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Düdingen Düdingen (; french: Guin ; frp, Duens, locally ) is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is one of the municipalities with a large majority of German speakers in the mostly French speaking Cant ...
,
Givisiez Givisiez (; frp, Gevesiér ) is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It was formerly known in German as ''Siebenzach'', but this usage is no longer common. History Givisiez is first mentioned in ...
,
Granges-Paccot Granges-Paccot (; frp, Granges-Pacot is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. History Granges-Paccot is first mentioned in 1317 as ''Grangiarum ante la mota dicti castri''. The municipality was for ...
, Marly, Pierrafortscha,
Sankt Ursen St. Ursen (known as Saint-Ours in French; frp, Sent-Ôrs ) is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is one of the municipalities with a large majority of German speakers in the mostly French-speak ...
,
Tafers Tafers (french: Tavel ; frp, Tavél ) is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is one of the municipalities with a large majority of German speakers in the mostly French speaking Canton of Fribour ...
,
Villars-sur-Glâne Villars-sur-Glâne (; frp, Velârs-sur-Gllânna ) is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. Geography Villars-sur-Glâne has an area, , of . Of this area, or 29.3% is used for agricultural purpose ...
, twintowns =
Rueil-Malmaison Rueil-Malmaison () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. It is located from the centre of Paris. In 2017, it had a population of 78,152. It is one of the wealthiest suburbs of P ...
(France) , website = www.ville-fribourg.ch , Location of
, Location of () () or , ; or , ; gsw, label= Swiss German, Frybùrg ; it, Friburgo or ; rm, Friburg. is the capital of the
Swiss canton The 26 cantons of Switzerland (german: Kanton; french: canton ; it, cantone; Sursilvan and Surmiran: ; Vallader and Puter: ; Sutsilvan: ; Rumantsch Grischun: ) are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Co ...
of
Fribourg , neighboring_municipalities= Düdingen, Givisiez, Granges-Paccot, Marly, Pierrafortscha, Sankt Ursen, Tafers, Villars-sur-Glâne , twintowns = Rueil-Malmaison (France) , website = www.ville-fribourg.ch , Location of , Location of () () ...
and district of La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river
Saane/Sarine The Sarine (; frp, Sarena ) or Saane () is a major river of Switzerland.6th longest, 7th largest basin, see List of rivers of Switzerland It is long and has a drainage area of . It is a tributary of the Aare. The Sarine rises in the Bernese A ...
, on the
Swiss Plateau The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau (german: Schweizer Mittelland; french: plateau suisse; it, altopiano svizzero) is one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland, lying between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of ...
, it is a major economic, administrative and educational centre on the cultural border between
German-speaking German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a ...
and French-speaking Switzerland. Its Old City, one of the best-maintained in Switzerland, sits on a small rocky hill above the valley of the Sarine. In 2018, it had a population of 38,365.


History


Prehistory

The region around Fribourg has been settled since the
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...
period, although few remains have been found. These include some flint tools found near Bourguillon, as well as a stone hatchet and bronze tools. A river crossing was located in the area during the
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Era. The main activity in the Swiss plateau bypassed the area to the north, however, and was instead centered around the valley of the river
Broye The Broye (; frp, Brouye''Dictionnaire-Dikchenéro: Français-Patois/Patê-Franché''. Société cantonale des patoisans fribourgeois. Fribourg: 2013. p. 87 ) is a 68 km long river, in the cantons of Fribourg and Vaud, in Switzerland. It ha ...
and
Aventicum Aventicum was the largest town and capital of Roman Switzerland (Helvetia or Civitas Helvetiorum). Its remains are beside the modern town of Avenches. The city was probably created ''ex nihilo'' in the early 1st century AD, as the capital of ...
. Therefore, only a few remains from the Roman era have been found in Fribourg. These include the traces of a wall foundation on the plains near Pérolles.


Middle Ages

The town was founded in 1157 by
Berthold IV, Duke of Zähringen Berthold IV, Duke of Zähringen ( – 8 December 1186) was a Duke of Zähringen and Rector of Burgundy. He was the son of Conrad I, Duke of Zähringen and Clementia of Luxembourg-Namur. He founded numerous cities, including Fribourg. Life ...
. Its name is derived from German ' (free) and ' (fort). Its most ancient part is conveniently located on a former peninsula of the river Sarine, protected on three sides by steep cliffs. The easily defended city helped the Dukes of Zähringen to strengthen and extend their power in the Swiss plateau in the area between the
Aare The Aare () or Aar () is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about , during which distance it descen ...
and La Sarine. Beginning at the time of its inception, Fribourg built a city-state; initially, the land it controlled lay some distance away. When the dukes of died out in 1218, the city was transferred to the related family. They granted the city its former privileges and wrote the municipal laws in the so-called ' in 1249, in which the legal, institutional and economic organizations were established. Several treaties with neighbouring city-states, including (1239), Bern (1243), and () (1245), were signed at this time. The city was sold to the Habsburgs in 1277. Trade and industry began as early as the mid-13th century. In the early period, Fribourg consisted of four distinct inner city districts: Burg, Au, La Neuveville, and Spital. The city developed rapidly, which led to its first expansion: the Burg district expanded to the west in 1224, a town was established across the river in 1254, and in 1280 development began near Place Python. These expansions reflect the economic boom in Fribourg. The 14th century was dominated by trade, and cloth and leather production, which brought the city renown in Central Europe by 1370. In 1339, Fribourg participated alongside the Habsburgs and the
County of Burgundy The Free County of Burgundy or Franche-Comté (french: Franche Comté de Bourgogne; german: Freigrafschaft Burgund) was a medieval county (from 982 to 1678) of the Holy Roman Empire, predecessor to the modern region of Franche-Comté. The name ' ...
in the
Battle of Laupen The Battle of Laupen was fought in June 1339, between Bern and its allies on one side, and Freiburg together with feudal landholders from the County of Burgundy and Habsburg territories on the other. Bern was victorious, consolidating its positio ...
against Bern and its
Swiss Confederacy The Old Swiss Confederacy or Swiss Confederacy ( Modern German: ; historically , after the Reformation also , "Confederation of the Swiss") was a loose confederation of independent small states (, German or In the charters of the 14th century ...
allies. The treaty with Bern was renewed in 1403. The leaders of the city began a territorial acquisition, in which they gradually brought more nearby land under their control. This laid the ground-work for the Canton of Fribourg. By 1442 the city had control of all the land within about , on both sides of the Saane. It was therefore directly controlled by the city leaders, not by any intermediate administration. The mid-15th century was shaped by various military conflicts. First, considerable losses in a war against Savoy had to be made good. The Savoyard influence on the city grew, and the Habsburgs ceded it to them in 1452. It remained under the control of Savoy until the
Burgundian Wars The Burgundian Wars (1474–1477) were a conflict between the Burgundian State and the Old Swiss Confederacy and its allies. Open war broke out in 1474, and the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the battlefield in t ...
in 1477. As an ally of Bern, Fribourg participated in the war against
Charles I of Burgundy Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...
, thereby bringing more land under its control. After the city was released from the sphere of influence of Savoy, it attained the status of
Free Imperial City In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
in 1478. The city and its canton joined the Swiss Confederation in 1481, and has long influenced Swiss and European
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. In the 16th century, Fribourg continued to grow, first following the invasion of in 1536 with the help of Bern, and then in 1554 through the annexation of land formerly controlled by the Count of . Several prominent families developed as a result of the cloth and leather trade, beginning in the 14th century, including , , , (originally from Bern), , , and . Together with the local nobles (the , /Velga, , and families) they formed the 15th century
patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...
class. This contributed to the decline of the cloth trade, however, as the families involved in the industry began to be more concerned with governing the city and its surrounding possessions. An important milestone for the politics of the city was reached in 1627, when the patricians drew up a new constitution, in which they declared that they were the only people capable of ruling the city, and thereby took control of all voting rights. This consolidated the
oligarchy Oligarchy (; ) is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, r ...
which had begun to form as early as the 15th century.


