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Solothurn ( , ; french: Soleure ; it, Soletta ; rm, ) is a town, a municipality, and the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
of the
canton of Solothurn The canton of Solothurn or canton of Soleure (german: Kanton Solothurn rm, Chantun Soloturn french: Canton de Soleure; it, Canton Soletta) is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland. The capital is Solothurn. Hi ...
in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissenstein
Jura mountains The Jura Mountains ( , , , ; french: Massif du Jura; german: Juragebirge; it, Massiccio del Giura, rm, Montagnas da Jura) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the Frenc ...
. The town is the only municipality of the district of the same name. The town got its name from Salodurum, a Roman-era settlement. From 1530 to 1792 it was the seat of the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
to Switzerland. The pedestrian-only old town was built between 1530 and 1792 and shows an impressive array of
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
architecture, combining Italian Grandezza, French style, and Swiss ideas. The town has eighteen structures listed as heritage sites. The official language of Solothurn is (the Swiss variety of Standard)
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the
Alemannic Alemannic (''Alamannic'') or Alamanni may refer to: * Alemannic German, a dialect family in the Upper German branch of the German languages and its speakers * Alemanni, a confederation of Suebian Germanic tribes in the Roman period * Alamanni (surna ...
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 ...
dialect.


History


Pre-Roman settlement

The oldest finds from Solothurn probably date from the
Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
era. The remains of a
Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
camp were discovered in 1986 during renovations of the former ''Kino Elite'' building. From the Neolithic,
Bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
and Iron Age, only a few scattered items have been discovered.


Roman settlement

The Roman settlement at Solothurn was probably built around AD 15-25 as a road station and bridge head on the road from Aventicum to Augusta Raurica or Vindonissa. A small vicus or settlement quickly developed around the castrum. Solothurn is first mentioned in 219 as ''vico salod ro' on the so-called Eponastein. The name may indicate either that a
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
settlement existed on the site before or just be a testimony to the mixed
Gallo-Roman culture Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...
in the north-west provinces of the Roman Empire. It came to be known as ''Salodurum''. Its strategical importance lay in the position at the approach to the Rhine from southeast. In the 2nd-3rd Century AD, the vicus expanded rapidly to fill almost all of what is now the old town of Solothurn, including a portion of today's suburb south of the Aare. The Roman bridge was probably somewhat above the current Wengibrücke. The Roman era river bed was north of the present Aare. The main street of the Vicus was well below the present main street. In addition to the normal government of the settlement, there were two mayors (magistri), and a six-member college (seviri Augustales), which was entrusted with supporting the imperial cult. Salodurum was also home to a guard detachment of the XXII Legion, whose high command was stationed in Mainz in Germany. According to inscriptions, there was a temple of Jupiter, a temple of Apollo Augustus and an altar to the goddess of horses
Epona In Gallo-Roman religion, Epona was a protector of horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules. She was particularly a goddess of fertility, as shown by her attributes of a patera, cornucopia, ears of grain and the presence of foals in some sculptures. S ...
, who was popular in the Roman military and of Celtic origin. However, the locations of those three temples is not known. There was bath house on the main street and a pottery district in the northwest of the town which have been documented archaeologically. A cemetery with urns and cremation burials on the eastern end of the Vicus was discovered in 1762–63 during the demolition of the old church of St. Ursus. In addition, two Roman tombs were discovered in the same area. Around 325–350, the unfortified settlement along the road was transformed into a fortified camp or castrum, which covered only half of the former settlement area. A thick and high wall was built around the settlement. The new, fortified town was bell-shaped, and is still visible in the cadastral map of the town. At various points in the town, large and small pieces of the old Roman wall are still visible in the houses of the old town. The location of a gate in the north and a tower in the south-east corner are known and it is likely that there were additional gates and towers. Almost nothing is known about the buildings inside the walls.


Early Middle Ages

In the Early Middle Ages there were two settlement centres, a secular settlement in the former castrum and a religious settlement on the grounds of the late-Roman cemeteries outside the walls. Both the religious histories and archeological discoveries indicate that both areas remained inhabited continuously into the Early Middle Ages. The former chapel of St. Stephen inside the castrum was built on the foundation of an earlier, late-Roman building. A burial memorial in the cemetery of the nearby St. Peter's Chapel dates to around the collapse of the Roman Empire. By the middle of the 5th Century, St. Eucherius of Lyon mentions the martyrdom of St.
Ursus Ursus is Latin for bear. It may also refer to: Animals * ''Ursus'' (mammal), a genus of bears People * Ursus of Aosta, 6th-century evangelist * Ursus of Auxerre, 6th-century bishop * Ursus of Solothurn, 3rd-century martyr * Ursus (''praefectus ...
and St.
Victor The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
and a cult of saints in Solothurn. About 500 AD, the
Burgundian Burgundian can refer to any of the following: *Someone or something from Burgundy. *Burgundians, an East Germanic tribe, who first appear in history in South East Europe. Later Burgundians colonised the area of Gaul that is now known as Burgundy (F ...
Princess Sedeleuba took the bones of St. Victor to Geneva, while the bones of St. Ursus remained in Solothurn. The church dedicated to the veneration of Saint Ursus is first mentioned in 870.


