Stans: Difference between revisions

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'''Stans''' ({{IPA-|de|ʃtans}}) is the capital of the [[Cantons of Switzerland|canton]] of [[Nidwalden]] (Nidwald) in [[Switzerland]].

The official language of Stans is [[German language|German]] (thespoken Swissthere in the variety of Standard) [[Swiss Standard German|German]]), but the main spoken language is the local variant of [[Alemannic German|Alemannic]] [[Swiss German (linguistics)|Swiss German]].

Stans is one of the oldest settlements in the entire Nidwalden valley. The first traces of human settlement date to the 2ndsecond Centurycentury BC.<ref name="Stans">[http://www.stans.ch/de/portrait/geschichte/welcome.php?action=showinfo&info_id=4293 Stans Online-History] {{in lang|de}} accessed 21 May 2009</ref> During the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] era there is little evidence of a settlement except for some [[Gallo-Roman]] ''[[Ustrinum]]'' or [[funeral pyre]]s and the [[Latin language|Latin]] root (''stagnum'' meaning a pool or sump) of the name Stans.<ref name="Stans"/>

During the 7thseventh or 8theighth Centurycentury, the [[Alamanni]] settled in the region. The [[Christians|Christian]] Alamanni built the first church in Stans around 750 AD. This pre-[[Carolingian architecture|Carolingian]] church served as the [[Parish (Catholic Church)|parish]] church for the entire [[Engelberg]] Valley. The church was expanded numerous times until it was finally replaced in 1647 by the new church of St. Peter and Paul.<ref name="Stans"/>

[[File:Fotografi av staden Stans i Schweiz - Hallwylska museet - 103185.tif|thumb|panorama of Stans {{circa |1870}}]]

In 1798 Stans was stormed by French troops, following the decision of Nidwalden not to adopt the constitution of the [[Helvetic Republic]]. Children orphaned by this event were gathered by the educator [[Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi]] for his first school. He converted the [[Convent]] of [[Clare of Assisi|St. Klara]] (built in 1621-16251621–1625) into a school for the children.<ref name="Flueler"/> However, he only had the school until the following year when the French Army needed the building and the orphan's school came to a sudden end.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia CE1913|yearwstitle= 1913Pestalozzi and Pestalozzianism |title volume= Pestalozzi11 and|last= PestalozzianismSchwickerath |encyclopediafirst= Catholic EncyclopediaRobert |urlauthor-link=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Pestalozzi_and_Pestalozzianism |short=1}}</ref> In 1814, following the collapse of the Napoleonic [[Act of Mediation]], Nidwalden attempted to return to the ''[[Early Modern Switzerland|Ancien Regime]]'' government, with subject lands belonging to the canton. Stans and the rest of Nidwalden only gave up their subject lands when Federal troops marched into the city.<ref>{{cite book |title= The forest cantons of Switzerland: Lucerne, Schwyz, Uri, Unterwalden|last= Sowerby |first= J. |year= 1892 |publisher=Percival & Co |page= [https://archive.org/details/forestcantonssw00sowegoog/page/n51 36] |url= https://archive.org/details/forestcantonssw00sowegoog|quote= The Forest Cantons of Switzerland.|accessdateaccess-date= 2009-05-21}}</ref> Stans and the rest of Nidwalden joined the [[Sonderbund war|Sonderbund]] in 1845 and were involved in the 1847 Sonderbund War.

In the 20th Centurycentury, modern technology and transportation changed Stans. In 1893 Stans was connected to the rail network of Lucerne by steam ferry. In 1964 the Lucerne-Stans-Engelberg rail way was opened and in 1966 the [[A2 motorway (Switzerland)|A2 motorway]] (which is Switzerland's main north–south axis from [[Basel]] to [[Chiasso]]) was constructed.

