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Canton of Schwyz

The canton of Schwyz (Kanton Schwyz Chantun Sviz; Canton de Schwytz; Canton Svitto) is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne to the west and Lake Zürich in the north, centred on and named after the town of Schwyz.

It is one of the founding cantons of Switzerland; Switzerland's name is derived from the name of the canton, and the flag of Switzerland from its coat of arms. For the history of the name, see Schwyz. The Swiss Federal Charter is on display in Schwyz. Northeast of the town of Schwyz is Einsiedeln Abbey.

Prehistory to the Roman era
The earliest traces of humans in Schwyz are from the Upper Paleolithic and Early Mesolithic, or about 12,500 BC. An excavation of the karst caves in the valley of the Muota river (Muotatal) revealed numerous sites, some dating to the Younger Dryas period (c. 10,000 BC). The alpine meadows at Bödmeren, Twärenen and Silberen were Stone Age hunter-gatherer camps. Ibex and red deer bones, along with charcoal, indicate that the animals were butchered and cooked in these camps. In 2009 the first Stone Age tool in the canton, a stone drill, was discovered.

During the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age, a number of pile dwellings and other settlements developed around the lakes of the canton. The two settlements at Hurden in Freienbach are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Hurden sites are related to the western Cortaillod culture (c. 4500–3500 BC). Sites on the island of Lützelau and the shore zone at Freienbach are eastern Pfyn culture (4000-3300 BC) and Corded Ware culture (2750-2450 BC). During the Bronze Age, several bridges were built between the promontory of Endingen in Rapperswil, St. Gallen and the settlements at Hurden. Over 200,000 posts and seven bridges have been discovered, along with several settlements and ritual sites. On the Schwyz side of the lake, ten different settlements from 4300-2700 BC have been discovered.

However, after 1200 BC there is very little evidence for further Bronze Age settlements in the canton. Only eight Iron Age sites have been discovered in the canton from the 8th to 1st centuries BC. During the Roman era, a Roman Vicus was established at Kempraten in Rapperswil, around the massive bridge at Seedamm (near the Bronze Age bridges) which crossed into Schwyz. A Gallo-Roman temple was built on Ufenau island around AD 200. This site was redeveloped for the present chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul. A few Roman coin hoards were discovered at Küssnacht and Rickenbach bei Schwyz, and Küssnacht may have been the site of a Roman estate.

Early Middle Ages
In 561, Schwyz became part of the Ducatus alamannorum; it remained relatively independent under the Alemanni dukes until the second quarter of the 8th century. The Alemanni began to settle into the valleys around 680, but for centuries the Germanic-speaking Alemanni and the Romansh-speaking Gallo-Romans coexisted. Romansh remained the main language in Einsiedeln until the 10th century.

In the 8th and 9th centuries the land was under the control of the Counts of the Zürichgau. The low-lying land along Lake Zürich was relatively easy to reach and was settled throughout the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, the Muotathal area was used by seasonal herders but there were very few permanent settlements. Küssnacht was first mentioned in documents in the 9th century, but it is likely that there were earlier settlements. The forests around Einsiedeln were lightly settled.

A visit of the Irish monks, Gallus and Columbanus in 611 is mentioned in the Gallusviten. However, their missionary efforts were unsuccessful in Schwyz. In the late 7th century Christianity began to spread into the region. The church at Tuggen was first built around 680/700, while the Aisleless church at Schwyz was built after 700. In the following centuries, the monasteries at Säckingen, St. Gallen and Reichenau all became centers of spreading the faith. In 948, Einsiedeln Abbey was consecrated on the site of Saint Meinrad's murder in 861, in a high valley near Schwyz. When Einsiedeln Abbey was founded, it was granted many farms, villages and isolated churches, and it helped to spread Christianity into the high valleys.

The valley of Schwyz is first mentioned in 972 under the name Suittes. Later, a community of freemen is found settled at the foot of the Mythen. These freemen, possessing common lands, were subject only to the count of the Zürichgau, as representing the German king. The economy benefited from the transit across the Gotthard, but these profits attracted other powers, such as the Habsburgs.

The inner or mountainous portion of Schwyz was controlled by the Counts of Lenzburg, until that line died out in 1173. The Lenzburg lands were inherited by the Counts of Kyburg and Frohburg, the Lords of Rapperswil, and the Habsburgs.

During the 10th century, Einsiedeln Abbey became more and more powerful. The expanding town of Schwyz often encroached on lands that the abbey claimed. During the early 12th century, the Counts of Lenzburg (as the Count of the Zürichgau) unsuccessfully sued the abbey on behalf of Schwyz over land use and borders in the forest. Though the Counts were forced to pay a fine each time, the farmers of Schwyz continued to push into land claimed by the abbey. It soon controlled many of the surrounding lands, many of which are outside the area today covered by the canton of Schwyz. The outer or lake side parts of the canton were partly controlled by the monasteries of St. Gallen, Pfäfers, Rüti and Schänis, along with the Lords of Habsburg, Toggenburg and Rapperswil. Both Pfäffikon Castle and Alt Rapperswil Castle were built by these landlords to control their landholdings. In contrast to the Swiss Plateau, where the local nobility and knights ruled extensive landholdings for the regional counts, in Schwyz there were few local nobles. They were generally poorer and less important than the monasteries' representatives or the leaders of the local livestock collectives. Much of the farming or grazing land in the inner portion of Schwyz was not privately owned but was common land. To administer the land, the local collectives developed into regional collectives that covered several towns and villages. The collectives helped create a sense of unity throughout the farming towns and villages of the valleys and developed a tradition of independence.

With the extinction of the Kyburgs and the decline of the Lords of Rapperswil in the second half of the 13th century, the Habsburgs attempted to claim sovereignty over the Kyburg and Rapperswil lands in Central Switzerland. They succeeded in acquiring the parishes of Schwyz, Steinen, Muotathal and Morschach and, in 1283, the patronage over the monastery of Einsiedeln. In 1240, Emperor Frederick II granted the Schwyz valley imperial immediacy for services that they had rendered to the Emperor.

While the farming villages of the valleys drew closer together, the expansion of the Habsburgs and changing relationships between the farmers of the alpine valleys and the monasteries led to conflicts such as the Marchenstreit between Schwyz and Einseideln Abbey. The Marchenstreit started around 1100 over grazing rights around the Mythen mountains. It dragged on, accompanied by court cases and violent raids, until about 1350.

Eternal alliance
Perhaps on 1 August 1291, the cantons of Schwyz, Uri, and Unterwalden entered into an Eternal Alliance: this would eventually become the Swiss Confederation. The Federal Charter of 1291 was probably prompted by the death of Rudolf I of Habsburg on 15 July 1291 and created a defensive alliance. The Rütlischwur (Oath of the Rütli) was another alliance among the Forest Cantons in or around 1308 and brought the cantons closer together. The canton of Schwyz took leadership in the confederation early on. As early as 1320, the name of the canton was applied to the whole of the confederation. It was only in 1803, however, that the name Schweiz, as derived from the canton of Schwyz, became the official name of Switzerland. The flag of Switzerland is derived from the banner of Schwyz.

With the Eternal Alliance, the three cantons remained politically independent, with a central council to deal with disputes among the members, and with promises of military assistance. The cantons became de facto independent from the Habsburgs at the same time as the Habsburgs were attempting to expand into the Forest Cantons. When the century-old Marchenstreit between Schwyz and Einseideln Abbey led to a Schwyz attack on the Abbey in 1314, the Habsburgs, as patrons of the Abbey, had an opportunity for military action against them.

On 15 November 1315, Leopold of Austria led a large army of knights to crush the rebellious confederates, planning a surprise attack from the south via Lake Aegeri and the Morgarten pass, and counting on a complete victory over the rebellious peasants. The chronicle of Johannes von Winterthur concerning the battle puts the Austrian forces at 20,000, though that number is certainly inflated. Another account says that there were 9,000 men in the Austrian army, while Delbrück holds that the Austrian army was only 2,000-3,000 but mostly knights.

The Confederates of Schwyz — supported by the Confederates of Uri, who feared for their autonomy, but not supported by the Confederates of Unterwalden — expected the army in the west near the village of Arth, where they had erected fortifications. The size of the Confederate army is also disputed, with some chronicles placing it at 1,500, while others state that it was 3,000-4,000. Even if the Confederate army outnumbered the Habsburgs, they were an untrained militia against a force of well-equipped and trained knights.

The Confederates prepared a road block and an ambush at a point between Lake Aegeri and the Morgarten Pass where the narrow path led between the steep slope and a swamp. When the Austrian army entered the ambush, the Confederates attacked from above with rocks, logs and halberds. The knights had no room to defend themselves and suffered a crushing defeat, while the foot soldiers in the rear fled back to the city of Zug. About 1,500 Habsburg soldiers were killed in the attack.

After the victory at Morgarten, the Forest Cantons met at Brunnen on 9 December 1315 to renew the promise of mutual military assistance. The Pact of Brunnen, which emerged from the meeting, changed the pragmatic defensive alliance into a full confederacy. During the following forty years, five nearby cities (Lucerne in 1332, Zürich in 1351, Glarus and Zug in 1352 and Bern in 1353) joined the Pact and began the growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy.