Medieval city

During the Early Middle Ages, Solothurn was part of the Kingdom of Lotharingia (Lorraine). After the collapse of Lotharingia, it became part of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy. In 1033, the Kingdom of Burgundy became part of the Holy Roman Empire and Solothurn gained some independence. In 1038, Emperor
Conrad II Conrad II ( – 4 June 1039), also known as and , was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad ruled the kingdoms ...
held court at Solothurn and there crowned his son, Henry III King of Burgundy. The royal court resided in Solothurn on several occasions until 1052, however, there is no evidence of a permanent royal palace. In 1127, it was acquired by the dukes of Zähringen. Under the rule of the Zähringens, in 1146, Solothurn's coins are first mentioned. In 1182, ''causidicus'' or Zähringen appointed judges first appeared in Solothurn. After the extinction of the Zähringer line in 1218 it became a free imperial city under the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1252, the town council and Schultheiss or mayor became mostly independent and had their own town seals. In 1251 it was mentioned as ''saluerre'' and in 1275 as ''Solotren''. Starting around 1200, there was a council of nobles in the town. In 1252, a group of nobles that could witness and support deeds, known as ''consuls et cives Solodorenses'', first appears in the town. Initially the nobles exercised power over the entire town. However, the guild movement of the 14th Century resulted in a reduction in the power of the nobles and also a restricted guild system in Solothurn. By around 1350, an eleven-member ''Altrat'' (Council of Elders) and a 22-member ''Jungrat'' (Younger Council) existed in the city. Each of the eleven guilds were represented by a member of the ''Altrat'' and two members of the ''Jungrat''. These 33 councillors exercised, together with the mayor, the power of government and helped appoint lawmakers. The members of the two councils were elected each year by the citizens of the city, after which the councils and mayor appointed many of the government officials. The noble families retained some power as the guilds became part of the town council. However, in 1459 the last noble family died out and positions on the council fell to wealthy farmers, butchers and millers. Until the pogrom on 1348 during an outbreak of the
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
, there was a small Jewish community in Solothurn. Over the 13th to 15th centuries, the citizens of the city slowly emancipated themselves from the higher nobility. In 1276 and 1280 Emperor Rudolf I codified the previously poorly defined rights of the city and granted it the privilege ''de non Evocando'' or the right that their citizens were protected from trial in foreign courts. In 1344 Solothurn acquired the right to appoint their own Schultheiss from the Count of Buchegg, which was confirmed by Emperor Charles IV in 1360. In 1409, Emperor Ruprecht extended the ''de non Evocando'' privilege to include the royal High Court as well. As the city grew in power, it bound the Monastery of St. Ursus more closely to the city. In 1251 the city defeated claims made by the Monastery on the right to appoint the Schultheiss. Shortly after the acquisition of the right to the Schultheiss office in 1344, the city came into possession of the vogt right over the Monastery by granting citizenship rights to the former vogt (bailiff), Burkhard Senn the Elder. In 1512–20 the city received the right to appoint canons and provosts from the Pope. After the alliance with
Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...
in 1295, it became part of the Swiss Confederation. In 1382 the
Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
s attacked the city, involving Solothurn in the
Battle of Sempach The Battle of Sempach was fought on 9 July 1386, between Leopold III, Duke of Austria and the Old Swiss Confederacy. The battle was a decisive Swiss victory in which Duke Leopold and numerous Austrian nobles died. The victory helped turn the lo ...
. By the treaty of two years later, the Habsburgs renounced all claims to the territory of the city. The latter was expanded by acquisition of neighbouring lands in the 15th century, roughly up to the today's canton area. In 1481, it obtained full membership in the Swiss Confederation.


Buildings in the medieval city

Before 1200 there was a Zähringer fortified tower north of the Monastery of St. Ursus. In the first half of the 13th Century, a city wall was built around the area of the former castrum as well as the adjoining industrial area to the east and the churches of St. Peter and St. Urs. Near the Monastery of St. Ursus, a Franciscan monastery was built, and after 1280 it formed the northern city wall on the eastern part of the city. In 1532, the French embassy with a church and stately home was built in the eastern half of the city. In the western part of Solothurn, the town hall was built. First it was along the main street and in 1476 it moved south of the Franciscan monastery. A main market place grew up along the main street, and in the first half of the 17th century it moved to the northern banks of the Aare. The town hall, market place and clock tower formed the political and economic centre of city life.