Importance of monasteries and churches

The monasteries of Fribourg have always formed a centre of religious culture, which includes architecture, sculpture and painting, and have contributed to the culture of the city. The
Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...
monastery was donated by Jakob von Riggisberg in 1256. In early times, it was closely associated with the city council, because it housed the city archives and its monastery church was used for town meetings until 1433. Similarly, the
Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...
monastery was founded in the mid-13th century, and enjoyed the support of the noble Velga family for a long time. Additionally, La Maigrauge Abbey has existed since 1255, and has belonged to the Cistercians since 1262. An important institution was the public hospital, opened in the mid-13th century, which provided services for the poor. During the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, Fribourg remained Catholic, although it was nearly surrounded by the Protestant Bern. This led to repeated conflicts over religion in border regions, and in areas controlled jointly by Fribourg and Bern. The city was a major centre of the Counter-Reformation. At the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th, new monasteries were established in the city, including: a Capuchin monastery (1608), another on Bisemberg (1621), an Ursuline monastery (1634), and a
Visitandine , image = Salesas-escut.gif , size = 175px , abbreviation = V.S.M. , nickname = Visitandines , motto = , formation = , founder = Saint Bishop Francis de ...
monastery (1635). The most influential monastery, however, was that of the
Jesuits , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...
, which contributed to a large extent to the advancement and prosperity of the city. It established the College of Saint Michael in 1582, the theological faculty of which formed the basis of the
University of Fribourg The University of Fribourg (french: Université de Fribourg; german: Universität Freiburg) is a public university located in Fribourg, Switzerland. The roots of the university can be traced back to 1580, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisi ...
. The concept of an objective press was also begun by the Jesuits. In 1613 Fribourg became the seat of the Bishop of Lausanne, who, after the Reformation, was forced first into
Evian Evian ( , ; , stylized as evian) is a French company that bottles and commercialises mineral water from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva. It produces over 2 billion plastic bottles per year. Today, Evia ...
, and then into exile in Burgundy. Today it is the seat of the
Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg The Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg ( la, Dioecesis Lausannensis, Genevensis et Friburgensis) is a Latin Catholic diocese in Switzerland, which is (as all sees in the Alpine country) exempt (i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See, not p ...
.


1780–1809

The strong patrician regime, consisting of no more than 60 families, filled all of the influential positions in the city and dominated all political, social, economic and cultural arenas of Fribourg. On several occasions unhappy citizens joined to attempt a revolt, including in 1781 under the leadership of Pierre-Nicolas Chenaux. These revolts were repressed with the help of Bern and Bernese troops. The invasion of Switzerland by French troops in 1798 led to the downfall of this
Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for ...
. Fribourg capitulated to the French on 2 March and relinquished leadership of its lands. This freed the way for the first municipal elections, in which Jean de Montenach was elected the first mayor. With the introduction of the
Act of Mediation The Act of Mediation () was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the French Republic on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasi ...
under
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
in 1803, the separation of the city of Fribourg from its Canton was finally carried out. Fribourg was made the capital of its region and Canton, and, between 1803 and 1809, was one of the capitals of Switzerland.


Sonderbund

The patricians regained control of the city in 1814 during the Restoration period. They ruled until 1830. Its leadership was followed by a new and more liberal constitution. Fribourg was part of the 1845-1847
Sonderbund The Sonderbund War (german: Sonderbundskrieg, fr , Guerre du Sonderbund, it , Guerra del Sonderbund) of November 1847 was a civil war in Switzerland, then still a relatively loose confederacy of cantons. It ensued after seven Catholic canton ...
, a "separate alliance" of Catholic cantons attempting to secede from Switzerland. Fribourg and the Sonderbund capitulated to Federalist forces under General Dufour on 14 November 1847 in what amounted to a brief and nearly bloodless Swiss civil war. Since 1848, the new national constitution and the amendment to the Canton constitution has guaranteed every citizen the right to vote.


Modern times

The later 19th and the 20th century brought about drastic changes to the city's culture and physical nature. In 1848 the city wall was partially torn down and a new bridge constructed across the Saane/La Sarine. The opening of the midland railway line through the city in 1862 led to the development of a "railway station quarter" of the city. The improved transportation enabled Fribourg to undergo industrialisation. The city centre shifted from the Old City to the new Train Station quarter. Extensive areas in Pérolles, Beauregard and Vignettaz were developed with industry or houses around 1900. The inauguration of the university in 1889 was an important event in Fribourg. Another economic boon to the city was the opening of the nearby A12 highway.


Geography


Topography

Fribourg has an elevation of (in the Old City), and is situated southwest of Bern. It is located on the Swiss plateau, and extends on both sides of the Sarine, which, in the vicinity of Fribourg, has cut deeply into the
molasse __NOTOC__ The term "molasse" () refers to sandstones, shales and conglomerates that form as terrestrial or shallow marine deposits in front of rising mountain chains. The molasse deposits accumulate in a foreland basin, especially on top of flysc ...
. The Old City is located on a hill, only about wide, which rises about above the valley floor. Most quarters of the city are located on the High Plateau and the surrounding hills, which have an average elevation of . The valley floor is only settled in the area immediately around the Old City. Fribourg has an area, , of . Of this area, or 13.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 17.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 63.3% is settled (buildings or roads), or 5.7% is either rivers or lakes and or 0.8% is unproductive land.Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics
2009 data accessed 25 March 2010
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.5% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 34.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 15.2%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.6% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 7.5%. Out of the forested land, 14.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 6.9% is used for growing crops and 6.0% is pastures. Of the water in the municipality, 1.7% is in lakes and 4.0% is in rivers and streams. The area of the municipality, which is relatively small for a city, covers an area of Molasse in the central part of Canton of Fribourg. The area is cut through from south to north by the tightly wound Saane/La Sarine, which has eroded a valley, in some places, to a depth of below the surrounding Plateau. In general, the valley floor is between wide. Le Lac de Pérolles, formed as a reservoir by Maigrauge Dam, the first Gravity Dam in Europe, in 1872, is located south of the city. The head of the
Schiffenensee Schiffenenseehttps://s.geo.admin.ch/74090f6089
map.geo.admin.ch. or Lac de Schiffenen is an artificial ...
is located just north of the city. At both of these artificial lakes, La Sarine covers nearly the entire valley floor. The hills flanked on both sides by steep, largely wooded, slopes. To the east, the municipality reaches up the slopes of Mount Schönberg, which, with an elevation of , is the highest point in Fribourg. The river Galtera, also deeply cut into the plateau, flows between the mountain and the river, emptying into the Saane/La Sarine near the Old City. The former village of Bourguillon lies within the municipality. Fribourg borders on
Düdingen Düdingen (; french: Guin ; frp, Duens, locally ) is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is one of the municipalities with a large majority of German speakers in the mostly French speaking Cant ...
and
Tafers Tafers (french: Tavel ; frp, Tavél ) is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is one of the municipalities with a large majority of German speakers in the mostly French speaking Canton of Fribour ...
to the east, Pierrafortscha to the southeast, Marly to the south,
Villars-sur-Glâne Villars-sur-Glâne (; frp, Velârs-sur-Gllânna ) is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. Geography Villars-sur-Glâne has an area, , of . Of this area, or 29.3% is used for agricultural purpose ...
and
Givisiez Givisiez (; frp, Gevesiér ) is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It was formerly known in German as ''Siebenzach'', but this usage is no longer common. History Givisiez is first mentioned in ...
to the west, and
Granges-Paccot Granges-Paccot (; frp, Granges-Pacot is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. History Granges-Paccot is first mentioned in 1317 as ''Grangiarum ante la mota dicti castri''. The municipality was for ...
to the north.


