Solothurn

Solothurn is a city, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It lies in the north-west part of the country along the banks of the Aare River and at the foot of the Weissenstein Jura mountains.

The city is the only municipality in its district and got its name from an old Roman settlement called Salodurum. From 1530 to 1792, it was where the French ambassador to Switzerland worked. During this time, the old town was built and has many beautiful buildings with Baroque style, mixing Italian, French, and Swiss designs. Solothurn has eighteen important historic buildings.

People in Solothurn mainly speak a local version of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect, though the official language is the Swiss variety of Standard German.

History

Pre-Roman settlement

The oldest finds from Solothurn likely date from the Paleolithic era. Remnants of a Mesolithic camp were found in 1986 during renovations of the former Kino Elite building. From the Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Age, only a few scattered items have been discovered.

Roman settlement

The Roman settlement at Solothurn was probably built around AD 15–25 as a road station and bridgehead on the road from Aventicum to Augusta Raurica or Vindonissa. A small vicus or settlement quickly developed around the castrum. Solothurn is first mentioned in 219 as vico salod[uro] on the so-called Eponastein. The name may indicate that a Celtic settlement existed on the site before or just be a testimony to the mixed Gallo-Roman culture in the north-west provinces of the Roman Empire. Its strategic importance lay in its position at the approach to the Rhine from the southeast. In the 2nd–3rd century AD, the vicus expanded rapidly to fill almost all of what is now the old town of Solothurn, including a portion of today’s suburb south of the Aare.

The Roman bridge was probably somewhat above the current Wengibrücke. The Roman era river bed was 40–80 meters north of the present Aare. The main street of the Vicus was well below the present main street. In addition to the normal government of the settlement, there were two mayors (magistri), and a six-member college (seviri Augustales), which was entrusted with supporting the imperial cult. Salodurum was also home to a guard detachment of the XXII Legion, whose high command was stationed in Mainz in Germany. According to inscriptions, there was a temple of Jupiter, a temple of Apollo Augustus and an altar to the goddess of horses Epona, who was popular in the Roman military and of Celtic origin. However, the locations of those three temples are not known. There was a bathhouse on the main street and a pottery district in the northwest of the town which have been documented archaeologically. A cemetery with urns and cremation burials on the eastern end of the Vicus was discovered in 1762–63 during the demolition of the old church of St. Ursus. In addition, two Roman tombs were discovered in the same area.

Around 325–350, the unfortified settlement along the road was transformed into a fortified camp or castrum, which covered only half of the former settlement area. A 2–3 meters thick and 9 m high wall was built around the settlement. The new, fortified town was bell-shaped, and is still visible in the cadastral map of the town. At various points in the town, large and small pieces of the old Roman wall are still visible in the houses of the old town. The location of a gate in the north and a tower in the south-east corner are known and it is likely that there were additional gates and towers. Almost nothing is known about the buildings inside the walls.

Early Middle Ages

In the Early Middle Ages there were two settlement centres, a secular settlement in the former castrum and a religious settlement on the grounds of the late-Roman cemeteries outside the walls. Both the religious histories and archeological discoveries indicate that both areas remained inhabited continuously into the Early Middle Ages. The former chapel of St. Stephen inside the castrum was built on the foundation of an earlier, late-Roman building. A burial memorial in the cemetery of the nearby St. Peter’s Chapel dates to around the collapse of the Roman Empire. By the middle of the 5th century, St. Eucherius of Lyon mentions the martyrdom of St. Ursus and St. Victor and a cult of saints in Solothurn. About 500 AD, the Burgundian Princess Sedeleuba took the bones of St. Victor to Geneva, while the bones of St. Ursus remained in Solothurn. The church dedicated to the veneration of Saint Ursus is first mentioned in 870.

