View source for Place:Schwyz

{{Short description|Capital of Schwyz canton, Switzerland}}
{{Infobox Swiss town
 | subject_name		= Schwyz
 | image_photo          = Frauenkloster www.f64.ch-1.jpg
 | municipality_name	= Schwyz
 | municipality_type	= municipality
 | imagepath_flag       = Flag of Canton of Schwyz.svg
 | imagepath_coa	= Wappen Schwyz matt.svg
 | pixel_coa=
 | map			= Karte Gemeinde Schwyz.png
 | languages		= German
 | canton		= Schwyz
 | iso-code-region 	= CH-SZ
 | district		= Schwyz
 |coordinates = {{coord|47|1|N|8|39|E|display=inline,title}}
 |lat_NS=N|long_EW=E
 | postal_code		= 6430
 | municipality_code	= 1372
 | area			= 53.28
 | elevation		= 516|elevation_description=
 | population		= {{Swiss populations NC|CH-SZ|1372}} | populationof = {{Swiss populations YM|CH-SZ}} |  popofyear = {{Swiss populations Y|CH-SZ}}
 | website		= www.schwyz.ch
 | mayor		= Hugo Steiner|mayor_asof=|mayor_party=SP
 | mayor_title	= |list_of_mayors	=
 | places		= Schwyz, Ibach, Seewen, Rickenbach
 | demonym		=
 | neighboring_municipalities= Alpthal, Illgau, Ingenbohl, Lauerz, Morschach, Muotathal, Oberiberg, Rothenthurm, Sattel, Steinen
 | twintowns		=
|}}

The town of '''Schwyz''' ({{IPA-de|ʃviːts|-|De-Schwyz.ogg}}; {{lang-fr|Schwytz}}; {{lang-it|Svitto}}) is the capital of the [[Place:Canton of Schwyz|canton of Schwyz]] in {{wipe|Switzerland}}.

The [[Social:Federal Charter of 1291|Federal Charter of 1291]] or ''Bundesbrief'', the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the ''Bundesbriefmuseum''.

The official language of Schwyz is (the Swiss variety of) [[Social:Swiss Standard German|German]], but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect.

==Name==
The earliest certain record of the name dates to 972, recorded in [[Social:Medieval Latin|Medieval Latin]] as  ''{{lang|la|villa Suittes}}''. There are a number of uncertain records dated between 924 and 960, in the form ''Swites'' (''Suuites'') and ''Switz''.<ref>Viktor Wiebel, 'Suittes – Schwyz – Schweiz : Geschichte und Deutung des Namens Schwyz'
''Mitteilungen des historischen Vereins des Kantons Schwyz'' 65 (1972) ([http://retro.seals.ch/digbib/view?pid=mhv-001:1972:65::173 retro.seals.ch]) <!-- QW I, 1 Nr. 25, QW I, 1 Nr. 42-->
</ref> The name is recorded as ''Schwitz'' in the 13th century, and in the 17th to 18th century often as ''Schweitz''.  
The name's etymology is uncertain.  It was long presented as derived from the name of an eponymous founder in Swiss legend, one ''Suito'' or ''Switer'', an explanation found in Swiss school textbooks until the first half of the 20th century.  There is currently no consensus on the name's derivation.<ref>''Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen'', Frauenfeld 2005, 819f.</ref> Isaac Wake, diplomat of King [[Biography:James VI and I|James VI and I]] in [[Place:Bern|Bern]], suggested in 1625 that the name originated in Sweden, among the ''Suecia'', "who in the time of king [sic] Sigebert made a transmigration out of Suecia and planted themselves in this country".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wake |first=Isaac |title=A three fold help to political observations contained in three discourses. Written by that learned and experienced gentleman, Sir Jsaac Wake. 1. The first concerning the thirteen cantons of the Helvetical League, or of the Switzers. 2. The second declaring the state of Italy, as it stood neer about the year 1625. 3. The third touching the proceedings of the King of Sweden in his wars in Germany. Published for the benefit of the diligent observer. |publisher=Andrew Crook |year=1655 |pages=59}}</ref> A Germanic etymology was suggested by Gatschet (1867), deriving the name from an Old High German verb ''{{lang|goh|suedan}}'' "to burn" (referring to slash-and-burn clearing of woodland for habitation).<ref>Albert S. Gatschet, ''Ortsetymologische Forschungen als Beiträge zu einer Toponomastik der Schweiz'', 1867.</ref> Brandstetter (1871) is critical of Gatschet's suggestion and prefers derivation from an Alemannic personal name in ''Svid-'' as it were presenting a scholarly defense of the ''Suito'' of the founding legend.<ref>Brandstetter, ''Die Ortsnamen Schwiz und Stans'' (1871). ''Svid-'' as a first element in Germanic names (such as ''Svidger'', ''Svidbert, Svidulf'') is somewhat rare but well recorded, Förtsemann, ''Altdeutsches Namenbuch'' (1856), [https://archive.org/stream/altdeutschesnam00frgoog#page/n590/mode/2up 1138].</ref> 
The etymology proposed for the ''{{lang|de|Schweizerisches Idiotikon}}'' by Hubschmied (1929) derives the name from a Gallo-Roman *''{{lang|la|(alpes) suētas}}'', from the Gaulish or Latin word for "pig", via a Romance *''{{lang|roa|suēdes}}'' "(mountain, pasture) of pigs" yielding an Alemannic ''{{lang|gsw|Swītes}}''. Hubschmied distanced himself from this opinion in 1961, preferring an unspecified pre-Roman (or "Etruscan") source.
Sonderegger (1966) revisits Gatschet's ''{{lang|goh|suedan}}'' "slash-and-burn" proposal, but now claims derivation from a cognate Celtic root, ''{{lang|cel-x-proto|sveit-}}'', Proto-Celtic ''{{lang|cel-x-proto|sveitos}}'' with a meaning of "clearing" or similar, giving Gaulish *''{{lang|xtg|Svētos}}'' (the long vowel as in ''{{lang|goh|Rēnos}}'' "[[Place:Rhine|Rhine]]"), Gallo-Romance *''Svēdus, -is'', and finally ''{{lang|goh|Swītes}}'' in Old High German by the 8th century.<ref>Stefan Sonderegger, 'Die Ausbildung der deutsch-romanischen Sprachgrenze in der Schweiz im Mittelalter', ''Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter'' 31, Bonn, 1966/67, 223–290. A summary of the history of suggestions is given in Viktor Weibel, ''Suittes – Schwyz – Schweiz : Geschichte und Deutung des Namens Schwyz'', ''Mitteilungen des historischen Vereins des Kantons Schwyz'' 65 (1972).</ref>