Old Swiss Confederation
As the Confederation expanded, Schwyz took a leading role in the new organization. The aggressive, expansionist foreign policy of Schwyz led to its name being applied to the entire Confederation. Even in the 14th century, the chronicles of the surrounding countries referred to the Confederation as Schwyzer or Schweizer (the modern German spelling).

With its exterior borders secured, Schwyz began to acquire rights and land in the neighboring valley. In 1386, Schwyz invaded and occupied the town of Einsiedeln, and by 1424 the monastery was under Schwyz' control, though it retained some independence. Between 1386 and 1436, Schwyz brought under its direct control the entire March District, which became part of the canton. In 1424, Küssnacht became part of the canton. Villages and lands along Lake Zürich, including Wollerau and Pfäffikon (in 1440), Hurden and Ufenau Island all became part of the canton in the 14th and 15th centuries. King Sigismund granted Schwyz the right to High Justice over Schwyz, Einsiedeln, Küssnacht and March in 1415 as a reward for their military support against Frederick IV of Habsburg. The gradual expansion of Schwyz meant that each village entered the canton under different agreements and not all the provinces were granted the same degree of autonomy. One unique case was the town of Gersau which, while located near Schwyz, became a protectorate of the Confederacy and a semi-independent state in 1359. Gersau remained a free city-state and republic until 1817 when it was merged into Schwyz.

In 1385, Zürich, Zug and Lucerne attacked several Habsburg strongholds and in the following year Lucerne entered into alliances with several Habsburg cities in an attempt to pull those cities into Lucerne's sphere of influence. In response, Leopold III of Austria gathered an army and prepared to invade the Confederation. After a minor battle, a short-lived armistice was declared, but by early July 1386 the Habsburg army was on the move toward the Lucerne city of Sempach. On 9 July 1386 a Confederation force from Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden met the Austrian army in the Battle of Sempach. While the Habsburg knights initially drove the lightly armored Swiss back, around mid-day the Swiss gained the upper hand and killed Leopold and forced his army to retreat. Much like the Battle of Morgarten, Sempach helped cement the Confederation into a further unified federation. While Schwyz gained no territory from the battle, both Bern and Lucerne gained significant territories at the expense of the Habsburgs.

In 1402/3, Schwyz signed an alliance with Appenzell, which was seeking independence from the Abbey of St. Gall. In May 1403, the Abbot and the Habsburgs sent a force to defeat the rebellious Appenzellers while Schwyz and Glarus sent troops to defend their ally. On 15 May 1403, the Abbot's forces entered the pass leading to Speicher, and outside the village of Vögelinsegg they met the Appenzell army. A detachment of about 80 Appenzellers started the attack from a hill over the valley, with about 300 soldiers from Schwyz and 200 from Glarus moving around the flanks of the army. When the League's cavalry charged up the hill, they met 2000 Appenzellers and were forced to retreat. During the retreat, about 600 horsemen and many of the 5000 infantry were killed by the Appenzell army. The League signed a peace treaty with Appenzell at Arbon, but the peace was short-lived. Appenzell formed an anti-Habsburg alliance, the Bund ob dem See, with several cities including Bregenz. In 1408 the Habsburgs besieged Bregenz, and the Bund, including Schwyz, marched out to support Bregenz. However, when they met the Habsburgs, the Bund was decisively defeated and the Bund collapsed. Schwyz paid the Habsburgs off to avoid an attack and Appenzell retained some independence but eventually became an associate of the Confederation.

In 1440–1446, Schwyz and six other cantons fought against Zürich and the Habsburgs in the Old Zürich War. The eventual peace brought Zürich back into the Confederation and forced them to cancel their treaty with the Austrians. After the war, Schwyz acquired the villages of Wollerau and Pfäffikon (now in Freienbach) and shared control of Uznach and Gaster (both now in St. Gallen) with Glarus. The war also showed that the confederation had grown into a political alliance so close that it no longer tolerated separatist tendencies of a single member.

In the 15th century, Schwyz joined Uri and Nidwalden in attempting to expand south of the Gotthard Pass to gain the revenue from trade over the pass. By the 16th century they controlled, as a federal condominium, the Riveria valley, the Blenio valley, the Maggia valley and the towns of Bellinzona, Lugano, Mendrisio and Locarno.

In 1480, Heinrich von Gundelfingen collected a number of local legends into a book called the Herkommen der Schwyzer und Oberhasler (Traditions of the Schwyzer and Oberhasler) which claimed that the land had been settled by 6,000 Swedes and 1,200 East Frisians after they rescued the Pope from a barbarian attack in 400 AD. The central elements of the myth, the Swedish origin and the rescue of the Pope became central elements in the Schwyzer state mythos. By 1531, this special relationship to the Catholic faith and the Pope was specifically mentioned in a resolution that passed in the Landsgemeinde. This resolution was passed against the backdrop of the Protestant Reformation and the tensions following the First War of Kappel two years earlier. Soon thereafter, the Catholic cantons refused to help the Three Leagues (Drei Bünde) in Graubünden in the Musso war against the Duchy of Milan, Zürich promptly considered this a breach of contracts between the confederacy and the Three Leagues and declared an embargo against the five alpine Catholic cantons, in which Bern also participated. While the Tagsatzung had successfully mediated in 1529, on this occasion the attempt failed, not least because the reformation leader Huldrych Zwingli was eager for a military confrontation. The Catholic cantons declared war on Zürich on 9 October 1531. On 11 October 1531, Schwyz, Uri and Zug decisively defeated the army of Zwingli. Hundreds of soldiers were killed, including Zwingli himself. Schwyz remained staunchly Catholic following the war.

In 1655, the canton of Schwyz began prosecuting those Protestant families who had remained in Schwyz. Some were turned in to the inquisition in Milan, some were beheaded, and the property of those who fled to Protestant Zürich was confiscated. Zürich demanded compensation for this property. Schwyz demanded the return of the refugees. Zürich urged Bern to declare war on the Catholic cantons (Schwyz and its allies Uri, Unterwalden, Zug and Lucerne). Zürich's forces laid a fruitless siege of Rapperswil, while Catholic forces separated Zürich from Bern, beating the Bernese at the First Battle of Villmergen on 24 January 1656. Hostilities ceased on 20 February and the treaty of Villmergen of 7 March reinstalled the status quo preceding the outbreak of hostilities, wherein each canton could specify the religion of all its residents. However, religious tensions continued to rise. When the abbot of St. Gallen proposed to build a "Catholic" road from Schwyz to Austria that would cut off the Protestant part of Glarus from its support in Zürich, the Protestant cantons declared war on the Abbot. After the Protestant victory at the Second Battle of Villmergen, religious equality was established in the Confederation.

Throughout the time of the Old Swiss Confederation, the direct democracy of the Landsgemeinde in Schwyz was seen as the most important political institution in the canton and the municipalities of the canton. The Landsgemeinde generally met on the last Sunday in April. Mayors and other government officials were elected, new laws were discussed and voted on and traditional rights were reconfirmed. The Landsgemeinde usually met at Ibach outside Schwyz town, though there were several alternative locations. In the towns, the Landsgemeinde was made up of all land holding males or citizen. By the 16th century this class had begun to develop into an elite class that tended to lead the Landsgemeinde and be appointed as mayors. Below the citizens there was a class of residents, who were allowed to use the common land but had limited rights or political power. In the 16th century it was possible for a resident to buy his way into citizenship, however by the 17th century this had become almost impossible. To pay for the Second Battle of Villmergen, Schwyz allowed residents to once again buy citizenship. The Landsgemeinde meetings sometimes collapsed and led to riots. There were often many parties represented and the alliances and factions changed quickly and unpredictably. Schwyz was often characterized as an enfant terrible due to the unyielding Catholicism along with the political chaos of the Landsgemeinde.

Helvetic Republic to the federal state
During the years leading up to the 1798 French invasion of Switzerland, the spiritual leadership of the canton often preached against the anti-Catholic parts of the French Revolution. In the Landsgemeinde in the spring of 1798, the leadership spoke out strongly against the French and urged the people to take an uncompromising position against the newly created Helvetic Republic and the limited freedom of religion in the Republic.

In response, the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Nidwalden raised an army of about 10,000 men led by Alois von Reding to fight the French. This army was deployed along the defensive line from Napf to Rapperswil. Reding besieged French-controlled Lucerne and marched across the Brünig pass into the Berner Oberland to support the armies of Bern. At the same time, the French General Balthasar Alexis Henri Antoine of Schauenburg marched out of occupied Zürich to attack Zug, Lucerne and the Sattel pass. Even though Reding's army won victories at Rothenthurm on 2 May 1798 and Morgarten, Schauenburg's victory near Sattel allowed him to threaten the town of Schwyz. On 4 May 1798, the town council of Schwyz surrendered. Reding surrendered to the French on 13 May.