Medieval city

During the Early Middle Ages, Solothurn was part of the Kingdom of Lotharingia (Lorraine). After the collapse of Lotharingia, it became part of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy. In 1033, the Kingdom of Burgundy became part of the Holy Roman Empire and Solothurn gained some independence. In 1038, Emperor Conrad II held court at Solothurn and there crowned his son, Henry III King of Burgundy. The royal court resided in Solothurn on several occasions until 1052, however, there is no evidence of a permanent royal palace. In 1127, it was acquired by the dukes of Zähringen. Under the rule of the Zähringens, in 1146, Solothurn’s coins are first mentioned. In 1182, causidicus or Zähringen appointed judges first appeared in Solothurn. After the extinction of the Zähringer line in 1218 it became a free imperial city under the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1252, the town council and Schultheiss or mayor became mostly independent and had their own town seals. In 1251 it was mentioned as saluerre and in 1275 as Solotren. Starting around 1200, there was a council of nobles in the town.

In 1252, a group of nobles that could witness and support deeds, known as consuls et cives Solodorenses, first appears in the town. Initially the nobles exercised power over the entire town. However, the guild movement of the 14th century resulted in a reduction in the power of the nobles and also a restricted guild system in Solothurn. By around 1350, an eleven-member Altrat (Council of Elders) and a 22-member Jungrat (Younger Council) existed in the city. Each of the eleven guilds were represented by a member of the Altrat and two members of the Jungrat. These 33 councillors exercised, together with the mayor, the power of government and helped appoint lawmakers. The members of the two councils were elected each year by the citizens of the city, after which the councils and mayor appointed many of the government officials. The noble families retained some power as the guilds became part of the city council. However, in 1459 the last noble family died out and positions on the council fell to wealthy farmers, butchers and millers.

Until the pogrom on 1348 during an outbreak of the plague, there was a small Jewish community in Solothurn.

Over the 13th to 15th centuries, the citizens of the city slowly emancipated themselves from the higher nobility. In 1276 and 1280 Emperor Rudolf I codified the previously poorly defined rights of the city and granted it the privilege de non Evocando or the right that their citizens were protected from trial in foreign courts. In 1344 Solothurn acquired the right to appoint their own Schultheiss from the Count of Buchegg, which was confirmed by Emperor Charles IV in 1360. In 1409, Emperor Ruprecht extended the de non Evocando privilege to include the royal High Court as well.

As the city grew in power, it bound the Monastery of St. Ursus more closely to the city. In 1251 the city defeated claims made by the Monastery on the right to appoint the Schultheiss. Shortly after the acquisition of the right to the Schultheiss office in 1344, the city came into possession of the vogt right over the Monastery by granting citizenship rights to the former vogt (bailiff), Burkhard Senn the Elder. In 1512–20 the city received the right to appoint canons and provosts from the Pope.

After the alliance with Bern in 1295, it became part of the Swiss Confederation. In 1382 the Habsburgs attacked the city, involving Solothurn in the Battle of Sempach. By the treaty of two years later, the Habsburgs renounced all claims to the territory of the city. The latter was expanded by acquisition of neighbouring lands in the 15th century, roughly up to the today’s canton area.

In 1481, it obtained full membership in the Swiss Confederation.

Buildings in the medieval city

Before 1200 there was a Zähringer fortified tower north of the Monastery of St. Ursus. In the first half of the 13th century, a city wall was built around the area of the former castrum as well as the adjoining industrial area to the east and the churches of St. Peter and St. Urs. Near the Monastery of St. Ursus, a Franciscan monastery was built, and after 1280 it formed the northern city wall on the eastern part of the city. In 1532, the French embassy with a church and stately home was built in the eastern half of the city. In the western part of Solothurn, the city hall was built. First it was along the main street and in 1476 it moved south of the Franciscan monastery. A main market place grew up along the main street, and in the first half of the 17th century it moved to the northern banks of the Aare. The city hall, market place and clock tower formed the political and economic centre of city life.

Early modern Solothurn

The medieval cooperative election of the mayor and councillors led to the creation of a nearly hereditary oligarchy by the 15th century. By the second half of the 16th century, the political voice of citizens was nearly totally suppressed. By the second half of the 17th century, the government was run by a small group of patricians. The oligarchs were weakened in the 18th century, when in 1718–21 the city council managed to regain some powers. However, in 1682, a new citizenship law prevented wealthy families who had moved into Solothurn from becoming members of the council. While this law reduced the number of people who could be on the city council, the introduction of a secret ballot procedure in 1764 and measures against vote-buying in 1774 allowed more and more non-patrician burghers to join the council.

