Erstfeld is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

of Uri in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

History

In 1962 a collection of four gold torques and three gold arm rings were discovered near Erstfeld. While the exact origin date is unknown, they are likely from the 4th century BC. The nearly pure gold rings were discovered under of land slide debris. The rings show

celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...

motifs and designs and display a high level of skill. While their purpose is unknown, one theory is that they were offerings made to celebrate safely crossing the Alps. Erstfeld is first mentioned in 1258 as ''Ourzcvelt''. In 1638, it was listed under the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

name ''in Protocampis''. In 1831, it was known as ''Hirschfelden''.

Geography

Erstfeld has an area, , of . Of this area, 11.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (56.2%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). , 19.8% of the total land area was heavily forested, while 7.9% is covered in small trees and shrubbery. Of the agricultural land, 0.2% is used for farming or pastures, while 5.3% is used for orchards or vine crops and 6.3% is used for alpine pastures. Of the settled areas, 1.2% is covered with buildings, 0.3% is industrial, 0.1% is listed as parks and greenbelts and 1.2% is transportation infrastructure. Of the unproductive areas, 0.1% is unproductive standing water (ponds or lakes), 0.9% is unproductive flowing water (rivers), 41.8% is too rocky for vegetation, and 13.3% is other unproductive land.Canton Uri - Ground use statistics
accessed 8 September 2009 The municipality consists of the linear village of Erstfeld and scattered farm houses along the valley floor and up the mountain sides. Erstfeld is at the base of the northern ramp of the

Gotthard railway The Gotthard railway (german: Gotthardbahn; it, Ferrovia del Gottardo) is the Swiss trans-alpine railway line from northern Switzerland to the canton of Ticino. The line forms a major part of an important international railway link between nort ...

and houses all the rolling stock needed for the rail line.

Population

Erstfeld has a population (as of ) of . , 13.3% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years, the population has decreased at a rate of -10.8%. Most of the population () speaks German (88.7%), with Serbo-Croatian being second most common (3.7%), and Italian being third (2.4%).Swiss Federal Statistical Office
accessed 09-Sep-2009 As of 2007, the gender distribution of the population was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.Uri Population statistics
accessed 8 September 2009 In Erstfeld, about 60.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a ''

Fachhochschule A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied art ...

''). Erstfeld has an unemployment rate of 1.94%. As of 2005, there were 119 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 47 businesses involved in this sector. About 643 people are employed in the

secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construc ...

, and there are 38 businesses in this sector. About 870 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 86 businesses in this sector.

Transport

Erstfeld is served by the Erstfeld station, situated within the municipality and on the

Notable residents

Emilie Lieberherr Emilie Lieberherr (October 14, 1924 in Erstfeld – January 3, 2011 in Zollikerberg; place of origin in Zürich und Nesslau), was a Swiss politician (Social Democratic Party of Switzerland). Early life and education The second of three sisters, ...

(1924–2011), a feminist * Albert Eschenmoser (born 1925), an organic chemist

References

External links

* {{Authority control Municipalities of the canton of Uri