Morges
Waterfront of Morges
Morges ( [ mɔrʒ ] ) is a municipality in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland and the capital of the district of Morges. The former German name Morsee is no longer used today. In Latin was called the place Morgiis.
Geography
Morges is located at 374 m above sea level. M., 10 km west of the canton capital Lausanne ( straight line ). The city stretches along the north shore of Lake Geneva, east of the mouth of the eponymous river Morges, in the Vaud Mittelland.
The area of 3.9 km ² large municipality area includes a section on the north shore of Lake Geneva. The communal land extends from the shore northward over the flat riparian strips to the slopes of the adjacent hills. The central part is the slightly advanced into the lake alluvial fan of Morges. To the west of its mouth reaches the area down to the ground terrace of Tolochenaz. In the north include the slopes of the plateau of Echichens to Morges, here is at 468 m above sea level. M. reached the highest point of the city area. The eastern boundary is the mouth of the creek Bief. From the municipality surface 1997 72 % came from settlements, 4% forest and shrubs, 23% to agriculture and slightly less than 1% was unproductive land.
At Morges include extensive new residential areas and industrial zones as well as the hamlet Marcelin (428 m above sea level. M. ) on the southern slope of the plateau of Echichens. Neighboring communities of Morges are Tolochenaz, Chigny, Vufflens -le- Château, Echichens, Lonay and Préverenges. About the Lake Geneva Morges borders with France.
The city is divided north of the main railway and highway traffic network in the old town on the lake shore, the newer quarter between the old town and the railway line and the outer residential areas. The settlement area of Morges has grown together seamlessly with those of Tolochenaz, Lonay and Préverenges.
The twin town of Morges is the Vertou located in France.
Population
With 14,890 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012) Morges one of the great municipalities in the canton of Vaud. Of the residents, 82.3 % are French, 4.3% German-speaking and Italian-speaking 4.0% (as of 2000). The population of Morges amounted in 1900 to 4421 inhabitants. Throughout the 20th century, the population increased continuously and doubled within the last 45 years.
Economy
The town of Morges has today only a small percentage of agricultural land (about 20% ). Of importance is the extensive vineyards are optimally exposed to the sun on the southern slope of the plateau of Echichens. Around 2% of the labor force of Morges earn their income in the primary sector.
Since the 17th century, Morges developed with the construction of Entrerocheskanals an important trade and transhipment point on the northern shore of Lake Geneva for commodities such as salt, grain, wine and brick. In the port area was located from 1873 to 1889, the yard of the Compagnie Générale de Navigation ( CGN ), after which it was moved to Ouchy ( Lausanne).
The establishment of new industries and the expansion of industrial zones took place in the 1960s with the construction of the highway. The main industries include food processing industry, the metal and mechanical engineering. Local Local businesses are the international transport specialized Friderici SA, Friederich SA (Mechanical Engineering) and the Foundry Neeser.
Many other jobs are in the service sector, including the county and city government, in the district hospital as well as in the tourist area available. Since 1990 there is the Centre informatique et électronique de Morges ( CIEM ) in the city.
Culture, Education and Sport
Morges is a major regional cultural and educational center. The city has two theaters, the Théâtre de Beausobre (since 1959 ) and the Théâtre des Trois Petits Tours ( since 1986). There are also several museums, including the Alexis Forel Museum, the Vaud Military Museum ( Musée Militaire Vaudois, together with the cantonal armory in the castle ), the Musée Galère la liberté and the Musée Paderewski. In the spring the Tulip Festival is celebrated each.
On the northern edge of the town is the cantonal agricultural school Marcelin, in addition to the 2000-2003 new school was built. Furthermore it has Morges an ice rink, an indoor pool, a marina and a campground.
Traffic
The community is a very good transport developed. It lies on the main road 1 from Geneva along the lake to Lausanne. In Morges are the branches of the main roads to Cossonay Bière. The construction of the A1 motorway opened in 1964 ( Geneva, Lausanne), the municipality was divided in half. In the urban area are the full connection Morges- Ouest and the Half -Est Morges connection to the A1 motorway.
The first railway line reached Morges on July 1, 1855 with the opening of the line Renens - Morges. About three years later, on April 14, 1858, the western continuation, the section of Morges was inaugurated to Coppet. After the opening of the entire route from Lausanne to Geneva in 1858, which until then significant commercial shipping came to a standstill on Lake Geneva. The mainline railway station is also the starting point of the commissioned on July 1, 1895 narrow gauge railway Bière -Apples- Morges.