Early Modern Solothurn

The medieval cooperative election of the mayor and councillors led to the creation of a nearly hereditary oligarchy by the 15th Century. By the second half of the 16th Century, the political voice of citizens was nearly totally suppressed. By the second half of the 17th Century, the government was run by a small group of patricians. The oligarchs were weakened in the 18th Century, when in 1718–21 the city council managed to regain some powers. However, in 1682, a new citizenship law prevented wealthy families who had moved into Solothurn from becoming members of the council. While this law reduced the number of people who could be on the city council, the introduction of a secret ballot procedure in 1764 and measures against vote-buying in 1774 allowed more and more non-patrician burghers to join the council. During the heyday of the patricians in the 17th and 18th Centuries, a number of elegant town houses (Reinert House 1692–93, Palais Besenval 1703–06) and summer residences outside the city (Sommerhaus Vigier 1648–50, Waldegg Castle 1682–86 (now in nearby
Feldbrunnen-St. Niklaus Feldbrunnen-St.Niklaus is a municipality in the district of Lebern in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. History Feldbrunnen-St. Niklaus is first mentioned in 1319 as ''Velbrunnen''. Geography Feldbrunnen-St. Niklaus has an area, , of . ...
),
Steinbrugg Castle Steinbrugg Castle is a castle in the municipality of Solothurn of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. See also * List of castles in Switzerland This list includes castles and fortres ...
1665–68 and
Blumenstein Castle Blumenstein Castle is an estate house in the municipality of Solothurn of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. In 1952 it became the home of the Historical Museum of Solothurn. History T ...
1725–28) were built. A number of new public buildings were also added including; the Arsenal (1610–19), the town hall with its north staircase tower (1632–34) and its eastern façade (Archive tower 1624, completed 1703–14), the
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
church (1680–89), the new Ambassadorenhof (1717–24), the Holy Spirit Hospital in a suburb (1735–1800) and the new classicist Church of St. Ursus (1763–90). In the 16th Century the town walls were reinforced with the Basel gate and three round towers. Between 1667 and 1727, following plans by Francesco Polatta, Jacques Le Prestre Tarade and Sébastien de Vauban, the city built fortifications with eleven full and half
bastion A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
s. The new city wall increased the size of the city by including the eastern suburb of Kreuzacker. Until the 18th Century, prisoners were housed in the towers of the medieval and early modern fortifications store. Between 1753 and 1761 a new prison was built outside the city walls, which remained in use into the 20th Century. A gallows was first mentioned in 1460 and was located northeast of the city near Feldbrunnen. A second gallows was located to the southwest of the city. From 1530 to 1792 it was the seat of the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
to Switzerland. The Early Modern Period in Solothurn ended, as in the rest of Switzerland, with the French invasion in 1798.


Modern Solothurn

Following the capitulation of Solothurn on 2 March 1798, the French General
Balthazar Alexis Henri Schauenburg Balthazar Alexis Henri Schauenburg (also spelled Schauenbourg), (born in Hellimer on 31 July 1748 and died in Geudertheim on 1 September 1831) was a French general who served in the wars of the French Revolution and the Empire. He briefly command ...
set up a provisional government on the following day. The new government met in April to set up the new constitution. The eleven old ''Vogtei'' (baillywicks) were replaced by five districts: Solothurn, Biberist, Balsthal, Olten, and Dornach. The municipal
Bürgergemeinde The Bürgergemeinde (also Burgergemeinde, Ortsgemeinde, Ortsbürgergemeinde, Tagwen, bourgeoisie, commune bourgeoise, vischnanca burgaisa, en, Citizen's Community) is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland. It includes all individu ...
laid claim to the assets of the defunct city-state and in 1801 it received the ''Sönderungsconvention'', large estates and extensive forest land outside the town. In 1831 the cantonal parliament withdrew all political power from the eleven city guilds. Over the following years (1831–1842) all the guilds were dissolved. Due to the municipal law of 1859, the enforcement of the Federal Constitution of 1874 and the Cantonal Constitution of 1875, an ''Einwohnergemeinde'' was created. The ''Einwohnergemeinde'' included all residents of the town, as opposed to the more limited ''Bürgergemeinde''. The division of property between residents and the Bürgergemeinde proved to be lengthy and could not be completed until 1978 and then only with the help of the Executive Council. In 1828 Solothurn became the seat of the Bishop of Basel. Since 1897, the municipal council has been elected by proportional voting and consists of 30 members and 15 alternate members. As the executive body, it elects the council commission (seven members). Mayor and Vice-Mayor are elected by the people. The municipal assembly is the legislative body. The composition of the council remained remarkably stable between 1917 and 1973. The Liberals held an average of 60% of the seats, the Social Democrats and the Conservative People's Party (CVP today), about 20% each. In 1970, the municipality granted voting rights for women. With the emergence of new parties, the Liberals lost its dominant position. 2009, the FDP 30%, SP 23%, CVP 23%, the Greens 17% and 7% of the votes go to the SVP. Rock band Krokus was formed in Solothurn in 1974.


Geography

Solothurn has an area, , of . Of this area, or 22.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 2.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 69.6% is settled (buildings or roads), or 5.3% is either rivers or lakes.Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics
2009 data accessed 25 March 2010
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.1% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 38.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 17.5%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.9% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 7.5%. Out of the forested land, 0.5% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 14.2% is used for growing crops and 7.0% is pastures, while 1.4% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Solothurn is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissenstein
Jura mountains The Jura Mountains ( , , , ; french: Massif du Jura; german: Juragebirge; it, Massiccio del Giura, rm, Montagnas da Jura) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the Frenc ...
. The municipalities of Biberist, Derendingen, Luterbach, Bellach, Langendorf and Solothurn are considering a merger at a date in the future into the new municipality of with an, , undetermined name.Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz
published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 17 February 2011


Coat of arms

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is ''Per fess Gules and Argent.''