Climate


Politics


Coat of arms

The
blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vi ...
of the municipal
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
is ''Azure a Castle embattled and towered on dexter issuant from a Semi Annulet all Argent.'' The canton and the capital share the same name but have different coats of arms.


Administrative divisions


Government

The Municipal Council (french: link=no, Conseil communal de la Ville de Fribourg, german: link=no, Gemeinderat) constitutes the executive government of the City of Fribourg and operates as a collegiate authority. It is composed of five councilors (french: link=no, Conseiller communalConseillère communale, german: link=no, GemeinderatGemeinderätin), each presiding over a directorate comprising several departments and the related commissions. The president of the executive department acts as mayor (''syndic''). In the mandate period 2016–2021 (''la législature'') the Municipal Council is presided by ''Monsieur le Syndic'
Thierry Steiert
Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the General Council (parliament) are carried by the Municipal Council. The regular election of the Municipal Council by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every five years. Any resident of Fribourg allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Municipal Council. Due to the constitution by canton of Fribourg not only Swiss citizen have the right to vote and elect and being elected on communal level, but also foreigners with a residence permit of type C and being resident in the canton of Fribourg for at least 5 years. The current mandate period is from 1 June 2016 to 31 May 2021. The delegates are selected by means of a system of
Proporz ''Proporz'' (, from german: Proportionalität, "proportionality") is a long-standing practice in the Second Austrian Republic in which positions in government are distributed between political parties in a manner proportional to their electoral o ...
. The mayor is elected as such by a public election while the heads of the other directorates are assigned by the collegiate. The executive body holds its meetings in the Town Hall (''L'Hôtel de Ville''), in the old city on ''Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville''. As of 2021, Fribourg's Municipal Council is made up of two representatives of the PS/SP (
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Fo ...
, of whom one is also the mayor), and one each of PDC/CVP (
Christian Democratic Party __NOTOC__ Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social tea ...
), PCS/CSP ( Christian Social Party), and PES/GPS (
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...
), giving the left parties a majority of four out of five seats. The last election was held on 7 March 2021. }, german: link=no, Ammann)
, , PS , , general administration, human resources, legal affairs, and civic community affairs (''Direction de l'Administration générale, des ressources humaines, du service juridique et des affaires bourgeoisiales / Direktion der Allgemeine Verwaltung, des Personalwesens, des Rechtsdienst und der Burgergemeinde, 2021'') , , 2011 , - , Laurent DietrichVice-Mayor (french: link=no, Vice-Syndic, german: link=no, Vizeammann) , ,  PDC , , finance, cultural services, and information technology (''Direction des finances, de la culture et de l'informatique / Direktion der Finanzen, der Kultur und der Informatik'', 2021) , , 2016 , - , Miirjam Ballmer , ,  PES , , youth services, schools and social cohesion, social affairs, and adult guardianship (''Direction de l'Enfance, des écoles et de la cohésion sociale, des Affaires sociales et des Curatelles d'adultes'Direktion der Schule, Kinder und gesellschatflichen Zusammenhalt, der sozialen Angelegenheiten und der Beistandschaft für Erwachsene'', 2021) , , 2021 , - , Andrea Burgener Woeffray , , PS , , city services, urbanism, architecture, and civil engineering, environment and energy (''Direction de l'édilité, des services d'urbanisme et architecture et du génie civil, environnement et énergie'Direktion des Bauwesens und der Dienste Stadtplanung und Architektur und Tiefbau, Umwelt und Energie'', 2021) , , 2016 , - , Pierre-Olivier Nobs , , PCS , , local police, transports, and sports (''lDirection de a Police locale, de la Mobilité, et Service des Sports'Direktion der Ortspolizei, der Mobilität und des Sports'', 2021) , , 2016


Parliament

The General Council (french: link=no, Conseil général, german: link=no, Generalrat), the city parliament, holds
legislative power A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known a ...
. It is made up of 80 members, with elections held every five years. The General Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the Municipal Council and the administration. The delegates are selected by means of a system of
proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
. The sessions of the General Council are public. Unlike members of the Municipal Council, members of the General Council are not politicians by profession, and they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Fribourg allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the General Council. Due to the constitution by canton of Fribourg not only Swiss citizen have the right to vote and elect and being elected on communal level, but also foreigners with a residence permit of type C and being resident in the canton of Fribourg for at least 5 years. The Parliament holds its meetings in the ''Grande salle de la Maison de Justice'', in the old city on ''rue des Chanoines 1''. The last regular election of the General Council was held on 28 February 2016 for the mandate period (''la législature'') from 1 June 2016 to 31 May 2021. Currently the General Council consist of 30 members of the Social Democratic Party (PS/SP), 15 Christian Democratic People's Party (PDC/CVP), 10 The Liberals (PLR/FDP), 9 Swiss People's Party (UDC/SVP), 8 Green Party (PES/GPS), 5 Centre Gauche (PCS/CSP), and one each for the Green Liberal Party (PVL/GLP), ''Movement libre et indépendante (MLI)'', and ''Parti des artistes''.


Elections


National Council

In the 2015 federal election for the
Swiss National Council The National Council (german: Nationalrat; french: Conseil national; it, Consiglio nazionale; rm, Cussegl naziunal) is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, the upper house being the Council of States. With 200 seats, the ...
the most popular party was the PS/SP which received 36.3% of the vote. The next four most popular parties were the PDC/CVP (22.5%), the UDC/SVP (13.8%), the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...
(9.8%), and the FDP/PLR (8.7%). In the federal election, a total of 9.795 voters were cast, and the
voter turnout In political science, voter turnout is the participation rate (often defined as those who cast a ballot) of a given election. This can be the percentage of registered voters, eligible voters, or all voting-age people. According to Stanford Univ ...
was 48.4%.