For the dispersion in public transport, numerous post bus lines that take their start at the station of Morges. Bus connections are available with Ecublens, Apples, Lavigny, Cossonay and ( at certain times ) with Le Pont in the Vallée de Joux. Furthermore, Morges is an important station of the passenger ship on Lake Geneva.
History
The History of Morges begins - in comparison to other cities of West Switzerland - relatively late. Already in the 13th century this village was only a couple of houses on the lake shore. In 1286 began under Louis I of Savoy, the construction of the castle. The foundation of the borough by the Savoy was directed against the power expansion of the bishops of Lausanne. Furthermore, the Savoy wanted to so control the trade route between Lausanne and Geneva and start a new station of merchant shipping on Lake Geneva. The first mention was made in 1297 tempore quo Morgia constructa est ( in the days when Morges was founded ). The place name derives from the old French word morge ( on the river bordering ), which in turn from the Latin margo (border, edge ) back.
The resulting north-east of the castle market town owned since its founding, the city law. Morges was from 1359 to 1536 the temporary residence of the Counts and Dukes of Savoy. With the conquest of Vaud by Bern in 1536 was Morges main town and the castle headquarters of the bailiwick of the same name. The Bailiwick of Morges included in the Bernese time next to the area that is now the district of Morges also the areas of the districts Cossonay and role as well as parts of the district Aubonne. An economic boom experienced Morges in the 17th and 18th centuries as an important trading center and location of the Bernese Lake Geneva fleet. 1672 saw the establishment of a maritime school, and from 1691 to 1696, a 16,000 m² large harbor for the navy was created under the supervision of Bern.
After the collapse of the ancien régime the city from 1798 to 1803 during the Helvetic Republic belonged to the canton of Geneva, who came up then with the enactment of the Act of Mediation in the canton of Vaud. 1798, the city became the capital of the district of Morges. Another boom occurred in the 19th century with the connection to the Swiss railway network.
On 29 April 1961 the manifesto of Morges (English Morges Manifesto ) was signed in Morges, which led to the founding of the WWF. Also, the first office of the WWF was in Morges opened (September 11, 1961).
Attractions
The historic town of Morges with two longitudinal aisles ( Grand -Rue and Rue Louis de Savoie) parallel to the lake and several cross- streets has a picturesque medieval townscape. The northeastern completion of the old town is the church, which was built in the late 18th century on the site of an earlier church. The church combines baroque and classical style and forms one of the most important buildings of Protestantism in Switzerland at that time. The cruciform nave dates from the years 1769-1771, while the facade was built by the architect Rodolphe de Crousaz 1772-1776. This architect also designed the wooden choir in the apse.
Southwest of the Old Town is the mighty castle, which was built in 1286-1291 in the form of a Savoyard Carré. The regular square design with three smaller circular corner towers and the big round north tower as Donjon acquired its present appearance in the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the Revolution, the castle is owned by the canton of Vaud and initially served as an armory. Since 1932 the castle houses the Vaud Military Museum.
In the old town there is the late Gothic Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), built from 1518 to 1520. It has a hexagonal stair tower, a baroque portal and a magnificent council chamber from the 17th and 18th centuries. Next to it is a Renaissance building that was created in 1620 as an extension of the town hall and is now used as a police building.
Numerous other bourgeois and patrician houses in the old town date from the 15th to 18th centuries. These include the house Blanchenay, which was in 1670 in Baroque style and today houses the Musée Alexis Forel, the early classical house Monod ( 1768), the Confiserie Vernet with late Gothic windows and the Hôtel de la Couronne ( 1800 ).
In the late 19th century, the quays of Morges were redesigned. The wide promenade and the 1898 scale Parc de l Independence and invite you to stroll.
Personalities
- Eugen Bracht, painter
- Auguste Forel, psychiatrists, entomologist and social hygiene
- François- Alphonse Forel, doctor, Limnologist and glaciologist
- Alfred Gehri, playwright and filmmaker
- René Morax, playwright
- Patrick Moraz, Piano and Keyboard Artist
- Jean -Marc Mousson, Chancellor
- Benjamin Vautier, painter
- Yannick Weber, hockey player
- Louis Soutter, painter
- Charles -Emmanuel de Warnery, general, military historian