Rapperswil (

Swiss German Swiss German (Standard German: , gsw, Schwiizerdütsch, Schwyzerdütsch, Schwiizertüütsch, Schwizertitsch Mundart,Because of the many different dialects, and because there is no defined orthography for any of them, many different spelling ...

: or ;Andres Kristol, ''Rapperswil SG (See)'' in: ''Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses – Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen – Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni svizzeri (DTS, LSG)'', Centre de dialectologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Verlag Huber, Frauenfeld/Stuttgart/Wien 2005, and Éditions Payot, Lausanne 2005, , p. 727. short: ''Rappi'') is a former municipality and since January 2007 part of the

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 go ...

Rapperswil-Jona Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Bussk ...

in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of

See-Gaster See-Gaster is a constituency (''Wahlkreis'') in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The Wahlkreis ( SFOS number 1726) has been established on June 10, 2001, with an area of . It was formed from the former ''See'' and ''Gaster'' districts in ...

in the canton of

St. Gallen , neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach , twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic) , website ...

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 ...

, located at the east side of the

Lake Zurich __NOTOC__ Lake Zurich ( Swiss German/Alemannic: ''Zürisee''; German: ''Zürichsee''; rm, Lai da Turitg) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zürich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or ''Zürichsee'' can be used to ...

Geography

Rapperswil is located on

Lake Zürich __NOTOC__ Lake Zurich ( Swiss German/Alemannic: ''Zürisee''; German: ''Zürichsee''; rm, Lai da Turitg) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zürich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or ''Zürichsee'' can be used to ...

at the point at which the lake is cut in two by the

Seedamm The Rapperswil Seedamm is the partially artificial causeway and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden (SZ) and Rapperswil (SG). The Seedamm carries a road and a railway across the lake, with the railway being used by the ...

Sights

Hauptplatz - Rapperswil Schlosstreppe 2011-06-19 14-57-58 ShiftN2

Rapperswil - Kapuzinerkloster - Lindenhof - Endingerturm - ZSG Limmat 2011-04-24 18-34-22

The town's main sights are concentrated in the

Altstadt ''Altstadt'' is the German language word for "old town", and generally refers to the historical town or city centre within the old town or city wall, in contrast to younger suburbs outside. '' Neustadt'' (new town), the logical opposite of ''Alt ...

of Rapperswil and can be seen while strolling through the medieval alleys. The main sights of Rapperswil are its

rose gardens A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...

Rapperswil Castle Rapperswil Castle ( Swiss German: ''Schloss Rapperswil'') is a castle, built in the early 13th century by the House of Rapperswil, in the formerly independent city of Rapperswil. The castle is located on the eastern '' Zürichsees western '' ...

, the reconstructed wooden bridge to

Hurden Hurden is a village in the municipality of Freienbach in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. First mentioned in 1217, the name "de Hurden" was used for the peninsula and for the fish traps made of woven work, called "Hürden" or "Hurden", which w ...

with its bridge chapel ''

Heilig Hüsli Heilig Hüsli (''Holy house'') is a bridge chapel in Rapperswil, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Geography The chapel is located next to the Seedamm, near the Rapperswil railway station. It is situated on a small island on upper Lake Zü ...

'' located at

, the ''Kapuzinerkloster'' (Capuchin's monastery), the remains of the

Middle Ages 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 a ...

fortifications located on

, ''Lindenhof'' hill, ''Herrenberg'', ''Engelplatz'', ''Hauptplatz'', ''Bühlerallee'' and ''Fischmarktplatz'' at Rapperswil harbour. Rapperswil is often referred to as the "town of roses" (''Rosenstadt'') because of its extensive displays of roses in three designated parks. No less than 15,000 plants of 600 different kinds may be viewed between June and October. There is also a rose garden in the town center, accessible to blind and disabled people. The old town (

) is dominated by the ''Schloss'' Rapperswil located at the peninsula called ''Endingen'', ''Lindenhof'' and ''Herrenberg'' on Lake Zürich perched atop this rocky hill at the bay of

Kempraten Kempraten-Lenggis is a village (''Kirchdorf'') within the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona, ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The remains of the Gallo-Roman settlement ''Centum Prata'' are one ...