Demographics

Solothurn has a population () of . , 21.1% 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 (1999–2009) the population has changed at a rate of 4.4%.
accessed 23-March-2011
Most of the population () speaks German (13,270 or 85.7%), with Italian being second most common (469 or 3.0%) and
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
being third (261 or 1.7%). There are 193 people who speak
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and 19 people who speak Romansh. , the gender distribution of the population was 48.1% male and 51.9% female. The population was made up of 5,891 Swiss men (37.0% of the population) and 1,775 (11.1%) non-Swiss men. There were 6,669 Swiss women (41.8%) and 1,604 (10.1%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality 3,864 or about 24.9% were born in Solothurn and lived there in 2000. There were 3,630 or 23.4% who were born in the same canton, while 4,135 or 26.7% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 3,193 or 20.6% were born outside of Switzerland. In there were 115 live births to Swiss citizens and 27 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 190 deaths of Swiss citizens and 10 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 75 while the foreign population increased by 17. There were 8 Swiss men and 13 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 91 non-Swiss men and 78 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 98 and the non-Swiss population increased by 161 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.7%. The age distribution, , in Solothurn is; 913 children or 5.9% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 2,013 teenagers or 13.0% are between 7 and 19. Of the adult population, 888 people or 5.7% of the population are between 20 and 24 years old. 4,832 people or 31.2% are between 25 and 44, and 3,678 people or 23.7% are between 45 and 64. The senior population distribution is 2,068 people or 13.4% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old and there are 1,097 people or 7.1% who are over 80. , there were 6,784 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 6,403 married individuals, 1,144 widows or widowers and 1,158 individuals who are divorced.STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 - 2000
accessed 2 February 2011
, there were 7,447 private households in the municipality, and an average of 1.9 persons per household. There were 3,468 households that consist of only one person and 303 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 7,625 households that answered this question, 45.5% were households made up of just one person and there were 49 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 1,907 married couples without children, 1,455 married couples with children. There were 405 single parents with a child or children. There were 163 households that were made up of unrelated people and 178 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing. there were 1,311 single family homes (or 44.3% of the total) out of a total of 2,957 inhabited buildings. There were 838 multi-family buildings (28.3%), along with 441 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (14.9%) and 367 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (12.4%). Of the single family homes 161 were built before 1919, while 62 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (443) were built between 1919 and 1945.Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 - Gebäude und Wohnungen
accessed 28 January 2011
there were 8,586 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 3 rooms of which there were 2,954. There were 728 single room apartments and 1,634 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 7,272 apartments (84.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 794 apartments (9.2%) were seasonally occupied and 520 apartments (6.1%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.3 new units per 1000 residents. the average price to rent an average apartment in Solothurn was 980.18
Swiss franc The Swiss franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) issues banknotes and the f ...
s (CHF) per month (US$1043, £760, €852) approx. exchange rate from March 4, 2018). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 568.85 CHF (US$605, £438, €495), a two-room apartment was about 725.13 CHF (US$772, £558, €631), a three-room apartment was about 904.51 CHF (US$962, £696, €787) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1564.78 CHF (US$1665, £1204, €1361). The average apartment price in Solothurn was 87.8% 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 0.45%.


Historical 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:18000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:4000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:800 start:0 Colors= id:TO value:yellowgreen legend:Total id:GE value:teal legend:German_Speaking id:FR value:green legend:French_Speaking id:CA value:lightpurple legend:Catholic id:PR value:oceanblue legend:Protestant id:SW value:red legend:Swiss PlotData= color:yellowgreen width:40 mark:(line,white) align:center bar:1850 from:start till:5370 text:"5,370" color:TO bar:1870a from:start till:7008 text:"7,008" color:TO bar:1888 from:start till:8317 text:"8,317" color:TO bar:1900 from:start till:10025 text:"10,025" color:TO bar:1910 from:start till:11688 text:"11,688" color:TO bar:1930 from:start till:13734 text:"13,734" color:TO bar:1950 from:start till:16743 text:"16,743" color:TO bar:1970 from:start till:17708 text:"17,708" color:TO bar:1990 from:start till:15748 text:"15,748" color:TO bar:2000 from:start till:15489 text:"15,489" color:TO LineData = points:(300,245)(400,271) color:GE points:(400,271)(500,300) color:GE points:(500,300)(600,340) color:GE points:(600,340)(700,393) color:GE points:(700,393)(800,381) color:GE points:(800,381)(900,352) color:GE points:(900,352)(1000,348) color:GE points:(300,95)(400,100) color:FR points:(400,100)(500,103) color:FR points:(500,103)(600,100) color:FR points:(600,100)(700,102) color:FR points:(700,102)(800,99) color:FR points:(800,99)(900,96) color:FR points:(900,96)(1000,94) color:FR points:(100,184)(200,201) color:CA points:(200,201)(300,199) color:CA points:(300,199)(400,209) color:CA points:(400,209)(500,217) color:CA points:(500,217)(600,227) color:CA points:(600,227)(700,242) color:CA points:(700,242)(800,277) color:CA points:(800,277)(900,228) color:CA points:(900,228)(1000,196) color:CA points:(100,100)(200,115) color:PR points:(200,115)(300,140) color:PR points:(300,140)(400,164) color:PR points:(400,164)(500,186) color:PR points:(500,186)(600,215) color:PR points:(600,215)(700,242) color:PR points:(700,242)(800,230) color:PR points:(800,230)(900,200) color:PR points:(900,200)(1000,179) color:PR points:(100,189)(200,216) color:SW points:(200,216)(300,240) color:SW points:(300,240)(400,267) color:SW points:(400,267)(500,295) color:SW points:(500,295)(600,338) color:SW points:(600,338)(700,398) color:SW points:(700,398)(800,382) color:SW points:(800,382)(900,347) color:SW points:(900,347)(1000,330) color:SW


