848 when an engineer corps was deployed to Brugg. It initially exercised in the old town and was accommodated in private homes. Following numerous complaints from residents, the cantonal government decided to convert the grain house (Kornhaus) into barracks in 1856. Between 1876 and 1878 an exercise grounds was constructed near the “Geissenschachen,” followed by a new barracks complex in 1898.
approved of its incorporation into Brugg on January 1, 1901. Brugg thus saw its surface area doubled.
Agriculture
had never played a significant role in the town's economy, but various circumstances led to the rise of Brugg as the “Farmers Metropolis” (“Bauernmetropole”) at the turn of the century. The “Landwirtschaftliche Winterschule,” a training institute for farmers, was opened in 1887 and moved into a new building on Baslerstrasse in 1901. The selection of Brugg as the seat of the Swiss Farmers' Union (Schweizerischer Bauernverband) was purely coincidental: The wife of the Union’s husband was from Brugg and did not want to move. The Union itself was therefore relocated to Brugg from Bern. The small farmers secretariat developed over time into one of the largest special interest groups in Switzerland
. Cattle trade also emerged as an important industry following the completion of the railroad. The Market Hall (Markthalle) evolved into one of the most important national transshipment
hubs by 1930. The cattle market was ultimately shut in 1997 and moved to Brunegg
.
Catholics, whose portion of the population rose greatly due to the arrival of factory workers, were allowed to build their own church in 1907, about 400 years after the Reformation and Brugg’s subsequent conversion to Protestantism. In 1911 the town’s gas work was brought online (closure in 1967) on territory ceded to Brugg from Windisch at no cost. The economic boom came to an end during World War I
, during which many residents were forced to live under the subsistence level. During the National Strike (Landesstreik) in 1918 strikes impacted all factories in town. The global economic depression also hit Brugg hard, contributing to high unemployment and the closing of a number of businesses. Under the influence of the Nazi seizure of power in Germany
in 1933, there were multiple demonstrations and counterdemonstrations organized by the National Front
and opposition groups in town, which drew up to 3,000 participants at their peak. From 1935 until 1939 there was an active NSDAP organization in town, the members of which, though, were all German
laborers.
After the constraints and restrictions of World War II
, the town entered another period of rapid economic growth that lasted three decades. The almost-euphoric economic expansion led to plans for disproportionate and oversized development projects, most of which were never realized. For example: The construction of a four-lane highway and the urban renewal and reconfiguration of the area to the south of the old town. An inland water transport port with two basins in Aufeld was also envisioned as part of a plan to make the High Rhine
and the Aare navigable.
A contentious political issue during the 1960s was the incorporation of Lauffohr into Brugg. Over two-thirds of the residents of Lauffohr lived in the rapidly-growing neighborhood of Au. It bordered directly on Brugg and was separated from the center of Lauffohr by a large, undeveloped swath of land. The residents of Au gravitated towards Brugg and therefore strived for the fusion of the two communities. A referendum was held in September 1962, with 97 individuals voting for, and 64 voting against, the merger of the two municipalities. Brugg, however, was not overly enthusiastic about the possible fusion – 494 voted in favor, while 409 voted against the proposal. The narrow vote and the strong weight placed upon the independence of communities at the time moved the cantonal parliament not to recognize the results of the referendum. In August 1965, all of the seats in the Lauffohr town council were won by supporters of the fusion and the matter remained topical. In April 1969, another round of referendums was held. In Brugg the final tally was 1095 in favor and 397 against, while the result in Lauffohr was much closer – 113 in favor and 100 against. Meanwhile, the cantonal parliament’s position on town mergers had changed during the intervening years and it confirmed the results. The fusion ultimately occurred on January 1, 1970.
The 1973 oil crisis
resulted in structural changes in the economy and the further development of the service sector. Companies such as Georg Fischer AG moved their production facilities, while others such as Traugott Simmen AG (the most-renowned furniture producer in Switzerland in the 1950s and 1960s) were sold off or shut down. The crisis also killed off the high-flying plans of the economic boom. Only the shopping centers Neumarkt I and Neumarkt II – opening in 1975 and 1982, respectively – and the “Middle Bypass” (“Mittlere Umfahrung”), which was completed in 1980 and relieved the old town from traffic, were actually realized.
began at the end of the 1950s. In 1958 the Landwirtschaftliche Winterschule relocated to Gränichen
and was replaced by the Frauenschule – the Women’s School. The new school trained future instructors of home economics
and needlework
along with prospective kindergarten
teachers. Over time it developed into the Lehrerseminar (1973), Teaching Institute, and finally the Pädagogische Fachhochschule (2001), or College of Education – both of which trained future teachers. Meanwhile, the cantonal technical college was opened in neighboring Windisch. Both institutions were then merged into the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, or the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland in English. Currently being developed, the project "Vision Mitte" envisions the construction of a new, unified campus by the year 2010 on the Brugg-Windish border, at which the various departments – currently in different locations – would be based in one location, and which would educate upwards of 2,500 students.
Brugg, however, could not use its location to its advantage in the healthcare sector. The cantonal government announced the closure of the district hospital in September 2003 due to financial constraints. The announcement was met with indignation and resistance, the bulk of which culminated in a demonstration that was attended by over 6,000 people in February 2005 – by far the largest demonstration in Brugg’s history. The Cantonal Parliament authorized the closure regardless and converted the hospital into a nursing home, which resulted in the elimination of 300 jobs. The hospital’s closure marked the end of a long tradition of medical care in Brugg, which began in 1450 with the opening of the Heiliggeistspital, or Holy Spirit hospital.
The fact that Brugg and Windisch have grown into one another, along with the close cooperation necessary for the realization of the project "Vision Mitte," led to calls for the merger of the two communities. Both town councils voted strongly in favor of an initiative to launch negotiations for such a fusion in May 2006. A referendum, however, was launched in opposition to this decision. Voting was held on September 24, 2006, the results of which showed a clear majority of the electorate – 63 percent – opposed to such a merger. There were two reasons, above all, for this opposition: the large difference between the tax rates of the communities and the debt held by the municipality of Windisch. For these reasons discussion of a merger is not likely to arise again before the completion of the "Vision Mitte" campus.
Unaffected by this decision is Brugg's fusion with Umiken
. The town council (Stadtrat ) ordered a study on a possible merger, the results of which were presented in March 2007 and were positively received. The resident's council (Einwohnerrat ) approved the merger agreement on July 27, 2008. A referendum in favor passed on September 28, 2008, in both Brugg – with 88.6 voting yes (1,748 to 224) – and Umiken – with 85.7 percent voting yes (330 to 55). The fusion is schedule to occur on January 1, 2010.
City Church, the Schwarzer Turm (Black tower), the Vindonissa-Museum, and Zimmermannhaus (Carpenter House) are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance
.
. Only portions of the town’s defensive structures remain in existence. Different fragments have been integrated into the town's modern structures and have been broken through with windows and passageways in many sections. Of the town's towers only the Archivturm (Archive Tower) and the lower half of the Storchenturm (Stork Tower) on the western side along with the Eckturm (Corner Tower) on the northern side of the town’s north-bank periphery remain.
The town’s oldest building and landmark, the Schwarze Turm (Black Tower), is a 25.7-meter high tower-castle. This bridgehead is partially constructed from remains of the Roman Legion
post Vindonissa
and was expanded several meters higher in 1535. The town’s late-gothic
town hall (Rathaus) was added onto it in 1579.
Brugg’s reformed church is the seat of the regional church district. The oldest remaining section, a tower integrated into the town’s former defenses, was completed around 1220. Between 1479 and 1518, the building was expanded in four stages in late-gothic style with three nave
s, a side chapel, and a choir. The interior layout originates from 1641-42. Its modern exterior design was shaped between 1734 and 1740, when it was completely remodeled in baroque
style. New windows emblazoned with the crests of the older family houses of Brugg were installed in 1896.
Directly next to the church stands the Latin school
. Its three-story building, finished in a baroque style and completed around 1638-40, is also a part of the town’s defenses, with its back wall integrated into the town's defensive barrier. The front façade is covered by a brilliant and rare humanistic mural of allegorical female figures representing theology and the seven liberal arts
(grammar
, rhetoric
, logic
, arithmetic
, geometry
, astronomy
, and music
). The cartouche
s under the window ledges are adorned with Biblical dictums in German
, Latin
, Greek
, and Hebrew.
In the southeastern area of the old town is the Hofstatt, the town’s only large open square. The Zeughaus (Armory), completed in 1673, is located on the square’s northern side. The baroque structure stands out into the alley with its protruding tower topped by a bulbous dome (an architectural design that is rarely encountered in the German-speaking section of Switzerland). The southern side of the Hofstatt is flanked by the dominant Salzhaus (Salt House), which was completed in 1732, and was used to store salt until the middle of the 19th century. Other than the attic space, the building is composed entirely of one large room with twelve supporting pillars.
Most of the old town’s homes have been simply maintained. They originate primarily from the period between the sixteenth and 18th centuries and were constructed in gothic as well as baroque styles (some with rococo
ornamentation). Mentionable are the Bürgerasyl, a hospital completed in 1747; the Landschreiberei der Vogtei Schenkenberg (Registry of the Bailiwick of Schenkenberg) completed in 1606; the Kornhaus (Grain House) completed in 1697; the house Roter Bären (Of the Red Bear) completed in 1750; and the house Hirschen (Deer), which was constructed around the year 1750. The Zimmermannhaus (Carpenter House) on the northern bank is also worth mention and is partially of neo-classical
design.
The first building in Brugg to be constructed beyond the town’s wall was the Stadthaus (Town House), also known as the Palais Frölich. It was built at the behest of Johann Jakob Frölich, who acquired his wealth through his service as private secretary to Earl Sandwich
. The baroque building, which is topped by a mansard roof
, is adorned by baroque elements internally as well as externally. It has been the seat of the town’s administration and council since 1909. To the west of the building is the Stadtpark (Town Park) with two abutting neo-classical office complexes.