. The castle dates back to the early 13th century (first mentioned in 1229). In 1350, it was destroyed by

Rudolf Brun Rudolf Brun (1290s – 17 September 1360) was the leader of the Zürich guilds' revolution of 1336, and the city's first independent mayor. Since 1234, Zürich had been governed by an aristocratic council. One third of the council's members w ...

, the mayor of

Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...

, and was rebuilt in 1352/54 by Albrecht II, Duke of Austria. Deer inhabit lands surrounding the castle. Since 1870, the castle has been home to the Polish National Museum created by Polish émigrés, including the castle's

lessee A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

and restorer, Count Wladyslaw Broel-Plater. A small Capuchin's monastery was established in 1606 at the lakeside ''Endingerhorn'' as a Catholic counterpart to the Reformation's centre in the city of

. The monastery buildings belong to the citizens of Rapperswil (''Endingen'' itself belongs to the

Einsiedeln Abbey Einsiedeln Abbey (german: Kloster Einsiedeln) is a Benedictine Catholic monastery in the village of Einsiedeln in the canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, in recognition of Meinrad of Einsiedeln, a he ...

) rather than to the monks who inhabit it, and is still in use. The main churches in town include the Roman Catholic

St. John's Church St. John's Church, Church of St. John, or variants, thereof, (Saint John or St. John usually refers to John the Baptist, but also, sometimes, to John the Apostle or John the Evangelist) may refer to the following churches, former churches or other ...

(built in early 13th century), the cemetery chapel ( ''Liebfrauenkapelle'') and a small Protestant church. The locational advantage of the place attracted the national

Circus Knie Circus Knie (german: Schweizer National-Circus Knie, french: Cirque National Suisse Knie) is the largest circus of Switzerland, based in Rapperswil. The circus was founded in 1803 by the Knie family and has existed in its present form since 19 ...

who built its headquarters in Rapperswil in 1919. The circus is now also responsible for the Circus Museum and the

Knie's Kinderzoo Knie's Kinderzoo (German: ''Knies Kinderzoo'') is a zoo aimed for children. It is located in the Swiss municipality of Rapperswil. Location Aimed for children, the zoo is located at ''Oberseestrasse'' nearby Seedamm respectively Rapperswi ...

located in Rapperswil which is particularly aimed at children. Rapperswil also hosts the Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil HSR (University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil) and an Economics school for parts of the cantons Zürich and St. Gallen.

Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft The ''Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft'' or Lake Zürich Navigation Company (commonly abbreviated to ZSG) is a public Swiss company operating passenger ships and boats on Lake Zürich. The company operates services connecting lake-side towns ...

(commonly abbreviated to ''ZSG'') operates passenger vessels on the

(''Zürichsee''), connecting the surrounding towns between Zürich-Bürkliplatz and the Rapperswil peninsula with its harbour area.

History

Early history

Murerplan - Oberes Zürichseegebiet IMG 2383

DS Stadt Zürich & Rapperswil - Rapperswil 1914

Rapperswil - Stadtpfarrkirche - Liebfrauenkapelle 2010-06-11 18-38-24 ShiftN

Einsiedlerhaus - Endingerturm - Schlossberg-Lindenhof - Rosengarte 2011-07-02 15-00-10 ShiftN

Settlements in the region of Rapperswil date back to at least 5000 years ago. Archaeological relicts have been found at the ''Technikum'' island settlement, and the remains of a first

wooden bridge A timber bridge or wooden bridge is a bridge that uses timber or wood as its principal structural material. One of the first forms of bridge, those of timber have been used since ancient times. History The most ancient form of timber bridge is ...

(1523 BC, reconstructed in 2001) to

located on the ''Obersee'' lakeshore nearby the Technical University (HSR) respectively the so-called ''

'' at the northwestern part of the

area. The three neighbouring Prehistoric settlements, as well as the early lake crossings, are part of the

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps are a series of prehistoric pile dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from about 5000 to 500 BC on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. In 2011, 111 sites located various ...