The area of Stans is {{convert|11.08|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. Much of the land within the borders of Stans is agricultural (43.7%), while just over a third (36.5%) is forested. Of the remaining area, about 17% is settlements and less than 2.6% is unproductive (mountains, rivers or glaciers).<ref name="BFS table">[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] accessed 18 May 2009</ref> The highest point within the borders of Stans is on the [[Stanserhorn]] and is {{convert|1819|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level. The lowest point is at ''Fronhofen'' where the elevation is {{convert|438|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The village square (''Dorfplatz'') has an elevation of {{convert|452|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Stans numbers">[http://www.stans.ch/de/portrait/gemeindeinzahlen/ Stans City website-Numbers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118150710/http://www.stans.ch/de/portrait/gemeindeinzahlen/ |date=2014-01-18 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 22 May 2009</ref>

Stans has an average of 137.7 days of rain per year and on average receives {{convert|1224|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation. The wettest month is August when Stans receives an average of {{convert|166|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation on 13.6 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is June, with an average of 14.2, but with only {{convert|156|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation. The driest month of the year is January with an average of {{convert|65|mm|in|abbr=on}} of precipitation over 13.6 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 =Germande, Frenchfr, Italianit | 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 = }}, the weather station elevation is 438 meters above sea level.</ref>

Stans has a population (as of {{Swiss populations date|CH-NW}}) of {{Swiss populations|CH-NW|1509}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-NW}} {{as of|2007}}, 9.4% of the population was made up of foreign nationals.<ref name=NW_pop>[http://www.nw.ch/de/verwaltung/departemente/welcome.php?departement_id=12&page=5&action=download&id=2575 Nidwalden Statistical Office-Population] {{in lang|de}} accessed 4 September 2009</ref> Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 13.2%. Most of the population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) speaks German (91.6%), with Italian being second most common (2.0%) and Serbo-Croatian being third (1.2%).<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] accessed 04-Sep-2009</ref> {{as of|2008}} the gender distribution of the population was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. {{as of|2000}} there are 2,816 households, of which 1,837 households (or about 65.2%) contain only one or two individuals. 202 or about 7.2% are large households, with at least five members.<ref name=NW_Gemeinde>[http://www.nw.ch/de/onlinemain/publikationen/welcome.php?action=download&amt_id=&id=2200 Nidwalden Statistical Office-Municipalities]{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 4 September 2009</ref>

In Stans about 75.2% of the population (between age 25-6425–64) have completed either non-mandatory [[Education in Switzerland#Secondary|upper secondary education]] or additional higher education (either university or a ''[[Fachhochschule]]'').<ref name=SFSO/>

Stans is served by [[Stans railway station|Stans station]] on the [[Luzern–Stans–Engelberg railway line|Luzern–Stans–Engelberg line]]. [[Lucerne S-Bahn]] [[S4 (Lucerne S-Bahn)|S4]] service provides two trains per hour to and from [[Lucerne]], and the hourly [[InterRegio]] service between Lucerne and Engelberg also stops in Stans.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2013/480.pdf | title = Luzern–Stans–Engelberg | publisher = Bundesamt für Verkehr | accessdateaccess-date = 2013-01-14|format=PDF}}</ref>

The local mountain, the ''[[Stanserhorn]]'' ({{convert|1898|m|ft|abbr=on}}) is also a tourist resort. It is accessible via one of the oldest mountain railways in Switzerland, the ''Stanserhornbahn'' (1893), and by cable car. The ''Stanserhornbahn'' was originally built as a [[Rack railway|rack and pinion]] railway, with three separate sections. In 1970 the upper section was destroyed by a fire following a lightning strike. In 1975 the destroyed upper section and the middle section were replaced by an aerial cable car. At the peak of the Stanserhorn is the ''Rondorama'', a revolving restaurant that was built in 2001. From the peak of the Stanserhorn, on a clear day the view stretches nearly {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} and includes 10 Swiss lakes and the [[Black Forest]] of Germany.<ref>[http://www.stanserhorn.ch/m171_m06/cms/EnDrehrestaurantEinleitung1.asp?Men=2715 Description of the Rondorama] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927001854/http://www.stanserhorn.ch/m171_m06/cms/EnDrehrestaurantEinleitung1.asp?Men=2715 |date=2011-09-27 }} accessed 22 May 2009</ref> There is a short hiking trail around the peak of the Stanserhorn and a small population of [[Marmot]]s are kept near the trail.<ref>[http://www.stanserhorn.ch/m171_m06/cms/EnMurmelipark.asp?Men=2724 Stanserhorn - What to do] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927001906/http://www.stanserhorn.ch/m171_m06/cms/EnMurmelipark.asp?Men=2724 |date=2011-09-27 }} accessed 22 May 2009</ref>