To help break the political power of the Inner Cantons, Uri (without the Leventina but with the Urseren), Schwyz (without March and Höfe), both half-cantons of Unterwalden, Zug, the Republic of Gersau and Engelberg Abbey were merged into the canton of Waldstätten. The new canton only had 4 seats in the Tagsatzung instead of the 16 that its members had held before the invasion. Initially, the victorious French army only lightly occupied the old core of the canton of Schwyz, but plundered the Einseideln Abbey. However, after a failed uprising in Nidwalden in the fall of 1798, Schwyz was forced to hand over all weapons and to provide supplies and housing to French troops. The heavy demands of the occupying French led to the uprising known as the Hirthemmli War in April 1799. After the French suppressed this uprising, they moved the capital of the canton of Waldstätten to Zug.

In summer and autumn of 1799, the outbreak of the War of the Second Coalition brought renewed fighting to Schwyz. In mid-August the French General André Masséna drove the Austrian-Russian army out of the Schwyz valley. By the end of September they were fighting in the March valley. Simultaneously, the Russian General Alexander Suvorov crossed the Kinzig Pass with his army and began fighting the French in the Muota valley. Suvorov was unable to force his way out of the canton and was eventually driven over the Pragel Pass to Glarus. The destruction and looting from both armies stripped the canton of food and ruined fields, causing hardship and death among the Schwyzer during the following winter.

Joseph Thomas Fassbind compiled a history of the canton during this period, published in the 1830s.

After the 1803 Act of Mediation, Schwyz regained its independence and most of the changes introduced by Napoleon were reverted. The old subject lands were converted into full and equal districts and the formerly independent towns of Gersau and Reichenburg joined the new canton of Schwyz. The loss of power in the old core of Schwyz led to resentment and tension in the canton. After the abolition of the Act of Mediation in February 1814 the old core tried to usurp the leadership role in the canton and strip the right to political participation from the former subject lands. The old subject lands resisted this and the old core was forced to agree to the 1814 Constitution which granted equal rights to all citizens. However, they were able to include the provision that the two-thirds of the seats would come from the old core of Schwyz. Furthermore, the highest cantonal authorities came from the old core. While the new constitution removed the legal difference between citizens and residents, residents were not allowed to use the extensive land owned by the citizen's community. Tensions continued to escalate until in the Landsgemeinde of 1829, the residents from the former subject lands were driven out of the assembly. The former subject lands saw this as a clear threat to their equality, and encouraged by the July Revolution of 1830 the four outer districts; March, Einsiedeln, Pfaeffikon and Küssnacht signed a new constitution which guaranteed, among other things, proportional representation. The leaders of the old core saw this as a threat to their authority and rejected the new constitution. On 9 March 1831 the outer districts seceded from Schwyz and formed the canton of Outer Schwyz with the capital in Einsiedeln. In 1832 they established a new constitution, government and courts. In spring 1833, the Swiss Tagsatzung acknowledged the new canton, but insisted that they work toward reunification.

An altercation in Küssnacht between supporters and opponents of secession offered Inner Schwyz the opportunity to resolve the crisis with military action. They invaded and occupied Küssnacht on 31 July 1833. The Outer Schwyz and Lucerne appealed to the Swiss Confederation, which responded by invading Inner Schwyz in August. Shortly thereafter the two half-cantons reunited under a constitution that guaranteed equal rights for all residents. In the Landsgemeinde of 13 October 1833, the voting residents of the canton chose two liberal minded leaders, but shortly thereafter the conservative faction came into power again.

Under the conservative government, the canton joined the Sonderbund (separate alliance in German) in 1845 to protect cantonal sovereignty and the Catholic religion. When the Tagsatzung attempted to dissolve the Sonderbund on 21 October 1847, the Catholic cantons rebelled. On 23 November 1847 Federal troops defeated the Sonderbund at Gislikon and drove the Schwyzer army back at Meierskappel. Four days later the Sonderbund surrendered.

The conservative government of Schwyz was dissolved and a new provisional government and constitution established. The first attempt at a constitution, which split the district of Schwyz in two and moved the cantonal capital away from Schwyz, was narrowly defeated on 27 January 1848. The second constitution, which removed the mentioned points and merged the former districts of Wollerau and Pfäffikon in the district of March, was then approved by the electorate on 27 February 1848.

The new constitution of 1848 reformed the government of the canton. Perhaps the greatest change was that it abolished the Landsgemeinde, which had formerly been the supreme authority. It split the government into three branches, legislature, executive and judiciary and created a three-tier structure of municipalities, districts and canton. It created proportional representation and allowed the population to vote on laws and constitutional amendments.

Modern Schwyz
With the end of the Landsgemeinde in the new constitution, the cantonal elections on 3 December 1848 brought a conservative majority parliament. However, the cantonal councils then selected a liberal-conservative and liberal government. The government had the difficult task of reunifying the canton and supporting the new federal government, which 75% of Schwyzer opposed. Over the next few years the new government focused, almost exclusively, on integrating the canton into the new Confederation. Federal forgiveness of the Sonderbund War debt in 1852 and hosting the Federal Officers Festival in 1856 and the Federal Shooting Festival of 1867 all helped to reintegrate the canton.

A conservative ballot initiative in 1854 failed to reestablish the Landsgemeinde and abolish the districts, while a liberal initiative in 1866, which attempted to expand personal rights, also failed. In the early 1870s, the conservatives gained power in the cantonal government. In 1874, the Swiss Federal Constitution was completely revised, which created conflicts with the Schwyz cantonal constitution. It was revised in 1876 and accepted by 73% of voters. The new cantonal constitution limited the scope of the cantonal laws and extended the requirements for mandatory referendums.

In the mid-1890s, the liberals began to push for another constitutional revision. Their revisions included language that would give the government authority over the monasteries and their assets. The conservatives fought back with a platform of protecting the religion of most Schwyzer. In response, the government created a second version, which dropped the controversial religious portions but was otherwise unchanged. This new constitution, which required elections every four years, the popular election of all members of parliament, proportional representation in the cantonal councils and full religious freedom, was approved on 23 October 1898. This constitution remained in force, with amendments, until 2011.

Between 1833 and 1950 the population of the canton doubled from 38,351 to 71,082 people, though this increase was slower than the national average. The railroad to Küssnacht allowed that town to grow much faster than average between 1870–1914. At about the same time, a wave of immigrants from Europe (mostly from Italy) moved into the canton and a larger group of Schwyzer emigrated to the United States. On a per capita basis, Schwyz had the third highest emigration rate in Switzerland as people left for jobs. During late 19th and early 20th century, internal migration also changed the composition of the population. In 1860 almost 80% of the residents lived in the village of their birth, by 1950 it was only 50%.

The First World War was very hard on the residents of the canton. The cantonal authorities did little to prevent war time profiteering and prices for food and other necessities skyrocketed (the alternative being price controls, shortages and the creation of a Black Market). At the same time, extensive unemployment and low wages led to starvation and poverty. Some of the major industries in Schwyz at the time were tourism and the textile cottage industry, both of which collapsed, so the canton suffered disproportionately. In 1918, Schwyzer troops were called up to join the Federal Army in suppressing striking workers in the canton of Uri, in Rapperswil and in the Zürich Oberland. When the Spanish flu broke out in the army camps many Schwyzer soldiers died. The poverty and death led to a polarization of politics and the Conservatives used the slogan of "flu-dead soldiers" until the mid-1930s.

During the Second World War, Schwyz was generally insulated from the effects of the war. Several fortresses were built on the Rigi, in the Sattel Pass and on the Etzel and the Linth plains as part of the National Redoubt fortifications. During the war, Schwyz was twice the center of national attention. Once in 1941 on the occasion of the 650th anniversary of Confederation and in 1942, with the arrest of the owner of a dairy and mill for the extensive black market operations.

Between 1950 and 2010, the population doubled again to 146,730 people in 2010. During this period Schwyz showed one of the highest growth rates among the Swiss cantons. The highest growth was in the Outer Schwyz region. The Höfe district grew from 7,573 in 1950 to around 27,000 people in 2010. In 2004, Freienbach replaced Schwyz as the largest municipality in the canton.

The cantonal administration introduced a "logo" to represent its "corporate identity" in 1995. This was discussed controversially, and a popular initiative demanded that solely the coat of arms was to be used to represent the canton. The initiative was rejected by the popular vote on 7 December 1997, and the logo has been used officially since 1998.

Geography
Schwyz has an area,, of 908.2 km2. Of this area, 41.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 33.7% is forested, 5.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and 20.0% is unproductive land.

The canton of Schwyz is located in central Switzerland. The river Sihl and the smaller Muota traverse the canton. It includes parts of Lake Zürich and Lake Lucerne. Only a small part of Lake Zug is within the canton of Schwyz. The smaller lakes Lauerz (Lauerzersee) and Sihl (Sihlsee), however, are completely within the canton of Schwyz.

The highest elevation is the Bös Fulen at 2802 m. Although not as high, the summits of the Rigi massif (Kulm, 1798 m, and Scheidegg, 1665 m) are probably the most famous mountains within the borders of the canton.