There are a number of other noteworthy buildings in the direct vicinity of the Stadthaus. The "Haus Rauber" is the only neo-classical cottage in Brugg. It was built in 1822 according to the plans of Architect Hans Conrad Stadler. The "Schilplinhaus" was completed in 1810 during the late phase of rococo
architecture and was acquired by the Schweizerischer Bauernverband (Swiss Farmers’ Union / Association) in 1928. The "House of the Swiss Farmer" (Haus des Schweizerbauern), a large administrative building, was constructed on the location of the Schilplinhaus' barn. The town’s Catholic house of worship – the St. Nikolaus Church – was named after the town’s one-time patron saint, Saint Nicholas
. It was constructed in 1905 according to the plans of Adolf Gaudy in a neo-baroque style and was completely renovated in 1952.
Located about one kilometer to the west of the old town, in Altenburg, on top of a crag is the small castle "Schlössli Altenburg," which was constructed on the ruins of a Roman fort during medieval times and was the first residence of the Habsburgs. Integrated into the western wall of the tower house is the highest remaining Roman wall in Switzerland, the construction material of which comes primarily from the 16th century. It has served as a hostel since 1943.
The industrial heritage path (Industriekulturpfad) Limmat-Wasserschloss is a trail towards Wettingen
, which passes by forty-four different industrial buildings. Structures in Brugg along this trail include the Altenburger railway bridge, the former electric power station, Brugg’s train station, a number of different plants of the Kabelwerke Brugg, and the town's decommissioned gas plant.
of the town’s coat of arms
is: “On a white field a black bridge, guarded by two roofed black towers, the right one higher and with a covered machicolation
” (“In Weiss schwarze Brücke, bewehrt mit zwei bedachten schwarzen Türmen, der rechte höher und mit bedachter Pechnase”).
The symbol of the town is reproduced on the coat of arms – the large black tower on the right as well as the smaller toll tower on the left bank of the Aare linked by the bridge in between. It is worth noting that the machicolation mentioned in the blazon is really an oriel
without any specified function, while the toll tower was removed in 1836.
The oldest known depiction is on the town seal from 1311. A number of changes to the coat of arms followed. These corresponded to structural alterations made to the buildings and the bridge that were replicated with great care to detail, as can be seen on the depiction to the left. With time multiple versions came into simultaneous use. In 1964 the town council (Stadtrat) decided to standardize the coat. One year later the emblem received its modern form.
The town colors are black and white. The coat of arms is also used, unchanged, as the district’s emblem.
Brugg has a population of , 26.3% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 0.4%. Most of the population speaks German (83.8%), with Italian being second most common ( 2.9%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 2.4%).
The percentage of residents that are not Swiss citizens is approximately six percent above the cantonal average of 19.3 percent. Between 1850 and 1950 the total number of such residents held steady at about 300 persons. The following twenty-year period saw a fivefold increase in their numbers, followed by a twenty-year period of stagnation. From 1990 onwards the number of non-citizens rose again. Among the town's unnaturalized residents, citizens from Serbia-Montenegro (around 5.2 percent of the total population) predominate, followed by Italians (3.9 percent), Turks (2.8 percent) and Germans (1.9 percent).
The age distribution, , in Brugg is; 781 children or 8.5% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 965 teenagers or 10.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,287 people or 14.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,229 people or 13.4% are between 30 and 39, 1,370 people or 14.9% are between 40 and 49, and 1,292 people or 14.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,056 people or 11.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 709 people or 7.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 404 people or 4.4% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 93 people or 1.0% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.55 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 37.9% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement). , there were 413 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 2,186 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 1,155 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.20 individuals. there were 1,053 single family homes (or 23.7% of the total) out of a total of 4,439 homes and apartments. There were a total of 32 empty apartments for a 0.7% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.2 new units per 1000 residents.
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Brugg about 74.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
). Of the school age population , there are 620 students attending primary school, there are 294 students attending secondary school, there are 304 students attending tertiary or university level schooling in the municipality.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 13 individuals (or about 0.14% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic
faith.
In 1900 a large majority of the population, approximately 83 percent, was Protestant. The portion of the population identifying itself as a Catholic grew greatly after 1950, partially due to the migration of labor from Catholic regions within Switzerland, but primarily from Mediterranean countries. Today less than half of the population of the one-time “Prophet City” (“Prophetenstadt”) is Protestant.
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 27% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(20.1%), the FDP
(16.5%) and the Green Party
(12.2%).
, the Einwohnerrat (residents' council) has represented the wishes of its electorate since 1965. The council is composed of 50 members and is empowered to authorize all decisions relevant to the town’s tax rate, budget, annual report, and credit. It can also pass regulations. All members of the council are chosen for four-year terms through a proportional-representation-based
electoral process.
The five members of the town council for the term 2006-2009 are as follows:
also exists at the communal level and serves the municipalities of Riniken
, Umiken
and Villnachern
as well.
mechanisms also exist at the municipal level, including voluntary, i.e., petitioner-based, and obligatory, i.e., statutory-based, referenda
, as well as the right to initiate independent initiative
s. As in the rest of Switzerland, the electorate has the final say over almost all municipal matters.
there was a total of 4,595 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 3,026 or about 65.9% of the residents worked outside Brugg while 5,650 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 7,219 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 27.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 37.7% used a private car.
From 1920 onwards (when such data was first kept) industry has provided about half of all jobs. Its share shrank to one quarter in the early 1970s due to structural changes in the economy. Agriculture, on the other hand, has traditionally played a marginal role. More than a third of all jobs in the district are concentrated in the town of Brugg, which in turn causes a marked stream of commuters to and from the community. Over 70 percent of all jobs are held by commuters.
The Kabelwerke Brugg is a global company specialised in the areas of cable systems, wire, piping systems, and process control engineering. The company has over 1,300 employees and was named after the town, where it was founded. It has its seat in Brugg and is represented in 16 countries worldwide. Tütschi Fluid AG, also located in town, is a leading producer of water and chemical pumps. Other important businesses include Jost Brugg AG (electric installation) along with the paper and printing firms Seetal Schaller AG and Effingerhof AG.
In addition to these larger firms there are around 650 small- and mid-sized employers. Nationally known are the Internet service provider green.ch and publisher BEA + Poly-Verlag. The shopping centers Neumarket I and Neumarkt II (New Market I and New Market II), both of which are located near the train station, are important meeting points in the region, with some of the highest recorded revenue per sq meter in Switzerland. Brugg is also the seat of the Swiss Farmers' Union (Schweizerischer Bauernverband ) and the Rural Women’s Guild / Union (Schweizerischer Landfrauenverband). A barrack of the Swiss army is also an important employer. The local radio station, Radio Argovia, broadcast from its Brugg-based studio from 1990 until its move to Aarau in 2005.
play at Stadion Au
in the town. The team currently play in Liga 1.
which is the third highest tier in the Swiss football pyramid
.
SLRG Baden-Brugg is one of the most famous Lifesaving and Surflifesaving Clubs in Switzerland. Trainings are held on the Aare or at the Badi Brugg.
Brugg is an important crossroads. Two national highways meet in town, A3 motorway (Basel – Zürich
– Chur
) and A5 motorway
(Lausanne
– Biel/Bienne – Waldshut
). Access to the A3 is located four kilometers south, between Hausen
and Lupfig
. There is also access to A1 motorway a further four kilometers to the south in the town of Mägenwil
. Through traffic in town is no longer directed into the old town; instead, it is led around it on the Mittlere Umfahrung, or intermediary bypass, which is composed of a tunnel under the town’s cemetery and the Casino Bridge over the Aare.
Brugg’s train station is located at a junction of three separate SBB
rail lines. The most important of these is the Bözberg line between Zürich and Basel. The other, less-traveled lines pass through the Aare Valley towards Aarau and through the Birrfeld (Birr
field) towards Lenzburg
. Interregional trains leave Brugg for Basel, Bern, Zürich Hauptbahnhof, and Zürich Airport. Regional trains travel to Aarau (via Wildegg or Lenzburg) and towards Baden and Wettingen. Brugg is also the terminus of the commuter rail (German
: S-Bahn) line S12
, part of Zürich's ZVV system
.
Post buses to Bad Zurzach
, Birr, Dättwil, Döttingen
, Frick
, Laufenburg
, Linn
, Mellingen
, Mönthal
, Remigen
, Scherz
and Thalheim
leave regularly from the train station. In addition, there are two local lines to Brugg-Bodenacker and Unterwindisch.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Aargau and is the seat of the district
Brugg (district)
Brugg District is a district in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, it is located south of the Aare and the Aargauer Jura covers the district. The capital of the district is the town of Brugg.-Geography:...
of the same name. The city is located at the confluence of the Reuss
Reuss River
The Reuss is a river in Switzerland. With a length of and a drainage basin of , it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland...
, Aare, and Limmat
Limmat
The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. It is the continuation of the Linth river, known as Limmat from the point of effluence from Lake Zurich, in the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare...
Rivers, with the Aare flowing through the city’s old town. It is located approximately 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the cantonal capital of Aarau
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...
; 28 kilometres (17.4 mi) from Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
; and about 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
.
Brugg is the Swiss German
Swiss German
Swiss German is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland and in some Alpine communities in Northern Italy. Occasionally, the Alemannic dialects spoken in other countries are grouped together with Swiss German as well, especially the dialects of Liechtenstein and Austrian Vorarlberg...
word for bridge (Brücke in High German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
). This is an allusion to the purpose of the city’s establishment under the Habsburgs, as the city is located at the narrowest point on the Aare in the Swiss midlands
Swiss plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface...
. The Habsburgs’ oldest known residence is located in the neighborhood of Altenburg, which had previously been an independent community. Prior to their relocation to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Brugg was the center of the Habsburgs' territory. Between 1415 and Napoleon’s invasion in 1798, Brugg was a subject territory of Bern. Since then it has belonged to the Canton of Aargau.
The city is the home of the Swiss Farmers’ Union and is the location of a campus of the University of Applied Sciences, Northwestern Switzerland. Brugg's Vindonissa
Vindonissa
Vindonissa was a Roman legion camp at modern Windisch, Switzerland. It was probably established in 15 AD. In an expansion around 30, thermal baths were added....
museum is listed as a heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
. An engineer unit of the Swiss army is also based in the city.
Geography
The municipality extends for six kilometers (4 mi.) from its southwestern to northeastern boundaries, and is barely wider than one kilometer (2/3 mi.) at its broadest point. The Aare, which flows through the center of the old town, divides the municipality into two separate, distinct landscapes – the Swiss plateauSwiss plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface...
on the southern bank and the beginnings of the Jura
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
on the northern side.
