Sattel, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Sattel is a municipality
in Schwyz District in the canton of Schwyz
in Switzerland
. Its name is the German
word for saddle.
The Battle of Morgarten
occurred on 15 November 1315 near Sattel, at Morgarten (now part of Oberägeri
). It began when a Swiss Confederation force of 1,500 infantry archers ambushed a group of Austrian soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire
near the Morgarten Pass. The Swiss, led by Werner Stauffacher
, thoroughly defeated the Austrians, who were under the command of Duke Leopold I of Austria.
The Confederates prepared a road-block and an ambush at a point between Lake Aegeri and Morgarten pass where the small path led between the steep slope and a swamp. When about 1500 men attacked from above with rocks, logs and halberds, the knights had no room to defend themselves and suffered a crushing defeat, while the foot soldiers in the rear fled back to the city of Zug
. A chronicler described the Confederates, unfamiliar with the customs of battles between knights, as brutally butchering everything that moved and everyone unable to flee. This founded the reputation of the Confederates as barbaric, yet fierce and respectable fighters.
Within a month of the battle, in December 1315, the Confederates renewed the oath of alliance made in 1291, initiating the phase of growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy
.
Within forty years, cities including Lucerne
, Zug, Zürich
and Bern had joined the confederation.
The victory of the Confederates left them in their virtual autonomy and gave them a breathing-space of some sixty years before the next Habsburg attack resulted in the Battle of Sempach
(1386).
The French invasion of Switzerland in 1798 brought about a swift end of the Ancien Régime
. The French victories against the larger cities of the swiss plateau
led to the creation of the French supported Helvetic Republic
on 12 April 1798. Following the declaration of the Republic, the Cantons of Uri
, Schwyz and Nidwalden rejected it and raised an army to fight the French. Under Alois von Reding
they were able to raise about 10,000 men. This army was deployed along the defensive line from Napf
to Rapperswil
. General Reding besieged French controlled Lucerne and marched across the Brünig Pass
into the Berner Oberland to support the armies of Berne. At the same time, the French General Balthasar Alexis Henri Antoine of Schauenburg marched out of occupied Zürich to attack Zug, Lucerne and the Sattel pass
. Even though the Reding's army won victories at Rothenthurm
and Morgarten, Schauenburg's victory near Sattel allowed him to threaten the town of Schwyz
. On 4 May 1798, the town council of Schwyz surrendered.
the gender distribution of the population was 51.4% male and 48.6% female. The age distribution, , in Sattel is; 409 people or 29.2% of the population is between 0 and 19. 436 people or 31.1% are 20 to 39, and 360 people or 25.7% are 40 to 64. The senior population distribution is 118 people or 8.4% are 65 to 74. There are 62 people or 4.4% who are 70 to 79 and 17 people or 1.21% of the population who are over 80.
there are 503 households, of which 134 households (or about 26.6%) contain only a single individual. 51 or about 10.1% are large households, with at least five members.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 54.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(23.3%), the FDP
(11.6%) and the SPS
(7%).
In Sattel about 60.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Sattel has an unemployment rate of 0.69%. , there were 183 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 60 businesses involved in this sector. 51 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 12 businesses in this sector. 197 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 49 businesses in this sector.
From the , 1,205 or 85.9% are Roman Catholic, while 96 or 6.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
. Of the rest of the population, , and there are less than 5 individuals who belong to another Christian church. There are 9 (or about 0.64% of the population) who are Islam
ic. There are 6 individuals (or about 0.43% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 44 (or about 3.14% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 41 individuals (or about 2.92% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
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 Schwyz District in the canton of Schwyz
Canton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
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....
. Its name is the 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....
word for saddle.
History
thumbThe Battle of Morgarten
Battle of Morgarten
The Battle of Morgarten occurred on November 15, 1315, when a Swiss Confederation force of 1,500 infantry archers ambushed a group of Austrian soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire near the Morgarten Pass...
occurred on 15 November 1315 near Sattel, at Morgarten (now part of Oberägeri
Oberägeri
Oberägeri, until 1798 simply known as Ägeri, is a municipality in the canton of Zug in Switzerland.-History:Oberägeri is first mentioned in 1150 as Agregia. In 1538 it was mentioned as Ober Egere....
). It began when a Swiss Confederation force of 1,500 infantry archers ambushed a group of Austrian soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
near the Morgarten Pass. The Swiss, led by Werner Stauffacher
Werner Stauffacher
Werner Stauffacher was supposedly the name of the representative of the canton of Schwyz, one of the three founding cantons at the legendary Rütlischwur of 1291, as told by Aegidius Tschudi....
, thoroughly defeated the Austrians, who were under the command of Duke Leopold I of Austria.
The Confederates prepared a road-block and an ambush at a point between Lake Aegeri and Morgarten pass where the small path led between the steep slope and a swamp. When about 1500 men attacked from above with rocks, logs and halberds, the knights had no room to defend themselves and suffered a crushing defeat, while the foot soldiers in the rear fled back to the city of Zug
Zug
Zug , is a German-speaking city in Switzerland. The name ‘Zug’ originates from fishing vocabulary; in the Middle Ages it referred to the right to ‘pull up’ fishing nets and hence to the right to fish.The city of Zug is located in the Canton of Zug and is its capital...