Demographics


Population

Fribourg has a population () of . , 31.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals.Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Superweb database – Gemeinde Statistics 1981–2008
accessed 19 June 2010
Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 8.3%. Migration accounted for 8.1%, while births and deaths accounted for 0.9%.
accessed 1 December 2011
Fribourg is the largest city in Canton Fribourg. The population of Fribourg grew markedly at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as from 1930 to 1970. The maximum population of 42,000 was reached in 1974. Since then, there had been a population loss of approximately 14%, which might have recently reversed. The population of the agglomeration around Fribourg is 110,000, or, counting only the most nearby suburbs, 75,000 (2015). This includes the municipalities of Avry, Belfaux, Corminboeuf, Givisiez, Granges-Paccot, Marly, Matran and Villars-sur-Glâne. Surrounding municipalities include Givisiez, Granges-Paccot, Villars-sur-Glâne, Marly, as well as
Corminboeuf Corminboeuf (; frp, Corminbœf, locally ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Sarine (district), Sarine in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Fribourg (canton), Fribourg in Switzerland. In 2017 the former mun ...
,
Belfaux Belfaux (; frp, Bélfox, locally ) is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. Its former German name was ''Gumschen'', but this is no longer in use. History Belfaux is first mentioned in 12th centu ...
,
Grolley Grolley (; frp, Grolê) is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. History Grolley is first mentioned around 1137-38 as ''de Groslerio''. Geography Grolley has an area, , of . Of this area, or 64 ...
, and stretches as far as Düdingen (French Guin) and Tafers (French Tavel) on the right bank of the Sarine. The growth of the agglomeration around Fribourg has fused the city proper with the neighboring towns of Villars-sur-Glâne, Givisiez, and Granges-Paccot. The town of Klein-Schönberg, which belongs to Tafers, and the village of Uebewil, which belongs to Düdingen, are located right on the eastern edge of town. This settlement area itself has a population of 60,000 (2015). , the population was 48.8% male and 51.2% female. The population was made up of 12,080 Swiss men (31.8% of the population) and 6,475 (17.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 13,855 Swiss women (36.4%) and 5,636 (14.8%) non-Swiss women.Canton of Fribourg Statistics
accessed 3 November 2011
Of the population in the municipality, 10,756 or about 30.3% were born in Fribourg and lived there in 2000. There were 6,394 or 18.0% who were born in the same canton, while 7,164 or 20.2% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 8,981 or 25.3% were born outside of Switzerland. , children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 19.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 65.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.9%. , there were 17,825 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 13,581 married individuals, 2,146 widows or widowers and 1,995 individuals who are divorced.STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 – 2000
accessed 2 February 2011
, there were 15,839 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2. persons per household. There were 7,342 households that consist of only one person and 687 households with five or more people. , a total of 15,409 apartments (87.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,757 apartments (9.9%) were seasonally occupied and 549 apartments (3.1%) were empty.Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB – Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 – Gebäude und Wohnungen
accessed 28 January 2011
, the construction rate of new housing units was 5.5 new units per 1000 residents. the average price to rent an average apartment in Fribourg was 1062.05 Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$850, £480, €680 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 623.40 CHF (US$500, £280, €400), a two-room apartment was about 792.47 CHF (US$630, £360, €510), a three-room apartment was about 993.14 CHF (US$790, £450, €640) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1870.76 CHF (US$1500, £840, €1200). The average apartment price in Fribourg was 95.2% of the national average of 1116 CHF.Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Rental prices
2003 data accessed 26 May 2010
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.45%.


Historic population

The historical population is given in the following chart: Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) ImageSize = width:1100 height:500 PlotArea = height:350 left: 100 bottom:90 right:100 Legend = columns:3 left:220 top:70 columnwidth:160 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:40000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:8000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:1600 start:0 Colors= id:TO value:yellowgreen legend:Total id:FR value:teal legend:French_Speaking id:GE value:green legend:German_Speaking id:PR value:lightpurple legend:Protestant id:CA value:oceanblue legend:Catholic id:SW value:red legend:Swiss PlotData= color:yellowgreen width:40 mark:(line,white) align:center bar:1850 from:start till:9065 text:"9,065" color:TO bar:1870 from:start till:10581 text:"10,581" color:TO bar:1888 from:start till:12195 text:"12,195" color:TO bar:1900 from:start till:15794 text:"15,794" color:TO bar:1910 from:start till:20293 text:"20,293" color:TO bar:1930 from:start till:21557 text:"21,557" color:TO bar:1950 from:start till:29005 text:"29,005" color:TO bar:1970 from:start till:39695 text:"39,695" color:TO bar:1990 from:start till:36355 text:"36,355" color:TO bar:2000 from:start till:35547 text:"35,547" color:TO LineData = points:(300,156)(400,175) color:FR points:(400,175)(500,198) color:FR points:(500,198)(600,208) color:FR points:(600,208)(700,250) color:FR points:(700,250)(800,286) color:FR points:(800,286)(900,276) color:FR points:(900,276)(1000,288) color:FR points:(300,130)(400,139) color:GE points:(400,139)(500,149) color:GE points:(500,149)(600,153) color:GE points:(600,153)(700,174) color:GE points:(700,174)(800,187) color:GE points:(800,187)(900,163) color:GE points:(900,163)(1000,156) color:GE points:(100,94)(200,100) color:PR points:(200,100)(300,104) color:PR points:(300,104)(400,111) color:PR points:(400,111)(500,111) color:PR points:(500,111)(600,110) color:PR points:(600,110)(700,115) color:PR points:(700,115)(800,118) color:PR points:(800,118)(900,118) color:PR points:(900,118)(1000,117) color:PR points:(100,165)(200,175) color:CA points:(200,175)(300,182) color:CA points:(300,182)(400,206) color:CA points:(400,206)(500,245) color:CA points:(500,245)(600,257) color:CA points:(600,257)(700,316) color:CA points:(700,316)(800,404) color:CA points:(800,404)(900,350) color:CA points:(900,350)(1000,305) color:CA points:(100,165)(200,176) color:SW points:(200,176)(300,189) color:SW points:(300,189)(400,214) color:SW points:(400,214)(500,237) color:SW points:(500,237)(600,261) color:SW points:(600,261)(700,327) color:SW points:(700,327)(800,372) color:SW points:(800,372)(900,332) color:SW points:(900,332)(1000,316) color:SW


Languages

Most of the population () speaks French (22,603 or 63.6%) as their first language, German is the second most common (7,520 or 21.2%) and Italian is the third (1,359 or 3.8%). There are 55 people who speak Romansh. Few inhabitants in village of Basse-Ville speak
Bolze Bolze is a mixed language spoken in the Basse-Ville district of Fribourg, Switzerland. A mixture of French and Swiss German, Bolze came into being as a result of the immigration of German speakers from the Sense District of the Canton of Fribourg s ...
, a
mixed language A mixed language is a language that arises among a bilingual group combining aspects of two or more languages but not clearly deriving primarily from any single language. It differs from a creole or pidgin language in that, whereas creoles/pidgin ...
created from the blend of French and Swiss German. Fribourg, the city and the canton, has two official languages, and French outweighs German as both the language of the local government and the most commonly spoken language in public discourse and business in the canton. Fribourg has always been located on the Swiss language border, but at the time of the city's founding in the 12th century, German was the prevailing language. Although German was the official language of the city until 1800, French gradually became more influential. This was aided by industrialization, which led to an influx of French-speaking immigrants. Since the political changes of the late 18th century and early 19th century, the German-speaking population has been a minority. Even in German, the town is often called "Fribourg" instead of the Standard German "Freiburg", which helps distinguish it from Freiburg im Breisgau on the edge of the
Black Forest The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is t ...
, Germany. Another explanation is that in the local Alemannic German dialect, the city is called ''Frybùrg'' or ''Friburg'' (pronounced: frib̥ʊrɡ, from which the French name "Fribourg" was probably derived.