The southwestern-most area of Brugg is primarily a flood plain, known as the Wildischachen, which is located between the Aare and a hill, the Wülpselsberg, upon which the Habsburg castle
Habsburg castle
Habsburg Castle is a medieval fortress located in Habsburg, Switzerland in the canton of Aargau, near the Aar River. At the time of its construction, the location was part of the Duchy of Swabia. Habsburg Castle is the originating seat of the House of Habsburg, which became one of the leading...
in the neighboring community of Habsburg
Habsburg, Switzerland
Habsburg is a municipality in the district of Brugg in canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It lies about three kilometres southwest of the town of Brugg, the capital of the district of Brugg...
was built. Approximately two kilometers (1.25 mi.) further north two separate branches of the Aare come together near the village of Altenburg. In between these two branches, which came into being following the construction of a hydroelectric dam, is the forested island of Schacheninsel.
Following a bend in the river, at which it alters its course from the north to the east, the river enters a 200 meter-long (650 ft) gorge. The Aare narrows from its previous width of about 130 meters (425 ft) to a mere 12 m (40 ft). It is along this gorge that the historic center of Brugg formed, with sections of the old town developing on both banks. Today the southern bank is heavily built up and is composed primarily of residential and industrial buildings, while the northern bank, due to the lack of space at the foot of the Bruggerberg (516 m / 1,693 ft), is less settled.
The Aare broadens again after it exits the gorge and departs the old town, where it flows alongside the Aufeld plain. A majority of the population in this area is concentrated in a small band along the southeastern slope of the Bruggerberg. On the eastern border of the municipality three of the most important Swiss rivers flow together, first the Reuss
Reuss River
The Reuss is a river in Switzerland. With a length of and a drainage basin of , it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland...
and the Aare, the combination of which is met approximately one and a half kilometers (1 mi.) further downstream by the Limmat
Limmat
The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. It is the continuation of the Linth river, known as Limmat from the point of effluence from Lake Zurich, in the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare...
. In the northeastern-most part of town, nestled between the mouth of the Limmat and the Reinerberg (522 m / 1,713 ft) is the village of Lauffohr.
Brugg has an area, , of 5.56 square kilometres (2.1 sq mi). Of this area, 0.74 square kilometre (0.285715597358476 sq mi) or 13.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while1.58 square kilometre (0.610041410576205 sq mi) or 28.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.79 square kilometres (1.1 sq mi) or 50.2% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.38 square kilometre (0.146718820265163 sq mi) or 6.8% is either rivers or lakes and 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 0.5% is unproductive land.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 7.9% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 24.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 14.7%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 3.1%. 27.9% of the total land area was heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 8.3% is used for growing crops and 4.0% is pastures, while 1.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
Brugg is bordered by the municipalities of Rüfenach
Rüfenach
Rüfenach is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:The municipality lies at the foot of the Bruggerberg and the Reinerberg, the southeast foothills of the Jura Mountains....
and Villigen
Villigen
Villigen is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. In January 2006, Villigen incorporated the former municipality of Stilli....
to the north; Untersiggenthal
Untersiggenthal
Untersiggenthal is a municipality in the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, located in the Limmat Valley .-Geography:...
and Gebenstorf
Gebenstorf
Gebenstorf is a municipality in the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Gebenstorf is first mentioned in 1247 as Gobistorf. From 1415 until 1798 it was a township in the county of Baden. The historical borders have been retained in the modern...
to the northeast; Windisch
Windisch
Windisch is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Windisch is situated at the site of the Roman legion camp Vindonissa. In 1064 the current municipality was mentioned as Vinse, and in 1175 as Vindisse. Until the 19th Century the official name was...
to the east; Hausen
Hausen
-Places in Switzerland:*Hausen am Albis, in the Canton of Zurich*Hausen bei Brugg, in the Canton of Aargau-Bavaria:*Hausen, Miltenberg, in the Miltenberg district*Hausen, Lower Bavaria, in the Kelheim district*Hausen, Upper Franconia, in the Forchheim district...
to the south; Umiken
Umiken
Umiken was a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipality of Umiken merged into Brugg.-Economy:...
to the west; and Riniken
Riniken
Riniken is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:While Iberg Castle was built in the 11th Century and abandoned in 1200, the village of Riniken is first mentioned in 1253 as Rinikon. The rights to high justice were held by the Habsburgs until 1460,...
to the northwest. Over time the built-up areas of Brugg have grown into the neighboring communities of Umiken and Windisch.
Enlargement of the municipality
Up until the 19th century Brugg consisted of only one-tenth of its current surface area. The municipality's expansion began in 1823 with the purchase of around one-fourth of the territory of the neighboring community of Lauffohr. This was followed by the acquisition of a number of properties in 1827 from UmikenUmiken
Umiken was a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipality of Umiken merged into Brugg.-Economy:...
. Windisch sold the area around the train station in 1863 and transferred the land around the gas works in 1912. The village of Altenburg was incorporated into Brugg in 1901, and was followed in 1970 by the remainder of Lauffohr. On 1 January 2010 the municipality of Umiken
Umiken
Umiken was a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipality of Umiken merged into Brugg.-Economy:...
merged into Brugg.
Before the Municipality’s Establishment
Archeological discoveries from the prehistoric era are scant. Two blades and fragments of a stone ax from the early Stone Age as well as a sickle from the Bronze Age are all that have been unearthed.In 58 BC, or shortly thereafter, the Helvetii
Helvetii
The Helvetii were a Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their contact with the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC...
, who had returned to the Swiss Plateau
Swiss plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface...
following the Battle of Bibracte
Battle of Bibracte
The Battle of Bibracte was fought between the Helvetii and six Roman legions, under the command of Gaius Julius Caesar. It was the second major battle of the Gallic Wars....
, founded the settlement of Vindonissa
Vindonissa
Vindonissa was a Roman legion camp at modern Windisch, Switzerland. It was probably established in 15 AD. In an expansion around 30, thermal baths were added....
on a hill between the Aare and Reuss
Reuss River
The Reuss is a river in Switzerland. With a length of and a drainage basin of , it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland...
on what is today territory of the neighboring community of Windisch.
The Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
constructed a military post at Vindonissa around 15 BC, which they expanded into an encampment of the Roman Legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
. At this time the first wooden bridge over the Aare was built as part of a Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
to Augusta Raurica
Augusta Raurica
Augusta Raurica is a Roman archaeological site and an open-air museum in Switzerland. Located on the south bank of the Rhine river about 20 km east of Basel near the villages of Augst and Kaiseraugst, it is the oldest known Roman colony on the Rhine....
(known today as Augst
Augst
Augst is a municipality in the district of Liestal in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland.It was known as Augusta Raurica in roman times-History:...
). It was the only position along the Aare between Lake Thun
Lake Thun
Lake Thun is an Alpine lake in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. It took its name from the city of Thun, on its northern shore.Lake Thun's approximately 2,500 km² large catchment area frequently causes local flooding after heavy rainfalls...
and the Rhine at which the river could be crossed with a single log. Remains of around 350 Roman graves have since been discovered within Brugg, where two large Roman burial grounds were located, and archeologists estimate that a total of 7,000 graves exist.
After the invasion of the Alemanni between 259 and 270 AD the Romans converted Vindonissa back into a camp of the Roman Legion, breaking with a 170-year "civilian phase." Around 370 AD the Romans established a fort as part of the Donau-Iller-Rhine-Limes in Altenburg. The Romans, though, ultimately withdrew between the years 401 and 406 AD. Settlement of the Alemanni in their stead has been traced to the 7th century.
In the late 10th century a noble dynasty under Lanzelin, which was possibly related to the Alsatian Etichonids
Etichonids
The Etichonids were an important noble family, probably of Frankish , Burgundian or Visigothic origin, who rose to dominate the region of Alsace in the Early Middle Ages from the seventh to the tenth centuries....
, settled in Altenburg. He expanded the established fort into the Altenburg Castle and made it his seat. Around 1020 Lanzelin’s son, Radbot, ordered the construction of the Habsburg Castle
Habsburg castle
Habsburg Castle is a medieval fortress located in Habsburg, Switzerland in the canton of Aargau, near the Aar River. At the time of its construction, the location was part of the Duchy of Swabia. Habsburg Castle is the originating seat of the House of Habsburg, which became one of the leading...
approximately three kilometers to the southwest on the Wülpelsberg in the modern town of Habsburg
Habsburg, Switzerland
Habsburg is a municipality in the district of Brugg in canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It lies about three kilometres southwest of the town of Brugg, the capital of the district of Brugg...
. A few decades later the royal house adopted the castle’s name as its own. Consequently, Altenburg is the first verifiable residence of the Habsburgs. With the acquisition of this territory between the Aare and Reuss, known as the “Eigenamt,” the Habsburgs established the steppingstone of their imperium.
Habsburg Rule
The earliest documented use of Bruggo has been dated to the year 1064, when Count Werner IWerner I, Count of Habsburg
Werner I, Count of Habsburg . The great-great-great-great-grandfather of Rudolph I of Germany.He was sometimes called Werner The Pious. His father was Radbot, Count of Habsburg, and his mother was Ida de Lorraine...
attested to the possession of goods on the part of Muri Abbey
Muri Abbey
Muri Abbey was a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. It flourished for over eight centuries at Muri, in the Canton of Aargau, near Basle in Switzerland...
in area. The exact date, however, is contentious, as the Acta Murensia was first drawn up in 1160 and included a number of various older documents. Between 1164-74 it was mentioned as Brucca and between 1227-34 as Brukke. At the end of the 12th century the Black Tower, or Schwarze Turm, was constructed at the behest of Count Albrecht III, Werner II
Werner II, Count of Habsburg
Werner II was Count of Habsburg and a progenitor of the royal House of Habsburg. He was the great-great-grandfather of King Rudolph I of Germany....
's son. The Black Tower is the oldest standing structure remaining in Brugg’s old town today.
During the 13th century the settlement at the fortified river crossing took on the characteristics of a small town. Coins were minted from 1232, while a toll post was established in 1273. The town had a mayor, or Schultheiss, by 1278 and the first mention of a market can be traced to 1283. The importance of Brugg to the Habsburg can been seen in their decision to relocate to the town between 1220 and 1230. The confines of the Habsburg Castle had become too small for the family members that lived there. In 1242 the town is said to have been plundered by supporters of the Habsburg's Laufenburg Line
Habsburg Family Tree
This is a family tree of the Habsburg family. It currently ranges between the First Count of Habsburg in 1096 to 1395....