The name ''{{lang|de|Schwyz}}'' was extended to the area dominated by Schwyz (the Canton of Schwyz), and later to the entire [[Place:Old Swiss Confederacy|Old Swiss Confederacy]].  Other cantons tended to resent this in the 15th century, but after 1499 the term ''{{lang|de|Schwyzer}}'' was widely self-adopted, out of spite so to speak, since it had been employed as a term of abuse by the Swabian side during the Swabian War. {{lang|de|Eidgenossenschaft}} and {{lang|de|Schwytzerland}} (the origin of the English name ''Switzerland'') could be used interchangeably as country names in the 16th century.

The Swiss German pronunciation {{IPA|[ʃviːts]}} is the same for the name of the town and that of the country (the two are distinguished only by use of the definite article for the latter, {{IPA|[ʃviːts]}} "Schwyz", {{IPA|[tʃviːts]}} "Switzerland"). The spelling of ''y'' for [iː] originates from the ligature ''ij'' in 15th-century handwriting.

==History==
[[File:Schwyz Brunnen-Mändl.jpg|thumb|left|Fountain in the central plaza in Schwyz]]
[[File:ETH-BIB-Schwyz-LBS H1-023786.tif|thumb|left|Aerial view (1963)]]
While a few Roman era coins have been found in Schwyz, the earliest evidence of a settlement comes from the 8th century.  The Alamanni cemetery at the [[Religion:Parish church|parish church]] and the church itself are both from the first half of the 8th century.  This first church was followed by a second ottonian church around 1000, which may have been destroyed by the 1117 Verona earthquake.  In 1121 the third church building, a romanesque building, was consecrated.  This was followed in the 15th century by the much larger fourth church which was destroyed, along with much of the village, by fire in 1642.  The fifth church, an early baroque church was replaced because of serious structural defects by the current late baroque church which was dedicated in 1774.<ref name=HDS/>

Because Schwyz was the capital of a canton, many of the government organizations administered both the town and the canton at the same time, and the history of the town is closely tied to the history of the canton.