Religion

From the , 24,614 or 69.2% were
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
, while 2,763 or 7.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 443 members of an Orthodox church (or about 1.25% of the population), there were 13 individuals (or about 0.04% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 668 individuals (or about 1.88% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 62 individuals (or about 0.17% of the population) who were Jewish, and 1,676 (or about 4.71% of the population) who were Islamic. There were 161 individuals who were
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
, 71 individuals who were
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
and 43 individuals who belonged to another church. 2,843 (or about 8.00% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 2,509 individuals (or about 7.06% of the population) did not answer the question. The city remained Catholic during the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, and has since become a centre of Catholicism. It has a greater than average number of churches and monasteries. Fribourg has been the seat of the
Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg The Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg ( la, Dioecesis Lausannensis, Genevensis et Friburgensis) is a Latin Catholic diocese in Switzerland, which is (as all sees in the Alpine country) exempt (i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See, not p ...
since 1613. (See ''Sonderbund'')


Economy


Development of trade and economy

Several types of industry developed in Fribourg as early as the 13th and 14th centuries. The extension of the city along the east bank of the Saane/La Sarine made about this time was indicative of a strong economic upturn. In Galterntal, water power was used for various mills. Along the Saane new trade districts developed with the towns of Au, Neustadt and Matten. The tanneries and cloth manufacturers, strengthened by widespread sheep raising, led to an economic boom in the 14th and 15th centuries. This helped Fribourg by making its trades well known throughout central Europe. A gradual decline in cloth making in the second half of the 15th century occurred as local farmers replaced their sheep with cattle. Other reasons for the collapse of the cloth industry in the 16th century include the fact that the guild refused to use new materials or modern styles, and that the social structure of the city changed with the rise of the
patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...
class. After this time, Fribourg was shaped by low-level trade, and was not industrialized until it was connected to the Swiss Railroad, beginning in the 1870s. After Lake Pérolles was built in 1872, energy was able to be supplied to the plateau south and west of the city. Thus, an industrial area developed there, dominated in its early years by a wagon factory and a lumber mill. Later, two breweries were established in this area. A chocolate factory was established in Villârs-sur-Glâne in 1901, but it came under Fribourg's jurisdiction in 1906 after a change of borders. In the course of the 20th century, the plateau became the industrial section of the city. The development of new industrial areas in neighbouring municipalities, beginning in the 1970s, has permitted continued economic growth.


Economic situation today

, Fribourg had an unemployment rate of 4.9%. , there were 18 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 5 businesses involved in this sector. 3,821 people were 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 constructi ...
and there were 232 businesses in this sector. 21,614 people were employed in the
tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
, with 2,004 businesses in this sector. There were 17,207 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which women made up 47.1% of the workforce. the total number of
full-time equivalent Full-time equivalent (FTE), or whole time equivalent (WTE), is a unit that indicates the workload of an employed person (or student) in a way that makes workloads or class loads comparable across various contexts. FTE is often used to measure a ...
jobs was 20,099. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 14, of which 4 were in agriculture, 8 were in forestry or lumber production and 1 was in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 3,530 of which 1,744 or (49.4%) were in manufacturing, 9 or (0.3%) were in mining and 1,455 (41.2%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 16,555. In the tertiary sector; 2,633 or 15.9% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 993 or 6.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 1,003 or 6.1% were in a hotel or restaurant, 568 or 3.4% were in the information industry, 957 or 5.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 1,535 or 9.3% were technical professionals or scientists, 3,273 or 19.8% were in education and 1,970 or 11.9% were in health care. Fribourg has more jobs than laborers, and is therefore a large commuter destination for the largely agricultural surrounding area. Local industry includes food and luxury products, drinks (the breweries are owned by the Danish firm Carlsberg), metal and machine construction, electronics, and computer technology. The largest number of workers are active in the service industries. Many of these work in government administrative positions. Other important sectors are education (at the university), banks and insurance companies, tourism and restaurants, as well as health services. Fribourg is home to the administrative offices of several international companies. The Cantonal hospital is on the border with Villars-sur-Glâne. , there were 16,572 workers who commuted into the municipality and 6,505 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 2.5 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving.Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Statweb
accessed 24 June 2010
Of the working population, 35% used public transportation to get to work, and 37.8% used a private car.


Education

Schools at the compulsory and pre-university level are available in both French and German. The university is officially bilingual, meaning students are expected to have a passive knowledge of both languages, even though it is possible to graduate with a degree exclusively in either language, or both. It is also reputed abroad for its legal and theological studies. The
Villa St. Jean International School Villa St. Jean International School, originally named Collège Villa St. Jean, was a private Catholic school in Fribourg, Switzerland from 1903 to 1970. Prior to its closure it was the final remaining all-boys' boarding school in Switzerland.
was also located in Fribourg. *
University of Fribourg The University of Fribourg (french: Université de Fribourg; german: Universität Freiburg) is a public university located in Fribourg, Switzerland. The roots of the university can be traced back to 1580, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisi ...
* ''University of Applied Science Fribourg'': offers applied tertiary education in technical and management disciplines. Part of UAS Western Switzerland/HES-SO. * ''École de multimédia et d'art de Fribourg'': multimedia and art school, Fribourg, is a professional school on new media communication, image and technics. Fribourg is home to 5 libraries. These libraries include; the BCU Fribourg, the ''Deutsche Bibliothek Fribourg'', the ''Bibliothèque de la Ville'', the ''Haute école de santé Fribourg'' and the ''École d’ingénieurs et d’architectes (EIA-FR)''. There was a combined total () of 3,531,605 books or other media in the libraries, and in the same year a total of 611,405 items were loaned out. In Fribourg about 11,649 or (32.8%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 5,671 or (16.0%) have completed additional higher education (either
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
or a '' Fachhochschule''). Of the 5,671 who completed tertiary schooling, 47.7% were Swiss men, 31.2% were Swiss women, 12.4% were non-Swiss men and 8.7% were non-Swiss women. The Canton of Fribourg school system provides one year of non-obligatory
Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...
, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend a three or four-year optional upper Secondary school. The upper Secondary school is divided into gymnasium (university preparatory) and vocational programs. After they finish the upper Secondary program, students may choose to attend a Tertiary school or continue their apprenticeship. During the 2010–11 school year, there were a total of 14,170 students attending 974 classes in Fribourg. A total of 4,966 students from the municipality attended any school, either in the municipality or outside of it. There were 25 kindergarten classes with a total of 385 students in the municipality. The municipality had 117 primary classes and 2,037 students. During the same year, there were 117 lower secondary classes with a total of 2,313 students. There were 470 vocational upper Secondary classes and were 186 upper Secondary classes, with 4,012 upper Secondary students and 4,840 vocational upper Secondary students The municipality had 46 specialized Tertiary classes and were 13 non-university Tertiary classes, with 273 non-university Tertiary students and 310 specialized Tertiary students. With its vast diversity of languages and course offerings,
University of Fribourg The University of Fribourg (french: Université de Fribourg; german: Universität Freiburg) is a public university located in Fribourg, Switzerland. The roots of the university can be traced back to 1580, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisi ...
is a popular destination for students on their Erasmus Programme. , there were 8,234 students in Fribourg who came from another municipality, while 305 residents attended schools outside the municipality.


Transport

Fribourg is the most important transport hub of the canton of Fribourg.