.
Rudolf I, who spent a great deal of time in Brugg before his election to King of the Romans
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
, awarded Brugg city rights, or Stadtrecht, on July 23, 1284. The decree awarding this new status was identical, word for word, to that of Aarau. At the same time Brugg was granted independence from the Eigenamt and became a separate polity. Although the Habsburgs had moved their center of power a few years earlier to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, they continued to maintain close ties with Brugg. The “Austrian House,” later known as “Effingerhof,” served as accommodations and a headquarters during military conflicts throughout this period of time in the Austrian forelands
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
.
John Parricida
John Parricida, or John the Parricide or Johann Parricida , also called John of Swabia from the House of Habsburg was a son of Rudolf II, former Duke of Austria and Agnes, daughter of King Ottokar II Přemysl of Bohemia...
in the neighboring community of Windisch. In memory of this event his wife, Elisabeth of Gorizia-Tyrol, founded Königsfelden Abbey
Königsfelden Abbey
Königsfelden Abbey is a former Franciscan monastery and former Clarisse convent in the municipality of Windisch in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It was founded in 1308 by the Habsburgs and during the Reformation in 1528 it was secularized. The complex was then the residence of the bailiffs...
(Cloister of King's Field), a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery and Clarisse
Order of Poor Ladies
The Poor Clares also known as the Order of Saint Clare, the Order of Poor Ladies, the Poor Clare Sisters, the Clarisse, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, and the Second Order of St. Francis, , comprise several orders of nuns in the Catholic Church...
convent, in 1310-11 at the site – approximately 200 meters from Brugg. Albrecht’s oldest daughter, Agnes of Hungary, the widow of the Hungarian King Andrew III, moved to Königsfelden in 1317 and led it to commercial success, but did not join a religious order. In 1348 she received the sovereign rights to Brugg as well as the neighboring districts of Bözberg
Bözberg
Bözberg is a former municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland.It ceased to exist in 1873, when it was split into the two new municipalities Oberbözberg and Unterbözberg....
(including Lauffohr) and the Eigenamt (including Altenburg) from her brother Duke Albrecht II. These rights lapsed after her death in 1364.
Although the city was under Habsburg control, there were still the beginnings of an independent polity. In the 1350s Brugg agreed to association, or Burgrecht
Burgrecht
A Burgrecht was a medieval agreement, most commonly in southern Germany and northern German-speaking Switzerland. It came to refer to an agreement between a town and surrounding settlements or to include the specific rights held by a city or town.The word Burgrecht is first used by the St...
, treaties with Baden
Baden, Switzerland
Baden is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau, on the west bank of the river Limmat, located in the Limmat Valley , northwest of Zürich. It is the seat of the district of Baden...
and Mellingen (1351) and with the Cloister of Wittichen in the upper Kinzig Valley
Kinzig (Rhine)
The Kinzig is a river in southwestern Germany, a right tributary of the Rhine.It runs for 95 km from the Black Forest through the Upper Rhine River Plains. The Kinzig valley and secondary valleys constitute the largest system of valleys in the Black Forest...
(1353). The departments of Bözburg and Eigenamt, upon their reversion of Habsburg control in 1364, also fell under the military leadership of the town. During this time the Austrians regularly assembled their armed forces in Brugg, as Duke Leopold III
Leopold III, Duke of Austria
Duke Leopold III of Austria from the Habsburg family, was Duke of Austria from 1365 to 1379, and Duke of Styria and Carinthia in 1365–1386.-Life:...
did in 1386 prior to the Battle of Sempach
Battle of Sempach
An armistice was agreed upon on 12 October, followed by a peace agreement valid for one year, beginning on 14 January 1387.The battle was a severe blow to Austrian interests in the region, and allowed for the further growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy....
.
Conquest and Conflict
Frederick IV fell into disregard at the Council of ConstanceCouncil of Constance
The Council of Constance is the 15th ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418. The council ended the Three-Popes Controversy, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining Papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V.The Council also condemned and...
in 1415, after he assisted the flight of the opposition Pope John XXIII
Antipope John XXIII
Baldassarre Cossa was Pope John XXIII during the Western Schism. The Catholic Church regards him as an antipope.-Biography:...
. In response, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
requested the Swiss to take control of Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
. Bern did not hesitate and dispatched troops at once. The residents of Brugg did not resist the invaders and allowed them to enter the town unopposed. In return Bern left the town alone.
The town and the Eigenamt, in turn, found themselves in the northeastern-most section of Bern’s subject territories, known as Bernese Aargau. At the same time, the Habsburgs relinquished control of Schenkenberg, originally in the district of Bözberg
Bözberg
Bözberg is a former municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland.It ceased to exist in 1873, when it was split into the two new municipalities Oberbözberg and Unterbözberg....
, to creditors they had pledged the territory to following their loss in the Battle of Sempach. This left Brugg in a predicament as its periphery and forest on the Bruggerburg along the northern bank of the Aare remained outside of the jurisdiction of Bern. Brugg was therefore required to consult regularly with the rulers of Schenkenberg concerning its northern territory.
King Frederick III
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
of the House of Habsburg joined with Zürich in 1443 in the Old Zürich War
Old Zürich War
The Old Zürich War , 1440–46, was a conflict between the canton of Zürich and the other seven cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy over the succession to the Count of Toggenburg....
and demanded the return of his Argovian territories. The residents of Brugg expected an economic boost upon the return of the Habsburgs and were therefore sympathetic to Zürich’s cause. Brugg’s location at the edge of Bern’s territory had led to a substantial economic slowdown in town. As Zürich was besieged by troops from the other Swiss cantons, French King Charles VII
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
dispatched Armagnac
Armagnac (region)
The hilly countship of Armagnac , in the foothills of the Pyrenées between the Adour and Garonne rivers, is a historic countship of the Duchy of Gascony, established in 601 in Aquitaine...
mercenaries to the conflict region to aid Zürich. To assist in their advance towards the city, Brugg was attacked on the night of the 29th / 30 July 1444. A small band led by Baron Thomas von Falkenstein snuck down the Bruggerberg and forced its way through town, ransacking homes and setting a number of them ablaze. Many citizens were kidnapped in the ensuing chaos and held for ransom.
Although the ordeal did not cause many deaths, it was nonetheless characterized as a downright massacre by Zürich’s opponents and subsequently referred to as the “Brugg Night of Murder” (Brugger Mordnacht). In retaliation, forces from Bern and Solothurn
Solothurn
The city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.-Pre-roman settlement:...
attacked and destroyed Falkenstein’s family seat near Niedergösgen
Niedergösgen
Niedergösgen is a municipality in the district of Gösgen in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.-History:Niedergösgen is first mentioned in 1294 as Bözzach. In 1308 it was mentioned as Göskon inferior.-Geography:...
. Meanwhile, the Armagnac’s advance was halted at the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs
Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs
The Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs was fought between the Old Swiss Confederacy and French mercenaries , on the banks of the river Birs...
on August 26, 1444, making the raid on Brugg militarily insignificant. On September 5, 1445, troops from Zürich launched another assault on Brugg, but their raid was detected at an early stage and consequently repelled, whereupon they pillaged surrounding villages.
In 1451, Thüring von Aarburg sold Schenkenberg to Hans und Markwart von Baldegg. The new rulers and Brugg soon found themselves in conflict with one another over Brugg’s right to use the Bruggerberg. The Baldeggs, who had demonstratively aligned themselves with the Austrians, considered their territory on the northern bank of the Aare to be their personal property and took offense at the town’s claims upon it. By 1460, Bern had had enough of the constant harassment of its subject town and seized the dominion.
All residents of Brugg were thereafter subjects of Bern. Nonetheless, this changed little on the outskirts of town, as Bern's border had been pushed to the north by only a few kilometers, and conflict continued to impair the town's economy. During the eighty years subsequent to the “Brugg Night of Murder” the population of Brugg was halved and surrounding communities were able to expand their trading areas and markets at the expense of Brugg.
Subject Territory of Bern
Brugg was granted the special status of “municipal town” (Munizipalstadt) in Bern. It was therefore not subject to another, intermediary sovereign, or LandvogteiVogt (Switzerland)
thumb|left|[[Franz Rudolf Frisching]], [[bailiff]] in the [[Vallemaggia |Vallemaggia]] in 1770, in the uniform of an officer of the [[Bernese]] Huntsmen Corps with his [[Berner Laufhund]], painted by [[Jean Preudhomme]] in 1785...
, and possessed more autonomy than other comparable towns.
At the head of Brugg’s government at this time sat two mayors, or Schultheisse, each of whom served two-year, alternating terms as chair. Together with seven further individuals they made up the “Small Council,” which undertook various administrative tasks. Below them stood the “Large Council,” which was composed of twelve members. It was expected to keep the Small Council in check. Both councils were selected from among the thirty-two-member “Kleinglocke” (literally "Small Bell"), members of which were named by the Small Council. This meant that unwanted candidates had no chance of assuming higher office, other than through the use of bribes. These councils were therefore exclusive, with a small number of influential members of the community sharing these lucrative posts among one another. Meanwhile, the disempowered citizenry possessed only the right to elect the town’s priest and the town’s open assembly, the “Maiding,” was purely symbolic.
In January 1528, Bern decided to introduce reforms to religious institutions and, therewith, join the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. Referendums were held in all towns and Landvogteien
Vogt (Switzerland)
thumb|left|[[Franz Rudolf Frisching]], [[bailiff]] in the [[Vallemaggia |Vallemaggia]] in 1770, in the uniform of an officer of the [[Bernese]] Huntsmen Corps with his [[Berner Laufhund]], painted by [[Jean Preudhomme]] in 1785...
. The areas surrounding Brugg voted in favor of breaking with the Catholic Church, while the town itself voted by a majority of five to remain Catholic. Brugg was nonetheless isolated in this desire and ultimately caved in to Bern under massive political pressure.
The town’s school, in existence since at least 1396, was consequently converted into a state-administered Latin school
Latin School
Latin School may refer to:* Latin schools of Medieval Europe* These schools in the United States:** Boston Latin School, Boston, MA** Brooklyn Latin School, New York, NY** Brother Joseph C. Fox Latin School, Long Island, NY...