According to the chronicle of Johann Stumpf from 1548, the old town originally consisted of a village square, the church and its cemetery, the town hall, the inn, the archive tower and a number of scattered wooden houses.  Around 1500, to distinguish it from the Canton of Schwyz, Schwyz town was often called ''Kilchgassen'', which meant the village around the church but not the surrounding villages.  The fire of 1642, which destroyed 47 buildings in the center of the village, allowed the town to be totally rebuilt.  A new, larger town square with major roads radiating out was built in front of the new church and the new city hall.  The houses were rebuilt as urban townhouses and a ring of about 30 large patrician farm houses grew up surrounding the village center.<ref name=HDS/>

==Geography==
[[File:Luftaufnahme Schwyz2.jpg|thumb|View of Schwyz town below the Mythen mountains]]
Besides the town of Schwyz, the municipality includes the settlements of Ibach, Seewen and Rickenbach. To the east, the municipality includes, or borders on, the mountains of Hochstuckli, Kleiner Mythen, Grosser Mythen, Rotenflue, and Furggelenstock. The river Muota flows out of these mountains and through the municipality on its way to Lake Lucerne. The Haggenegg Pass and Holzegg Pass both cross to Alpthal, whilst the Ibergeregg Pass crosses to Oberiberg.<ref name=swtopo>{{cite map | publisher = Swiss Confederation | title = map.geo.admin.ch | url = https://s.geo.admin.ch/658e15bf4e | access-date = 3 July 2015}}</ref>

Schwyz has an area, {{as of|2006|lc=on}}, of {{convert|53.2|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}.  Of this area, 46.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 39.1% is forested.  Of the rest of the land, 8.7% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (5.8%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).<ref name=SFSO/>

==Coat of arms==
The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is ''Gules, a Confederate cross couped in the hoist argent.''<ref>[http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ch-sz027.html Flags of the World.com] accessed 12-March-2012</ref>

==Demographics==
Schwyz had a population ({{as of|{{Swiss populations YM|CH-SZ}}|lc=on}}) of {{Swiss populations|CH-SZ|1372}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-SZ}}  {{as of|2008}}, 15.6% of the population were resident foreign nationals. Over the year 2010–2011 the population reduced by 0.6%. Migration accounted for −0.9%, while births and deaths accounted for 0.0%.<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] accessed 11 December 2013</ref> Most of the population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) speaks [[Social:German language|German]] (12,441 or 90.1%) as their first language, Serbo-Croatian is the second most common (378 or 2.7%) and [[Social:Italian language|Italian]] is the third (273 or 2.0%). There are 23 people who speak [[Social:French language|French]] and 25 people who speak Romansh.<ref name=STAT2000/>

{{as of|2008}}, the population was 49.9% male and 50.1% female. The population was made up of 5,824 Swiss men (42.2% of the population), 1,058 (7.7%) non-Swiss men, 5,932 Swiss women (43.0%) and 988 (7.2%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 6,681 or about 48.4% were born in Schwyz and lived there in 2000. There were 2,195 or 15.9% who were born in the same canton, while 2,780 or 20.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 1,797 or 13.0% were born outside of Switzerland.<ref name=STAT2000/>

{{as of|2000}}, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.3% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.1%.<ref name=SFSO/>

{{as of|2000}}, there were 6,314 people who were single and never married in the municipality.  There were 6,305 married individuals, 722 widows or widowers and 461 individuals who are divorced.<ref name=STAT2000>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.3%20-%202000/40.3%20-%202000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=3&openChild=true STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 – 2000] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809142611/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.3%20-%202000/40.3%20-%202000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=3&openChild=true |date=9 August 2013 }}  {{in lang|de}} accessed 2 February 2011</ref>

{{as of|2000}}, there were 5,250 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household.<ref name=SFSO/> There were 1,582 households that consist of only one person and 536 households with five or more people.  {{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}}, a total of 4,968 apartments (90.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 375 apartments (6.8%) were seasonally occupied and 156 apartments (2.8%) were empty.<ref name=Housing>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_09%20-%20Bau-%20und%20Wohnungswesen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen.asp?lang=1&prod=09&secprod=2&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB – Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 – Gebäude und Wohnungen] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907111534/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_09%20-%20Bau-%20und%20Wohnungswesen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen.asp?lang=1&prod=09&secprod=2&openChild=true |date=7 September 2014 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 January 2011</ref>  {{as of|2009}}, the construction rate of new housing units was 4.8 new units per 1000 residents.<ref name=SFSO/>