''. In

, two kilometers away, there was a probably Helvetic settlement;

Neue Zürcher Zeitung The ''Neue Zürcher Zeitung'' (''NZZ''; "New Journal of Zürich") is a Swiss, German-language daily newspaper, published by NZZ Mediengruppe in Zürich. The paper was founded in 1780. It was described as having a reputation as a high-quality ne ...

(20/21 January 2001): ''Die Brücke auf dem Grund des Zürichsees'' and in the beginning of the 1st century AD, 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 letter ...

vicus ''

Centum Prata Centum Prata is the name of a Roman ''vicus'', whose remains are located on the eastern Zürichsee lakeshore in Kempraten, a locality of the municipality Rapperswil-Jona in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Centum Prata is the most importa ...

'' (meaning ''100 meadows'') became an important trade center on the way to the Roman heartland. The neolithic bridge between

and Rapperswil was renewed by the Romans at least around 165 AD. Historians mention a 10th-century ferry station assumably at the so-called ''

Einsiedlerhaus Einsiedlerhaus is a historic building with an adjoint garden which is part of the former town wall of the medieval Switzerland, Swiss town of Rapperswil in the Canton of St. Gallen. Location Situated on the shore of Zürichsee lake, Einsiedle ...

'' in Rapperswil – in 981 AD as well as the vineyard on the

Lindenhof hill The Lindenhof (lit.: ''courtyard of the lime'') is a moraine hill and a public square in the historic center of Zürich, Switzerland. It is the site of the Roman and Carolingian era Kaiserpfalz around which the city has historically grown. The ...

– between

Kempratnerbucht Kempraten-Lenggis is a village (''Kirchdorf'') within the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona, ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The remains of the Gallo-Roman settlement ''Centum Prata'' are on ...

Lützelau Lützelau (Old High German: ''little island'') is an island located, with the neighbouring island of Ufenau, in Lake Zürich in Switzerland between Rapperswil ( away) and Freienbach ( away). Geography Lützelau lies in Höfe district in the Can ...

and

Ufenau Ufenau is an island located, with the neighbouring island of Lützelau, in Lake Zürich in Switzerland between Freienbach ( away) and Rapperswil ( away). Highlights on Ufenau include ''St. Peter & Paul'' church, ''St. Martin's'' chapel, and Ufen ...

island and assumably present

, which allowed the pilgrims towards Einsiedeln to cross the lake before the prehistoric bridge at the

isthmus was re-built in 1358.

Counts of Rapperswil

and the fortifications of the former locus ''Endingen'' (given by the

) were built by the

Counts of Rapperswil The House of Rapperswil respectively Counts of Rapperswil (''Grafen von Rapperwil'' since 1233, before ''Lords'') ruled the upper ''Zürichsee'' and ''Seedamm'' region around Rapperswil and parts of, as of today, Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Gl ...

, i.e. by ''Rudolf II'' and his son ''Rudolf III von Rapperswil'' around 1200: The town was founded when the nobility of Rapperswil moved from Altendorf across the lake to Rapperswil. On the peninsula at Oberbollingen, the St. Nicholas Chapel is mentioned, where around 1229 a small Cistercian (later Premonstratensian) monastery was established by the house of Rapperswil; in 1267 it was united with the nearby Mariazell-Wurmsbach Abbey.

St. Martin Busskirch Busskirch is a village (''Kirchdorf'') within the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Geography The village is located along the northern shore of the ''Obersee'' lakeshore between Jona and Bollingen. ...

is one of the oldest churches around upper Lake Zürich. Even the citizens of Rapperswil had to attend services in

Busskirch Busskirch is a village (''Kirchdorf'') within the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Geography The village is located along the northern shore of the ''Obersee'' lakeshore between Jona and Bollingen. ...

until Count Rudolf II built the ''Stadtpfarrkirche'' on ''Herrenberg'' next to Rapperswil Castle on ''Lindenhof'' hill. Known members of the family are Countess

Elisabeth von Rapperswil Elisabeth von Rapperswil (also ''von Habsburg-Laufenburg'', ''von Homberg''; c.1251/1261 – 1309) was the last countess of the House of Rapperswil, and secured by her second marriage the female line of the Counts of Rapperswil and the exte ...