. It served primarily as a preparatory school for students bound for the theological academy in the city of Bern. It was supported financially by the income of the now-disbanded Kloster Königsfelden. The school itself produced an above-average number of priests and scholars, which led many to label Brugg the “Prophet Town” (“Prophetenstadt”).
Despite its subject status, the town repeatedly tried to expand its own influence into the surrounding area. It had, for instance, possessed the patronage of the church in Mönthal
Mönthal
Mönthal is a municipality in the district of Brugg in canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Originally it was a fortified late Bronze Age hilltop settlement. Additionally, a Roman bronze figure was discovered in the village. During the High Middle Ages there were a number of small settlements...
since the 13th century. In 1588 Johann Georg von Hallwyl, later Bishop of Basel, sold two-thirds of the parishes of Bözberg and Rein
Rüfenach
Rüfenach is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:The municipality lies at the foot of the Bruggerberg and the Reinerberg, the southeast foothills of the Jura Mountains....
to the town, as well as one third of the lower jurisdiction (niedere Gerichtsbarkeit) in Villnachern
Villnachern
Villnachern is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:Villnachern has an area, , of . Of this area, or 29.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 49.7% is forested...
. Brugg also acquired Trostburg in the Wynental
Wynental
The Wynental is the Wyna River valley mostly in Canton Aargau, but also Canton Lucerne, Switzerland. Municipalities found in the Wynental include Beinwil am See, Beromünster, Burg, Gontenschwil, Leimbach, Menziken, Neudorf, Oberkulm, Pfeffikon, Reinach, Teufenthal, Unterkulm, and Zetzwil.The...
from the Hallwyls in 1616. Bern, however, refused to tolerate this gradual expansion of power on the part of its subject territory and ultimately took possession of the titles itself.
During an epidemic of the plague
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
in 1541 around 180 people died, a total of one forth of the town’s residents. By 1611 the population climbed to a peak of 930, reaching a level not seen in two hundred years. The last and severest of plague epidemics struck in September 1667 and lingered until January 1669, during which time 514, over 60 percent of the population, perished. An accident of note occurred on September 1, 1626, when a ship on its way to Zurzach capsized on the Aare. Over 100 people, included 47 from Brugg, drowned in the incident. It was only in 1840 that the town’s population returned to that of 1611.
Artisan
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
ry and craftsmanship were predominant trades at this point in Brugg’s history. They catered primarily to the needs of the surrounding area and, along with the increasing expansion of transportation routes, to travelers. This was particularly so after the construction of a road over the Bözberg Pass
Bözberg Pass
Bözberg Pass is a mountain pass in the Jura Mountains in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.It connects the Frick River valley and Brugg and is the shortest road between Basel and Zürich....
between 1773 and 1779. No guilds of any political significance existed in town at this time. In the 18th century the salt trade grew in importance. The Salt House (Salzhaus), constructed in 1732, was one of the largest salt depots in the Swiss Confederation. It supplied not only Bernese Aargau, but the neighboring districts of the Freie Ämter (Free Bailiwicks) and County of Baden as well.
After the beginning of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, demands for equality and rights found a great deal of support in town. As the French proceeded through Swiss territory and the end of Bern’s rule drew near at the beginning of 1798, a revolutionary committee seized power. On April 12, 1798, General Guillaume Marie Anne Brune
Guillaume Marie Anne Brune
Guillaume Marie Anne Brune, 1st Comte Brune was a French soldier and political figure who rose to Marshal of France....
proclaimed the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
.
The Nineteenth Century
Under the centralized government of the Helvetic RepublicHelvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
cantons
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
were purely administrative entities, which were in turn divided into districts and municipalities. Brugg thus lost all of its previously privileges and became a district capital in the Canton of Aargau.
The revolutionary atmosphere that had followed the declaration of the Helvetic Republic dissipated rapidly in 1799. Responsible for this sudden shift was the War of the Second Coalition
War of the Second Coalition
The "Second Coalition" was the second attempt by European monarchs, led by the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria and the Russian Empire, to contain or eliminate Revolutionary France. They formed a new alliance and attempted to roll back France's previous military conquests...
, during which the battlefront ran directly through the Aare Valley and hundreds of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
soldiers were quartered in houses in the town. When the French withdrew from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
for a number of months in 1802, the supporters of the old order had the upper hand. During the ensuing Stecklikrieg
Stecklikrieg
The Stecklikrieg of 1802 resulted in the collapse of the Helvetic Republic, the renewed French occupation of Switzerland and ultimately the Act of Mediation dictated by Napoleon on 10 March 1803....
farmers from the surrounding area plundered the town's armory. Following the Act of Mediation
Act of Mediation
The Act of Mediation was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasion of Switzerland by French troops in 1798. After the withdrawal of French troops in July 1802,...
, signed by Napoléon Bonaparte on March 19, 1803, Brugg was definitively made a district capital in the newly arranged Canton of Aargau.
At the beginning of the 19th century Brugg became a stronghold of Liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and its politicians played a leading role in the development of the new canton. In an outward symbol of this break from the past the town’s moat was filled in 1811, followed by the destruction of its fortifications between 1829 and 1840. The steep incline of the Hauptstrasse, the most important thoroughfare through the old town, hindered transportation and was therefore leveled in 1836 under the supervision of the later-renowned engineer Alois Negrelli
Alois Negrelli
Alois Negrelli, Ritter von Moldelbe , was an engineer and railroad pioneer in Austria, Italy and Switzerland.-Biography:...
. In 1823 Brugg reached an agreement with Lauffohr to purchase about one-forth of Lauffohr’s territory for the sum of 1,669 Swiss Franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
s. Four years later, in 1827, the town purchased a tract of land near the Brunnenmühle from Umiken
Umiken
Umiken was a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipality of Umiken merged into Brugg.-Economy:...
in the vicinity of the “Vorstadt” and, in return, agreed to abstain from its right to wood and fields in the “Umiker Schachen.”
The initially positive outlook held by the town when it came to facing the challenges posed by the modern gave way to a more conservative mindset. In turn, the residents of Brugg concentrated primarily on their supposed strengths – handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
, artisanry and trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
. At this time the town lacked the political will and commitment necessary for the development of industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
. Brugg’s bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
was particularly prejudiced against factory workers. This hesitation benefited neighboring communities such as Windisch and Turgi
Turgi
Turgi is a municipality in the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, located in the Limmat Valley .In 2002, Turgi received the Wakker Prize for the preservation of its architectural heritage.-Geography:...
, where large textile factories emerged.
The Schweizerische Nordostbahn expanded its Zürich-Baden line to Brugg on September 29, 1856 and the cantonal capital of Aarau on May 15, 1858. The expansion of the railroad initially hurt the town’s economy, as the road over the Bözberg Pass was replaced by rail and the businesses serving these travelers lost their clientele. Brugg also found fault with the location of the train station, which was built ten minutes from the town itself. Windisch, on the other hand, complained about the fact that stationed was named for Brugg despite actually being located on its territory.
The cause of this conflict was the complex border between the two towns. Brugg had only possessed a thin strip of land, known as the "Burgerziel," around the town’s old wall. To the south of this was the “Ehfäde,” which was agricultural land located in a special district owned entirely by citizens of Brugg. Although all changes in ownership had to be approved by Brugg, the land was politically and taxably part of Windisch. The town had repeatedly attempted to acquire the territory, but to no avail. In 1856 the cantonal government found that the situation was no longer appropriate and awarded control of the Ehfäde to Windisch. Windisch, however, was in a difficult fiscal position and found itself in need of funds. In 1863 they agreed to sell the land, where the train station was located, to Brugg for 25,000 Swiss Francs.
With the construction of additional rail lines Brugg became an important rail junction. The Bözbergbahn to Basel opened on August 2, 1875, while the Aargauische Südbahn commissioned its line to Hendschiken
Hendschiken
Hendschiken is a municipality in the district of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Hendschiken is first mentioned in 1160 as Hentschikon. During the Middle Ages, the major landowners in Hendschiken included Muri Abbey, Säckingen Abbey and St. Urban Abbey as well as the...
on June 1, 1882. Despite these excellent transit links and the availability of land, industrial development was still slow to take root. In 1864 a printing press opened on the site of the “Effingerhof,” the former town residence of the Habsburgs, which necessitated its demolition. Another prominent building, the Hallwylerfestung (Hallwyler Fortress), was torn down in 1883 and replaced with a schoolhouse. 1882 saw the development of a new water system and, beginning in 1896, a sewage system.
The town’s military tradition began in 1848 when an engineer corps was deployed to Brugg. It initially exercised in the old town and was accommodated in private homes. Following numerous complaints from residents, the cantonal government decided to convert the grain house (Kornhaus) into barracks in 1856. Between 1876 and 1878 an exercise grounds was constructed near the “Geissenschachen,” followed by a new barracks complex in 1898.
The Twentieth Century
The breakthrough in industrial development came about in 1892 with the commissioning of the town’s electric plant (in operation until 1952). Within a few years a large number of industrial firms settled in town and Brugg experienced an economic boom. The town, however, soon found itself bumping against its small borders. Meanwhile, between 1898 and 1901, the Canton of Aargau forcibly merged twelve smaller communities against their will, as they no longer appeared to be economically viable as independent entities and could therefore not meet their legally-prescribed duties and responsibilities. Altenburg found itself among this group. Although the final vote in the town meeting came down firmly against its cessation of independence (42 against versus 2 in favor), the Grand CouncilGrand Council of Aargau
The Grand Council of Aargau is the legislature of the canton of Aargau, in Switzerland. Aargau has a unicameral legislature. The Grand Council has 140 seats, with members elected every four years....
approved of its incorporation into Brugg on January 1, 1901. Brugg thus saw its surface area doubled.
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
had never played a significant role in the town's economy, but various circumstances led to the rise of Brugg as the “Farmers Metropolis” (“Bauernmetropole”) at the turn of the century. The “Landwirtschaftliche Winterschule,” a training institute for farmers, was opened in 1887 and moved into a new building on Baslerstrasse in 1901. The selection of Brugg as the seat of the Swiss Farmers' Union (Schweizerischer Bauernverband) was purely coincidental: The wife of the Union’s husband was from Brugg and did not want to move. The Union itself was therefore relocated to Brugg from Bern. The small farmers secretariat developed over time into one of the largest special interest groups in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Cattle trade also emerged as an important industry following the completion of the railroad. The Market Hall (Markthalle) evolved into one of the most important national transshipment
Transshipment
Transshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination....
hubs by 1930. The cattle market was ultimately shut in 1997 and moved to Brunegg
Brunegg
Brunegg is a municipality in the district of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Brunegg is first mentioned in first half of the 12th Century as Bruneco. In 1273 it was mentioned as Brunegge. Brunegg castle was built on a hill at the edge of the Jura mountains in the 13th...