Roads

The town lies on the old main road from Bern to
Vevey Vevey (; frp, Vevê; german: label=former German, Vivis) is a town in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the district of ...
, and acts as an access point to Payerne,
Morat Morat may refer to: * Morat, Switzerland, or Murten, a town in Switzerland * Battle of Morat (1476), between the Swiss Federation and Charles I, Duke of Burgundy * Morat (band), a Colombian folk band * Morat, a type of mead that uses mulberries. S ...
and
Thun , neighboring_municipalities= Amsoldingen, Heiligenschwendi, Heimberg, Hilterfingen, Homberg, Schwendibach, Spiez, Steffisburg, Thierachern, Uetendorf, Zwieselberg , twintown = , website = www.thun.ch Thun (french: Thou ...
. The connection to the Swiss motorway network was established in 1971 with the opening of the A12 motorway from Bern to
Matran Matran (, ) is a municipality in the district of Sarine in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. History Matran is first mentioned in 1123 as ''Martrans''. It is then mentioned in 1138 under the name Martrens en Nuithonie. Later it changed to ...
, which was extended in 1981 to Vevey. The Swiss east-west A1 from the West Bern bypasses the town to the north and west, only affecting the communities of Tälchen and Chamblioux. The access points of Fribourg-Sud and Fribourg-North are each about 3 km from the city centre.


Railway

The connection to the railway network was accomplished in several stages from 1860. Initially, the railway line from Bern to Fribourg opened on 2 July 1860 with a temporary terminal at Balliswil about 4 km north of the city, as the
Grandfey Viaduct The Grandfey-Viaduct is on the railway line from Bern to Fribourg and is one of the largest bridges in Switzerland. Location The viaduct crosses the deep and wide Saane/Sarine valley, which is cut into Molasse rock, in the hamlet of Grandfey i ...
over the Sarine valley was not yet finished. On 4 September 1862, the whole of the line from Balliswil to Lausanne via Fribourg opened, with a temporary station building at
Fribourg railway station Fribourg/Freiburg railway station (french: Gare de Fribourg; german: Bahnhof Freiburg im Üechtland) serves the municipality of Fribourg, capital of the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. Opened in 1862, it is owned and operated by SBB-CFF-FFS. ...
, until the permanent building opened in 1873. A line to Payerne opened on 25 August 1876 and to
Morat Morat may refer to: * Morat, Switzerland, or Murten, a town in Switzerland * Battle of Morat (1476), between the Swiss Federation and Charles I, Duke of Burgundy * Morat (band), a Colombian folk band * Morat, a type of mead that uses mulberries. S ...
on 23 August 1898.


Public transport

A
funicular A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite e ...
railway has been operated from the Neuveville district to the upper city since 1899 by the sewage works. The
Fribourg funicular The Fribourg funicular, also known as the Neuveville - Saint-Pierre funicular, is a funicular railway in the Swiss town of Fribourg. It is powered by wastewater. History The Fribourg funicular was opened February 4, 1899. It connects the Sa ...
is one of the world's few remaining water-powered funiculars, and the only one powered by sewage water. The upper station is located at the sewage plant which pumps sewage water into the descending car, which makes it heavier than the ascending car. The sewage is released at the bottom. From 1897 to 1965 in Fribourg there was a long tram network in operation, with the trams replaced from 1949 with the Fribourg trolleybus system. The current bus network is now operated by the ''
Transports publics fribourgeois The Transports Publics Fribourgeois (TPF) is a renaming of the former Chemins de fer Fribourgeois Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat when the municipal Transport en commun de Fribourg (TF) was absorbed in 2000. Lines The company is a railway operator w ...
'', with connections to Bulle, Avenches, Schmitten, Schwarzenburg and in the tourist region
Schwarzsee Schwarzsee () or Lac Noir (; en, "Black Lake"; rarely ; frp, Lèc d'Omène ), is a small lake in the Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland with an area of . The lake in the Swiss Prealps is bordered by the peaks of Schwyberg (1,628 m) in the West ...
.


Airport

The regional Bern-Belp Airport is an hour away from the area.


Culture and tourism

Fribourg is a day trip destination for tourists who want to visit the sights of the city. These include the historic Old City with its
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
Cathedral of Saint Nicholas renowned for its stained glass windows designed by
Józef Mehoffer Józef Mehoffer (19 March 1869 – 8 July 1946) was a Polish painter and decorative artist, one of the leading artists of the Young Poland movement and one of the most revered Polish artists of his time. Life Mehoffer was born in Ropczyce, ...
, and the museums. The Natural History Museum was founded in 1873, and is now located in the natural sciences building at the university. The Museum of Art and History, located in the Ratzéhof since 1920, has exhibits on ancient and early history, sculpture and paintings, traditional tin figures, arts and crafts, as well as money and graphic collections. In the cathedral, a treasure chamber has been on display since 1992. Other museums include the Swiss Museum of Marionnettes, the Swiss Sewing Machine Museum, the Gutenberg Museum, the Bible and Orient Museum and a beer museum. Cultural experiences include the festival of religious music, the international folklore convention, the jazz parade, an
international film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...
and Cinéplus (since 1972). Like its sister city Bern, Fribourg has preserved its
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
center as a whole that is now one of the largest in Europe. It is located on a spectacular peninsula, surrounded on three sides by the Saane/La Sarine. The architecture of the Old City date primarily from the
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
period; it was built predominately before the 16th century. Most houses are built of the local molasse stone. Consisting of the neighborhoods Bourg, Auge and Neuveville, its old town is rich in fountains and churches dating from the 12th century until the 17th century. Its
cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
, reaching in height, was built between 1283 and 1490. The fortifications of Fribourg form the most important medieval military architecture of Switzerland: of ramparts, 14 towers and one big bulwark. The protections are especially well preserved east and south of the city.


Heritage sites of national significance

Fribourg is home to 67 buildings or sites that are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. *Religious Buildings: Cistercians Maigrauge Abbey with Library, the former
Convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...
of the Augustinians, Former
Commandry In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order. It was also the name of the house where the knights of the commandery lived.Anthony Luttrell and G ...
de Saint-Jean, Notre-Dame
Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...
, Saint-Nicolas et Trésor Cathedral, Centre paroissial du Christe-Roi, Chapel de Lorette, Chapel Saint-Barthélemy and Chapel de Pérolles, Convent of the Capucins, Convent of the Cordeliers, Convent of the Ursulines, Church of Saint-Pierre, Monastère de la Visitation and Monastère of the Capucines de Montorge *Secular Buildings: Former Hôtel des Postes et Télégraphes, Centrale énergétique de la Maigrauge, Cercle de la Grande Société, Chancellerie de l’Etat,
Poya Castle Poya Castle is a castle in the municipality of Fribourg of the Canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is the first example of Neo-Palladian architecture north of the Alps. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. See also * List of c ...
, Cure at Rue de la Lenda 1, Factory Complex of the Chocolats Villars company, Fortifications, Funiculaire Neuveville-Saint-Pierre, Hôpital of the Bourgeois, Hôtel de Ville, Immeuble de rapport Sallin, Les Arcades, Motta Swimming Pool and Vieille Village *Houses and Private Buildings: Auberge de la Cigogne, House at Rue de la Neuveville 48, House at Rue d’Or 7, House at Rue d’Or 13, House d’Alt at Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville 1, House de Castella, House de Fégely-d’Estavayer dite Vicarino, House de François-Prosper de Castella, House de Gottrau dite Les Tornalettes, House de Jean-François d’Ammann de Macconens, House de Lanthen-Heid, House de Reyff, House de Reyff de Cugy, House de Techtermann, House de Nicolas Kuenlin, House des tanneurs Reyff, House Fégely (?) dite tannerie Deillon and Villa Mayer *Schools: Collège Saint-Michel, Université Miséricorde *Archives, Libraries and Museums: Archives de l’Etat de Fribourg, Archives de la Ville de Fribourg, Cantonal and University Library, Grenier de Derrière-Notre-Dame et Museum Gutenberg, Musée suisse des arts graphiques, Grenier de la Planche and Hôtel Ratzé et Museum d’art et d’histoire *Fountains: Fountain de la Fidélité, Fountain de la Force, Fountain de la Samaritaine, Fountain de la Vaillance, Fountain de Sainte-Anne, Fountain de Saint-Georges, Fountain de Saint-Jean, Fountain de Samson and Jo Siffert Fountain *Bridges: Pont de Bern, Pont de Saint-Jean, Pont du Gottéron and Pont du Milieu