Main sights

The old town was built between 1530 and 1792 and shows an architectural combination of Italian Grandezza, French style and Swiss ideas. In 1980, Solothurn was awarded the
Wakker Prize The Wakker Prize (German: ''Wakkerpreis'', French: ''Prix Wakker'', Italian: ''Premio Wakker'') is awarded annually by the Swiss Heritage Society to a Municipality of Switzerland for the development and preservation of its architectural herita ...
for the development and preservation of its architectural heritage. Solothurn is home to 18 structures that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. The religious buildings on the list are; the Visitation Convent, the Jesuit Church with ''Kollegium'' (Lapidarium), the
Swiss Reformed The Protestant Church in Switzerland (PCS), (EKS); french: Église évangélique réformée de Suisse (EERS); it, Chiesa evangelica riformata in Svizzera (CERiS); rm, Baselgia evangelica refurmada da la Svizra (BRRS) formerly named Federation o ...
Church on Westringstrasse and the St. Ursen Cathedral. There are four civic buildings on the list; the old Armory which is now the Cantonal Museum, the
Rathaus In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
(town council house), the State Archives at Bielstrasse 41 and the nearby Central Library at Bielstrasse 39. Two other museums are on the list, the Art Museum and the Naturmuseum. There are two houses and two public objects on the list; the Haller-Haus (former Bishops Palace) at Baselstrasse 61, the Sommerhaus Vigier at Untere Steingrubenstrasse 21, the Mauritius Fountain and the town clock tower. Two castles are listed; the former Blumenstein Castle and
Steinbrugg Castle Steinbrugg Castle is a castle in the municipality of Solothurn of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. See also * List of castles in Switzerland This list includes castles and fortres ...
. Finally, the list includes the old town of Salodurum which was a Roman era Vicus and the medieval and early modern city as well as the city walls. The entire old city of Solothurn is part of the
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites The Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites (ISOS) is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage. Sites of national importance Types The types are based on t ...
. Sights include: *Aarhof *Besenval Palace * Cathedral of St. Ursus (1762–73). It was begun by Gaetano Matteo Pisoni and completed by Paolo Antonio Pisoni. The interior has stuccoes by Francesco Pozzi and canvasses by
Domenico Corvi Domenico Corvi (1721–1803) was an Italian painter at the close of the 18th century, active in an early Neoclassic style in Rome and surrounding sites. Biography Corvi was born in Viterbo. After some early works in Viterbo and Palestrina, ...
. *Church of the Jesuits (''Jesuitenkirche'', 1680–89) *Clock tower (''Zeitglockenturm'', 12th century) *Gate of Basel *Gate of Bienne *Kosciuszko Museum *Krone *Landhaus *Museum of the Old Arsenal (1609–14), housing the most ancient collection of armour in Europe. *Old town *The Verena Gorge and the Verena Gorge Hermitage *Waldegg Castle *
Weissenstein The Weissenstein (1,395 m) is a mountain of the Jura, located north of Solothurn in the Swiss canton of Solothurn. The culminating point of the chain is distinguished by the name ''Röti''. It is the easternmost summit above 1,300 metres in t ...
mountain


Politics

In the
2007 federal election This electoral calendar 2007 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2007 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, although they are not elections. By-elections are not i ...
the most popular party was the SP which received 24.09% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP (23.53%), 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 ...
(18.56%) and the CVP (17.19%). In the federal election, a total of 5,767 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 53.8%.


Economy

, Solothurn had an unemployment rate of 4.6%. , there were 22 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 4 businesses involved in this sector. 2,587 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 178 businesses in this sector. 14,381 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 1,226 businesses in this sector. There were 8,023 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which women made up 46.9% of the workforce. the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 13,378. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 16, of which 7 were in agriculture and 9 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 2,430 of which 1,398 or (57.5%) were in manufacturing and 813 (33.5%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 10,932. In the tertiary sector; 1,537 or 14.1% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 454 or 4.2% were in the movement and storage of goods, 610 or 5.6% were in a hotel or restaurant, 583 or 5.3% were in the information industry, 975 or 8.9% were the insurance or financial industry, 1,095 or 10.0% were technical professionals or scientists, 614 or 5.6% were in education and 2,612 or 23.9% were in health care. , there were 13,529 workers who commuted into the municipality and 3,598 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 3.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving.Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb
accessed 24 June 2010
Of the working population, 20.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 40.3% used a private car.