.
Catholics, whose portion of the population rose greatly due to the arrival of factory workers, were allowed to build their own church in 1907, about 400 years after the Reformation and Brugg’s subsequent conversion to Protestantism. In 1911 the town’s gas work was brought online (closure in 1967) on territory ceded to Brugg from Windisch at no cost. The economic boom came to an end during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, during which many residents were forced to live under the subsistence level. During the National Strike (Landesstreik) in 1918 strikes impacted all factories in town. The global economic depression also hit Brugg hard, contributing to high unemployment and the closing of a number of businesses. Under the influence of the Nazi seizure of power in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1933, there were multiple demonstrations and counterdemonstrations organized by the National Front
National Front (Switzerland)
The National Front was a far right political party in Switzerland that flourished during the 1930s.The party began life amongst a number of debating clubs at the University of Zurich, where anti-Semitism, Swiss nationalism and support for ideas similar to those later adopted in the racial policy of...
and opposition groups in town, which drew up to 3,000 participants at their peak. From 1935 until 1939 there was an active NSDAP organization in town, the members of which, though, were all German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
laborers.
After the constraints and restrictions of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the town entered another period of rapid economic growth that lasted three decades. The almost-euphoric economic expansion led to plans for disproportionate and oversized development projects, most of which were never realized. For example: The construction of a four-lane highway and the urban renewal and reconfiguration of the area to the south of the old town. An inland water transport port with two basins in Aufeld was also envisioned as part of a plan to make the High Rhine
High Rhine
The High Rhine is the name used in Germany for the part of the Rhine River that flows westbound from Lake Constance to Basel.The High Rhine begins at the outflow of the Rhine from the Untersee in Stein am Rhein and turns into the Upper Rhine in Basel...
and the Aare navigable.
A contentious political issue during the 1960s was the incorporation of Lauffohr into Brugg. Over two-thirds of the residents of Lauffohr lived in the rapidly-growing neighborhood of Au. It bordered directly on Brugg and was separated from the center of Lauffohr by a large, undeveloped swath of land. The residents of Au gravitated towards Brugg and therefore strived for the fusion of the two communities. A referendum was held in September 1962, with 97 individuals voting for, and 64 voting against, the merger of the two municipalities. Brugg, however, was not overly enthusiastic about the possible fusion – 494 voted in favor, while 409 voted against the proposal. The narrow vote and the strong weight placed upon the independence of communities at the time moved the cantonal parliament not to recognize the results of the referendum. In August 1965, all of the seats in the Lauffohr town council were won by supporters of the fusion and the matter remained topical. In April 1969, another round of referendums was held. In Brugg the final tally was 1095 in favor and 397 against, while the result in Lauffohr was much closer – 113 in favor and 100 against. Meanwhile, the cantonal parliament’s position on town mergers had changed during the intervening years and it confirmed the results. The fusion ultimately occurred on January 1, 1970.
The 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
resulted in structural changes in the economy and the further development of the service sector. Companies such as Georg Fischer AG moved their production facilities, while others such as Traugott Simmen AG (the most-renowned furniture producer in Switzerland in the 1950s and 1960s) were sold off or shut down. The crisis also killed off the high-flying plans of the economic boom. Only the shopping centers Neumarkt I and Neumarkt II – opening in 1975 and 1982, respectively – and the “Middle Bypass” (“Mittlere Umfahrung”), which was completed in 1980 and relieved the old town from traffic, were actually realized.
The Twenty-First Century
Brugg’s transition to an important seat of higher educationHigher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
began at the end of the 1950s. In 1958 the Landwirtschaftliche Winterschule relocated to Gränichen
Gränichen
Gränichen is a municipality in the district of Aarau of the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:The river Wyna flows north at first and heads northwest thereafter. The valley has an average width of about ....
and was replaced by the Frauenschule – the Women’s School. The new school trained future instructors of home economics
Family and consumer science
Family and consumer sciences is an academic discipline that combines aspects of social and natural science. Family and consumer sciences deals with the relationship between individuals, families, and communities, and the environment in which they live...
and needlework
Needlework
Needlework is a broad term for the handicrafts of decorative sewing and textile arts. Anything that uses a needle for construction can be called needlework...
along with prospective kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
teachers. Over time it developed into the Lehrerseminar (1973), Teaching Institute, and finally the Pädagogische Fachhochschule (2001), or College of Education – both of which trained future teachers. Meanwhile, the cantonal technical college was opened in neighboring Windisch. Both institutions were then merged into the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, or the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland in English. Currently being developed, the project "Vision Mitte" envisions the construction of a new, unified campus by the year 2010 on the Brugg-Windish border, at which the various departments – currently in different locations – would be based in one location, and which would educate upwards of 2,500 students.
Brugg, however, could not use its location to its advantage in the healthcare sector. The cantonal government announced the closure of the district hospital in September 2003 due to financial constraints. The announcement was met with indignation and resistance, the bulk of which culminated in a demonstration that was attended by over 6,000 people in February 2005 – by far the largest demonstration in Brugg’s history. The Cantonal Parliament authorized the closure regardless and converted the hospital into a nursing home, which resulted in the elimination of 300 jobs. The hospital’s closure marked the end of a long tradition of medical care in Brugg, which began in 1450 with the opening of the Heiliggeistspital, or Holy Spirit hospital.
The fact that Brugg and Windisch have grown into one another, along with the close cooperation necessary for the realization of the project "Vision Mitte," led to calls for the merger of the two communities. Both town councils voted strongly in favor of an initiative to launch negotiations for such a fusion in May 2006. A referendum, however, was launched in opposition to this decision. Voting was held on September 24, 2006, the results of which showed a clear majority of the electorate – 63 percent – opposed to such a merger. There were two reasons, above all, for this opposition: the large difference between the tax rates of the communities and the debt held by the municipality of Windisch. For these reasons discussion of a merger is not likely to arise again before the completion of the "Vision Mitte" campus.
Unaffected by this decision is Brugg's fusion with Umiken
Umiken
Umiken was a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipality of Umiken merged into Brugg.-Economy:...
. The town council (Stadtrat ) ordered a study on a possible merger, the results of which were presented in March 2007 and were positively received. The resident's council (Einwohnerrat ) approved the merger agreement on July 27, 2008. A referendum in favor passed on September 28, 2008, in both Brugg – with 88.6 voting yes (1,748 to 224) – and Umiken – with 85.7 percent voting yes (330 to 55). The fusion is schedule to occur on January 1, 2010.
Heritage sites of national significance
The Schlössli and Altenburg (a late-Roman castle), the former Lateinschule, the Swiss ReformedSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
City Church, the Schwarzer Turm (Black tower), the Vindonissa-Museum, and Zimmermannhaus (Carpenter House) are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
The Old Town
Brugg’s old town developed along a narrow gorge of the Aare and is divided into two parts – one on each bank. The section on the southern bank is by far the largest. Shaped like a bell, it is located on a sloping hillside. The smaller periphery on the northern bank is located at the foot of the Bruggerberg. Almost all of the old town's buildings are constructed from shell limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. Only portions of the town’s defensive structures remain in existence. Different fragments have been integrated into the town's modern structures and have been broken through with windows and passageways in many sections. Of the town's towers only the Archivturm (Archive Tower) and the lower half of the Storchenturm (Stork Tower) on the western side along with the Eckturm (Corner Tower) on the northern side of the town’s north-bank periphery remain.
The town’s oldest building and landmark, the Schwarze Turm (Black Tower), is a 25.7-meter high tower-castle. This bridgehead is partially constructed from remains of the Roman Legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
post Vindonissa
Vindonissa
Vindonissa was a Roman legion camp at modern Windisch, Switzerland. It was probably established in 15 AD. In an expansion around 30, thermal baths were added....
and was expanded several meters higher in 1535. The town’s late-gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
town hall (Rathaus) was added onto it in 1579.
Brugg’s reformed church is the seat of the regional church district. The oldest remaining section, a tower integrated into the town’s former defenses, was completed around 1220. Between 1479 and 1518, the building was expanded in four stages in late-gothic style with three nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
s, a side chapel, and a choir. The interior layout originates from 1641-42. Its modern exterior design was shaped between 1734 and 1740, when it was completely remodeled in baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style. New windows emblazoned with the crests of the older family houses of Brugg were installed in 1896.
Directly next to the church stands the Latin school
Latin School
Latin School may refer to:* Latin schools of Medieval Europe* These schools in the United States:** Boston Latin School, Boston, MA** Brooklyn Latin School, New York, NY** Brother Joseph C. Fox Latin School, Long Island, NY...
. Its three-story building, finished in a baroque style and completed around 1638-40, is also a part of the town’s defenses, with its back wall integrated into the town's defensive barrier. The front façade is covered by a brilliant and rare humanistic mural of allegorical female figures representing theology and the seven liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
(grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
, rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
, logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
, arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
, geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
). The cartouche
Cartouche
In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an ellipse with a horizontal line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name, coming into use during the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty under Pharaoh Sneferu, replacing the earlier serekh...
s under the window ledges are adorned with Biblical dictums in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, and Hebrew.
In the southeastern area of the old town is the Hofstatt, the town’s only large open square. The Zeughaus (Armory), completed in 1673, is located on the square’s northern side. The baroque structure stands out into the alley with its protruding tower topped by a bulbous dome (an architectural design that is rarely encountered in the German-speaking section of Switzerland). The southern side of the Hofstatt is flanked by the dominant Salzhaus (Salt House), which was completed in 1732, and was used to store salt until the middle of the 19th century. Other than the attic space, the building is composed entirely of one large room with twelve supporting pillars.
Most of the old town’s homes have been simply maintained. They originate primarily from the period between the sixteenth and 18th centuries and were constructed in gothic as well as baroque styles (some with rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
ornamentation). Mentionable are the Bürgerasyl, a hospital completed in 1747; the Landschreiberei der Vogtei Schenkenberg (Registry of the Bailiwick of Schenkenberg) completed in 1606; the Kornhaus (Grain House) completed in 1697; the house Roter Bären (Of the Red Bear) completed in 1750; and the house Hirschen (Deer), which was constructed around the year 1750. The Zimmermannhaus (Carpenter House) on the northern bank is also worth mention and is partially of neo-classical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
design.