(around 1252/62 –1309), her sons

Wernher von Homberg Wernher von Homberg (also ''Werner''; ''Hohenberg'', 1284 – 21 March 1320) was a knight in the service Emperor Henry VII, and later of Frederick the Fair. His Minnesang poems are recorded in the ''Codex Manesse''. Wernher's father was Ludwig o ...

Reichsvogt ''Reichsvogt'' (; ''Imperial Advocate'') was the term for the office of a ''Vogt'' that was nominated by the king of the Holy Roman Empire as his representative. Especially in what is now Switzerland, the ''Reichsvogt'' was a very influential pos ...

and minnesang poet, and Count Johann I. von Habsburg-Laufenburg-Rapperswil (* around 1295/97, † 1337). His son Johann II († 1380), the opposition's leader against

, the mayor of Zürich, was arrested for two years, and the town walls of Rapperswil, its castle and Altendorf castle were destroyed by Brun in 1350.

Modern history

Between 1358 and 1360

Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria Rudolf IV (1 November 1339 – 27 July 1365), also called Rudolf the Founder (german: der Stifter), was a scion of the House of Habsburg who ruled as duke of Austria (self-proclaimed archduke), Styria and Carinthia from 1358, as well as count ...

, built a wooden bridge across the lake that has been used to 1878 – measuring approximately in length and wide; 546 oak piles have been installed. In 1415, the town bought freedom for itself. In 1442, during

Old Zurich War Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

, Rapperswil was in alliance with Zürich and the Habsburg Dynasty. In 1458 Rapperswil was controlled by the

Swiss Confederation ). 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 ...

as a so-called ''Gemeine Herrschaft'', i.e. under control of two cantons (Glarus and Schwyz) of the Old Swiss Confederation and their representative, a ''Vogt'' at Rapperswil castle. Because of its strategic location along important infrastructure lines, and because of flourishing trade, the town grew rich. This allowed a certain degree of freedom (especially within the Habsburg-controlled territories and) within the Swiss Confederation which ended with the formation of the Swiss cantons by

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 1799. In 1656 and 1712 (the

First War of Villmergen The First War of Villmergen Encarta-encyclopedie Winkler Prins (1993–2002) s.v. "Zwitserland. §5.2 Reformatie". Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum. was a Swiss religious war which lasted from 5 January until 7 March 1656, at the time of the ...

and the

Toggenburg War The Toggenburg War, also known as the Second War of Villmergen or the Swiss Civil War of 1712, was a Swiss civil war during the Old Swiss Confederacy from 12 April to 11 August 1712. The Catholic "inner cantons" and the Imperial Abbey of Saint ...

, or Second War of Villmergen, respectively), Rapperswil was involved in wars between the Catholic and Reformed

cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...

of the Old Swiss Confederation. Rapperswil was at first part of the Helvetic and the

canton of Linth Linth was a canton of the Helvetic Republic from 1798 to 1803, consisting of Glarus and its subject County of Werdenberg, the Höfe and March districts of Schwyz and the Züricher subject Lordship of Sax, along with a handful of shared terri ...

's capital city. After the 1803

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 invasion ...

, it joined the

canton of St. Gallen The canton of St. Gallen, also canton of St Gall (german: link=no, Kanton St. Gallen ; rm, Chantun Son Gagl; french: Canton de Saint-Gall; it, Canton San Gallo), is a canton of Switzerland. The capital is St. Gallen. Located in northeastern ...

, and the former ''Herrschaft Rapperswil'' was split into the municipalities of Rapperswil and Jona. On 1 January 2007 the former municipalities of Rapperswil and

Jona Jona may refer to: * Jona, Switzerland, a village of the municipality Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland * Jona (river), in the cantons of Zürich and St. Gallen in Switzerland * Jona (album), ''Jona'' (album), an album by Jona Viray People with the giv ...

merged to form a new political entity:

has a population of 25,777 (December 2007). This makes it the second-largest town in the canton after the capital of

itself.

Culture

Ironman 70.3 An Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). The "70.3" refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting o ...