Religion

From the , 5,463 or 35.3% were Roman Catholic, while 4,358 or 28.1% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 278 members of an Orthodox church (or about 1.79% of the population), there were 182 individuals (or about 1.18% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 248 individuals (or about 1.60% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 27 individuals (or about 0.17% of the population) who were Jewish, and 915 (or about 5.91% of the population) who were
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
ic. There were 78 individuals who were Buddhist, 173 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 27 individuals who belonged to another church. 3,139 (or about 20.27% of the population) belonged to no church, are
agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...
or
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
, and 601 individuals (or about 3.88% of the population) did not answer the question.


Education

In Solothurn about 5,724 or (37.0%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 2,815 or (18.2%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a ''
Fachhochschule A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts ...
''). Of the 2,815 who completed tertiary schooling, 58.0% were Swiss men, 28.0% were Swiss women, 8.1% were non-Swiss men and 5.9% were non-Swiss women. During the 2010–2011 school year there were a total of students in the Solothurn school system. The education system in the Canton of Solothurn allows young children to attend two years of non-obligatory Kindergarten. During that school year, there were Schülerbestand children in kindergarten. The canton's school system requires students to attend six years of primary school, with some of the children attending smaller, specialized classes. In the municipality there were 2010–2011 students in primary school. The
secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
program consists of three lower, obligatory years of schooling, followed by three to five years of optional, advanced schools. All the lower secondary students from Solothurn attend their school in a neighboring municipality. , there were 2,517 students in Solothurn who came from another municipality, while 188 residents attended schools outside the municipality. Solothurn is home to 2 libraries. These libraries include; the Zentralbibliothek Solothurn and the ''Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Pädagogische Hochschule, Standort Solothurn'' (a library of the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz). There was a combined total () of 1,195,394 books or other media in the libraries, and in the same year a total of 522,650 items were loaned out.


Sport

FC Solothurn is the town's football club.


The number 11

Solothurn has a special affinity for the number
eleven Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12 * one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *'' ...
. The Canton of Solothurn was the eleventh to become part of the Swiss Confederation. There are eleven churches and chapels, as well as eleven historical fountains and eleven towers. The St. Ursus cathedral has eleven altars and eleven bells, and the stairs in front of the cathedral have levels between every eleven steps. A local brewery has named itself ''Öufi'', which is
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 ...
for eleven, and produces a beer with the same name.


International relations


Twin towns — Sister cities

Solothurn is twinned with: *
Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. From the late Mid ...
, Germany, since 1981 * Le Landeron,
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 ...
, since 2003


Partnerships

* Kraków in Poland, since 1990


Notable people


Early times

*
Ursus of Solothurn Ursus of Solothurn was a 3rd-century Roman Christian venerated as a saint. He was associated very early with the Theban Legion and is recorded in the Roman Martyrology, with Victor of Solothurn on 30 September. Legend The ''Life of Ursus'' was ...
(† ca. 303), saint and patron of the Roman Catholic cathedral in Solothurn, where his body is located * Urs Graf der Ältere (1485–1528), Renaissance goldsmith, painter, printmaker and mercenary *
Gregorius Sickinger Gregorius Sickinger (1558–1631) was a Swiss painter, draughtsman, and engraver. Sickinger was born in Solothurn. He had 5 brothers and sisters, and was re-married after the death of his first wife. Sickinger worked primarily with woodcuts oft ...
(1558–1631), painter, draughtsman and engraver * (1552–1619), poet and playwright


17th century

* Jean II d'Estrées (1624–1707), Marshal of France and a naval commander of Louis XIV *
Johann Rudolf Byss Johann Rudolf Byss (1660–1738) was a Swiss painter. He was born in Solothurn and first learned painting from his father Johann Joseph Byss, and later from Johann Heinrich Roos, whose sons he would have known well.Franz Adam Karrer Franz Adam Karrer (1666 – 1740) was a Swiss officer, brigadier in French service, and founder and first colonel-proprietor of the Swiss regiment de Karrer on 15 Dec 1719. He became a Knight of the Order of Saint Louis in 1709. Military career ...
(1672–1741), senior Swiss military officer in French service