Beyond the Old Town
At the southern end of the old town is the Rotes Haus (Red House), an inn that has been in existence since the 16th century. It was expanded greatly in 1840 at the expense of the Obertorturm – the town’s second landmark and a section of the town’s defenses – which was demolished to make way.The first building in Brugg to be constructed beyond the town’s wall was the Stadthaus (Town House), also known as the Palais Frölich. It was built at the behest of Johann Jakob Frölich, who acquired his wealth through his service as private secretary to Earl Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich, as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten...
. The baroque building, which is topped by a mansard roof
Mansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
, is adorned by baroque elements internally as well as externally. It has been the seat of the town’s administration and council since 1909. To the west of the building is the Stadtpark (Town Park) with two abutting neo-classical office complexes.
There are a number of other noteworthy buildings in the direct vicinity of the Stadthaus. The "Haus Rauber" is the only neo-classical cottage in Brugg. It was built in 1822 according to the plans of Architect Hans Conrad Stadler. The "Schilplinhaus" was completed in 1810 during the late phase of rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
architecture and was acquired by the Schweizerischer Bauernverband (Swiss Farmers’ Union / Association) in 1928. The "House of the Swiss Farmer" (Haus des Schweizerbauern), a large administrative building, was constructed on the location of the Schilplinhaus' barn. The town’s Catholic house of worship – the St. Nikolaus Church – was named after the town’s one-time patron saint, Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
. It was constructed in 1905 according to the plans of Adolf Gaudy in a neo-baroque style and was completely renovated in 1952.
Located about one kilometer to the west of the old town, in Altenburg, on top of a crag is the small castle "Schlössli Altenburg," which was constructed on the ruins of a Roman fort during medieval times and was the first residence of the Habsburgs. Integrated into the western wall of the tower house is the highest remaining Roman wall in Switzerland, the construction material of which comes primarily from the 16th century. It has served as a hostel since 1943.
The industrial heritage path (Industriekulturpfad) Limmat-Wasserschloss is a trail towards Wettingen
Wettingen
Wettingen is a residential community in the district of Baden in the Swiss canton of Aargau. With a population about 20,000, Wettingen is the largest municipality in the canton.-Geography:...
, which passes by forty-four different industrial buildings. Structures in Brugg along this trail include the Altenburger railway bridge, the former electric power station, Brugg’s train station, a number of different plants of the Kabelwerke Brugg, and the town's decommissioned gas plant.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the town’s coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is: “On a white field a black bridge, guarded by two roofed black towers, the right one higher and with a covered machicolation
Machicolation
A machicolation is a floor opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement, through which stones, or other objects, could be dropped on attackers at the base of a defensive wall. The design was developed in the Middle Ages when the Norman crusaders returned. A machicolated battlement...
” (“In Weiss schwarze Brücke, bewehrt mit zwei bedachten schwarzen Türmen, der rechte höher und mit bedachter Pechnase”).
The symbol of the town is reproduced on the coat of arms – the large black tower on the right as well as the smaller toll tower on the left bank of the Aare linked by the bridge in between. It is worth noting that the machicolation mentioned in the blazon is really an oriel
Oriel window
Oriel windows are a form of bay window commonly found in Gothic architecture, which project from the main wall of the building but do not reach to the ground. Corbels or brackets are often used to support this kind of window. They are seen in combination with the Tudor arch. This type of window was...
without any specified function, while the toll tower was removed in 1836.
The oldest known depiction is on the town seal from 1311. A number of changes to the coat of arms followed. These corresponded to structural alterations made to the buildings and the bridge that were replicated with great care to detail, as can be seen on the depiction to the left. With time multiple versions came into simultaneous use. In 1964 the town council (Stadtrat) decided to standardize the coat. One year later the emblem received its modern form.
The town colors are black and white. The coat of arms is also used, unchanged, as the district’s emblem.
Demographics
The population of Brugg, including that of Altenburg after 1830 and Lauffohr after 1970| Year | 1400 | 1529 | 1611 | 1669 | 1754 | 1803 | 1850 | 1900 | 1930 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 |
| Population | 940 | 440 | 930 | 380 | 761 | 604 | 1142 | 2339 | 4502 | 5508 | 6683 | 8635 | 8911 | 9482 | 9143 |
Brugg has a population of , 26.3% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 0.4%. Most of the population speaks German (83.8%), with Italian being second most common ( 2.9%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 2.4%).
The percentage of residents that are not Swiss citizens is approximately six percent above the cantonal average of 19.3 percent. Between 1850 and 1950 the total number of such residents held steady at about 300 persons. The following twenty-year period saw a fivefold increase in their numbers, followed by a twenty-year period of stagnation. From 1990 onwards the number of non-citizens rose again. Among the town's unnaturalized residents, citizens from Serbia-Montenegro (around 5.2 percent of the total population) predominate, followed by Italians (3.9 percent), Turks (2.8 percent) and Germans (1.9 percent).
The age distribution, , in Brugg is; 781 children or 8.5% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 965 teenagers or 10.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,287 people or 14.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,229 people or 13.4% are between 30 and 39, 1,370 people or 14.9% are between 40 and 49, and 1,292 people or 14.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,056 people or 11.5% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 709 people or 7.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 404 people or 4.4% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 93 people or 1.0% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.55 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 37.9% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement). , there were 413 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 2,186 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 1,155 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.20 individuals. there were 1,053 single family homes (or 23.7% of the total) out of a total of 4,439 homes and apartments. There were a total of 32 empty apartments for a 0.7% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.2 new units per 1000 residents.
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Brugg about 74.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the school age population , there are 620 students attending primary school, there are 294 students attending secondary school, there are 304 students attending tertiary or university level schooling in the municipality.
Religion
From the , 3,054 or 33.4% were Roman Catholic, while 3,723 or 40.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 13 individuals (or about 0.14% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
faith.
In 1900 a large majority of the population, approximately 83 percent, was Protestant. The portion of the population identifying itself as a Catholic grew greatly after 1950, partially due to the migration of labor from Catholic regions within Switzerland, but primarily from Mediterranean countries. Today less than half of the population of the one-time “Prophet City” (“Prophetenstadt”) is Protestant.
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 27% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(20.1%), the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(16.5%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(12.2%).
Legislative
In lieu of a town meetingTown meeting
A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....
, the Einwohnerrat (residents' council) has represented the wishes of its electorate since 1965. The council is composed of 50 members and is empowered to authorize all decisions relevant to the town’s tax rate, budget, annual report, and credit. It can also pass regulations. All members of the council are chosen for four-year terms through a proportional-representation-based
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
electoral process.
| Party | 1965 | 1969 | 1973 | 1977 | 1981 | 1985 | 1989 | 1993 | 1997 | 2001 | 2005 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDP Free Democratic Party of Switzerland The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009.... |
16 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
| SP Social Democratic Party of Switzerland The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland.... |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| CVP Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss... |
9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
| SVP Swiss People's Party The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of... |
3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 11 |
| Green Green Party of Switzerland The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:... |
- | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| GLP Green Liberal Party of Switzerland The Green Liberal Party of Switzerland , abbreviated to glp, is a centrist Green liberal political party in Switzerland. Founded in 2007, the party holds five seats in the Federal Assembly.... |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| EVP Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland The Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland is a political party in Switzerland.In questions of redistribution, education, environmentalism, immigration policy, the EVP stands rather center-left. In questions of euthanasia, abortion, and registered partnership and other typically Christian... |
1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| LdU | 3 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Team 67 | - | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Autopartei | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| Independent | 7 | 5 | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - |
Executive
The executive branch of government is the Stadtrat (town council). It leads and represents the political community. Members are elected by all enfranchised residents of Brugg to four-year terms though a majoritarian system. The town council is responsible for the implementation of all resolutions approved by the resident’s council (Einwohnerrat) and is obliged to carry out all tasks assigned to it by the cantonal and federal governments.The five members of the town council for the term 2006-2009 are as follows:
- Daniel Moser (FDP), Mayor (Stadtammann)
- Martin Wehrli (CVP), Vice-Mayor (Vize-Stadtammann)
- Christoph Brun (Green)
- Dorina Jerosch (FDP)
- Andrea Metzler (SP)
Judicial
The District Court of Brugg is responsible for legal disputes. A justice of the peaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
also exists at the communal level and serves the municipalities of Riniken
Riniken
Riniken is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:While Iberg Castle was built in the 11th Century and abandoned in 1200, the village of Riniken is first mentioned in 1253 as Rinikon. The rights to high justice were held by the Habsburgs until 1460,...
, Umiken
Umiken
Umiken was a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipality of Umiken merged into Brugg.-Economy:...
and Villnachern
Villnachern
Villnachern is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:Villnachern has an area, , of . Of this area, or 29.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 49.7% is forested...
as well.
Direct Democratic
Different direct-democraticDirect democracy
Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"...
mechanisms also exist at the municipal level, including voluntary, i.e., petitioner-based, and obligatory, i.e., statutory-based, referenda
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
, as well as the right to initiate independent initiative
Initiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
s. As in the rest of Switzerland, the electorate has the final say over almost all municipal matters.
Economy
, Brugg had an unemployment rate of 2.68%. , there were 62 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 12 businesses involved in this sector. 2,134 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 104 businesses in this sector. 5,000 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 539 businesses in this sector.there was a total of 4,595 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 3,026 or about 65.9% of the residents worked outside Brugg while 5,650 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 7,219 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 27.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 37.7% used a private car.
From 1920 onwards (when such data was first kept) industry has provided about half of all jobs. Its share shrank to one quarter in the early 1970s due to structural changes in the economy. Agriculture, on the other hand, has traditionally played a marginal role. More than a third of all jobs in the district are concentrated in the town of Brugg, which in turn causes a marked stream of commuters to and from the community. Over 70 percent of all jobs are held by commuters.
The Kabelwerke Brugg is a global company specialised in the areas of cable systems, wire, piping systems, and process control engineering. The company has over 1,300 employees and was named after the town, where it was founded. It has its seat in Brugg and is represented in 16 countries worldwide. Tütschi Fluid AG, also located in town, is a leading producer of water and chemical pumps. Other important businesses include Jost Brugg AG (electric installation) along with the paper and printing firms Seetal Schaller AG and Effingerhof AG.