Political subdivisions
The canton is divided into six districts and 30 municipalities, although the Einsiedeln, Küssnacht and Gersau districts comprise the municipality of the same name. The largest towns are Küssnacht and Pfäffikon.

Coat of arms
The blazon of the coat of arms is Gules, a Confederate cross couped in the hoist argent.

Demographics
Schwyz has a population of. , 15.6% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 12.8%. Migration accounted for 10%, while births and deaths accounted for 3.9%.

Most of the population speaks German (115,688 or 89.9%) as their first language, Serbo-Croatian is the second most common (2,667 or 2.1%) and Albanian is the third (2,477 or 1.9%). There are 502 people who speak French, 2,447 people who speak Italian and 234 people who speak Romansh.

, the population was 49.9% male and 50.1% female. The population was made up of 5,824 Swiss men (42.2% of the population) and 1,058 (7.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 5,932 Swiss women (43.0%) and 988 (7.2%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the canton, 50,778 or about 39.5% were born in Schwyz and lived there in 2000. There were 19,319 or 15.0% who were born in the same canton, while 35,617 or 27.7% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 19,622 or 15.2% were born outside of Switzerland.

, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.4% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.9%.

, there were 57,353 people who were single and never married in the canton. There were 59,385 married individuals, 6,201 widows or widowers and 5,765 individuals who are divorced.

, there were 50,089 private households in the canton, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. There were 15,043 households that consist of only one person and 4,801 households with five or more people. , the construction rate of new housing units was 7.8 new units per 1000 residents.

the average price to rent an average apartment in Schwyz town was 1185.58 Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$950, £530, €760 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 543.08 CHF (US$430, £240, €350), a two-room apartment was about 904.87 CHF (US$720, £410, €580), a three-room apartment was about 1068.78 CHF (US$860, £480, €680) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1461.34 CHF (US$1170, £660, €940). The average apartment price in Schwyz was 106.2% of the national average of 1116 CHF.

The vacancy rate for the canton,, was 0.97%.

Historic population
The historical population is given in the following chart:

Politics
The cantonal constitution was rewritten in 2011. Before that, the constitution dates mainly from 1876, but was revised in 1898. Under the 1876/98 constitution, the legislature (Kantonsrat) is composed of members elected by a portion of the population and holds office for four years. Originally, each member of the Kantonsrat represented 600 people or a fraction thereof over 200 people. As the population has increased while the number of members has remained fixed at about 100, this has changed. , the 13 municipalities with the smallest population each elect one member of the Kantonsrat. The other 87 seats are divided between the remaining 17 municipalities based on population. The executive (Regierungsrat) consists of seven members who are elected by a popular vote, and hold office for four years. The two members of the federal Standerat and the four (three until 2003) of the federal Nationalrat are also chosen by a popular vote. In the case of all laws approved by the legislature and important financial measures there is a requirement for an obligatory referendum. Two thousand citizens may claim a popular vote as to any decrees or resolutions of the legislature, and have also the right of "initiative" as to the revision of the cantonal constitution or as to legislative projects.

Federal elections
In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 38.0% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP (20.6%), the SP/PS (15.7%) and the FDP (15.5%).

The SVP lost about 7.0% of the vote when compared to the 2007 Federal election (45.0% in 2007 vs 38.0% in 2011). The CVP retained about the same popularity (20.1% in 2007), the SPS moved from below fourth place in 2007 to third and the FDP moved from below fourth place in 2007 to fourth.

Federal election results

 * FDP before 2009, FDP.The Liberals after 2009
 * "*" indicates that the party was not on the ballot in this canton.

Cantonal elections
The evolving party membership in the Kantonsrat is shown in the following chart (for selected dates):

Economy
Most of the canton relies on agriculture. The local breed of brown cattle, Braunvieh, is renowned. The textile industry used to be of great importance in the canton but has now almost ceased to exist; remnants are concentrated around the capital Schwyz. Located in the same area are many producers of fine furniture. There are a few large hydroelectric power plants in the canton.

Tourism is of importance in a number of regions, most notably in the centre of pilgrimage Einsiedeln. Einsiedeln is also a centre of winter sports. The mountain railways on the Rigi are well known around the country. Freienbach, in the north of the canton, is known for the lowest taxes in Switzerland. This has attracted a number of the rich.

The best known, worldwide product of the canton is the Swiss Army Knife manufactured by Victorinox in Ibach just downhill from the main town of Schwyz.

, Schwyz had an unemployment rate of 2.3%. , there were 4,723 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 1,789 businesses involved in this sector. 18,661 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 1,937 businesses in this sector. 41,198 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 6,207 businesses in this sector.

, the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 53,451. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 2,939, of which 2,795 were in agriculture, 130 were in forestry or lumber production and 14 were in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 17,505 of which 10,048 or (57.4%) were in manufacturing, 88 or (0.5%) were in mining and 6,959 (39.8%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 33,007. In the tertiary sector; 8,708 or 26.4% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 2,193 or 6.6% were in the movement and storage of goods, 3,376 or 10.2% were in a hotel or restaurant, 1,382 or 4.2% were in the information industry, 2,294 or 7.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 4,126 or 12.5% were technical professionals or scientists, 1,922 or 5.8% were in education and 4,504 or 13.6% were in health care.

Of the working population, 15.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 56% used a private car.

Religion
From the, 92,868 or 72.2% were Roman Catholic, while 15,140 or 11.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 2,758 members of an Orthodox church (or about 2.14% of the population), there were 46 individuals (or about 0.04% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 2,658 individuals (or about 2.07% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 51 individuals (or about 0.04% of the population) who were Jewish, and 5,598 (or about 4.35% of the population) who were Islamic. There were 272 individuals who were Buddhist, 429 individuals who were Hindu and 62 individuals who belonged to another church. 6,331 (or about 4.92% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 3,752 individuals (or about 2.92% of the population) did not answer the question.

Education
In Schwyz about 46,694 or (36.3%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 13,848 or (10.8%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule). Of the 13,848 who completed tertiary schooling, 66.3% were Swiss men, 19.4% were Swiss women, 9.1% were non-Swiss men and 5.2% were non-Swiss women.

Schwyz is home to the Kantonsschule Kollegium Schwyz (KKS), an upper secondary school that is a Gymnasium and a vocational or technical college. The KKS has operated for over 150 years, though it builds on several older schools. The first Latin school in Schwyz opened in 1627 in the former Capuchin monastery of St. Josef im Loo. This school remained open until the 1798 French invasion. On 25 July 1841, the Jesuits laid the cornerstone of what would become the Jesuit College on the site of the modern Kollegium. The school opened in 1844 but only remained under Jesuit control for three years. In 1847, Federal troops marched into Schwyz to suppress the Catholic Sonderbund and forced the Jesuits to flee. It was reopened in 1855 under the Capuchin Father Theodosius Florentini and in the following year began teaching students. The school continued to teach students using both religious and secular teachers until the 1970s. In 1972, the lower secondary students moved to Pfäffikon and the school became an upper secondary Kantonsschule.

title: Canton of Schwyz


text:
Muntinlupa

Muntinlupa, officially the City of Muntinlupa (Lungsod ng Muntinlupa), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 543,445 people.

It is bordered on the north by Taguig, to the northwest by Parañaque, by Bacoor and Las Piñas to the west, to the southwest by Dasmariñas, by San Pedro to the south, and by Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country, to the east. From high above, the city of Muntinlupa has many large, green patches, which is unusual for Metro Manila. Because of these green patches, Muntinlupa earned the name "Emerald City" by the tourism establishment and also known as the "Gateway to Calabarzon" as it is the southernmost city of the National Capital Region.

Muntinlupa is known as the location of the national insular penitentiary, the New Bilibid Prison, where the country's most dangerous criminals are incarcerated. This was relocated from its old site in Santa Cruz, Manila. Before the relocation of New Bilibid Prison to Muntinlupa in the 1930s, Muntinlupa was mainly dedicated to fishing and farming.

Ayala Alabang Village, one of the country's biggest and most expensive residential communities, where many of the wealthy and famous live, is also located in Muntinlupa.

Etymology
There are three plausible origins of the name of the city:

 * 1) Its association with the thin topsoil in the area, known locally as munting lupa, or "little soil" in Tagalog;
 * 2) Residents, purportedly answering a question from Spaniards in the 16th century of what the name of their place was, saying "Monte sa Lupa", apparently mistaking the question for what card game they were playing; and
 * 3) The topographical nature of the area, in which case the Spanish term monte, or "mountain", was expanded to muntinlupa, or "mountain land".

The 1987 Philippine Constitution spells the city's name as "Muntinglupa" instead of "Muntinlupa".

Spanish colonial era
In 1601, some 88 years after the arrival of Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan in the Visayas islands, the original lands constituting Muntinlupa could be deduced to have been friar lands administered by the Augustinians, then sold and assigned to the Sanctuary of Guadalupe.

