Murten
Encyclopedia
Murten is a municipality
in the See district of the canton
of Fribourg in Switzerland
.
It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne
and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg.
and Lake Neuchâtel
.
Mount Vully is situated on the western side of the Seeland's largest plain and resembles a pearl gently placed among the three lakes of Morat, Neuchâtel and Biel/Bienne. Already long ago, the Celtic and Helvetic tribes
appreciated the region's temperate climate and the local countryside's particular charm. Today, the Vully vineyards take up a large part of the south face of Mount Vully. The over 100 hectares of vineyards are facing towards Lake Morat.
Murten/Morat is also famous in history for the defeat of Charles the Bold by the Swiss. The former fortified city, which has kept most of its ramparts and towers, has picturesque charm.
The first language of 73% of the population is German
, of 14% French
, and of 3% Italian
. Before 1800 the main language of the city was French.
founded the town in 1159 next to the fortress. After his death the German emperor Frederic II
recognized Murten as a "Free Imperial Town". At that time the emperor himself lived in the south of Italy and a small town north of the Alps
was not his concern. It did not last long – in 1255 Murten fell under the protection of Count Peter of Savoy.
A fire in 1416 led to rebuilding in stone.
On June 22, 1476, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy
, laid siege to the place in an action known as the Battle of Murten. The town hung on for 13 days but finally was saved by the Bernese army. The enemy's army was destroyed completely — some 10,000 Burgundians were killed. Since then, Murten celebrates the victory every year on June 22.
From 1484 on, and for 300 years, Morat was ruled by the two cantons — Bern and Fribourg
. In 1803 Napoleon gave the town to the canton of Fribourg. Today Morat remains part of the Canton of Fribourg
.
(or stilt house) settlements that are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the See district of the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Fribourg in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg.
Geography
This small medieval town lies in the Swiss "Midlands" on the edge of the Great Marsh, on a gentle hill (450 metres above sea level) and on the shore of Lake Morat (or Murtensee in German). Numerous attractions from a significant past have been well preserved here, such as the castle, the ring wall, the street scene and the arcades. Lake Morat is a smaller lake located in between Lake BielLake Biel
Lake Biel or Lake Bienne is a lake in the west of Switzerland. Together with Lake Morat and Lake Neuchâtel, it is one of the three large lakes in the Jura region of Switzerland. It lies approximately at , at the language boundary between German & French speaking areas.The lake is 15 km long and up...
and Lake Neuchâtel
Lake Neuchâtel
Lake Neuchâtel is a lake in Romandy, Switzerland . The lake lies mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel, but is also shared by the cantons of Vaud, of Fribourg, and of Bern....
.
Mount Vully is situated on the western side of the Seeland's largest plain and resembles a pearl gently placed among the three lakes of Morat, Neuchâtel and Biel/Bienne. Already long ago, the Celtic and Helvetic tribes
Helvetii
The Helvetii were a Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their contact with the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC...
appreciated the region's temperate climate and the local countryside's particular charm. Today, the Vully vineyards take up a large part of the south face of Mount Vully. The over 100 hectares of vineyards are facing towards Lake Morat.
Murten/Morat is also famous in history for the defeat of Charles the Bold by the Swiss. The former fortified city, which has kept most of its ramparts and towers, has picturesque charm.
The first language of 73% of the population is German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, of 14% French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and of 3% Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. Before 1800 the main language of the city was French.
History
The town's name derives from the Celtic word moriduno, meaning "lakeside fortress". It was first mentioned in 515 as a defensive place called "Muratum". By 1013 the site had a reputation as a fortress. Duke Berchtold IV of ZähringenZähringen
Zähringen is the name of an old German family that founded a large number of cities in what are today Switzerland and Baden-Württemberg. While the junior line that first assumed the title Duke of Zähringen, a cadet branch of the House of Baden, became extinct in 1218, the senior line persists and...
founded the town in 1159 next to the fortress. After his death the German emperor Frederic II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
recognized Murten as a "Free Imperial Town". At that time the emperor himself lived in the south of Italy and a small town north of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
was not his concern. It did not last long – in 1255 Murten fell under the protection of Count Peter of Savoy.
A fire in 1416 led to rebuilding in stone.
On June 22, 1476, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
, laid siege to the place in an action known as the Battle of Murten. The town hung on for 13 days but finally was saved by the Bernese army. The enemy's army was destroyed completely — some 10,000 Burgundians were killed. Since then, Murten celebrates the victory every year on June 22.
From 1484 on, and for 300 years, Morat was ruled by the two cantons — Bern and Fribourg
Canton of Fribourg
The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the west of the country. The capital of the canton is Fribourg. The name Fribourg is French, whereas is the German name for both the canton and the town.-History:...
. In 1803 Napoleon gave the town to the canton of Fribourg. Today Morat remains part of the Canton of Fribourg
Canton of Fribourg
The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the west of the country. The capital of the canton is Fribourg. The name Fribourg is French, whereas is the German name for both the canton and the town.-History:...
.
Population
| Estimated Growth of Population | |
|---|---|
| Year | Inhabitants |
| 1900 | 2645 |
| 1910 | 2418 |
| 1930 | 2570 |
| 1950 | 3106 |
| 1960 | 3610 |
| 1970 | 4512 |
| 1980 | 4657 |
| 1990 | 4718 |
| 2000 | 5578 |
| 2004 | 5651 |
World heritage site
It is home to one or more prehistoric pile-dwellingStilt house
Stilt houses or pile dwellings or palafitte are houses raised on piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding, but also serve to keep out vermin...
(or stilt house) settlements that are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps is a series of prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands...
UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site.