In addition to these larger firms there are around 650 small- and mid-sized employers. Nationally known are the Internet service provider green.ch and publisher BEA + Poly-Verlag. The shopping centers Neumarket I and Neumarkt II (New Market I and New Market II), both of which are located near the train station, are important meeting points in the region, with some of the highest recorded revenue per sq meter in Switzerland. Brugg is also the seat of the Swiss Farmers' Union (Schweizerischer Bauernverband ) and the Rural Women’s Guild / Union (Schweizerischer Landfrauenverband). A barrack of the Swiss army is also an important employer. The local radio station, Radio Argovia, broadcast from its Brugg-based studio from 1990 until its move to Aarau in 2005.
Sport
FC BruggFC Brugg
FC Brugg is a Swiss football club from the town of Brugg in Canton Aargau. The team currently plays in Liga 1., the third highest tier in the Swiss football pyramid...
play at Stadion Au
Stadion Au
Stadion Au is a multi-use stadium in Brugg, Switzerland. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FC Brugg....
in the town. The team currently play in Liga 1.
Swiss 1. Liga (football)
1. Liga is the third tier of the Swiss Football League. The division is split into three groups of 16 teams, by geographical region.-Regional Format:...
which is the third highest tier in the Swiss football pyramid
Swiss Football League
The Swiss Football League is organised in several leagues.-Proposed system from 2012-13 season onwards:-External links:* * * * *...
.
SLRG Baden-Brugg is one of the most famous Lifesaving and Surflifesaving Clubs in Switzerland. Trainings are held on the Aare or at the Badi Brugg.
Transportation
The municipality is located on the .Brugg is an important crossroads. Two national highways meet in town, A3 motorway (Basel – Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
– Chur
Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
) and A5 motorway
A5 motorway (Switzerland)
The A5 is a Swiss Autobahn connecting Luterbach - Solothurn - - Neuchâtel - ....
(Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
– Biel/Bienne – Waldshut
Waldshut
Waldshut is a district in the south of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Lörrach, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald and Schwarzwald-Baar; followed in the south by the Swiss cantons of Schaffhausen, Zürich and Aargau.-History:The district dates to the Oberamt Waldshut, which was...
). Access to the A3 is located four kilometers south, between Hausen
Hausen
-Places in Switzerland:*Hausen am Albis, in the Canton of Zurich*Hausen bei Brugg, in the Canton of Aargau-Bavaria:*Hausen, Miltenberg, in the Miltenberg district*Hausen, Lower Bavaria, in the Kelheim district*Hausen, Upper Franconia, in the Forchheim district...
and Lupfig
Lupfig
Lupfig is a municipality in the district of Brugg in canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Near the modern village of Lupfig was the source of a Roman aqueduct leading to the camp of Vindonissa. Additionally, Alamanni graves have been discovered near the village...
. There is also access to A1 motorway a further four kilometers to the south in the town of Mägenwil
Mägenwil
Mägenwil is a municipality in the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Mägenwil is first mentioned in 924 as Maganwilare. In 1273 it was mentioned as Echwile.-Geography:...
. Through traffic in town is no longer directed into the old town; instead, it is led around it on the Mittlere Umfahrung, or intermediary bypass, which is composed of a tunnel under the town’s cemetery and the Casino Bridge over the Aare.
Brugg’s train station is located at a junction of three separate SBB
SBB-CFF-FFS
Swiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
rail lines. The most important of these is the Bözberg line between Zürich and Basel. The other, less-traveled lines pass through the Aare Valley towards Aarau and through the Birrfeld (Birr
Birr, Switzerland
Birr is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau and the capital of both the canton and Brugg . The village lies halfway between Lenzburg and Brugg. Birr has grown with its neighbour Lupfig into a conurbation....
field) towards Lenzburg
Lenzburg
Lenzburg is a town in the central region of the Swiss canton Aargau and is the capital of the district of the same name. The town, founded in the Middle Ages, lies in the Seetal valley, about 3 kilometres south of the Aare river. Lenzburg and the neighbouring municipalities of Niederlenz and...
. Interregional trains leave Brugg for Basel, Bern, Zürich Hauptbahnhof, and Zürich Airport. Regional trains travel to Aarau (via Wildegg or Lenzburg) and towards Baden and Wettingen. Brugg is also the terminus of the commuter rail (German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: S-Bahn) line S12
S12 (ZVV)
The S12 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, and is one of the network's lines connecting the cantons of Zürich and Aargau.- Route :...
, part of Zürich's ZVV system
ZVV
The ZVV is a public transportation network system, combining rail, bus, tram, trolleybus, lake boat and cable car services in the canton of Zürich as well as Rapperswil-Jona and Pfäffikon SZ.- History and network :Established in May 1990, it...
.
Post buses to Bad Zurzach
Bad Zurzach
Bad Zurzach is a municipality in the district of Zurzach in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It is the seat of the district.Bad Zurzach was previously known as Zurzach; the population voting for the official name change in a referendum of 21 May 2006. Located on the Rhine, Bad Zurzach has a...
, Birr, Dättwil, Döttingen
Döttingen
-In Germany:*Döttingen , a subdivision of Braunsbach in the Schwäbisch Hall district, Baden-Württemberg*Döttingen , a subdivision of Herresbach in the Mayen-Koblenz district, Rhineland-Palatinate...
, Frick
Frick
-People:* Alexander Frick , head of government of Liechtenstein* Arnold Frick , Liechtenstein judoka* Aurelia Frick , Liechtenstein government minister* Bruno Frick , Swiss politician...
, Laufenburg
Laufenburg
- Places :* Laufenburg, Germany* Laufenburg, Switzerland* Laufenburg District, a district of the canton of Aargau, Switzerland...
, Linn
Linn
Linn is a first name for girls. This name is common in countries such as Sweden and Norway. Otherwise it can also be spelled "Lynn".Linn may refer to:-Linn :* George Ward Linn , philatelic publisher of Ohio...
, Mellingen
Mellingen
Mellingen is a municipality in the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. The town is located on the Reuss River.-History:...
, Mönthal
Mönthal
Mönthal is a municipality in the district of Brugg in canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Originally it was a fortified late Bronze Age hilltop settlement. Additionally, a Roman bronze figure was discovered in the village. During the High Middle Ages there were a number of small settlements...
, Remigen
Remigen
Remigen is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Already in Roman times the road between Augusta Raurica and Vindonissa led over the Bözberg, although it was further north than the present-day route, from Effingen via Remigen to Stilli...
, Scherz
Scherz
Scherz is a municipality in the district of Brugg in canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:Scherz has an area, , of . Of this area, or 55.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 33.3% is forested...
and Thalheim
Thalheim
-In Austria:*Thalheim, Lower Austria, a part of Kappeln in Lower Austria*Thalheim, Styria, a part of Pöls*Thalheim bei Wels, Upper Austria-In Germany:* Thalheim, Saxony, in the Stollberg district...
leave regularly from the train station. In addition, there are two local lines to Brugg-Bodenacker and Unterwindisch.
Notable residents
- Albrecht I of HabsburgAlbert I of GermanyAlbert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
(1255–1308), King of the RomansKing of the RomansKing of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany... - Gianni BugnoGianni BugnoGianni Bugno is a former Italian professional road racing cyclist.-Biography:Bugno was a versatile rider, able to do well in different types of races. He won numerous stages in the Tour de France, and the Milan – San Remo classic in 1990...
(1964-), Italian cyclist - Mario EggimannMario EggimannMario Eggimann is a Swiss football defender currently playing for Hannover 96. He also plays for the Swiss National team.-Career:...
(1981-), Hannover 96Hannover 96Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:...
and SwitzerlandSwitzerland national football teamThe Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
football player - Franz FedierFranz FedierFranz Fedier was a Swiss painter.-References:*This article was initially translated from the German Wikipedia....
(1922–2005), Artist - Abraham Emanuel FröhlichAbraham Emanuel FröhlichAbraham Emanuel Fröhlich was a Swiss poet.-Biography:He was born in Brugg in the canton of Aargau, where his father was a teacher....
(1796–1865), Theologian and poet - Samuel Heinrich FröhlichSamuel Heinrich FroehlichSamuel Heinrich Froehlich was an evangelist responsible for organizing the Evangelical Baptist Church in Western Europe, which eventually spread to become known as the Nazarener-Gemeinde in Eastern Europe and the Apostolic Christian Church in the United States of America during the 1830s and 1840s...
(1803–1857), Evangelical theologian and founder of the Apostolic Christian ChurchApostolic Christian ChurchThe Apostolic Christian Church is a religious body in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Paraguay, and Japan that originates from the Anabaptist movement.... - Carlo E. LischettiCarlo E. LischettiCarlo E. Lischetti was a Swiss painter.-References:*This article was initially translated from the German Wikipedia....
(1946–2005), Artist - Johann Heinrich PestalozziJohann Heinrich PestalozziJohann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach....
(1746–1827), Pedagogue and educational reformer - Wilhelm SchmidWilhelm Schmid (painter)Wilhelm Schmid was a Swiss painter.-References:*This article was initially translated from the German Wikipedia....
(1892–1971), Artist - Edmund SchulthessEdmund SchulthessEdmund Schulthess was a Swiss politician.He was the son of Edmund Schulthess and wife Cornelia Brigitta Marth ....
(1868–1944), Politician - Johann Georg Zimmermann (1728–1795), Author and physician
Further reading
- Max Baumann, Andreas Steigmeier: Brugg erleben - Band 1. Verlag hier+jetzt, Baden 2005. ISBN 3-03919-007-5
- Astrid Baldinger Fuchs, Max Banholzer, Max Baumann, Felix Müller, Silvia Siegenthaler, Andreas Steigmeier: Brugg erleben - Band 2. Verlag hier+jetzt, Baden 2005. ISBN 3-03919-007-5
- Zuzana Haefeli-Sonin und Klaus Speich: Schweizerische Kunstführer GSK, Band 589: Das Vindonissa-Museum in Brugg Architekturführer, Bern 1996, ISBN 3-85782-589-8
- Michael Stettler, Emil Maurer: Die Kunstdenkmäler des Kantons Aargau - Bezirke Lenzburg und Brugg, S. 256-340. Verlag Birkhäuser, Basel 1953.