Zug

[tsook]

Zug, canton (1993 pop. 87,100), 93 sq mi (241 sq km), N central Switzerland. The smallest canton in Switzerland, it is a forested and mountainous region with orchards, meadows, and pastures in the valleys. Fruit cultivation is a main occupation, and the region has industries in textiles, beer, and metal goods. Its inhabitants are mainly German-speaking and Catholic. Owned by the counts of Kyburg and later (after 1273) by the Hapsburg family, Zug joined the Swiss Confederation in 1352 and again in 1364, after a return to Hapsburg domination. In 1845 the canton joined the Catholic Sonderbund. Zug gained its current constitution in 1894. Its capital, Zug (1993 pop. 21,700), is on the Lake of Zug (15 sq mi/39 sq km). It has manufactures of metalware, electrical equipment, and textiles, and is an important cattle market. Zug retains a medieval flavor. Its Church of St. Oswald is one of the most splendid late-Gothic churches in Switzerland.

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Zug

Zug (German: ) is the capital of the canton of Zug in Switzerland.

Zug is a small town at the northeastern corner of the Lake Zug and at the foot of the Zugerberg (992 m (3255 ft)), which rises gradually, its lower slopes thickly covered with fruit trees. Its population, 6,508 in 1900, numbered 23,000 in 2004, the town is mainly German-speaking and predominantly Roman Catholic.

History

The town, first mentioned in 1240, was called an "oppidum" in 1242 and a "castrum" in 1255. In 1273, it was bought by Rudolph of Habsburg from Anna, the heiress of Kyburg and wife of Eberhard, head of the cadet line of Habsburg. Part of its territory, the valley of Aegeri, was pledged by Rudolph in 1278 as security for a portion of the marriage gift he promised to Joanna, daughter of Edward I of England. She was betrothed to his son Hartmann, but his death in 1281 prevented the marriage from taking place. The town of Zug was governed by a bailiff, appointed by the Habsburgs, and a council, and was much favored by that family. Several country districts (e.g., Baar, Menzingen, and Aegeri) each had its own "Landsgemeinde" but were governed by one bailiff, also appointed by the Habsburgs; these were known as the "Aeusser Amt," and were always favorably disposed to the Swiss Confederation.

On June 27, 1352, both the town of Zug and the Aeusser Amt entered the Confederation, the latter being received on exactly the same terms as the town, and not, as was usual in the case of country districts, as a subject land; but in September 1352, Zug had to acknowledge its own lords again, and in 1355 was obliged to break off its connection with the league. About 1364, the town and the Aeusser Amt were recovered for the league by the men of Schwyz, and from this time Zug took part as a full member in all the acts of the league. In 1379, the Holy Roman Emperor Wenceslaus exempted Zug from all external jurisdictions, and in 1389 the Habsburgs renounced their claims, reserving only an annual payment of 20 silver marks, which came to an end in 1415. In 1400 Wenceslaus gave all criminal jurisdiction to the town only. The Aeusser Amt, in 1404, then claimed that the banner and seal of Zug should be kept in one of the country districts and were supported in this claim by Schwyz. The matter was finally settled in 1412 by arbitration, and the banner was to be kept in the town. Finally in 1415, the right of electing their landammann was given to Zug by the Confederation, and a share in the criminal jurisdiction was granted to the Aeusser Amt by German king Sigismund.

In 1385, Zug joined the league of the Swabian cities against Leopold III of Austria and shared in the victory of Sempach, as well as in the various Argovian (1415) and Thurgovian (1460) conquests of the Confederates, and later in those of Italy (1512), having already taken part in the occupation of the Val d'Ossola. Between 1379 (Walchwil) and 1477 (Cham), Zug had acquired various districts in its own neighborhood, principally to the north and the west, which were ruled till 1798 by the town alone as subject lands. At the time of the Reformation, Zug clung to the old faith and was a member of the Christliche Vereinigung of 1529. In 1586, it became a member of the Golden League.

In 2001, 11 members of the local (cantonal) parliament and three members of the (cantonal) government were shot and killed in Zug by the assassin Friedrich Leibacher.

Today

Zug is a low tax region, and is headquarters for a number of multinational enterprises.

Situation and features

The lake shore has been embanked and forms a promenade, from which glorious views of the snowy peaks of the Bernese Oberland, as well as of the Rigi and Pilatus, are gained. Towards its northerly end, a monument marks the spot where a part of the shore slipped into the lake in 1887.

The older part of the town is rather crowded together, though only four of the wall towers and a small part of the town walls still survive.

The most striking old building in the town is the parish church of St Oswald (late 15th century), dedicated to St Oswald, king of Northumbria (d. 642), one of whose arms was brought to Zug in 1485. The town hall, also a 15th-century building, now houses the Historical and Antiquarian Museum. There are some quaint old painted houses close by. A little way higher up the hillside is a Capuchin convent in a striking position, close to the town wall and leaning against it. Still higher, and outside the old town, is the fine new parish church of St Michael, consecrated in 1902.

The business quarter is on the rising ground north of the old town, near the railway station. Several fine modern buildings rise on or close to the shore in the town and to its south, whilst to the southwest is a convent of Capuchin nuns, who manage a large girls' school and several other educational establishments.

The Museum of Prehistory Zug houses an important collection of archaeological remains, especially from the late Bronze Age (urnfield culture) settlement of Zug-Sumpf. Many of Catharine II of Russia's relatives descended from Zug and became known as the Volga Germans.

Sport

Zug has a professional men's ice hockey team EV Zug, a football team, Zug 94, which was formed in 1994 and a Rugby Team, Rugby Club Zug, which has a junior team, The Saints Rugby School.