Switzerland and the Triathon Challenge took place in Rapperswil-Jona on 6 June 2010, and was repeated several times. The ''blues'n'jazz'' festival, taking place since 1998, is held at the end of June. Every three years ''Seenachtsfest'' is celebrated one weekend in August, attracting nearly 100,000 visitors to a spectacular fireworks, for the next time in summer 2018. Rapperswil is the home of the

Rapperswil-Jona Lakers The SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers are a professional ice hockey club from Rapperswil, Switzerland and are members of the National League. History The Lakers were founded in 1945 and were known as SC Rapperswil-Jona until 2005, when the club changed ...

, and their ''Diners Club Arena'' is situated on ''Obersee'' lakeshore. ''Kunst(Zeug)Haus'' is a vibrant center of Swiss contemporary art, housed in a former Swiss Military armory (''Zeughaus''). ''

Herzbaracke Herzbaracke is a Switzerland, Swiss cabaret-theatre in the cantons of Canton of St. Gallen, St. Gallen and Canton of Zürich, Zürich provided on a watercraft on Zürichsee. ''Herzbaracke'' is a Swiss German language linguistic joke meaning either ...

'' is a swimming theatre, cabaret and restaurant on Lake Zürich at different locations, among them Zürich-Bellevue and Rapperswil harbour. ''

Eis-zwei-Geissebei Eis-zwei-Geissebei is a Carnival festival held in Rapperswil (Switzerland) on Shrove Tuesday. History and origin Its origin may go back to the siege and destruction of the city of Rapperswil at St. Matthew in 1350 by Rudolf Brun, first mayor o ...

'' is a Carnival festival in Rapperswil on Shrove Tuesday, and ''Christkindlymärt'' is a Christmas funfair celebrated in late December, and last but not least, ''

Radio Zürisee Radio Zürisee (or radio zürisee according to the radio's logo; literally ''Radio Zürichsee''), is a privately-owned Switzerland, Swiss radio station based in Rapperswil on the shore of the Lake Zurich in the canton of St. Gallen. History Radi ...

'' is situated in Rapperswil opposite of the

Rapperswil railway station Rapperswil railway station (german: Bahnhof Rapperswil) is a railway station located next to the old town and harbour of Rapperswil in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. It is the largest of four active railway stations in the municipality of Rappers ...

, and

Obersee Nachrichten ''Obersee Nachrichten'', commonly shortened to ''ON'', is a Swiss German-language weekly newspaper, published in Rapperswil. History and profile ''Obersee Nachrichten'' was founded by the publisher Bruno Hug. The first issue was published on 20 ...

at ''Hauptplatz'' plaza. In Rapperswil there are several sites situated that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance: ''

Schloss Rapperswil Rapperswil Castle (Swiss German: ''Schloss Rapperswil'') is a castle, built in the early 13th century by the House of Rapperswil, in the formerly independent city of Rapperswil. The castle is located on the eastern ''Zürichsees western ''Obers ...

'' with the Polish Museum including the Polish national archive, the medieval ''Rathaus'' (town hall) located at the ''Hauptplatz'' square, and the

region including

and the remains of the prehistoric wooden bridges respectively the neolithic stilt house settlements located there. The latter are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps".

Cultural heritage

Located on '' Obersee'' lake shore at the ''

'' isthmus between the ''Zürichsee'' and the ''Obersee'' lake area, the area was in close vicinity to the prehistoric lake crossings, and neighboured by four Prehistoric pile dwelling settlements:

Freienbach–Hurden Rosshorn Freienbach–Hurden Rosshorn is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland. Geography The site is located on ''Zürichsee'' lakeshore in H ...

Freienbach–Hurden Seefeld Freienbach–Hurden Seefeld is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland. Geography Hurden-Seefeld is located at the ''Frauenwinkel'' area ...

, Seegubel and

Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland. Located on a small former island on '' upper Lake Zürich'' in Rap ...

. Because the lake has grown in size over time, the original piles are now around to under the water level of . As well as being part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', the settlements are also listed in the

Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance #REDIRECT Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance {{R from other capitalisation ...

as ''Class A'' objects of national importance.