{{as of|2003}} the average price to rent an average apartment in Schwyz was 1185.58 Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$950, £530, €760 approx. exchange rate from 2003).  The average rate for a one-room apartment was 543.08 CHF (US$430, £240, €350), a two-room apartment was about 904.87 CHF (US$720, £410, €580), a three-room apartment was about 1068.78 CHF (US$860, £480, €680) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1461.34 CHF (US$1170, £660, €940).  The average apartment price in Schwyz was 106.2% of the national average of 1116 CHF.<ref name=BFS_rent>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/05/06/blank/key/einfuehrung.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Rental prices] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423161803/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/05/06/blank/key/einfuehrung.html |date=23 April 2010 }} 2003 data {{in lang|de}} accessed 26 May 2010</ref> The vacancy rate for the municipality, {{as of|2010|alt=in 2010}}, was 0.25%.<ref name=SFSO/>

==Historic population==
The historical population is given in the following chart:<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|736|Schwyz}}</ref>
<timeline>
Colors=
  id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
  id:darkgrey  value:gray(0.8)
ImageSize  = width:800 height:500
PlotArea   = top:10 left: 100 bottom:90 right:100
Legend     = columns:3 left:220 top:70 columnwidth:160
AlignBars  = justify
DateFormat = x.y
Period     = from:0 till:14000
TimeAxis   = orientation:vertical
AlignBars  = justify
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:3000 start:0
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:600 start:0
Colors=
 id:TO     value:yellowgreen      legend:Total
 id:GE     value:teal      legend:German_Speaking
 id:IT     value:green      legend:Italian_Speaking
 id:CA     value:lightpurple      legend:Catholic
 id:PR     value:oceanblue      legend:Protestant
 id:SW     value:red      legend:Swiss
PlotData=
  color:yellowgreen width:40   mark:(line,white) align:center
  bar:1850 from:start till:5432 text:"5,432" color:TO
  bar:1870 from:start till:6137 text:"6,137" color:TO
  bar:1888 from:start till:6616 text:"6,616" color:TO
  bar:1900 from:start till:7398 text:"7,398" color:TO
  bar:1910 from:start till:8000 text:"8,000" color:TO
  bar:1930 from:start till:8256 text:"8,256" color:TO
  bar:1950 from:start till:10259 text:"10,259" color:TO
  bar:1970 from:start till:12194 text:"12,194" color:TO
  bar:1990 from:start till:12872 text:"12,872" color:TO
  bar:2000 from:start till:13802 text:"13,802" color:TO
LineData =
  points:(244,274)(307,292)  color:GE
  points:(307,292)(369,306)  color:GE
  points:(369,306)(431,315)  color:GE
  points:(431,315)(493,371)  color:GE
  points:(493,371)(556,410)  color:GE
  points:(556,410)(618,419)  color:GE
  points:(618,419)(680,445)  color:GE
  points:(244,93)(307,97)  color:IT
  points:(307,97)(369,100)  color:IT
  points:(369,100)(431,97)  color:IT
  points:(431,97)(493,97)  color:IT
  points:(493,97)(556,111)  color:IT
  points:(556,111)(618,103)  color:IT
  points:(618,103)(680,98)  color:IT
  points:(120,245)(182,265)  color:CA
  points:(182,265)(244,277)  color:CA
  points:(244,277)(307,298)  color:CA
  points:(307,298)(369,313)  color:CA
  points:(369,313)(431,319)  color:CA
  points:(431,319)(493,373)  color:CA
  points:(493,373)(556,422)  color:CA
  points:(556,422)(618,416)  color:CA
  points:(618,416)(680,412)  color:CA
  points:(120,90)(182,91)  color:PR
  points:(182,91)(244,92)  color:PR
  points:(244,92)(307,94)  color:PR
  points:(307,94)(369,95)  color:PR
  points:(369,95)(431,97)  color:PR
  points:(431,97)(493,100)  color:PR
  points:(493,100)(556,104)  color:PR
  points:(556,104)(618,109)  color:PR
  points:(618,109)(680,111)  color:PR
  points:(120,244)(182,261)  color:SW
  points:(182,261)(244,272)  color:SW
  points:(244,272)(307,287)  color:SW
  points:(307,287)(369,301)  color:SW
  points:(369,301)(431,314)  color:SW
  points:(431,314)(493,373)  color:SW
  points:(493,373)(556,407)  color:SW
  points:(556,407)(618,413)  color:SW
  points:(618,413)(680,426)  color:SW
</timeline>
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
! colspan="12" | Historic Population Data <ref name=HDS/>
|-
! Year
! Total Population
! German Speaking
! Italian Speaking
! Catholic
! Protestant
! Other
! Jewish
! Islamic
! No religion given
! Swiss
! Non-Swiss
|-
! Scope="row" | 1621
| align="center" | 2,052 ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  |
|-
! Scope="row" | 1669
| align="center" | ca. 2,500 ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  |
|-
! Scope="row" | 1743
| align="center" | 4,639 ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  |
|-
! Scope="row" | 1799
| align="center" | 6,338 ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  |
|-
! Scope="row" | 1802
| align="center" | ca. 5,000 ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  |
|-
! Scope="row" | 1837
| align="center" | 5,225 ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  | ||  |
|-
! scope="row" | 1850
| align="center" | 5,432 || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" |5,428 || align="center" |4 || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" |5,406 || align="center" |26
|-
! scope="row" | 1870
| align="center" | 6,137 || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" |6,114 || align="center" |38 || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" |5,987 || align="center" |167
|-
! scope="row" | 1888
| align="center" | 6,616 || align="center" |6,424 || align="center" |110 || align="center" |6,552 || align="center" |64 || align="center" |21 || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" |6,380 || align="center" |236
|-
! scope="row" | 1900
| align="center" | 7,398 || align="center" |7,072 || align="center" |246 || align="center" |7,268 || align="center" |129 || align="center" |18 || align="center" |1 || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" |6,911 || align="center" |487
|-
! scope="row" | 1910
| align="center" | 8,000 || align="center" |7,549 || align="center" |352 || align="center" |7,807 || align="center" |184 || align="center" |48 || align="center" |3 || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" |7,399 || align="center" |601
|-
! scope="row" | 1930
| align="center" | 8,256 || align="center" |7,866 || align="center" |245 || align="center" |8,004 || align="center" |246 || align="center" |50 || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" |7,830 || align="center" |426
|-
! scope="row" | 1950
| align="center" | 10,259 || align="center" |9,827 || align="center" |255 || align="center" |9,888 || align="center" |358 || align="center" |92 || align="center" |1 || align="center" | || align="center" | || align="center" |9,896 || align="center" |363
|-
! scope="row" | 1970
| align="center" | 12,194 || align="center" |11,206 || align="center" |744 || align="center" |11,615 || align="center" |501 || align="center" |209 || align="center" | || align="center" |5 || align="center" |17 || align="center" |11,080 || align="center" |1,114
|-
! scope="row" | 1990
| align="center" | 12,872 || align="center" |11,530 || align="center" |453 || align="center" |11,420 || align="center" |667 || align="center" |849 || align="center" |3 || align="center" |225 || align="center" |160 || align="center" |11,319 || align="center" |1,553
|-
! scope="row" | 2000
| align="center" | 13,802 || align="center" |12,441 || align="center" |273 || align="center" |11,269 || align="center" |751 || align="center" |1,065 || align="center" |5 || align="center" |502 || align="center" |377 || align="center" |11,756 || align="center" |2,046
|-
|}