18th century

*
Franz Josef von Hallwyl Franz Josef von Hallwyl, born 1719 in from Solothurn, son of lieutenant-colonel Abraham Gabriel von Hallwyl and Anna Franziska de Tayac, dead 1785 in Colmar, France, was a Swiss officer, marechal de camp in French service, colonel-proprietor of the ...
(1719–1785), senior Swiss military officer in French service *
Pierre Victor, baron de Besenval de Brünstatt Pierre Victor, baron de Besenval de Brünstatt (born Peter Joseph Viktor Besenval von Brunnstatt; 14 October 1721 – 2 June 1791) was Swiss military officer in French service. Biography Besenval was born in Solothurn, Switzerland, to and Katar ...
(1722–1794), last commander of the
Swiss Guards Swiss Guards (french: Gardes Suisses; german: Schweizergarde; it, Guardie Svizzere'')'' are Swiss soldiers who have served as guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century. The earliest Swiss guard unit to be established on a p ...
in France * General Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746–1817), Polish statesman and
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
military leader, lived in exile in Solothurn *
Urs Glutz von Blotzheim Urs Glutz von Blotzheim (20 October 1751 – 8 December 1816) was a Swiss military officer and politician. Urs Glutz von Blotzheim was the son of the military officer Jacob Joseph Nicholas from the patrician class of the city of Solothurn, belongi ...
(1751–1816), military officer and politician *
Robert Glutz-Blotzheim Robert Glutz-Blotzheim, name also given as Robert Glutz von Blotzheim (30 January 1786, in Solothurn – 14 April 1818, in Munich) was a Swiss librarian and historian. He studied history and political science at the universities of Landshut ...
(1786–1818), writer, librarian and historian * (1789–1857), priest *
Charles Sealsfield Charles Sealsfield was the pseudonym of Austrian-American journalist Carl (or Karl) Anton Postl (3 March 1793 – 26 May 1864), an advocate for a German democracy. He lived in the United States from 1822 to 1826, and then again in 1828/1829. Dur ...
(1793–1864), Austrian-American writer, journalist and advocate for a German democracy


19th century

*
Johann Friedrich Dietler Johann Friedrich Dietler (1804-1874) was a Swiss portrait painter. Biography He was born in Solothurn, Switzerland, on February 4, 1804. His father was also an artist and he started painting in the family workshop. His first professional art ins ...
(1804–1874), portrait painter * (1807–1873), writer, lawyer and politician *
Franz Pfeiffer Franz Pfeiffer (February 27, 1815 – May 29, 1868), was a Swiss literary scholar who worked in Germany and Austria. Biography Franz Pfeiffer was born in Solothurn as a Bürger (citizen) of Bettlach. After studying at the University of Munich he ...
(1815–1868), literary scholar who worked in Germany and Austria *
Wilhelm Vigier Josef Wilhelm Viktor Vigier (27 August 1823, in Solothurn – 18 March 1886) was a Swiss politician and President of the Swiss Council of States The Council of States (german: Ständerat, french: Conseil des États, it, Consiglio degli Stati ...
(1823–1886), politician, President of the Swiss Council of States 1862–1863 and 1882–1883 *
Frank Buchser Frank (originally Franz) Buchser (1828–1890) was a Swiss painter. He is noted for his portraits of notable American figures of the post civil war period and for his works with Oriental themes. Life and work Born Franz Buchser on 15 August ...
(1828–1890), painter of notable post–Civil War American figures *
Otto Frölicher Otto Viktor Frölicher (5 June 1840 in Solothurn – 2 November 1890 in Munich) was a Swiss landscape painter. Life His father worked for the local government. In 1859, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich, and became a student of la ...
(1840–1890), landscape painter * (1842–1918), engineer *
Victor Sterki Victor Sterki (1846 in Solothurn, Switzerland – 1933)"Victor Sterki"
. Carnegie Museum of ...
(1846–1933), Swiss malacologist who lived in Ohio, USA * Cuno Amiet (1868–1961), painter, illustrator, graphic artist and sculptor