. A chronicler described the Confederates, unfamiliar with the customs of battles between knights, as brutally butchering everything that moved and everyone unable to flee. This founded the reputation of the Confederates as barbaric, yet fierce and respectable fighters.
Within a month of the battle, in December 1315, the Confederates renewed the oath of alliance made in 1291, initiating the phase of growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy
Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy
The growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy began as an alliance between the communities of the valleys in the Central Alps to facilitate the management of common interests such as free trade and to ensure the peace along the important trade routes through the mountains...
.
Within forty years, cities including Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
, Zug, 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 Bern had joined the confederation.
The victory of the Confederates left them in their virtual autonomy and gave them a breathing-space of some sixty years before the next Habsburg attack resulted in 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....
(1386).
The French invasion of Switzerland in 1798 brought about a swift end of the Ancien Régime
Early Modern Switzerland
The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy , lasting from formal independence in 1648 to the French invasion of 1798 came to be referred as Ancien Régime retrospectively, in post-Napoleonic Switzerland.The early modern period was characterized by an increasingly...
. The French victories against the larger cities of 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...
led to the creation of the French supported 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...
on 12 April 1798. Following the declaration of the Republic, the Cantons of Uri
Canton of Uri
Uri is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and a founding member of the Swiss Confederation. It is located in Central Switzerland. The canton's territory covers the valley of the Reuss River between Lake Lucerne and the St. Gotthard Pass. German is the primary language spoken in Uri...
, Schwyz and Nidwalden rejected it and raised an army to fight the French. Under Alois von Reding
Alois von Reding
Alois von Reding was a Swiss patriot, military officer and politician. He is best known for leading an early revolt against the Helvetic Republic....
they were able to raise about 10,000 men. This army was deployed along the defensive line from Napf
Napf
Napf is a mountain on the border between the cantons of Berne and Lucerne. It is the summit of the Napfgebiet region, north of Bernese Alps.-Weather:...
to Rapperswil
Rapperswil
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
. General Reding besieged French controlled Lucerne and marched across the Brünig Pass
Brünig Pass
Brünig Pass connects the Bernese Oberland and central Switzerland, linking Meiringen in the canton of Bern and Lungern in the canton of Obwalden.Rail services are provided by the Zentralbahn between Luzern and Interlaken.-See also:...
into the Berner Oberland to support the armies of Berne. At the same time, the French General Balthasar Alexis Henri Antoine of Schauenburg marched out of occupied Zürich to attack Zug, Lucerne and the Sattel pass
Sattel Pass
Sattel Pass is a mountain pass in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.It connects Pfäffikon and Seewen.The pass was in use as early as the 13th century as an access route to the St. Gotthard Pass...
. Even though the Reding's army won victories at Rothenthurm
Rothenthurm
Rothenthurm is a municipality in Schwyz District in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.-History:The French invasion of Switzerland in 1798 brought about a swift end of the Ancien Régime. The French victories against the larger cities of the swiss plateau led to the creation of the French...
and Morgarten, Schauenburg's victory near Sattel allowed him to threaten the town of Schwyz
Schwyz
The town of is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.The Federal Charter of 1291 or Bundesbrief, the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the Bundesbriefmuseum.-History of the toponym:...
. On 4 May 1798, the town council of Schwyz surrendered.
Geography
Sattel has an area, , of 17.3 km² (6.7 sq mi). Of this area, 55.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 37.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).Demographics
Sattel has a population (as of ) of . , 8.5% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 18.5%. Most of the population speaks German (97.3%), with English being second most common ( 0.5%) and Albanian being third ( 0.4%).the gender distribution of the population was 51.4% male and 48.6% female. The age distribution, , in Sattel is; 409 people or 29.2% of the population is between 0 and 19. 436 people or 31.1% are 20 to 39, and 360 people or 25.7% are 40 to 64. The senior population distribution is 118 people or 8.4% are 65 to 74. There are 62 people or 4.4% who are 70 to 79 and 17 people or 1.21% of the population who are over 80.
there are 503 households, of which 134 households (or about 26.6%) contain only a single individual. 51 or about 10.1% are large households, with at least five members.
In the 2007 election 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 54.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the 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...
(23.3%), 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....
(11.6%) and the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(7%).
In Sattel about 60.7% 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...
).
Sattel has an unemployment rate of 0.69%. , there were 183 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 60 businesses involved in this sector. 51 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 12 businesses in this sector. 197 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 49 businesses in this sector.
From the , 1,205 or 85.9% are Roman Catholic, while 96 or 6.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
Swiss 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, , and there are less than 5 individuals who belong to another Christian church. There are 9 (or about 0.64% of the population) who are Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There are 6 individuals (or about 0.43% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 44 (or about 3.14% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 41 individuals (or about 2.92% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 997 |
| 1960 | 1,012 |
| 1970 | 1,065 |
| 1980 | 1,090 |
| 1985 | 1,133 |
| 1990 | 1,255 |
| 2000 | 1,400 |
| 2005 | 1,566 |
| 2007 | 1,618 |