==Heritage sites of national significance==
The ''Bundesbriefmuseum'' (Museum of the Swiss Charters of Confederation), the Dominican nuns Convent of St. Peter am Bach, the entire medieval and early modern settlement, the Hermitage and chapel, the Forum der Schweizer Geschichte (Forum of Swiss History), the ''Ab Yberg im Grund'' House, the ''Bethlehem'' House at Reichsstrasse 9, the ''Ceberg im Feldli'' house at Theodosiusweg 20, the house at Gotthardstrasse 99 in Ibach, the ''Grosshus'' at Strehlgasse 12, the ''Immenfeld'' house, the house at Langfeldweg 14 in Kaltbach, the house at Oberschönenbuch 79 in Ibach, the Herrenhaus Waldegg, the Hettlingerhäuser, the Hofstatt Ital Reding, the Catholic Parish Church of St. Martin, the Maihof, the Palais Büeler, the Rathaus (Town council house), the Reding House, the State Archives of Schwyz and the ''Köplihaus'' house are listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.  The entire old city of Schwyz is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar/a-objekte.html|title=Kantonsliste A-Objekte|year=2009|work=KGS Inventar|publisher=Federal Office of Civil Protection|language=de|access-date=28 May 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628110559/http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar/a-objekte.html|archive-date=28 June 2010}}</ref>