Transportation

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

is a nodal point of the IR ''

Voralpen Express The ''Voralpen-Express'' (''VAE'') is a named train connecting small to medium-sized cities and villages in Central and Eastern Switzerland, carrying this name since 1992. It is operated by Südostbahn (SOB) and runs every hour between St. Gal ...

'' ( SOB), the

Zürich S-Bahn The Zürich S-Bahn (german: S-Bahn Zürich) system is a network of rail lines that has been incrementally expanded to cover the ZVV area, which comprises the entire canton of Zürich and portions of neighbouring cantons (Aargau, Glarus, ...

lines S5, S7, S15 and S40, and the St. Gallen S-Bahn line S6. This railway station is a 36-minute (S5/S15, combined quarter-hourly service) ride away from

Zürich Hauptbahnhof Zürich Hauptbahnhof (often shortened to Zürich HB, or just HB; ''Zürich Main Station'' or ''Zürich Central Station'') is the largest railway station in Switzerland. Zürich is a major railway hub, with services to and from across Switzerland a ...

and a 55-minute ride away from

(direct with ''Voralpen-Express'' or S6/ S4 with change in ). The railway tracks and the infrastructure, excluded the train station's building, have been renewed by June/July 2016. Since 2008 the bus service in Rapperswil-Jona has been provided by the

Verkehrsbetriebe Zürichsee und Oberland Verkehrsbetriebe Zürichsee und Oberland (VZO) is a public transport operator in the region between Lake Zürich and the Zürcher Oberland to the south-east of the city of Zürich in the canton of Zürich. It operates bus services between the va ...

(VZO). As of 2016, an average of 26,000 road vehicles cross the

causeway and the ''Bahnhofstrasse'' road in Rapperswil every day. As of 30 June 2016, Rapperswil-Jona is expected to participate as the first Swiss city in a pilot project for so-called Mobility pricing in order to relieve the traffic on road and rail during rush hours.

Gallery

File:Rapperswil - Stadtmuseum - Abschluss Erneuerung 2011-11-18 16-27-38 ShiftN.jpg,

Stadtmuseum Rapperswil Stadtmuseum Rapperswil-Jona is a museum of local history and art in Rapperswil, canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Location The museum is situated in three Middle Ages buildings, remains of a former castle as part of the town walls of Rappe ...

File:Fischmarktplatz - Rapperswil Hafen 2011-07-09 14-21-02.JPG, ''Fischmarktplatz'' File:Rapperswil - Engelplatz IMG 2409 ShiftN.jpg, ''Engelplatz'' File:Rapperswil - Herrenberg IMG 4818 ShiftN.jpg, ''Herrenberg'' File:Rapperswil - Stadtpfarrkirche-Schloss - Kempraten IMG 5536.JPG,

, Liebfrauenkapelle, ''Stadtpfarrkirche'' St. Johann (St. John's church) and the ''Schloss'', as seen from

-Lenggis File:Liebfrauenkapelle & Mariensäule - Stadtpfarrkirche-Schlossgasse 2011-07-02 14-51-50 ShiftN3.jpg, ''

Liebfrauenkapelle Liebfrauenkapelle ("St. Mary Chapel") is a chapel in Rapperswil, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, which dates back to the ossuary that was built by the House of Rapperswil around 1253 AD. Geography The chapel is located next to the Stadtpfarrk ...

'' (St Mary's church) between ''Schloss'' and ''Stadtpfarrkirche'' File:Kempraten-Rapperswil - Kapelle St Ursula IMG 5550 ShiftN.jpg, ''St. Ursula chappel (re-built in 1607'') File:Rapperswil - Reformierte Kirche - Friedhof 2011-05-25 11-13-12 ShiftN.jpg, ''Reformierte Kirche'' (built in 1841) File:Eis-Zwei-Geissebei (2010) IMG 8578 ShiftN.jpg, ''

on the main square at

Rathaus Rapperswil Rathaus Rapperswil is the former '' Rathaus'' of the city government of medieval town of Rapperswil, Canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Today, the building houses a café and restaurant, the city archives and a collection of stained glass windows ...