The Parish church, ''St. Peter und Paul'' was built from 1641 until 1647 by the architect Jakob Berger. The church was constructed in an early-[[Baroque (architecture)|Baroque]] style, while the bell tower is an older [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] structure. The three [[nave]] [[Basilica#Ecclesiastical basilicas|Basilica]] was built south of the earlier church, though the older bell tower dates from this previous church.<ref name="Flueler"/> The interior is decorated in white, gold and black. The simple interior ornamentation comes from [[Lombardy]] while there altar figures were done by Georg Allhelg.<ref name="Rundgang"/> Next to the church is a two-story chapel and [[ossuary]] for the nearby CapucinCapuchin monastery.

===CapucinCapuchin monastery===

[[File:Picswiss NW-26-23.jpg|thumb|CapucinCapuchin Monastery in Stans]]

A [[Order of Friars Minor Capuchin|CapucinCapuchin monastery]] was established in Stans in 1583 by [[Melchior Lussy]], who had been sent to the [[Council of Trent]]. Initially there was resistance to the poverty, simple habits and beards of this order of [[Counter-Reformation]] monks.<ref name="Stans UF"/> In 1777 the monks opened a Latin school, which was suppressed from 1798 until 1803 under the Helvetic Republic. The ''Kollegium St. Fidelis'' was built by the monks in 1895 and purchased by the canton in 1988. The monastery church was built in 1683 and renovated in 1980.<ref name="Rundgang"/> In 1956 a memorial tablet to Melchoir Lussy was placed near the gate of the monastery.

The Convent St. Klara was founded by Katharina and Maria Gut in 1618.<ref name="Stans UF"/> The buildings were built from 1621–251621 to 1625.<ref name="Flueler"/> In 1799 Heinrich Pestalozzi established his orphanage and school in the convent buildings. The convent church (built in 1723) is a simple structure with an ornate [[Altar (Catholicism)|altar]] by Johann Ritz and a mystical altar painting by Johannes Brandenburg. The church was renovated in 1980.<ref name="Rundgang"/> From the convent cemetery a path leads to the nearby CapucinCapuchin monastery.

A portion of the ''Winkelriedhaus'' (Winkelried House) was once home to the Winkelried family, though Arnold von Winkelried (if he existed) did not live in it.<ref name="Stans UF"/> The oldest part of the structure dates from the middle of the 15th Centurycentury. The early house was an unusually tall and large [[Timber framing|half timbered]] ({{lang-langx|de|fachwerk}}, {{lang-langx|gsw|Riegelbau}}) building, which was known throughout much of central Switzerland.<ref name="Rundgang"/> However, it was not owned by the Winkelrieds for very long; in 1541 the Lussy family purchased the house. Under Melchior Lussy the Gothic building was renovated over a period of 50 years into a much larger, Renaissance mansion. In 1766 the [[Landammann]] (Chief Magistrate) Jost Remigi Trachsler bought the house. During much of the second half of the 18th Centurycentury he had the ''Winkelriedhaus'' renovated and added a number of [[rococo]] [[fresco]]s on the walls of the house. In 1815, the Kayser family bought the house, which they held until 1974 when it was given to the canton. It was restored from 1983 until 1991 and since then has been the home of the ''Museum für Kultur und Brauchtum''.<ref>[http://www.nidwaldner-museum.ch/dynamic/page_detail.asp?seiid=15&nwcid=2 Nidwalder Museums-Winkelriedhaus] {{in lang|de}} accessed 27 May 2009</ref>

The ''Salzmagazin'' (lit. Salt storage house) was originally built to store grain and salt for the community in 1700. It has had many other uses since then including; a theater, a secondary school and finally a museum. The coat of arms of the builder and Landammann Nicolaus Keiser as well as two lions with the Nidwalden shield and two-header eagle are visible on the north gable.<ref>[http://www.nidwaldner-museum.ch/dynamic/page_detail.asp?seiid=16&nwcid=3 Nidwalder Museums-Salzmagazin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224051613/http://www.nidwaldner-museum.ch/dynamic/page_detail.asp?seiid=16&nwcid=3 |date=2012-02-24 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 27 May 2009</ref>

{{Cantonal capitalsCantons of Switzerland}}