Rheinau, Switzerland
Rheinau seen from the west
Rheinau is a municipality in the district of Andelfingen in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland.
Coat of arms
Blazon
Geography
The Rhine forms a double loop. The village is situated in the western loop over the Rhine island with the former monastery Rheinau. The Rhine River is dammed for the power plant Rheinau. The village is bordered in three directions to the Federal Republic of Germany. From the community area are 26.7 % agriculture, 54.8 % is covered by forest, 4.2% is traffic area and 7.1% urban area and 7.0% are waters.
Population
- Population density: 150.7 inhabitants per km2
- Number of households: 591 (as of 2000)
- Religious affiliation: 38% Evangelical Reformed, 32.2 % Roman Catholic, 29.8 % other or no religious affiliation ( as of 2012)
Policy
The SVP has 29.10%, the SP 20.60%, 10.34%, the Greens, the CVP 10.26%, the glp 7.82%, the FDP 6.99%, 5.59%, and the BDP the EPP 2.22% of the vote ( national election of 2011).
Mayor Gerhard Gsponer (as of 2013).
Personalities
Freeman
History
The history of Rheinau begins in the Bronze Age (see Altenburg -Rheinau ). Later, according to legend, 778, the Rheinau monastery was founded. In 1126 fixed Count Rudolf of Lenzburg formed during the monastic settlement Rheinau. Against the stronger claim of the Counts of Sulz, a protection agreement was concluded in 1455 with the Swiss Confederation, who saved the monastery first before further encroachments of the neighboring klettgauischen noble families. 1529 from Zurich, attacked the Reformation on Rheinau. 1532 the monastery was restored and became a center of the Counter Reformation.
During the turmoil after the French invasion of Switzerland in 1798, the monastery was temporarily resolved in 1803 but restored in the context of mediation. The area of the monastery to the town Rheinau was assigned to the restored Canton Zurich. In the abbey buildings on the island a psychiatric clinic was housed after the dissolution of the monastery from 1862 to 2000. Since the beginning of 2000 are 5000 m² empty former convent rooms and to a new use are supplied. The club pro island Rheinau coordinated local community interests and accompanies the new use of the cantonal premises on the monastery island.
Attractions
- Monastery Rheinau
- Rhine Bridge
View from the monastery church to Rheinau
Parish center in Rheinau, a former castle of the Counts of Waldkirch - Muntprat, later owned by the family to Fast Lottstetten
High Rhine at Rheinau
Mount Calvary Church of St. Nicholas Rheinau with apses from 16th century
16 male and female dragon gargoyles
The spiers of the monastery church crowns each a life-sized angels with trumpets