Sports

The most popular sport club in the town is the
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
club
HC Fribourg-Gottéron HC Fribourg-Gottéron is a professional ice hockey team based in Fribourg, Switzerland, which competes in the National League (NL). The team is the sixth most attended team in Switzerland for the 2015/16 season with 6,156 spectators. History The ...
, which plays in the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
(NL). Their home arena is the 8,934-seat
BCF Arena BCF Arena (formerly Patinoire Saint-Léonard) is an indoor sporting arena in Fribourg, Switzerland. Built in 1983 and then completely rebuilt from 2018 to 2020, the capacity of the arena is 9,009 spectators. It is the home arena of ice hockey t ...
. Established in 1937, it has never won a Swiss championship, but has been runner-up five times.
Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
is played by
Fribourg Olympic Fribourg Olympic Basket, commonly known as Fribourg Olympic, is a Swiss professional basketball club that is based in Fribourg. Due to name sponsorship reasons, the former name of the club was Benetton Fribourg. The club is a seventeen-time Swiss ...
, which plays its home games at the 3,500-capacity gym of the Holy Cross College. The club has been successful, winning 13 championships (1966, '71, '73, '74, '78, '79, '81, '82, '85, '91, '92, '98, '99 and 2007), six Swiss Cups (1967, '76, '78, '97, '98 and 2007) and one League Cup in 2007. The football club
FC Fribourg FC Fribourg is a Swiss football club from the town of Fribourg in the Canton of Fribourg. In the 2022/23 season, the team is playing in 2. Liga Interregional, the fifth highest tier in the Swiss football pyramid. History The club was foun ...
plays in the Swiss 1st League, the third tier of Swiss Football. Since 1933, on the first Sunday in October, a race from Murten to Fribourg, the "Murtenlauf" (Murten Run), is held to commemorate the
Battle of Murten The Battle of Morat (also known as the Battle of Murten) was a battle in the Burgundian Wars (1474–77) that was fought on 22 June 1476 between Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, and a Swiss Confederate army at Morat/Murten, about 30 kil ...
. The race is one of the most popular
fun run A fun run is a friendly race that involves either road running or cross country running with participants taking part for their own enjoyment rather than competition. A fun run will usually be held to raise funds for a charity, with sponsors pr ...
s in Switzerland.