In the early 1800s, Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga, an Agustinian Friar, in his Two Volume Book: "Estadismo de las islas Filipinas", described Muntinlupa as a lakeside town composed of 250 tributes (each tribute representing a family of 5 to 7), and was the farthest town of the province of Tondo, itself composed of 14,437 native tributes and 3,528 Spanish Filipino tributes. Spiritually, it also belonged to the nearby Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Makati and was connected to it via many rivers that streamed from Laguna de Bay through Muntinlupa towards Makati and eventually Manila proper.

In 1869, the lands were transferred to the state and large individual landholders. In an effort by the Spanish Government to bring under closer administrative control the people living in the contiguous sitios, as well as those in Alabang, Tunasan, Sucat, and Cupang, the municipality was created upon the recommendation of Don Eduardo de Canizares.

On August 6, 1898, the town supported the Philippine Revolution against the Spaniards and formally joined the revolutionary government headed by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.

American occupation era
The Philippine Commission promulgated Rizal Province on June 11, 1901, through Act No. 137. Muntinlupa became part of the new province after being a part of the defunct province of Manila.

On October 12, 1903, Muntinlupa, alongside Taguig, was merged with Pateros by virtue of Act No. 942. On November 25, 1903, Muntinlupa was incorporated under Act No. 1008 and included within the boundary of the province of La Laguna under the municipality of Biñan. Muntinlupa residents protested this Executive Act, and through their town head, Marcelo Fresnedi, filed a formal petition to the Governor for the return of the municipality to the province of Rizal. On March 22, 1905, Act No. 1308 paved the way for Muntinlupa's return to the province of Rizal to then become a part of Taguig, along with Pateros.

On December 19, 1917, Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison signed Executive Order 108, which made Muntinlupa an independent municipality, separating it from Taguig. The law took effect on January 1, 1918. Vidal Joaquin, a native of Alabang, served as the first appointed mayor from 1918 to 1919, followed by Primo Ticman, native of Poblacion, from 1919 to 1922. Melencio Espeleta became the first elected mayor of Muntinlupa in 1922, serving until 1924.

Japanese occupation era
On January 22, 1941, the historic New Bilibid Prison, the national penitentiary, was established in the hills of Muntinlupa. During World War II, the New Bilibid Prison was used to lock up Filipino political prisoners by the Japanese occupation authorities, but they were set free by Hunters ROTC guerrillas.

Philippine independence
On November 7, 1975, Muntinlupa was transferred from the Province of Rizal to the newly formed Metropolitan Manila by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 824 issued by then-President Ferdinand Marcos.

June 13, 1986, following the EDSA Revolution in February of that year, President Corazón C. Aquino appoints Ignacio R. Bunye as Officer-In-Charge of Muntinlupa as part of a nationwide revamp of local government units. In the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, Muntinlupa together with Las Piñas formed one political district.

On January 31, 1988, protesters of the 1988 Muntinlupa election results who barricaded in front of the Muntinlupa town hall the past two days began storming the premises, with supporters of the two leading mayoral candidates confronting each other and causing injury to former mayor Santiago Carlos Jr. and barangay official Florante Torres among others. By February 17, a grenade that failed to explode was found to have been thrown onto the roof of mayor-elect Bunye's house in Alabang. On December 6, 1988, President Corazon C. Aquino by Proclamation 351 declares December 19 as "Municipality of Muntinlupa Day".

Cityhood
On February 16, 1995, House Bill No. 14401, which seeks to convert the municipality of Muntinlupa into a highly urbanized city, was approved by the House of Representatives.

On March 1, 1995, Muntinlupa became the 65th city in the Philippines as signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos, its conversion into a highly urbanized city by virtue of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7926. Per Section 62 of R.A. 7926, Muntinlupa and Las Piñas were to constitute separate congressional districts, with each district electing its separate representative in the 1998 elections. This separation was additionally confirmed in the city charter of Las Piñas (R.A. 8251) which was approved by plebiscite on March 26, 1997. Ignacio Bunye, who previously served as mayor of Muntinlupa, was elected in 1998 as the first congressman representing the city.

On March 1, 2001, Republic Act No. 9191 was enacted, declaring March 1 of every year as a Special Non-working Holiday in the City of Muntinlupa to be known as "The Muntinlupa City Charter Day".

Contemporary
On August 3, 2007, the Muntinlupa City Hall was completely damaged and later abandoned due to a fire. The fire started from a slum area behind the city hall. Almost all files, important documents and other references of Muntinlupa were burned.

Topography
It is bordered on the north by Taguig, to the northwest by Parañaque, to the west by Las Piñas, to the southwest by the cities of Bacoor and Dasmariñas in Cavite, to the south by the city of San Pedro in Laguna, and to the east by Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country.

Muntinlupa's terrain is relatively flat to sloping towards the east along the lake. Gentle rolling hills occupy the western part of the city, with elevation increasing up to 60 m and above towards its southwest portion.

While a majority of the land area in the city is highly urbanized, the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) Reservation in barangay Poblacion is relatively free of urbanization, although there are ongoing discussions to move the national penitentiary to Nueva Ecija and Occidental Mindoro, respectively.

Cityscape
Alabang is the business district of the city where the tallest structures in the city are located. It used to be the location of Alabang Stock Farm. Land reclamation is also done along the Laguna Lake for further developments in the city. During the dry season, the water level in the lake subsides, exposing the soil that is then used for farming.

Climate
The dry season rungs through the months of November to April, while the wet season starts in May and lasts to November. The wet season reaches its peak in the month of August. Maximum rainfall in Muntinlupa usually occurs from the month of June to September. The average annual of rainfall is 2014.8 mm with a peak of 420.0 mm in July and a low 26.9 mm in April. The highest temperature occurs during the month of April and May at 34 C, while the lowest occurs during the months of January and February at 24 C.

Natural hazards
The west segment of the Marikina Valley Fault System, the West Valley Fault (WVF) cuts through parts of Muntinlupa and moves in a predominantly dextral strike-slip motion. The West Valley Fault is capable of producing large scale earthquakes on its active phases with a magnitude of 7 or higher.

Districts and barangays
Muntinlupa is composed of a lone congressional district, and two legislative districts which are politically subdivided into nine barangays. The 1st legislative district includes barangays Bayanan, Putatan, Poblacion and Tunasan in the southern half of the city, while the 2nd legislative district are barangays Alabang, Buli, New Alabang Village, Cupang and Sucat in the northern portion of the city.

Other zip codes include Muntinlupa Central Post Office 1770, Ayala Alabang Village 1780, Pleasant Village 1777, Susana Heights 1774, and Filinvest City 1781.

Etymology of barangays
The barangays of the city are named after the botanical characteristics, topographical features, and historical events that had been observed in the area when it was named. Tunasan from the plant tunas. Putatan got its name from a tree called putat. Cupang is likewise named after the cupang tree. Buli is named after the buri palm. Alabang is named after the river that passes through the barangay. Ayala Alabang was created by Batas Pambansa Bilang 219 out of Barangay Alabang. Sucat got its name from the vernacular word "sukat", which means "measurement" since it was measured during the Spanish era.

Subdivisions
While barangays are the administrative divisions of the city and are legally part of the addresses of homes and establishments, many residents identify themselves by their subdivision (village) instead of their barangay.

Territorial dispute and discrepancies
Muntinlupa is involved in a boundary dispute with Parañaque, centered on Sitio Bagong Silang, which is claimed by Sucat and contested by Parañaque's barangay BF Homes. Additionally, Sitio Pagkakaisa in barangay San Martin de Porres, Parañaque is mistakenly regarded as part of Sucat.

Demonym
People from Muntinlupa are referred to as Muntinlupeño as an adaptation from the standard Spanish suffix -(eñ/n)o.

Language
The native language of Muntinlupa is Tagalog, but the majority of the residents can understand and speak English.

Religion
People in Muntinlupa are mainly Roman Catholic. Catholic churches in Muntinlupa fall under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Parañaque, with about 11 parishes within Muntinlupa.

Other religions in Muntinlupa include various Protestant denominations, Iglesia ni Cristo, Members Church of God International, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam.

Economy

Barangay Alabang, part of the second district of Muntinlupa, has undergone tremendous growth mainly due to a development boom in the late 1990s. The development of two large-scale commercial real estate projects namely; the Filinvest Corporate City and Ayala Land's Madrigal Business Park, changed the landscape of Muntinlupa from what was once vast fields of cow pasture in the late 1980s, into a supercity that houses new residential, business, industrial and commercial establishments.

The Muntinlupa "Business One-Stop-Shop" is recognized in the 2014 World Cities Summit in Singapore in its effectiveness in reducing the number of steps in acquiring a Business Permit.

Industry
Northgate Cyberzone is the information technology park within Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang. The 18.7 ha, PEZA registered IT zone is designed, mastered-planned and built around the needs of technology-based companies engaged in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), education, learning and firm, software design and multimedia, call centers, e-commerce, banking and financial services, as well as other IT support businesses and the like. It is home to Capital One Philippines Support Services Corp., Convergys Philippines Corp, HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Philippines), Inc., Genpact, Verizon Business and many more.