During the heyday of the patricians in the 17th and 18th centuries, a number of elegant town houses (Reinert House 1692–93, Palais Besenval 1703–06) and summer residences outside the city (Sommerhaus Vigier 1648–50, Waldegg Castle 1682–86 (now in nearby Feldbrunnen-St. Niklaus), Steinbrugg Castle 1665–68 and Blumenstein Castle 1725–28) were built. A number of new public buildings were also added including; the Arsenal (1610–19), the city hall (Rathaus) with its north staircase tower (1632–34) and its eastern façade (Archive tower 1624, completed 1703–14), the Jesuit church (1680–89), the new Ambassadorenhof (1717–24), the Holy Spirit Hospital in a suburb (1735–1800) and the new classicist Church of St. Ursus (1763–90). In the 16th century the city walls were reinforced with the Basel gate and three round towers.

Between 1667 and 1727, following plans by Francesco Polatta, Jacques Le Prestre Tarade and Sébastien de Vauban, the city built fortifications with eleven full and half bastions. The new city wall increased the size of the city by including the eastern suburb of Kreuzacker. Until the 18th century, prisoners were housed in the towers of the medieval and early modern fortifications store. Between 1753 and 1761 a new prison was built outside the city walls, which remained in use into the 20th century. A gallows was first mentioned in 1460 and was located northeast of the city near Feldbrunnen. A second gallows was located to the southwest of the city.

From 1530 to 1792 it was the seat of the French ambassador to Switzerland.

The early modern period in Solothurn ended, as in the rest of Switzerland, with the French invasion in 1798.

Modern Solothurn

Following the capitulation of Solothurn on 2 March 1798, the French General Balthazar Alexis Henri Schauenburg set up a provisional government on the following day. The new government met in April to set up the new constitution. The eleven old Vogtei (baillywicks) were replaced by five districts: Solothurn, Biberist, Balsthal, Olten, and Dornach. The municipal Bürgergemeinde laid claim to the assets of the defunct city-state and in 1801 it received the Sönderungsconvention, large estates and extensive forest land outside the town. In 1831 the cantonal parliament withdrew all political power from the eleven city guilds. Over the following years (1831–1842) all the guilds were dissolved. Due to the municipal law of 1859, the enforcement of the Federal Constitution of 1874 and the Cantonal Constitution of 1875, an Einwohnergemeinde was created. The Einwohnergemeinde included all residents of the town, as opposed to the more limited Bürgergemeinde. The division of property between residents and the Bürgergemeinde proved to be lengthy and could not be completed until 1978 and then only with the help of the Executive Council.

In 1828 Solothurn became the seat of the Bishop of Basel.

Since 1897, the municipal council has been elected by proportional voting and consists of 30 members and 15 alternate members. As the executive body, it elects the council commission (seven members). Mayor and Vice-Mayor are elected by the people. The municipal assembly is the legislative body. The composition of the council remained remarkably stable between 1917 and 1973. The Liberals held an average of 60% of the seats, the Social Democrats and the Conservative People’s Party (CVP today), about 20% each. In 1970, the municipality granted voting rights for women. With the emergence of new parties, the Liberals lost its dominant position. 2009, the FDP 30%, SP 23%, CVP 23%, the Greens 17% and 7% of the votes go to the SVP.

Rock band Krokus was formed in Solothurn in 1974.

Geography

Solothurn is a city in the north-west of Switzerland. It sits near the Aare River and at the base of the Weissenstein Jura mountains.

The city covers an area of about 6.28 square kilometers. Most of the land is used for buildings and roads, with smaller parts used for farming, forests, and water.

Coat of arms

The city of Solothurn has a special design called a coat of arms. It is split into two parts: one red and one silver. This design shows the city's unique identity.