(townhall)'' File:Herzbaracke - Rapperswil IMG 5573.JPG, ''

'' cabaret-theater at Rapperswil harbour File:Rapperswil - Seedamm IMG 2913 ShiftN.jpg, ''See-Quai'' in Rapperswil, ''Bühlerallee'' to the left, ''Lindenhof'' hill in the background File:Rapperswil - Hirschpark - Schloss - Lindenhof 2011-06-19 15-11-56.JPG, ''Lindenhof'' and Deer park towards to the ''Schloss''

Personalities

Codex Manesse 192v - Albrecht von Rapperswil

; Early times * (Saint)

Kunigunde of Rapperswil Kunigunde of Rapperswil (died in early 4th century AD) was a Christian saint. In Old High German her name means ''fighter for her clan''. Life Little is known about this saint. Maybe born in Rapperswil in Switzerland, she was one of the companion ...

died in early 4th century AD, a Christian saint, beatified 1504 *

(c.1251 – 1309) the last countess of the

House of Rapperswil The House of Rapperswil respectively Counts of Rapperswil (''Grafen von Rapperwil'' since 1233, before ''Lords'') ruled the upper ''Zürichsee'' and ''Seedamm'' region around Rapperswil and parts of, as of today, Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Gl ...

Albrecht von Rapperswil Albrecht von Rapperswil (also ''Raprechtswil'', fl. ca. 1280) is one of the Minnesingers featured in the ''Codex Manesse''. He was a '' ministerialis'' in the service of the counts of Rapperswil, in the rank of a '' marchschal''. Albrecht is dep ...

(13th century) one of the

Minnesingers (; "love song") was a tradition of lyric- and song-writing in Germany and Austria that flourished in the Middle High German period. This period of medieval German literature began in the 12th century and continued into the 14th. People who wr ...

featured in the

Codex Manesse The Codex Manesse (also Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift or Pariser Handschrift) is a ''Liederhandschrift'' (manuscript containing songs), the single most comprehensive source of Middle High German ''Minnesang'' poetry, written and illustrat ...

(1284–1320) a knight in the service of

Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII (German: ''Heinrich''; c. 1273 – 24 August 1313),Kleinhenz, pg. 494 also known as Henry of Luxembourg, was Count of Luxembourg, King of Germany (or '' Rex Romanorum'') from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first empe ...

* Count

Johann I (Habsburg-Laufenburg) Johann I von Habsburg-Laufenburg (also ''Johannes von Rapperswil-Laufenburg- Habsburg'', ''von Laufenburg-Rapperswil''; born around 1297; died 21 September 1337 in Grynau) was the Count of Habsburg-Laufenburg and later Count of the House of Rapp ...

(c.1297–1337), son of Countess

* Count Johann II (Habsburg-Laufenburg) (c.1330 – 1380), son of Johann I ; Modern times *

Valentin Molitor Valentin Molitor (15 April 1637 in Rapperswil – 4 October 1713 in Weingarten, Württemberg Weingarten (, German for "wine garden"; Low Alemannic: ''Wãẽgaade'') is a town with a population of 25,000 () in Württemberg, in the District ...

(1637–1713) a composer and Benedictine monk *

Marianne Ehrmann Marianne Ehrmann (née: Marianne Brentano-Corti, also ''Marianne Ehrmann-Brentano'' and ''Madame Sternheim'', born 25 November 1755; † 14 August 1795) was one of the first women novelists, publicists and journalists in the German-speaking count ...

(1755–1795) early woman novelist, publicist and journalist *

Felix Maria Diogg Felix Maria Diogg (1 July 1762 – 19 February 1834) was a Swiss painter. Born in Andermatt, as an adult he made Rapperswil his home. Diogg is considered the most important Swiss Classicism portraitist. Life and work Born as the son of Kathari ...

(1762–1834) a painter and Swiss

Classicism Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aestheti ...

portraitist * Count Wladyslaw Plater (1808–1889) a Polish count, in 1870 co-founded the

Polish Museum, Rapperswil The Polish Museum, Rapperswil, was founded in Rapperswil, Switzerland, on 23 October 1870, by Polish Count Władysław Broel-Plater, at the urging of Agaton Giller, as "a refuge for Poland's historic memorabilia dishonored and plundered in the o ...