Notable residents

; Prior to the 19th century * The
de Weck The family of de Weck (until 1782 Weck) of Fribourg features prominently in the political and military history of Switzerland. Since the 15th century, de Wecks have served in all leading political offices of the country except that of Federal Coun ...
family, prominent in Fribourg politics beginning in the 15th century * Hans Fries (c. 1465 – c. 1523), Swiss painter before the Reformation * Johann Augustanus Faber (c. 1470–1531), Swiss theologian *
Petrus Canisius Peter Canisius ( nl, Pieter Kanis; 8 May 1521 – 21 December 1597) was a Dutch Jesuit Catholic priest. He became known for his strong support for the Catholic faith during the Protestant Reformation in Germany, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, Swit ...
SJ (1521–1597), Dutch Jesuit Catholic priest, lived in Fribourg 1577–1597 and founded the Jesuit
Collège Saint-Michel Collège Saint-Michel (German: Kollegium St. Michael) is a Gymnasium school located in Fribourg, Switzerland. It was established in 1582 by the Jesuit order as a boys' school. Personalities Rectors * Pierre Michel (1582–1888) * Jean- ...
* Hans Gieng (first mentioned 1525 – died 1562), Swiss Renaissance sculptor best known for his public fountain figures * Jean Jacques Joseph d'Alt (1653—1714), Swiss officer and administrator * Jean-Baptiste Girard (1765–1850), Swiss Franciscan educator ; 19th century * Louis Agassiz (1807–1873), Swiss-American biologist and geologist *
Johannes Bapst John Bapst (born Johannes Bapst at La Roche, Fribourg, Switzerland, 17 December 1815; died at Mount Hope, Maryland, United States, 2 November 1887) was a Swiss Jesuit missionary and educator who became the first president of Boston College. Li ...
(1815–1887), Swiss Jesuit missionary, first president of Boston College * Pierre Rossier (1829–1886), pioneering Swiss photographer, used albumen photographs * Adèle d'Affry (1836–1879), Swiss artist and sculptor from a noble and military family * Jules Repond (1853–1933), Swiss lawyer and law professor, writer and journalist, politician, entrepreneur and military officer. Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard 1910–1921 * Johann Jakob Hess (1866–1949), Swiss Egyptologist and Assyriologist * Wilhelm Schmidt SVD (1868–1954 in Fribourg), Austrian linguist, anthropologist and ethnologist *
Oswald Pilloud Ignace Nazaire Oswald Pilloud (27 July 1873 – 6 July 1946) was a Swiss painter and illustrator . Biography Born in Châtel-Saint-Denis in 1873, Pilloud attended Ferdinand Hodler's classes in Fribourg from 1896 to 1899 where he studied t ...
(1873–1946 in Fribourg), Swiss painter and illustrator *
Jean-Edouard de Castella Jean-Edouard (or Jean-Edward) de Castella (1881 in Lilydale, Australia – 1966 in Fribourg), was a Swiss painter and illustrator . Biography Born in Australia in 1881, Jean-Edouard de Castella moved to Switzerland with his father Hubert d ...
(1881–1966 in Fribourg), Swiss painter and illustrator *
Oskar Naegeli Oskar Naegeli (25 January 1885 in Ermatingen – 16 November 1959 in Fribourg), was a Swiss chess player and dermatologist. He represented Switzerland at the Chess Olympiads in 1927, 1928, 1931 and 1935,Földeák, Árpád: Schach-Olympiaden, Ve ...
(1885–1959 in Fribourg), Swiss dermatologist and chess master *
Léon Savary Léon Savary (Fleurier, 1895 - Boudry, 1968) was a Swiss French-speaking writer and journalist from Payerne, Vaud. Biography Savary was the son of a German russified aristocratic mother from the Baltic region (Von Paucker) and a father who was ...
(1895–1968), Swiss writer and journalist, historian of the city of Fribourg ; 20th century *
Jean Bourgknecht Jean Bourgknecht (16 September 1902 – 23 December 1964) was a Swiss politician, mayor of Fribourg (1950–1959) and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1959–1962). Jean Bourgknecht was born to Louis and Eugénie-Louise Bourgknecht in Frib ...
(1902–1964), Swiss politician, mayor of Fribourg 1950–1959 and member of the Swiss Federal Council 1959–1962 *
Jean Tinguely Jean Tinguely (22 May 1925 – 30 August 1991) was a Swiss sculptor best known for his kinetic art sculptural machines (known officially as Métamatics) that extended the Dada tradition into the later part of the 20th century. Tinguely's art ...
(1925–1991), Swiss sculptor of machines or kinetic art, in the Dada tradition *
Anni-Frid Lyngstad Princess Anni-Frid Synni Reuss, Countess of Plauen (born Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad on 15 November 1945), also known by her nickname "Frida", is a Norwegian-born Swedish singer, songwriter and environmentalist, who is best known as one of the foun ...
(born 1945), singer from Swedish pop group
ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group ...
, lives near Fribourg *
Joseph Deiss Joseph Deiss (born 18 January 1946) is a Swiss economist and politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1999 to 2006. A member of the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC), he first headed the Federal Departmen ...
(born 1946), economist and Swiss politician; member of the Swiss Federal Council 1999–2006 * Arlette Zola (born 1949), singer for Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1982. * Pierre Hemmer (1950–2013), Internet pioneer in Switzerland * Urs Schwaller (born 1952), Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Council of States for the Canton of Fribourg since 2003 *
Daniel Vasella Daniel Lucius Vasella (born 15 August 1953) is a Swiss medical doctor, author, and executive who served as CEO and chairman of the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis AG, the world's fifth largest drug company. During his tenure Novartis shares f ...
M.D. (born 1953), physician, author and CEO of the Swiss pharmaceutical company
Novartis Novartis AG is a Swiss-American multinational pharmaceutical corporation based in Basel, Switzerland and Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (global research).name="novartis.com">https://www.novartis.com/research-development/research-loc ...
* Jean-Francois Mayer (born 1957), religious historian, writer and analyst *
Claude Longchamp Claude Longchamp (born 14 March 1957 in Fribourg, Switzerland) is a Swiss historian and political scientist (with no university degree). He is a prominent political analyst for Swiss national television and radio, and he is the main figure behin ...
(born 1957), Swiss historian, political scientist and analyst for Swiss TV *
Thomas Baumer Thomas Baumer (born 1960 in Fribourg (Switzerland) is a Swiss economist and expert for Intercultural competence and Personality assessment. He developed parts of the ''prognostic personality and abilities assessment'' and coined this term especia ...
(born 1960), Swiss economist and expert for intercultural competence and personality assessment * Caroline Charrière (1960–2018), Swiss composer, conductor, flautist and educator *
Franz Treichler Francisco José Conceição Leitão Treichler (born 14 November 1961), better known as Franz Treichler, is a Swiss singer, songwriter, musician, composer and record producer. He is best known as the vocalist and sole consistent member of the Swiss ...
(born 1961) Swiss musician, member of
The Young Gods The Young Gods are a Swiss industrial rock band from Fribourg, formed in 1985. The original lineup of the band featured singer Franz Treichler, sampler player Cesare Pizzi and drummer Frank Bagnoud. For most of their history, the band mainta ...
* Alexander Laszlo (born 1964), polycultural systems scientist, residing in Argentina * Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais (born 1967), corrupt Swiss-Angolan entrepreneur * Alain Berset (born 1972), politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council * René Brülhart (born 1972), Swiss lawyer, president of the board of directors of the Financial Information Authority (AIF) of Vatican City *
Frank Melloul Frank Melloul was born on 2 July 1973 in Fribourg, Switzerland. A media personality and foreign affairs specialist, Melloul was Communications Advisor to former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, as well as a Director of Strategy, Rese ...
(born 1973), French civil servant, TV personality and CEO of i24news * Mia Aegerter (born 1976), Swiss musician, model, and stage and film actress * BARON.E (formed 2019), a music duo formed by Faustine Pochon and Arnaud Rolle ; Sport * Paul Aeby (1910–??), Swiss footballer, played for Switzerland in the
1938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third edition of the World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for senior men's national teams and was held in France from 4 June until 19 June 1938. Italy defended its title in the final, bea ...
* Georges Aeby (1913–1999), footballer, played for Switzerland in the
1938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third edition of the World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for senior men's national teams and was held in France from 4 June until 19 June 1938. Italy defended its title in the final, bea ...
*
Jo Siffert Joseph Siffert (; 7 July 1936 – 24 October 1971) was a Swiss racing driver. Affectionately known as "Seppi" to his family and friends, Siffert was born in Fribourg, Switzerland, the son of a dairy owner. He initially made his name in racing ...
(1936–1971), Swiss F1 racing driver *
René Fasel René Fasel (born 6 February 1950) is a Swiss retired ice hockey administrator. He served as president of the International Ice Hockey Federation from 1994 to 2021. He started his ice hockey career as a player for HC Fribourg-Gottéron, in 1960, ...
(born 1950), president of the
International Ice Hockey Federation The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 ...
; also a dentist * Sandra Kolly (born 1974), Swiss sport shooter, competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics *
David Aebischer David Aebischer (born February 7, 1978) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens and the Phoenix Coyotes. He was a member of the 2001 Stanley C ...
(born 1978),
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
goaltender * Yves Miéville (born 1983), Swiss football player, over 250 team games * Pascal Mancini (born 1989), Swiss 100 metres sprinter,
nandrolone Nandrolone, also known as 19-nortestosterone, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) which is used in the form of esters such as nandrolone decanoate (brand name Deca-Durabolin) and nandrolone phenylpropionate (brand name Durabolin). Nandrolon ...
user and racist *
Volkan Oezdemir Volkan Oezdemir (born 19 September 1989) is a Swiss professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxing practitioner. He currently competes in the Light heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competi ...
(born 1989), mixed martial artist UFC profile
accessed 31 May 2017


See also

* List of mayors of Fribourg *
Franco-Provençal language Franco-Provençal (also Francoprovençal, Patois or Arpitan) is a language within Gallo-Romance originally spoken in east-central France, western Switzerland and northwestern Italy. Franco-Provençal has several distinct dialects and is sep ...
*
Villa St. Jean International School Villa St. Jean International School, originally named Collège Villa St. Jean, was a private Catholic school in Fribourg, Switzerland from 1903 to 1970. Prior to its closure it was the final remaining all-boys' boarding school in Switzerland.
*
Nova Friburgo Nova Friburgo (, ger, Neufreiburg, , en, New Fribourg, commonly referred to as just "Friburgo") is a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil. It is located in the mountainous region, in the Center Mesoregion of the stat ...
, Brazil *
Sonderbund The Sonderbund War (german: Sonderbundskrieg, fr , Guerre du Sonderbund, it , Guerra del Sonderbund) of November 1847 was a civil war in Switzerland, then still a relatively loose confederacy of cantons. It ensued after seven Catholic canton ...


Notes


References

*


External links

* * {{Authority control Cantonal capitals of Switzerland Cities in Switzerland Fribourg (capital) Municipalities of the canton of Fribourg 1150s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1157 establishments in Europe Free imperial cities Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Fribourg Populated places established in the 12th century