Demographics

Solothurn has about 16,802 people living there as of December 2020. Most people speak German, with smaller groups speaking Italian, Albanian, French, and Romansh.

The city has people of many ages, with children, teenagers, adults, and seniors all making up the population. There are many families, some with children, and also many single people living alone or with others. The city has many homes and apartments of different sizes for people to live in.

Historical population

The historical population of Solothurn is shown in a chart. This chart helps us see how the number of people living in Solothurn has changed over time.

Main sights

The old town of Solothurn was built between 1530 and 1792 and mixes Italian, French, and Swiss styles. In 1980, Solothurn received a special prize for protecting its buildings.

The city has many important places, including churches, museums, and old houses. Some of these places are very special and are protected as important heritage sites. You can visit places like the Cathedral of St. Ursus, the Church of the Jesuits, and the old town walls.

Politics

In the federal election of 2007, the most popular party in Solothurn was the SP, which got 24.09% of the votes. The next three most popular parties were the FDP with 23.53%, the Green Party with 18.56%, and the CVP with 17.19%. A total of 5,767 people voted, and 53.8% of eligible voters took part in the election.

Economy

Solothurn has many jobs in different areas. In 2010, the city had an unemployment rate of 4.6%. There are jobs in farming, making things, and services like shops, hotels, and healthcare. Many people work in Solothurn, and some travel from other places to work there. Most workers use cars to get to work, but some use public transportation.

Transport

Solothurn has a main railway station called Solothurn railway station. It is south of the old town and across the Aare river. The station has many trains, including fast trains and local trains. Different train companies operate these services.

There are also two smaller railway stations in Solothurn that only have local trains. Additionally, the A5 motorway runs south of the city.

Religion

In the year 2000, many people in Solothurn followed different religions. About 35% were Roman Catholic, and about 28% were part of the Swiss Reformed Church. Smaller groups included people who were members of an Orthodox church, Christian Catholic Church, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, or Hindu. Some people did not follow any specific religion, were agnostic, or atheist.

Education

In Solothurn, many people have finished their school education. About 37% of the people have completed school after high school, and 18% have gone to university or a special college.

During the school year of 2010–2011, children in Solothurn could go to kindergarten for two years before starting primary school. They then spend six years in primary school. After that, they have three years of required secondary school, and they can choose to continue for more years if they want. Some students from Solothurn go to school in nearby towns.

Solothurn has two libraries. They have many books and other things to read, and many items are borrowed each year.

Sport

FC Solothurn is the football club in the town of Solothurn.

The number 11

Solothurn has a special connection to the number eleven. The Canton of Solothurn was the eleventh to join the Swiss Confederation. In the city, you can find eleven churches and chapels, eleven historical fountains, and eleven towers. The St. Ursus cathedral features eleven altars and eleven bells, with stairs that have landings after every eleven steps.

Even a local brewery named itself Öufi, which means eleven in Swiss German, and they make a beer with the same name.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Switzerland

Twin towns—Sister cities

Solothurn has special friendly connections with:

• Heilbronn in Germany, since 1981
• Le Landeron in Switzerland, since 2003

Partnerships

• Kraków in Poland, since 1990

Notable people

Solothurn has been home to many interesting people throughout history. In early times, Ursus of Solothurn was a saint and patron of the city's cathedral. During the Renaissance, Urs Graf der Ältere was a skilled goldsmith and artist.

In more recent times, the city has seen many notable figures. Jean II d'Estrées was a famous French naval commander, and General Tadeusz Kościuszko, a leader from Poland, lived in exile here. The 20th century brought artists like Ruedi Walter, a comedian and actor, and Cuno Amiet, a painter and sculptor. Sports stars from Solothurn include Edgar Buchwalder, an Olympic cyclist, and Alexander Popov, a Russian swimmer who won gold medals in the Olympics and now lives in the city.

Climate

Solothurn has a mild climate typical for its region in Switzerland. The city experiences four distinct seasons, with warm summers and cool winters. The nearby river Aare helps influence the local weather, making the area comfortable for outdoor activities throughout the year.