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Encyclopedia > Altdorf, Switzerland

Coordinates: 46°52′N, 8°38′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Altdorf
Coat of Arms of Altdorf
Canton Uri
District n.a.
Coordinates 46°52′N, 8°38′E
Population 8,648   (2002)
Area 10.23 km² (3.9 sq mi)
Elevation 458 m (1,503 ft)
Postal code 6460
SFOS number 1201
Surrounded by
(view map)
Attinghausen, Bürglen, Flüelen, Seedorf
Twin towns Altdorf b. Nürnberg (Germany)
Website www.altdorf.ch
Altdorf by night.
Altdorf by night.

Altdorf (German for "old village") is the capital of the Swiss canton of Uri. The municipality covers an area of 10.23 km². It is built at a height of 462 m above sea-level, a little above the right bank of the Reuss, not far above the point where this river is joined on the right by the Schächen torrent. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ... Uri (German:  ) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... In contrast to centrally organised states, in the federally constituted Switzerland each Canton is completely free to decide its own internal organisation. ... This article is about longitude and latitude; see also UTM coordinate system Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (vertically) and longitude (horizontally); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare sizes of different geographic regions, we list here areas between 10 km² (1000 hectares) and 100 km² (10,000 hectares). ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Here are postal codes of Switzerland and Liechtenstein: Zone 1 1000s are found in Lausanne, Lavaux and parts of Morges, 1100s in parts of Morges, 1200s are in Geneva and parts of La Côte, Vaud, 1300s in La Vallée, 1500s are found in Clavaleyres, the 1700s are found... The Official Munipality Key, formerly also known as the Official Municipality Characteristic Number or Municipality Code Number, is a number sequence for the identification of politically independent municipalities or municipality-free areas. ... The following is a list of the municipalities in Switzerland, listed alphabetically. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 576 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (826 × 860 pixel, file size: 221 KB, MIME type: image/png) Municipality of Altdorf Map drawn by Tschubby File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Attinghausen is a town in Uri, Switzerland. ... Bürglen is a village of the Canton of Uri, Switzerland, (, about 4000 inhabitants) at the entrance of the valley Schächental. ... Flüelen is a municipality in the canton of Uri, Switzerland. ... Seedorf is a municipality in the canton of Uri, Switzerland. ... This list includes twin towns/sister cites (Partnergemeinden, Partnerstädte, villes ou communes jumelles) in Switzerland linked by a sister city agreement (Städtepartnerschaft or Gemeindepartnerschaft; jumelage de villes) and towns linked by friendship agreements (Freundschaft or amitié). A few municipalities participating in projects arranged by the Swiss organizations Patenschaft... St. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1359x922, 341 KB) Switzerland Map drawn by Tschubby see also Karte_Schweiz_Details. ... Image File history File links Red_pog2. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 576 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (826 × 860 pixel, file size: 221 KB, MIME type: image/png) Municipality of Altdorf Map drawn by Tschubby File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Altdorf is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen, northern Switzerland. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ... Uri (German:  ) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. ... Municipalities are the smallest government division in Switzerland. ... To help compare sizes of different geographic regions, we list here areas between 10 km² (1000 hectares) and 100 km² (10,000 hectares). ... The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level. ... The River Reuss is one of the larger rivers in Switzerland. ...


The name is sometimes written as Altdorf UR, to distinguish it from Altdorf SH, a small village in the canton of Schaffhausen. Altdorf is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen, northern Switzerland. ...


Of the total population of 8757 (2002), 4524 are male, and 4233 are female. The population density of the community is 856 inhabitants per km². In 1900 the population was 3117, all Roman Catholic and German-speaking. 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...


Altdorf is 55 km from Lucerne by the St Gotthard railway and 28 km from Göschenen. Its port on the Lake of Lucerne, Flüelen, is 2 miles distant. There is a stately parish church, while above the little town is the oldest Capuchin convent in Switzerland (1581). For other uses, see Lucerne (disambiguation). ... Devils bridge (Teufelsbrücke) across the Schoellen St. ... Göschenen is a small Swiss town on the northern end of the St. ... Lake Lucerne (German: Vierwaldstättersee, lit. ... Flüelen is a municipality in the canton of Uri, Switzerland. ... Events January 16 - English Parliament outlaws Roman Catholicism April 4 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. July 26 - The Northern Netherlands proclaim their independence from Spain in the Oath of Abjuration. ...

Wilhelm Tell memorial in Altdorf, circa 1900.
Wilhelm Tell memorial in Altdorf, circa 1900.

Download high resolution version (766x1024, 102 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (766x1024, 102 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... William Tell (German Wilhelm Tell) was a legendary hero of disputed historical accuracy said to have lived in the Canton of Uri in Switzerland in the early 14th century. ...

History

Altdorf is best known as the place where, according to the legend, William Tell shot the apple from his son's head. This act by tradition happened on the market-place, where in 1895, at the foot of an old tower (with rude frescoes commemorating the feat), there was set up a fine bronze statue (by Richard Kissling of Zurich) of Tell and his son. In 1899 a theatre was opened close to the town for the sole purpose of performing Schiller's play of Wilhelm Tell. Statue of William Tell and his Son in Altdorf, Switzerland (Richard Kissling, 1895). ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Friedrich Schiller “Schiller” redirects here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...


The same year a new carriage-road was opened from Altdorf through the Schächental and over the Klausen Pass (1,948 m) to the village of Linthal (46 km) and so to Glarus. 2 kilometres from Altdorf by the Klausen road is the village of Bürglen, where by tradition Tell was born; while he is also said to have lost his life, while saving that of a child, in the Schächen torrent that flows past the village. On the left bank of the Reuss, immediately opposite Altdorf, is Attinghausen, where the ruined castle (which belonged to one of the real founders of the Swiss Confederation) now houses the cantonal museum of antiquities. Klausen Pass (German: Klausenpass) is a pass (1948 m) in the Swiss Alps connecting the cantons of Uri and Glarus. ... Linthal is a municipality in the canton of Glarus, Switzerland. ... Glarus is the capital of the Canton of Glarus, Switzerland. ... Bürglen is a village of the Canton of Uri, Switzerland, (, about 4000 inhabitants) at the entrance of the valley Schächental. ... Attinghausen is a town in Uri, Switzerland. ...


References

Encyclopædia Britannica, the eleventh edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

External links

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  Results from FactBites:
 
Altdorf, Switzerland (140 words)
Altdorf, capital of the canton of Uri, a little town with a long and eventful history, lies 3km/2mi south of the outflow of the Reuss into Lake Uri in a wide plain at the mouth of the Schächen valley; it is the starting-point of the road over the Klausen pass.
The parish is believed to have been established in the 10th C., although the first appearance of Altdorf in the records is only in 1223.
After the struggle to shake off Habsburg rule the place acquired political and economic importance as capital of the territory of Uri, which until 1439 was self-governing in direct subordination to the Emperor.
  More results at FactBites »

 

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