Kawasaki Motors Philippines Corporation is in charge of production and distribution of Kawasaki Motors in the Philippines. KMPC, having been in the country for over 40 years, is hailed today as one of the top manufacturers in the Philippine motorcycle industry. Amkor Technology is a semiconductor product packaging and test services provider that established its first Philippine plant in Cupang. Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines has a plant located in Tunasan. Zuellig Pharma is also within the city.

Commerce
Shopping centers in Muntinlupa include Alabang Town Center and Ayala Malls South Park (also known as South Park Center), both owned by Ayala Malls, Festival Alabang owned and operated by Filinvest Development Corporation, Starmall Alabang (formerly known as Metropolis Star Alabang), SM Center Muntinlupa owned by SM Prime Holdings, Commercenter Alabang, and W.Mall Muntinlupa.

There are multiple car dealerships located in Muntinlupa and most of them are along the Alabang–Zapote Road in Alabang. Ford Motors Alabang has a five-floor facility covering a floor area of nearly 13,000 sqm including a 2-floor, 23-vehicle showroom and a 4-floor, and an 80-bay service center. Toyota Alabang also constructed a facility with a showroom, parts warehouse, office & service facilities in a 5,000 sqm lot. Audi Alabang, Chevrolet Alabang, Chrysler Alabang, Mitsubishi Motors Alabang, Nissan and Suzuki Alabang are also located within the area, most of which are along the Alabang–Zapote Road. Still in Alabang–Zapote Road but located in barangay Ayala Alabang are Hyundai Alabang, Isuzu Alabang and Honda Alabang.

Local government
Muntinlupa is governed primarily by the city mayor, the vice mayor and the city councilors. The mayor acts as the chief executive of the city, while the city councilors act as its legislative body. The vice mayor, besides taking on mayoral responsibilities in case of a temporary vacancy, acts as the presiding officer of the city legislature. The legislative body is composed of 16 regular members (8 per district) and representatives from the barangay and the youth council.

The Bureau of Corrections has its headquarters in the New Bilibid Prison Reservation in Muntinlupa.

"Most Business Friendly City" on 2001, 2002 & 2006 as awarded by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Muntinlupa is the first city in the Philippines to ban the use of plastic bags and styrofoam for packaging. The Muntinlupa city government encourages to "Bring your own Bag" or "BYOB" when shopping to reduce the use of plastic bags that would otherwise clog the waterways.

ISO Certification on Quality Management System or ISO 9001:2000 has initially been acquired on 2004 and is valid for 3 years. Muntinlupa has re-acquired its ISO Certification on QMS in April 2015, ISO 9001:2008, together with Ospital ng Muntinlupa and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa as certified by BRS Rim of the World Operations, California.

City seal
Designed by Manuel Amorsolo, son of a national artist Fernando Amorsolo, the city seal features the Philippine Eagle, the biggest, the strongest and the highest flying bird of the Philippine Republic, a bird that symbolizes the city's mission to become the Premiere Emerald City of the 21st Century. It is composed of:

 * The Philippine Eagle – Symbolizes the City of Muntinlupa soaring into new heights in terms of progress and prosperity; the characteristics properly enlikened to a mother, that is caring, loving and nurturing her children to become good and responsible citizens of the country; and Muntinlupa's hope, vision and dream of becoming a premiere city of the nation.
 * Bamboo Surrounding the Seal – Symbolizes the ability of the citizens of Muntinlupa to cope up with the fast changing times; that we can withstand the trials that come our way and stand still and ready to triumph again.
 * Lakas, Talino at Buhay – These are words taken from the lyrics of the Muntinlupa March, the city's official anthem. These are values that will guide the city in achieving its goals and visions.
 * 1917 and 1995 – The year 1917 marks the time when Muntinlupa became an independent town (although it was effective January 1, 1918, by virtue of Executive Order 108) while the year 1995 was the time when Muntinlupa became a city.
 * The Philippine Flag – The flag behind the eagle symbolizes the City of Muntinlupa being a part of the Republic of the Philippines and its government.
 * The Nine Stars – The nine stars symbolize the nine barangays that comprises the City of Muntinlupa, namely: Tunasan, Poblacion, Putatan, Bayanan, Alabang, Cupang, Buli, Sucat and Ayala Alabang.

City hymn
Muntinlupa has its official hymn, called "Martsa ng Muntinlupa", composed by Renato Dilig. It was adopted in 1989, during its time as municipality.

List of former chief executives
Municipal Mayors: • Vidal Joaquin - 1918–1919

• Primo Ticman - 1919–1922

• Melencio Espeleta - 1922–1924

• Pedro E. Diaz - 1925–1930

• Tomas M. Molina - 1931–1933

• Marciano E. Arciaga - 1934–1936

• Leon Mendiola - 1937–1939

• Francisco Gilbuena - February–April 1945

• Baldomero Viñalon - 1945–1946; 1952–1959

• Bonifacio Ticman - 1946–1960

• Francisco de Mesa Sr. - 1960–1964

• Demetrio Loresca Sr. - March–September 1964 (Succession after Mayor de Mesa's assassination); October 1966–1971

• Maximino Argana - October 1964 – October 1966; 1972–1985

• Santiago V. Carlos - 1985–1986

• Ignacio R. Bunye - 1986–1987; 1988–1995

• Victor C. Aguinaldo - December 2, 1987–February 1, 1988 (as Officer in Charge during the 1988 local elections)

City Mayors:
 * Ignacio R. Bunye - 1995–1998
 * Jaime R. Fresnedi - 1998–2007; 2013–2022
 * Aldrin L. San Pedro - 2007–2013
 * Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon - 2022–present

Museum
Museo ng Muntinlupa is a five-story structure which is set to contain items of historical value to the city. The exterior is designed to look like a traditional fishtrap.

Libraries
Muntinlupa City Public Library is located at the Plaza Central Building in Poblacion. Plaza Central replaced the Contessa Building (Old City Hall) and was inaugurated on October 6, 2017.

Sports and recreation
Muntinlupa is home to the Muntinlupa Cagers, one of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League's charter teams.

Muntinlupa has 10 swimming pools, 14 billiard halls, 11 tennis courts, 8 resorts, 7 country clubs, 9 Dance/Fitness/Slimming Centers, 41 open basketball courts, 59 covered basketball courts and 11 parks & playgrounds. The Muntinlupa Sports Complex is used for a variety of activities such as concerts, conferences, reunions and graduations, the sports complex has 3,500 seating capacity and has two separate multipurpose rooms.

The Muntinlupa Aquatic Center also hosts an Olympic-sized swimming pool, the first of its kind in the Philippines. Both the Sports Complex and Aquatic Center are located on a reclaimed area in Barangay Tunasan; it also has an open area which local residents enjoy their morning exercise and leisure time.

Music
Since 2017, the site of Karpos' Wanderland Music and Arts Festival has been hosted annually in Muntinlupa. The location of this venue is in the Filinvest City Events Grounds, situated in the heart of the Alabang district. The event hosts various bands, that range from international to homegrown artists, and live art performances.

Muntinlupa is also home to 19 East, a premier live music venue that features the country's top artists. Gigs usually occur on a daily basis, suggesting that any given day would guarantee customers a lively experience.

Electricity
The sole distributor of electricity in Metro Manila is the Manila Electric Company, also known as Meralco.

The de-commissioned Sucat Thermal Power Plant is located at Sucat.

Water and sewage
Water in Muntinlupa is provided by Maynilad Water Services (also known as Maynilad), which also serves western Metro Manila and some parts of Cavite. It is one of the two concessionaires that provide water to Metro Manila in the Philippines; the other one is Manila Water which serves the eastern Metro Manila.

Laguna Lake Drinking Water Treatment Plant
On December 15, 2023, President Bongbong Marcos, assisted by Maynilad president and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez, MWSS administrator, Leonor Cleofas and Manuel Pangilinan inaugurated MWSS’ Poblacion Water Treatment Plant in Muntinlupa. The operation and maintenance of the Laguna Lake Drinking Water Treatment Plant was awarded by MWS to Acciona, CEO José Díaz-Caneja, and D.M Consulting Inc.-DMCI Holdings, Inc. It woiuld process 150 e6L of drinking water a day from Laguna de Bay. On April 15, 2024, it won the “Water Project of the Year” in the London Global Water Awards by Global Water Summit.

Maynilad has also 2 water purifier plants in Barangay Putatan, drawing water also from Laguna de Bay Lake and producing 300 e6L of water per day for south clients.

Telecommunication
Majority of the land-line connection is provided by phone carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company. Mobile telecommunication services are mostly provided by Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, and Dito Telecommunity.

Transportation
Muntinlupa can be accessed through private vehicles, buses, jeepneys, taxis, tricycles, and UV Express. Electric vehicles by both private and public sectors operate within the borders of the city.

Public utility vehicles
City buses with routes to Cavite, Makati, Manila, Valenzuela serve the two terminals at Alabang: the Vista Terminal Exchange at the former Starmall Alabang and South Station at Filinvest City. Point-to-point buses to Batangas, Makati, Manila, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Ortigas Center and San Juan depart from the Vista Terminal Exchange, Alabang Town Center, and South Park Center in Alabang, respectively. Provincial buses to Batangas City, Lucena, Quezon, and Bicol Region also depart from Alabang.