<gallery>
File: Bundesbriefmuseum.jpg |  ''Bundesbriefmuseum'' (Museum of the Swiss Charters of Confederation) 
File: Frauenkloster www.f64.ch-2.jpg |  Dominican Nuns Convent of St. Peter am Bach 
File: Einsiedelei Schwyz www.f64.ch-1.jpg |  Hermitage with Chapel of the 14 Emergency Helpers and a Brothers' House 
File: Forum der schweizer geschichte04.jpg |  Forum der Schweizer Geschichte (Forum of Swiss History) 
File: Haus Ab Yberg Schwyz 1-www.f64.ch.jpg |  ''Ab Yberg im Grund'' House with St. Sebastian Chapel
File:Herrenhaus "Mittleres Feldli" in Schwyz (2022).jpg|Manor house  "Mittleres Feldli" and Mythen
File: Schwyz Haus Bethlehem und Grosser Mythen.jpg |  ''Bethlehem'' House at Reichsstrasse 9
File: Haus Ceberg Schwyz www.f64.ch-3.jpg |  ''Ceberg im Feldli'' House at Theodosiusweg 20
File: Gotthardstrasse 99 www.f64.ch-1.jpg |  House at Gotthardstrasse 99, Ibach
File: Grosshus Schwyz www.f64.ch-2.jpg |  ''Grosshus'' House at Strehlgasse 12
File: Haus Immenfeld Schwyz www.f64.ch-9.jpg |  ''Immenfeld'' House  
File: Langfeldweg 14 www.f64.ch-3.jpg |  House at Langfeldweg 14, Kaltbach
File: Schönenbuch Schwyz www.f64.ch-2.jpg |  House at Oberschönenbuch 79, Ibach
File: Hettlingerhaeuser Schwyz www.f64.ch-4.jpg |  Hettlingerhäuser 
File: Ital-Reding-Hofstatt Schwyz.jpg |  Hofstatt Ital Reding 
File: Kopp1august 1.JPG |  Catholic Parish Church of St. Martin ith ''Kerchel'' and ''Heiligkreuz'' Chapel  
File: Maihof Palais Niederoest 2-www.f64.ch.jpg |  Maihof 
File: Palais Bueeler Schwyz www.f64.ch-1.jpg | Palais Büeler (formerly Palais von Weber) 
File: Schwyz Rathaus.jpg |  Rathaus (Town council house) 
File: Schwyz_Hofstatt_Ital_Reding.jpg |  Reding House 
File: Staatsarchiv www.f64.ch-2.jpg |  State Archives of Schwyz 
</gallery>

==Politics==
In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 39.91% of the vote.  The next three most popular parties were the CVP (26.12%), the SPS (17.05%) and the FDP (12.72%).  In the federal election, a total of 5,554 votes were cast, and the [[Social:Voter turnout|voter turnout]] was 57.8%.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/data/04/03.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office, ''Nationalratswahlen 2007: Stärke der Parteien und Wahlbeteiligung, nach Gemeinden/Bezirk/Canton''] {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 May 2010</ref>

==Economy==
{{as of|2010|In 2010}}, Schwyz had an unemployment rate of 1.8%.  {{as of|2008}}, there were 484 people employed in the [[Finance:Primary sector of the economy|primary economic sector]] and about 174 businesses involved in this sector.  2,756 people were employed in the [[Finance:Secondary sector of the economy|secondary sector]] and there were 179 businesses in this sector.  7,099 people were employed in the [[Finance:Tertiary sector of the economy|tertiary sector]], with 696 businesses in this sector.<ref name=SFSO/>

{{as of|2008|alt=In 2008}} the total number of [[Physics:Full-time equivalent|full-time equivalent]] jobs was 8,570.  The number of jobs in the primary sector was 303, of which 273 were in agriculture and 30 were in forestry or lumber production.  The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 2,647 of which 1,589 or (60.0%) were in manufacturing, 8 or (0.3%) were in mining and 928 (35.1%) were in construction.  The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 5,620.  In the tertiary sector; 1,357 or 24.1% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 306 or 5.4% were in the movement and storage of goods, 272 or 4.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 136 or 2.4% were in the information industry, 733 or 13.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 427 or 7.6% were technical professionals or scientists, 260 or 4.6% were in education and 1,053 or 18.7% were in health care.<ref>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_06%20-%20Industrie%20und%20Dienstleistungen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen.asp?lang=1&prod=06&secprod=2&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Betriebszählung: Arbeitsstätten nach Gemeinde und NOGA 2008 (Abschnitte), Sektoren 1–3] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225013454/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_06%20-%20Industrie%20und%20Dienstleistungen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen.asp?lang=1&prod=06&secprod=2&openChild=true |date=25 December 2014 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 January 2011</ref>

