Helping San Diego, California and beyond since 1997.
Do you need
volunteer, community service, work, military or court hours?
|
|
Helping San Diego, California and beyond since 1997.
|
|
Click here and add this page to your favorites!
|
Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: TUM-VAN |
|
|
UNTERWALDEN , one of the cantons of central Switzerland, extends to the south of the lake of Lucerne, 14 sq. m. of which are included within the canton (13 being in Nidwalden). It is composed of two valleys, through which run two streams, both called Aa, and both flowing into the lake of Lucerne. The more westerly of these glens is called Obwalden, and the more easterly Nidwalden. These names really come from the 13th century expression for the inhabitants, homines intramontani (men dwelling in the mountains), whether of vallis superioris (of the upper valley) or vallis inferioris (of the lower valley). But in the 14th century the relative position of the two valleys is defined as " upper " and " lower " with reference to the great Kerns forest (stretching between Stans and Kerns), and hence is derived the historically inaccurate name of " Forest cantons," now so well known. The total area of the canton is 295.4 sq. m. (Obwalden has 183.2 and Nidwalden 112'1, though it must be borne in mind that the upper portion of what should be the territory of Nidwalden is, as regards the Blacken Alp, in Uri, while the Engelberg region is in Obwalden). Of this area 238.2 sq. m. (154.1 in Obwalden and 84.1 in Nidwalden) are classed as " productive," forests covering 73.8 sq. m. (47 in Obwalden and 26.8 in Nidwalden), while of the rest glaciers occupy 5.2 sq. m. (3.9 in Obwalden and 1.3 in Nidwalden), the highest point in the canton being the Titlis (10,627 ft.) situated in the Obwalden half. The small lakes of Sarnen and of Lungern are wholly situated in Obwalden. Obwalden, as including the Engelberg region, is far more mountainous than Nidwalden, which is rather hilly than mountainous. The inhabitants in both cases are mainly devoted to pastoral
capital value of 5,474,400 fr.: the figures for Nidwalden are respectively 166, 5207 and 3,899,900. In 1900 the total population of the canton was 28,330 (15,260 in Obwalden and 13,070 in Nidwalden), of whom all but the most insignificant proportion were German-speaking and Romanists. Till 1814 the canton was in the diocese of Constance, but since then it is practically administered by the bishop of Coire, though legally included in no diocese. The capital of Obwalden is Sarnen (q.v.), and of Nidwalden Stans (q.v.). The other most considerable villages are all in ObwaldenKerns (2392 inhab.), Engelberg (1973 inhab.) and Lungern (1828 inhab.). The canton is traversed by the Brunig railway line from Hergiswil (in Nidwalden) to the top of the pass (20 m.), but most of the electric line from Stansstad to Engelberg (14 m.) is in Nidwalden. The mountain lines up Pilatus (Obwalden), the Stanserhorn, and to the Burgenstock (both in Nidwalden) are also in the canton. Each half forms a single administrative district
chief
standing
measures
each case the Landrat is composed of the members of the executive, plus a certain number of members elected in each " commune, " in the proportion of 1 member to every 250 inhabitants, or fraction over 125 (so Nidwalden, which allows them to hold office for six years), or 1 member to every 200 inhabitants (Obwalden, which allows them to hold office for four years). These Landsgemeinden are of immemorial antiquity, while the other constitutional details are settled by the constitution of 1877 in Nidwalden, and by that of 1902 in Obwalden. In each half the single member of the Federal Standerat is elected by the Landsgemeinde, while the single member enjoyed by each in the Federal Nationalrat is chosen by a popular vote, but not by the Landsgemeinde. The people of the canton have always been very pious and religious. In the church of Sachseln (near Sarnen) still lie the bones of the holy hermit, Nicholas von der Flue, fondly known as " Bruder Klaus " (1417-1487), while at Sarnen there are several convents, though the most famous of all the monasteries in the canton, the great Benedictine
house
It is very remarkable that in both valleys the old " common lands " are still in the hands of the old gilds, and " communes " consist of natives, not merely residents, though in Obwalden these contribute to the expenses of the new "political communes " of residents, while in Nidwalden the latter have to raise special
Historically, both Obwalden (save a small bit in the Aargau) and Nidwalden were included in the Zurichgau. In both there were many great landowners (specially the abbey of Murbach and the Habsburgs) and few free men; while the fact that the Habsburgs were counts of the Aargau and the Zurichgau further delayed the development of political freedom. Both took part in the risings of 1245-47, and in 1247 Sarnen was threatened by the pope with excommunication for opposing its hereditary lord, the count of Habsburg. The alleged cruelties committed by the Habsburgs do not, however, appear in history till Justinger's Chronicle, 1420 (see TELL). On the 16th of April 1291, Rudolph the future emperor bought from Murbach all its estates in Unterwalden, and thus ruled this district
chief
in time of need. In 1481 it was at Stans that the Confederates nearly broke up the League for various reasons, and it was only by the intervention then of the holy hermit Nicholas von der Flue (of Sachseln in Obwalden) that peace was restored, and the great Federal agreement known as the compact of Stans concluded. Like the other Forest cantons, Unterwalden clung to the old faith at the time of the Reformation, being a member of the " Christliche Vereinigung " (1529) and of the Golden League (r586). In 1798 Unterwalden resisted the Helvetic republic, but, having formed part of the short-lived Tellgau, became a district of the huge canton of the Waldstatten. Obwalden submitted at an early date, but Nidwalden, refusing to accept the oath of fidelity to the constitution mainly on religious grounds, rose in desperate revolt (September 1798), and was only put down by the arrival of 16,000 armed men and by the storming of Stans. In 1803 its independence as a canton was restored, but in 1815 Nidwalden refused to accept the new constitution, and Federal troops had to be employed to put down its resistance, the punishment inflicted being the transfer (1816) to Obwalden of the jurisdiction over the abbey lands of Engelberg (since 1462 " protected " by the four Forest cantons), which in 1798 had fallen to the lot of Obwalden and had passed in 1803 to Nidwalden. Since that time the history of Unterwalden has been like that of the other Forest cantons. It was a member of the " League of Sarnen " (1832), to oppose the reforming wishes of other cantons, and of the " Sonderbund " (1845); it was defeated in the war of 1847; and it voted against the acceptance of the Federal constitution both in 1848 and in 1874. End of Article: UNTERWALDEN If you wish, you can link directly to this article.
<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/TUM_VAN/UNTERWALDEN.html"> UNTERWALDEN </a> |
|
|
(Previous) UNNA |
(Next) UNTON (or UMPTON), SIR HENRY (c. 1557-1596) |
|
Sponsored Advertisements