Einsiedeln

Early history There was no permanent settlement in the area prior to the early medieval period, but numerous artefacts left by prehistoric hunters, dated to the Mesolithic to Bronze Age were recovered. The original "hermitage" is associated with St. Meinrad, a Benedictine monk from the family of the Counts of Hohenzollern. According to legend, Meinrad lived on the slopes of Mt. Etzel from 835 until his death in 861. During the next eighty years Saint Meinrad's hermitage was never without one or more hermits emulating his example. Following a miraculous vision by Eberhard, the new church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Over the following century, conflicts over the land led to many court battles and actual battles. In 1173 when the Habsburgs gained rights over the village of Schwyz and in 1283 when they raised the Abbey to an independent principality under the Habsburgs, led to open conflict. Schwyz supported the Abbey against the Waldleute and in 1766 crushed the revolt. However, the Abbey lost much of its independence and thereafter was treated more as a subject of Schwyz instead of a partner. Modern history During the French invasion of Switzerland in 1798, the Abbey was suppressed for about three years and the land was added to the city of Schwyz. Following the collapse of the post-invasion Helvetic Republic, in 1803 as part of the Act of Mediation Einsiedeln became a Bezirk (or District) in the Canton of Schwyz. During the Restoration starting in 1815, the Abbey's power began to grow in the Canton. A desire for reform led the Districts of March, Küssnacht and Pfäffikon to declare themselves Kanton Schwyz äusseres Land (Canton of Schwyz, Outer Lands) with a liberal constitution in 1832. The Abbey stood on the side of the conservative faction in the Canton, which caused tense relations between them and the surrounding villages until the creation of the Federal State in 1848. ==Geography==

(1934) Einsiedeln is situated in the valley of the Alp river. It comprises six localities: Bennau, Egg, Willerzell, Euthal, Gross and Trachslau. The village of Biberbrugg is shared with the municipality of Feusisberg. Einsiedeln has a total area of , of which nearly half (47.1%) is agricultural and only slightly less (44.5%) is forested. The rest of the land is either settled (5.5%) or non-productive (less than 2.8%). Einsiedeln is located approximately from the southern end of the Lake of Zurich, and west of the artificial Sihlsee lake. It is on a plateau (ca. above sea level). The town is located at an altitude of higher than Zürich, with which it has a railway connection. Einsiedeln is also the capital and only municipality of the District of Einsiedeln. ==Demographics==

Einsiedeln has a population (as of ) of . , 13.4% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. the gender distribution of the population was 50.4% male and 49.6% female. The age distribution, , in Einsiedeln is; 3,211 people or 25.4% of the population is between 0 and 19. 3,628 people or 28.7% are 20 to 39, and 3,964 people or 31.4% are 40 to 64. The senior population distribution is 1,009 people or 8.0% are 65 to 74. There are 609 people or 4.8% who are 70 to 79 and 201 people or 1.59% of the population who are over 80. There is one person in Einsiedeln who is over 100 years old. there are 5,093 households, of which 1,649 households (or about 32.4%) contain only a single individual. 347 or about 6.8% are large households, with at least five members. == Transport ==

is the terminal station of the Wädenswil–Einsiedeln railway and the Rapperswil-Einsiedeln railway, which are served by Zürich S-Bahn lines and . Both lines are operated by Südostbahn (SOB). At the nearby junction station, there are connections to the InterRegio Voralpen Express to Lucerne and St. Gallen. At junction station, there are connections to services to Zürich. ==Climate==

Between 1961 and 1990 Einsiedeln had an average of 156.7 days of rain per year and on average received of precipitation. The wettest month was June during which time Einsiedeln received an average of of precipitation. During this month there was precipitation for an average of 15.3 days. The month with the most days of precipitation was May, with an average of 15.3, but with only of precipitation. The driest month of the year was February with an average of of precipitation over 15.3 days. ==Sports==

Schanzen Einsiedeln is the national ski jumping venue of Switzerland. ==Tourism==

The village of Einsiedeln is a popular tourist destination in central Switzerland. The Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, located within the village, is considered one of the most important Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites in Europe In addition to the Abbey, Einsiedeln is also a popular destination for sports year round. The village has 3 ski areas which include lifts as well as ski jumps. Since the Middle Ages the Graces Chapel and a statue of the Black Madonna have been the centerpiece of the pilgrimage. The statue is so famous that a copy can also be seen in the French Jura town of Pontarlier. Between 150,000 and 200,000 pilgrims visit the Graces Chapel each year. Besides being a site for pilgrimages, Einsiedeln is a tourist destination for those interested in winter sports. The village has its own ski jump, ski lifts, ski tows and winter sports centres, which are in the nearby area of Hoch-Ybrig and Brunni. The Schwedentritt cross-country skiing trail starts next to the Einsiedeln Abbey. The nearby reservoir, Sihlsee, is used in summer for swimming, surfing and sailing, and in the winter for ice-skating. The dam, which retains the lake, produces electricity for the trains and protects the city of Zürich further down the valley from the flood of the Sihl. These days, fewer pilgrims come to Einsiedeln. For that reason, some of the former hotels have now closed. At the same time, the village has experienced a boom with day tourists, owing to the clear air and mountain views. Because of the high quality of life locally, the population is growing faster than is normal in Switzerland. == Notable people ==

• Johann Baptist Babel (1716–1799), preeminent sculptor of Baroque era, settled in Einsiedeln in 1746 • Aloysius Maria Benziger (1864–1942), a Swiss Catholic bishop and pioneer missionary, He served as the Bishop of Quilon, India • Joseph Charles Benziger (1762–1841) founded the Catholic publishing house RCL Benziger • Meinrada Josefa Benziger (1835–1908), Swiss businesswoman, philanthropist • Artur Beul (1915–2010), a Swiss songwriter • Albrecht von Bonstetten (c.1443 – c.1504), a Swiss humanist, entered Einsiedeln Abbey at a young age, made deacon of Einsiedeln in 1469 • Eric Honegger (born 1946), a Swiss politician and businessman, lives in Einsiedeln • Josef Benedikt Kuriger (1754–1819), sculptor, goldsmith • Meinrad Lienert (1865–1933), a Swiss writer, poet, journalist and editor • Gall Morel (1803 - Einsiedeln Abbey 1872), a poet, scholar, aesthete and educationist • Paracelsus (1493 in Egg – 1541), physician, alchemist and astrologer of the German Renaissance • Milica Pavlović (born 1991), Serbian pop-folk singer • Lee Scratch Perry (1936–2021), Jamaican record producer and musician ; Sport • Marcel Fässler (born 1976), a Swiss professional racing driver. • Andreas Küttel (born 1979), a Swiss former Ski Jumper "World Champion 2009" • Josef Wehrli (born 1954), a Swiss former professional racing cyclist ==References==