Amesia Dübendorf/Zürich (CH)

Dübendorf

Zürich

Main town of the Canton of Zürich

Name origin: Tūrīcon -> Turicum (Celtic --> Latin, = Turos, name designation)

First documented mention: known as a Roman customs post as early as 15 BC, 610 AD castellum Turegum; 7th century AD Ziurichi

Population: 422,000

Area: 87.93 km²

Canton: Zürich

District: Zürich

District (Kreis): /

Vehicle registration: ZH

River: Sihl-->Limmat; Zürichsee-->Limmat

The Club Amesia is located in Dübendorf in the district of Uster near Zürich.

Zürich lies in the geographical heart of Switzerland at 408 m above sea level, is by far its largest city and the economic centre in the land of the Swiss Confederates. As the leading metropolis, the city holds a significant position as a continental transport hub and international financial centre, home to many major banks and the Swiss Stock Exchange. Zürich Hauptbahnhof is the largest terminus station in Europe and one of the busiest railway stations in the world; Kloten Airport is counted among the ten best airports in the world. Zürich's purchasing power level is outstanding by global comparison.

In the 13th century, Zürich attained the status of a Free and Imperial City within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1351 the city joined the Swiss Confederation and, together with Bern, was the leading town of this confederation of states. In 1519 Zürich became the epicentre of the Reformation under the spiritual leadership of Huldrych Zwingli, who a little later published the Zürich Bible here. With the fall of the free Republic of the City of Zürich following the French invasion of Switzerland in 1798, the city merged together with the former subject territories into the new Canton of Zürich and rapidly developed into the economic centre of Switzerland.

So why, despite all its economic dominance and its world-historical importance particularly with regard to the Reformation, is Zürich not the capital of the land of the Swiss Confederates? The answer will surprise many a non-Swiss person. Switzerland, in fact, has no capital city. In the Helvetic Republic (1798–1803), Switzerland's daughter republic of France in Napoleonic times, Aarau, Lucerne and Bern were initially the capital. Since then, Switzerland has had no capital city. From 1803 to 1848, the cities of Zürich, Bern, Lucerne, Freiburg, Solothurn and Basel alternated as so-called "Vororte der Schweiz" (leading towns of Switzerland). The annual Tagsatzung (Federal Diet) took place in these leading towns. In 1848 it was agreed to abolish the rotation principle. Zürich, Bern and Lucerne stood as candidates for capital. On 28 November 1848, the National Council and Council of States decided in the first round of voting in favour of Bern. However, owing to a thoroughly Swiss compromise, Bern was not officially made the capital, but rather the "federal city" (Bundesstadt). Bern is therefore the federal city and not, de jure, but only de facto, the capital.

The city on Lake Zürich with its Alpine backdrop, with its well-preserved medieval old town and its diverse cultural offerings and nightlife, is considered a city of outstanding quality of life. With its dozens of brothels, Zürich is at the same time also one of the "horniest" metropolises in the whole world, in which those with relevant interests are guaranteed to be able to live out their inclinations in manifold ways. As everywhere in Switzerland, this sector too is distinguished above all by the high quality of its services. So one should bring along a bit of money when visiting.

Among Zürich's well-known sons and daughters are, for example, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Gottfried Keller, Johanna Spyri, Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, Max Frisch, Hermann Rorschach, Felix Bloch, Mario Adorf, Lisa Fitz, Bruno Ganz, Martin Suter and Denise Biellmann.