ZURICH. The capital of the Canton of Zurich, and the largest city in Switzerland, situ ated at the northern end of Lake Zurich, 25 miles north northeast of Lucerne ( Mop : Switzer land, C ). Altitude, 1506 feet. Zurich is rapidly growing in size and in financial impor tance, and is much frequented by foreigners. The site is exceptionally attractive. The beautiful lake, the richly gardened shores, and the snow crested Alps in the background, afford a great variety of inspiring scenery. The Limmat, which discharges from the lake, separates the larger town on the right—the Grosse Stadt—from the smaller on the left—the Kleine Stadt. Bor dering the latter on the northwest is the Slid, a small stream which empties into the Limmat within the city.
The old, traditional town, with its narrow. steep streets and its high, dark houses, lies on both banks of the Limmat. The rest of the city has spacious thoroughfares and splendid build ings. The lake quays in the Kleine Stadt are very attractive. Near their northern end is the fine Tonhalle, a popular modern concert build ing and pleasure palace. In the vicinity of their southern end is the beautiful Belvoir Park. Near the Tonhalle, the stately main street of the city —the Bahnhofstrasse—leads from the lake north to the railway station. The bridges are striking. Adjacent to the fine Munster Bridge is the Was serkirche, on the right bank, containing the city library with 130.000 volumes, and over 5000 manuscripts. It preserves many valuable objects, including the Codex Vatieamis. The Gross miinster, dating from the eleventh century, is close by. It is Romanesque, with Gothic fea tures. Zwingli was pastor of this church, and his statue stands here. Farther north is the Roden, with the national educational exhibition and the Pestalozzi cabinet. The modern Catho lic Church of Our Lady is a magnificent basilica. The Church of Saint Peter holds the tomb of Lavater, who was its pastor. The town hall, in German Renaissance, dates from 1604. The new post-office is imposing, and there is an elegant new theatre. The university and the famous federal polytechnic with their numerous institu tions. laboratories, and clinics are in the north ern part of the Grosse Stadt. The splendid poly technic building was erected in 1861-64 from designs by Semper. Toward the south is the Kfinstlergut, with some good pictures of the local Artists' Union.
On the tongue of land, formed by the con fluence of the two rivers. are the decorative grounds of the Swiss National Thiseum. The
Platz Promenade is here—a majestic avenue lined with trees, and bordering the Limmat. The museum is of great interest. The magnificent edifice. in medieval style, dates from 189S and is filled with historical and art-industrial objects from all ages. It is the chief museum of Switzer land. Its collection of stained glass is consid ered the best in the world. The finest excursion from Zurich is that to the I7etliberg, a few miles southwest of the city. it is the northern peak of the Albis chain. The view from the top, which is reached by a railway, is of surpassing loveli ness.
In addition to the university (q.v.) and the Polytechnic• (which has about 1500 students and hearers), Zurich possesses a gymnasium, an in dustrial school with a museinn, an agricultural school, a school of forestry, the cantonal high school, an ethnographical museum, a botanic gar den with a fine collection of Alpine plants. and an astronomical observatory. The cantonal hospital, an orphan asylum, and numerous other charitable institutions arc found here. Zurich is the most important commercial and manufacturing city of Stvitzerland. Its chief product is silk, but it produces also large quantities of cotton goods and machinery. Pianos, paper, soap, and candles are also manufactured. The population, in 1901, was 152.942, nearly all German-speaking Prot estants.
The district which now forms the canton of Zurich passed from the rule of the Romans to that of the Alemanni about the beginning of the fifth century. About a century later the Alonanni were subdued by the Franks. After the partition of the Frankish dominions in the Treaty of Verdun in S43, the district was in cluded in the Kingdom of Germany. The town of Zurich early became prosperous as the seat of richly endowed ecclesiastical foundations and early in the thirteenth century. after having been for a time.under the rule of the House of Z. h ringen appears as a free imperial city. The peoples of Zurich allied themselves with Schwyz and Uri in 1291. and in 1351 their State became a canton of the Swiss Confederation. %wingli began here his reformation in 1519. Zurich was the scene of a battle on September 25-26, 1799, between the French under and the Russians under Korsakoti', in which the former were victorious. The Treaty of Zurich between Austria, France, and Sardinia was signed on November 10, 1S59. By its terms Vic tor Emmanuel II. acquired Lombardy, with the exception of Mantua and Peschiera.