20th century

*
Ruedi Walter Rudolf "Ruedi" Walter (born Hans Rudolf Häfeli, 10 December 1916 – 16 June 1990), was a Swiss comedian, actor and radio personality usually starring in Swiss German-language cinema and television and stage productions. Early life and educati ...
(1916–1990), comedian, radio personality and stage and film actor *
Oscar Wiggli Oscar Wiggli (9 March 1927 – 26 January 2016) was a Swiss composer and sculptor. Biography Oscar Wiggli was born in Solothurn in 1927. After working a few years as a mechanic, he studied architecture at the Zurich University from 1949 to 1951. ...
(1927–2016), composer and sculptor *
Herbert Meier Herbert Meier (29 August 1928 – 21 September 2018)Otto F. Walter Otto F. Walter (5 June 1928 born as ''Otto Friedrich Walter'' – 24 September 1994) was a Swiss publisher (Walter Verlag), author and novelist, which is well known in the German language countries. Otto Friedrich Walter was the younger brothe ...
(1928–1994), publisher and author *
Urs Jaeggi Urs Jaeggi (23 June 1931 in Solothurn – 13 February 2021 in Berlin) was a Swiss sociologist, painter, and author from Solothurn, Switzerland. From 1964 to 1993, he was a Professor of Sociology and Social Philosophy in Bern, Bochum, New York, ...
(born 1931)), sociologist, painter and author *
Urs Noel Glutz von Blotzheim Urs Noel Glutz von Blotzheim (born 18 December 1932 in Solothurn) is a Swiss zoologist, who is primarily known for his ornithological work. Glutz von Blotzheim is Professor Emeritus at the University of Bern. He is an honorary member of the B ...
(born 1932), zoologist, known for his ornithological work *
Schang Hutter Jean Albert "Schang" Hutter (11 August 1934 – 14 June 2021) was a Swiss sculptor. Biography From 1950 to 1954, Hutter worked for his father as an apprentice stonemason and attended the Kunstgewerbeschule in Bern. In 1954, he moved to Munich an ...
(1934–2021), sculptor *
Peter Bichsel Peter Bichsel (born 24 March 1935) is a popular Swiss writer and journalist representing modern German literature. He was a member of the Gruppe Olten. Bichsel was born 1935 in Lucerne, Switzerland, the son of manual labourers. Shortly after he ...
(born 1935), writer and journalist, representing modern German literature * (born 1943), philosopher and writer * (1943–2018), author German Wiki, Walter Schenker * Anton Mosimann OBE, DL (born 1947), chef and restaurateur * Markus Gygax (born 1950), former commander of the Swiss Air Force * Chris von Rohr (born 1951), rock musician, record producer, founder of hard rock band ''Krokus'' * Kurt Fluri (born 1955), politician, member of the National Council of Switzerland *
Esther Alder Esther Alder (born 1958 in Solothurn) is a Swiss politician. She has served on the City Council of Geneva since 2011. As of 2015, she was the mayor of Geneva. She is a member of the Green Party. Biography Having moved to Geneva at nine years old ...
(born 1958), politician, in 2015 became the Mayor of Geneva * Denise Wyss (born 1965), first woman to be ordained in the Old Catholic Church *
Bernhard Hess Bernhard Hess (born 5 April 1966) is a Swiss politician from the canton of Bern. He was the president of the Swiss Democrats from 2005 to 2012 and was a member of the National Council from 5 December 1999 to 1 December 2007. Hess was born in So ...
(born 1966), politician, member of the National Council 1999–2007 *
Tom Misteli Tom Misteli, Ph.D. is a Swiss-born (Solothurn) cell biologist and pioneer in the field of genome cell biology. Tom Misteli is best known for his work on elucidation of how genomes function in living cells. While a post-doc at the Cold Spring Harbo ...
(born 1966), cell biologist and pioneer in the field of genome cell biology *
Martin vom Brocke Martin vom Brocke (born 25 July 1969) is a Swiss dentist, orthodontist and book author. Life and scientific work Vom Brocke studied dentistry at University of Bern from 1992 to 1997, and finished his doctoral theses (Ph.D.) in 2000. In 2013 h ...
(born 1969), dentist, orthodontist and author *
Adèle Thorens Goumaz Adèle Thorens Goumaz (born on 15 December 1971 in Solothurn) is a Swiss politician. She has been a member of the Council of States since December 2019. Previously, she served in the National Council of Switzerland from the Canton of Vaud fro ...
(born 1971), politician, member of the National Council since 2007 *
Martin Oeggerli Martin Oeggerli (born 7 March 1974) is an internationally recognized Swiss photographer specializing in scientific microscopy and fine art, winning numerous awards for his work. He studied biology at the University of Basel from 1994 to 2000 and ...
(born 1974), photographer specializing in scientific microscopy and fine art * Krokus (founded 1975 by Chris von Rohr), hard rock and heavy metal band *
Andreas Reize Andreas Reize (born 19 May 1975) is a Swiss organist and conductor, with a focus on opera and choral conducting. He was appointed Thomaskantor on 11 September 2021, becoming the 18th director of music to take charge of the world famous Thomanerch ...
(born 19 May 1975), organist and conductor, Thomaskantor


Sport

*
Edgar Buchwalder Edgar Buchwalder (2 August 1916 – 9 April 2009) was a cycle sport, cyclist from Switzerland. He won the silver medal in the Cycling at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's team road race, team road race at the 1936 Summer Olympics along wit ...
(1916–2009), cyclist, silver medalist at the
1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...
* Anton Allemann (1936–2008), footballer, played 27 times for the Swiss national team * Alex Tschui (born 1939), modern pentathlete, competed at the
1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...
*
Marco Walker Marco Walker (born 2 May 1970) is a Swiss football manager and a former international who played as a defender during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Club career Walker started his youth football with local club FC Bellach. From 1983 with he was ...
(born 1970), former footballer who played 344 games * Alexander Popov (born 1971), Russian former swimmer, won gold in the 50m. and 100m. freestyle at the
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
and
1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
, lives in Solothurn *
Tim Hug Tim Hug (born 11 August 1987) is a Swiss Nordic combined skier who has been competing since 2003. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, he finished 9th in the 4 x 5 km team, 33rd in the 10 km individual large hill, and 35th in the individual no ...
(born 1987), Nordic combined skier, competed in the
2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
*
Yannick Schwaller Yannick Schwaller (born 31 March 1995 in Solothurn) is a Swiss curler from Recherswil. He currently skips his own team out of Geneva. Career Juniors Schwaller skipped the Swiss junior men's team at three straight World Junior Curling Champi ...
(born 1995), curler


See also

* Solothurner Literaturpreis


References

;Bibliography * B. Amiet, H. Sigrist, Th. Wallner: Solothurner Kantonsgeschichte, 3 volumes * U. Wiesli: Geographie des Kantons Solothurn ;Notes


External links


Solothurn tourist office
D/F + * {{Authority control States and territories disestablished in 1648 States and territories established in 1218 Populated places established in the 1st century Cities in Switzerland Cantonal capitals of Switzerland Canton of Solothurn Municipalities of the canton of Solothurn Districts of the canton of Solothurn Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Solothurn Populated places on the Aare Museums of Polish culture abroad