Jeepneys routes to General Mariano Alvarez, Calamba, and Pasay, including express services, also use the terminals at Alabang. UV Express routes also ply the city.

Tricycles and pedicabs serve the interior of barangays and residential areas.

"360 Eco-loop" is Filinvest City's fully integrated electric-powered public transport system operated by Filinvest as the main mode of transportation around Filinvest City. "electric-Jeepney Ride for Free," launched by the City Government of Muntinlupa on March 30, 2015, is composed of an initial fleet of 10 e-jeepneys produced in the Philippines.

Rail
Philippine National Railways (PNR) has 3 stations in the city: Sucat, Alabang, and Muntinlupa (Barangay Poblacion) stations. There used to be a 4th and 5th stations in Barangay Tunasan and Barangay Buli; however, both were discontinued and demolished in 2009. Alabang station is the terminus of the Metro Commuter services; so, only the Provincial Commuter services that goes to Calamba stops in the Muntinlupa station which is currently two northbound trips in the morning and two southbound trips in the evening. Service southward to Alabang has resumed, but limited to Mamatid station in Cabuyao, Laguna.

PNR's operation is suspended since 2024 to make way for the construction of the elevated North–South Commuter Railway, which will have stations at Sucat, Alabang, and Muntinlupa (Poblacion).

Roads
Muntinlupa is served by expressways, national highways, and arterial roads, usually crowded.

National highways serving the city include Maharlika Highway, which parallels the South Luzon Expressway and functions as the city's main artery and Alabang-Zapote Road, formerly known as "Real Street". Daang Hari Road, opened in 2003, lies on the boundary with Las Piñas near Ayala Alabang, Katarungan Village, and New Bilibid Prisons.

Expressways passing through Muntinlupa include South Luzon Expressway, a part of the Pan-Philippine Highway (AH26) Luzon route, the elevated Skyway, and the Muntinlupa–Cavite Expressway. A proposed expressway, Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike, is being planned to run along Laguna de Bay from Taguig in Metro Manila to Calamba and Los Baños in Laguna.

Arterial roads serve as the main route from the national roads to the barangays and its residential and commercial areas. Few examples of those roads include Commerce Avenue between Alabang and Ayala Alabang, Corporate Avenue in Filinvest City, Alabang, E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue in Poblacion, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue in Tunasan, San Guillermo Street in Putatan, Montillano Street in Alabang, and Manuel L. Quezon Avenue from Alabang to Sucat and to the Taguig city boundary. The arterial roads are usually narrow, crowded with tricycles, pedestrians, and parked vehicles, and has few or no sidewalks, while a few, like Commerce Avenue, which has wide divided roads with traffic lights and sidewalks.

Healthcare
Muntinlupa has 18 health centers, 1 public hospital, and 8 private hospitals. The sole public hospital of the city is the Ospital ng Muntinlupa, while the Asian Hospital and Medical Center and the Medical Center Muntinlupa are among the city's private hospital. The Food and Drug Administration, tasked to ensure the health and safety of food and drugs, has its headquarters located at Filinvest City, Alabang. The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, a research facility dedicated to infectious and tropical diseases in the Philippines, is also based in Muntinlupa.

Education
Elementary and secondary schools in Muntinlupa are administered by Schools Division Office of Muntinlupa City, a local division of the Department of Education.

Muntinlupa has 89 child development centers (including day care centers, nursery schools and kindergarten schools), 20 public elementary schools, 8 public high schools, 1 public tertiary school, 1 public vocational/technical school, 88 private schools, 10 private tertiary schools and 9 private vocational/technical schools. The "Iskolar ng Bayan" program has been able to give financial assistance to 3,567 students with an allocated budget of ₱13 million. The city search for the Ten Muntinlupa Outstanding Students (MOST) is conducted annually to give recognition and honor to talented and academically excellent students in all public and private high schools of Muntinlupa.

Public secondary schools

 * Muntinlupa National High School is a public high school located at Poblacion, Muntinlupa. MNHS also has a special curriculum, the Science Technology and Engineering or STE (formerly ESEP), that prepares students for careers in Science and Technology, Math, and Communication Arts.
 * Muntinlupa Science High School or MunSci is a special public high school in the City of Muntinlupa, Philippines that provides a technical and science curriculum that aims to prepare students for careers in Science and Technology, Math, and Communication Arts. Nihongo and French classes are also offered to students. Classes are taught by teachers from the Japanese and French embassies.
 * Pedro E. Diaz High School, formerly Annex of Fort Bonifacio College (FBC), is a public high school located at UP Side Subdivision, Alabang, Muntinlupa.
 * Muntinlupa Business High School, formerly known as Pedro E. Diaz High School Annex, is located at Espeleta Street, Buli, Muntinlupa. The school makes education more accessible to students residing at barangays Buli, Cupang and Sucat. MBHS offers a curriculum focused on preparing its graduates into vocational and collegiate degree.
 * Tunasan National High School, also known as Muntinlupa National High School-Tunasan Annex, is the newest public high school, established in 2012 which caters Technical Vocational Courses, TVL Maritime and Humanities and Social Sciences under Academic Track and Grades 7-10 of K–12 curriculum.

Public tertiary school

 * Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa is a local university in the city that started as a dream of former Mayor Ignacio Bunye who viewed education as potent tool for transforming society for the better. Upon his assumption of office in 1986, he included the objective of organizing and establishing an institution of higher learning in the Ten Point Agenda of his administration. Former Dean Enrico Vivar led the movement to convert the Muntinlupa Polytechnic College into a local university. Atty. Raul R. Corro, then Councilor and Chairman of the Committee on Education, sponsored City Ordinance No. 03-089 converting the Muntinlupa Polytechnic College to a Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa (PLMun) in March 2003 during the 67th session. The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa is now ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED by the BRS Rim of the World Operations in California, USA. PLMun was awarded its Certification on April 27, 2015, at the City Hall Quadrangle of the City Government of Muntinlupa.
 * Colegio De Muntinlupa is a local government school and CHED-recognized free higher education institution, Colegio de Muntinlupa (CDM) was established to help fill the gap in the science and technology sector of the Philippines. It is Situated in Posadas Avenue in Barangay Sucat and was founded in 2018 with Mayor Jaime Fresnedi overseeing its founding. With its complete and brand-new facilities that meet international standards and high-caliber professors, CDM aims to produce competent nation builders who will be the drivers of sustainable development in the country. Currently, CDM offers five (5) Engineering programs, namely Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. It is also set to offer 5 new programs namely Architecture, Construction Engineering and Management, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Robotics Engineering this coming Academic year 2022-2023. The college is also expecting their first batch of Graduates this 2022.

Technical and vocational training

 * Muntinlupa City Technical Institute (MCTI) offers technical vocational-training of TESDA Accredited Courses. Courses offered in MCTI are Automotive Servicing NC II, Building Wiring Installation NC II, Dressmaking NC II, Food & Beverage Services NC II and Massage Therapy NC II.

Alternative learning system

 * ALS Center Bayanan, formerly Bayanan Elementary School Unit I, conducts Alternative Learning System classes during Saturdays and uses modules that students can answer at home. This program will help them finish secondary education to make them eligible to take courses offered by TESDA or be a college graduate. They will be given certificates by the Department of Education (DepEd) once they finish the program in five months. The project is being implemented by the local DepEd office in coordination with the city government.
 * NBP Alternative Learning System is 10-month course offered by the Department of Education (DepEd). Convicts are given a chance to overcome illiteracy or acquire livelihood skills behind bars. This program is made possible by the coordination of Bureau of Corrections with the Department of Education.