Joachim Raff Joseph Joachim Raff (27 May 182224 or 25 June 1882) was a German-Swiss composer, pedagogue and pianist. Biography Raff was born in Lachen in Switzerland. His father, a teacher, had fled there from Württemberg in 1810 to escape forced recruitme ...

(1822–1882) a German-Swiss composer, teacher and pianist *

Agaton Giller Agaton Giller (Opatówek, Congress Poland, Russian Empire, 1831 – 1887, Stanisławów, Austro-Hungary) was a Polish historian, journalist and politician. He and his brother Stefan Giller played notable roles in the Polish independence movemen ...

(1831–1887) a Polish historian, journalist and politician; co-founded the

* Alwina Gossauer (1841–1926) one of the first Swiss women professional photographers * Franz Curti (1854–1898), opera composer * Stefan Zeromski (1864–1925) a Polish novelist and dramatist; nominated four times for the

Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

Martha Burkhardt Martha Burkhardt (30 April 1874 – 12 January 1956) was a Swiss painter and photographer. Born in the city of Aarau, she spent her childhood in Rapperswil and as an adult made Rapperswil again her home. Early life and education Martha Burkhar ...

(1874–1956) a painter and photographer Information boards on occasion of the 2015 exhibition ''Der Zeit voraus - Drei Frauen auf eigenen Wegen'',

Stadtmuseum Rapperswil-Jona Stadtmuseum Rapperswil-Jona is a museum of local history and art in Rapperswil, canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Location The museum is situated in three Middle Ages buildings, remains of a former castle as part of the town walls of Rapp ...

. *

Josef Müller-Brockmann Josef Müller-Brockmann (9 May 1914 – 30 August 1996) was a Swiss graphic designer, author, and educator, he was a Principal at Muller-Brockmann & Co. design firm. He was a pioneer of the International Typographic Style. Müller-Brockmann is re ...

(1914–1996) a graphic designer and teacher * Kurt Aepli (1914-2002) a silversmith, designer of fine jewelry and implements and teacher * Josef Helbling (born 1935) a former cyclist, competed in the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

Gerold Späth Gerold Späth (born 16 October 1939 in Rapperswil) is a Swiss author, poet and writer. Life and career Born 1939 in Rapperswil on the ''Obersee'' lakeshore in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland, the son of an organ builder made his stud ...

(born 1939) an author, poet and writer IMDb Database
retrieved 20 December 2018 *

Hans Heinemann Hans Heinemann (born 14 August 1940) is a former Swiss cyclist. He competed in the team pursuit at the 1960 Summer Olympics and the road race at the 1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京19 ...

(born 1940) a former cyclist, competed in the

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

and the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this ho ...

Alfredo Battistini Alfredo Battistini (8 August 1953, in Uznach, Switzerland – 17 May 2008, in St. Gallenkappel, Switzerland) was an Italian-Swiss sculptor, illustrator, and athlete. Life Alfredo Battistini was born in Uznach, Switzerland on 8 August 1953. ...

(1953–2008) an Italian-Swiss sculptor, illustrator and athlete * Alexander Hahn (born 1954) is an electronic media artist

References

Literature

* Beat Glaus: ''Der Kanton Linth der Helvetik''. Schwyz 2005. * Peter Röllin: ''Kulturbaukasten Rapperswil-Jona''. Rapperswil-Jona 2005.

External links

Rapperswil-Jona
(official site)
Ortsgemeinde Rapperswil-Jona

* {{Authority control Former municipalities of the canton of St. Gallen Tourist attractions in Rapperswil-Jona States and territories established in 1220 Former protectorates of Switzerland Rapperswil (1415-1458) 1798 disestablishments in Europe Rapperswil-Jona Populated places on Lake Zurich 1220s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1220 establishments in Europe 1460s disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1464 disestablishments in Europe 15th-century establishments in the Old Swiss Confederacy 1450s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1458 establishments in Europe