{{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}}, there were 4,484 workers who commuted into the municipality and 2,168 workers who commuted away.  The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 2.1 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving.<ref name=commuter>[http://www.media-stat.admin.ch/stat/pendler/pop.php Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Statweb] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120804043150/http://www.media-stat.admin.ch/stat/pendler/pop.php |date=4 August 2012 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 24 June 2010</ref> Of the working population, 13.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 45.3% used a private car.<ref name=SFSO/>

==Religion==
[[File:Schwyz Church of St Martin.JPG|thumb|Roman Catholic Church of St. Martin]]
From the {{as of|2000|alt=2000 census}}, 11,269 or 81.6% were Roman Catholic, while 675 or 4.9% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.  Of the rest of the population, there were 423 [[Religion:Orthodoxy#Christianity|members of an Orthodox church]] (or about 3.06% of the population), there were 7 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 155 individuals (or about 1.12% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church.  There were 5 individuals (or about 0.04% of the population) who were [[Religion:Judaism|Jewish]], and 502 (or about 3.64% of the population) who were [[Religion:Islam|Islam]]ic.  There were 42 individuals who were [[Religion:Buddhism|Buddhist]], 31 individuals who were [[Religion:Hinduism|Hindu]] and 7 individuals who belonged to another church.  377 (or about 2.73% of the population) belonged to no church, are [[Philosophy:Agnosticism|agnostic]] or [[Philosophy:Atheism|atheist]], and 385 individuals (or about 2.79% of the population) did not answer the question.<ref name=STAT2000/>

==Education==
[[File:Schwyz Kollegium1.jpg|thumb|upright|Kantonsschule Kollegium Schwyz, an upper Secondary school in Schwyz]]
In Schwyz about 4,873 or (35.3%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 1,473 or (10.7%) have completed additional higher education (either [[Organization:List of universities in Switzerland|university]] or a ''Fachhochschule'').  Of the 1,473 who completed tertiary schooling, 71.1% were Swiss men, 19.4% were Swiss women, 5.3% were non-Swiss men and 4.1% were non-Swiss women.<ref name=STAT2000/>  {{as of|2000}}, there were 419 students in Schwyz who came from another municipality, while 186 residents attended schools outside the municipality.<ref name=commuter/>

Schwyz is home to the ''Kantonsbibliothek Schwyz'' library.  The library has ({{as of|2008|lc=on}}) 108,142 books or other media, and loaned out 136,064 items in the same year.  It was open a total of 276 days with average of 29 hours per week during that year.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/16/02/02/data.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office, list of libraries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706231342/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/16/02/02/data.html |date=6 July 2015 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 14 May 2010</ref>

A major school in Schwyz is the ''Kantonsschule Kollegium Schwyz'' (KKS), an upper Secondary school that is a Gymnasium and a [[Social:Vocational education#Switzerland|vocational or technical college]].  The KKS has operated for over 150 years, though it builds on several older schools.  The first Latin school in Schwyz opened in 1627 in the former Capuchin monastery of St. Josef im Loo.  This school remained open until the 1798 French invasion.  On 25 July 1841, the Jesuits laid the cornerstone of what would become the Jesuit College on the site of the modern ''Kollegium''.  The school opened in 1844 but only remained under Jesuit control for three years.  In 1847, Federal troops marched into Schwyz to suppress the Catholic Sonderbund and forced the Jesuits to flee.  It was reopened in 1855 under the Capuchin [[Religion:Priest|Father]] Theodosius Florentini and in the following year began teaching students.  The school continued to teach students using both religious and secular teachers until the 1970s.  In 1972, the lower Secondary students moved to Pfäffikon and the school became an upper Secondary ''Kantonsschule''.<ref>[http://www2.kks.ch/kantonsschule/geschichte-der-schule/geschichte KKS website-history of the school] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327185226/http://www2.kks.ch/kantonsschule/geschichte-der-schule/geschichte |date=27 March 2013 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 February 2012</ref>

==Weather==
Schwyz has an average of 149.2 days of rain per year and on average receives {{convert|1629|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation.  The wettest month is August during which time Schwyz receives an average of {{convert|199|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation.  During this month there is precipitation for an average of 13.9 days.  The month with the most days of precipitation is June, with an average of 14.8, but with only {{convert|182|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation.  The driest month of the year is February with an average of {{convert|99|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation over 13.9 days.<ref name=MeteoSchweiz>{{cite web | url =http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/de/klima/klima_schweiz/tabellen.html | title =Temperature and Precipitation Average Values-Table, 1961–1990 | access-date =8 May 2009 | publisher =Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology – MeteoSwiss | language =de, fr, it | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090627163841/http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/de/klima/klima_schweiz/tabellen.html | archive-date =27 June 2009 | df =dmy-all }}, the weather station elevation is 480 meters above sea level.</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Bahnhof schwyz.jpg|thumb|Schwyz railway station]]
The A4 motorway, between [[Place:Zürich|Zürich]] and the Brunnen passes through the west of the municipality, and the town is linked to it by main roads and motorway junctions. Other main roads connect the town to [[Place:Lucerne|Lucerne]] (along both banks of Lake Lucerne), to the Gotthard Pass and southern Switzerland, and to Pfaffikon and Einsiedeln in the north of the canton of Schwyz. A minor road crosses the Ibergeregg Pass to Oberiberg, providing an alternative route to Einsiedeln. Other minor roads reach to near the summits of both the Haggenegg Pass and Holzegg Pass, but only hiking trails actually cross these passes and continue to Alpthal.<ref name=swtopo/>

Schwyz railway station, on the Gotthard railway, is located about {{convert|2|km|mi|abbr=on}} outside the town, in the parish of Seewen. The station is served by [[Engineering:InterRegio|InterRegio]] and S-Bahn trains.

Early plans for the Schweizerische Südostbahn included a proposal for what is now the Pfäffikon SZ–Arth-Goldau railway to terminate at Brunnen railway station instead of Arth-Goldau railway station. If that proposal had come to fruition, the Schwyz town centre would have had a railway station – initially on the Kollegi football field, and later in Steisteg.

From 6 October 1900 to 14 December 1963, the Schwyzer Strassenbahnen linked the Schwyz railway station with the town centre. On 8 May 1915, the additional section between Schwyz and Brunnen See was opened<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://list.wiki/de/was-ist-das-grose-geheimnis-von-urotrin/|title=Was ist das große Geheimnis von Urotrin? -|date=7 December 2021|website=list.wiki}}</ref> – and on the same day, the Schwyz SBB–Schwyz line was shut down. The trams were eventually replaced by the Auto AG Schwyz, which today operates 12 bus lines in the cantons of Lucerne and Schwyz.

The ''Rotenfluebahn'', a [[Engineering:Gondola lift|gondola lift]], links Rickenbach with the summit of the Rotenfluh mountain, which is, in summer, a popular vantage point over the Lake Lucerne region, and, in winter, a ski area.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.luzernerzeitung.ch/nachrichten/zentralschweiz/sz/schwyz/So-ist-die-Fahrt-mit-der-neuen-Rotenfluebahn;art96,456144 | title = So ist die Fahrt mit der neuen Rotenfluebahn | language = de | work = Neue Luzerner Zeitung | date = 5 December 2014 | access-date = 7 July 2015}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
[[File:Theodor Reding von Biberegg.jpg|140px|thumb|General Teodoro Reding]]
* Theodor von Reding (1755 in Schwyz – 1809) a Spanish general, led Swiss and Spanish troops against Napoleon
* Alois von Reding (1765 in Schwyz – 1818) a Swiss patriot, military officer and politician, brother of Theodor
* Carl Elsener Sr. (1922 – 2013 in Schwyz) a Swiss entrepreneur with the [[Engineering:Swiss Army knife|Swiss Army knife]]
* Xavier Koller (born 1944 in Schwyz) a Swiss film director and screenwriter <ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002699/  IMDb Database] retrieved 28 January 2019</ref>
* Gertrud Leutenegger (born 1948 in Schwyz) a Swiss poet, novelist, playwright and theatre director
* Monika Kaelin (born 1954 in Schwyz) a model and actress <ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0477640/  IMDb Database] retrieved 28 January 2019</ref>

; Sport
* Oscar Camenzind (born 1971 in Schwyz) a former professional road racing cyclist
* Luca Schuler (born 1998 in Schwyz) a Swiss freestyle skier, competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.gemeindeschwyz.ch Municipality of Schwyz] {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.sz.ch Canton of Schwyz] {{in lang|de}}



[[Category:Cantonal capitals of Switzerland]]

{{Sourceattribution|Schwyz}}