Notable personalities
Architecture:
 * Francisco Mañosa - National Artist of the Philippines for Architecture

Entertainment personalities:

 * Vic Sotto - Actor and TV host of Eat Bulaga
 * Dong Puno - former news executive of ABS-CBN
 * Pauleen Luna - Actress
 * Charlene Gonzales - Actress, Beauty Queen
 * Jodi Sta. Maria - Actress of ABS-CBN
 * Lougee Basabas - Lead Singer of Mojofly
 * Boboy Garovillo - Singer
 * Champ Lui Pio - Vocalist of HALE Band
 * Fernando Poe Jr. - Action film icon, National Artist
 * Lea Salonga - Singer
 * Ronnie Ricketts - Action film icon
 * Mariz Ricketts - A multi-talented artist. Wife of Ronnie Ricketts
 * Dale Baldillo - Child Actor & Socialite-Phlantrophist
 * Matteo Guidicelli - Actor, Singer and TV Host
 * Sarah Geronimo - Singer, Actress
 * Ya Chang - Japanese/Filipino Accent
 * Lindsay Custodio - Former Singer
 * Karel Marquez - Actress & Model
 * Niño Muhlach - Former Child Actor & Director
 * Aga Muhlach - Actor
 * Alonzo Muhlach - Child Actor
 * Paolo Abrera - TV Host, Triathlete
 * Marlo Mortel - Actor
 * Sarita Pérez de Tagle - Actress
 * Derek Ramsay - Actor
 * Janos Delacruz - Painter
 * Ernie Baron - former weather broadcaster and inventor of Baron Super Antenna
 * Mark Maglasang - previously known as "Bosx1ne" and now known as "Honcho", he is a rapper, founder, and leader of Ex Battalion
 * Archie dela Cruz - also known as "Flow-G", rapper and Ex Battalion member
 * JRoa - former member of Ex Battalion, singer-songwriter
 * John Marren Mangabang - also known as "Emcee Rhenn", rapper and Ex Battalion member
 * Shernan Roy Gaite - known as “Shernan”, rapper and FlipTop emcee
 * Allan Paule - actor
 * Richard Gutierrez - actor
 * Sarah Lahbati - actress
 * Jasmine Curtis-Smith - actress, dancer, commercial model, host, endorser, singer

Pageants:

 * Bea Santiago - Beauty Queen
 * Gwennaelle Ruais - Miss Philippines Fire 2010
 * Gwen Ruais - Miss World Philippines 2011, Miss World 2011 1st runner-up

Sports people:

 * Michael Christian Martinez - Figure Skater
 * Tim Cone - PBA Coach
 * Arwind Santos - PBA Player
 * Scottie Thompson - PBA Player
 * Troy Rosario - PBA Player
 * Kevin Racal - PBA Player
 * Ebrahim Enguio Lopez - ABL Player
 * Jenny Guerrero - Swimmer
 * Padim Israel - former Philippine Basketball Association player who plays at Purefoods Hotdogs.
 * Rey Evangelista - former Purefoods player
 * Robert Jaworski - PBA Legend
 * Reynel Hugnatan - PBA Player
 * Dennis Miranda - PBA player and currently assistant coach of FEU Tamaraws
 * Gabby Espinas - PBA player
 * Roi Sumang - PBA Player
 * Dyan Castillejo - Sports analyst
 * Kean Baclaan - basketball player playing for National University
 * Kevin Quiambao - basketball player playing for De La Salle University
 * Brent Paraiso - PBA player
 * Evan Nelle - basketball player playing for De La Salle University

Politicians:

 * Ruffy Biazon - former congressman, former customs chief, and incumbent mayor of the city
 * Rodolfo Biazon - former senator and former congressman of the city
 * Ignacio Bunye - former mayor of the city and press secretary
 * Fidel Ramos - former president
 * Ming Ramos - former first lady

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Muntinlupa


text:
Fermi energy

The Fermi energy is a concept in quantum mechanics usually referring to the energy difference between the highest and lowest occupied single-particle states in a quantum system of non-interacting fermions at absolute zero temperature. In a Fermi gas, the lowest occupied state is taken to have zero kinetic energy, whereas in a metal, the lowest occupied state is typically taken to mean the bottom of the conduction band.

The term "Fermi energy" is often used to refer to a different yet closely related concept, the Fermi level (also called electrochemical potential). There are a few key differences between the Fermi level and Fermi energy, at least as they are used in this article:
 * The Fermi energy is only defined at absolute zero, while the Fermi level is defined for any temperature.
 * The Fermi energy is an energy difference (usually corresponding to a kinetic energy), whereas the Fermi level is a total energy level including kinetic energy and potential energy.
 * The Fermi energy can only be defined for non-interacting fermions (where the potential energy or band edge is a static, well defined quantity), whereas the Fermi level remains well defined even in complex interacting systems, at thermodynamic equilibrium.

Since the Fermi level in a metal at absolute zero is the energy of the highest occupied single particle state, then the Fermi energy in a metal is the energy difference between the Fermi level and lowest occupied single-particle state, at zero-temperature.

Context
In quantum mechanics, a group of particles known as fermions (for example, electrons, protons and neutrons) obey the Pauli exclusion principle. This states that two fermions cannot occupy the same quantum state. Since an idealized non-interacting Fermi gas can be analyzed in terms of single-particle stationary states, we can thus say that two fermions cannot occupy the same stationary state. These stationary states will typically be distinct in energy. To find the ground state of the whole system, we start with an empty system, and add particles one at a time, consecutively filling up the unoccupied stationary states with the lowest energy. When all the particles have been put in, the Fermi energy is the kinetic energy of the highest occupied state.

As a consequence, even if we have extracted all possible energy from a Fermi gas by cooling it to near absolute zero temperature, the fermions are still moving around at a high speed. The fastest ones are moving at a velocity corresponding to a kinetic energy equal to the Fermi energy. This speed is known as the Fermi velocity. Only when the temperature exceeds the related Fermi temperature, do the particles begin to move significantly faster than at absolute zero.

The Fermi energy is an important concept in the solid state physics of metals and superconductors. It is also a very important quantity in the physics of quantum liquids like low temperature helium (both normal and superfluid 3He), and it is quite important to nuclear physics and to understanding the stability of white dwarf stars against gravitational collapse.

Formula and typical values
The Fermi energy for a three-dimensional, non-relativistic, non-interacting ensemble of identical spin-$1/2$ fermions is given by $$E_\text{F} = \frac{\hbar^2}{2m_0} \left( \frac{3 \pi^2 N}{V} \right)^{2/3},$$ where N is the number of particles, m0 the rest mass of each fermion, V the volume of the system, and $$\hbar$$ the reduced Planck constant.

Metals
Under the free electron model, the electrons in a metal can be considered to form a Fermi gas. The number density $$N/V$$ of conduction electrons in metals ranges between approximately 1028 and 1029 electrons/m3, which is also the typical density of atoms in ordinary solid matter. This number density produces a Fermi energy of the order of 2 to 10 electronvolts.

White dwarfs
Stars known as white dwarfs have mass comparable to the Sun, but have about a hundredth of its radius. The high densities mean that the electrons are no longer bound to single nuclei and instead form a degenerate electron gas. Their Fermi energy is about 0.3 MeV.

Nucleus
Another typical example is that of the nucleons in the nucleus of an atom. The radius of the nucleus admits deviations, so a typical value for the Fermi energy is usually given as 38 MeV.

Related quantities
Using this definition of above for the Fermi energy, various related quantities can be useful.

The Fermi temperature is defined as $$T_\text{F} = \frac{E_\text{F}}{k_\text{B}},$$ where $$k_\text{B}$$ is the Boltzmann constant, and $$E_\text{F}$$ the Fermi energy. The Fermi temperature can be thought of as the temperature at which thermal effects are comparable to quantum effects associated with Fermi statistics. The Fermi temperature for a metal is a couple of orders of magnitude above room temperature.

Other quantities defined in this context are Fermi momentum $$p_\text{F} = \sqrt{2 m_0 E_\text{F}}$$ and Fermi velocity $$v_\text{F} = \frac{p_\text{F}}{m_0}.$$

These quantities are respectively the momentum and group velocity of a fermion at the Fermi surface.

The Fermi momentum can also be described as $$p_\text{F} = \hbar k_\text{F},$$ where $$k_\text{F}$$, called the Fermi wavevector, is the radius of the Fermi sphere.

These quantities may not be well-defined in cases where the Fermi surface is non-spherical.

title: Fermi energy


text:
Talk:Heathenry in the United States

Kennewick man
the article presenting the "Kennewick man" incident as if it was a serious controversy is a disgrace. Google McNallen and Solutrean, and you will find what this is about, lots of articles on sites like nazi.org and stromfront.org making out that "Native" Americans stole country from the Caucasians they murdered! (sic!!) Now this is so far over the brink of sanity or decency that we can, for whatever it is worth, discuss this on McNallen's article, but if we are going to discuss this under "Asatru", it should come with some independent commentary putting it in proper perspective and firmly placing it under the "racism" header where it belongs. --dab (𒁳) 15:19, 21 April 2009 (UTC)

 * Agree that it is undue weight to have a section on McNallen's outrageous, racist claims as if they were taken seriously. It should be under racism if a serious number of Asatruar agreed with him (eek!) and laid at his doorstep alone if he was largely alone in this campaign. I see it's already been added to his article, so does it still need to be here at all? Anywhere this is included, the contrasting view needs to be covered. -  Kathryn NicDhàna  ♫ ♦ ♫ 05:28, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

✅ The material has been removed from this article.  SilkTork  *YES! 00:23, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Theodism
Ok, what about this? According to my best judgement, "Theodism" doesn't pass WP:NOTE (WP:ORG) for a standalone article. They deserve mention under "Germanic neopaganism in the United States" though. This is the closest we have to a "Germanic neopaganism in the United States" article, but maintaining a huge "Theodism" section detailing random trivia about that group's history doesn't seem like a very good solution. What are we going to do about this? Suggestions? I am open to an informed argument that Theodism should, after all, be a standalone article. Perhaps we should submit it to AfD for proper review? --dab (𒁳) 19:14, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

I have now cleaned up the "Theodism" section. The problem with this remains that it is entirely based on self-published sources. Greater detail on Theodism could within WP:DUE only be presented in a standalone article, and before we can create a standalone article, we need third party sources to establish WP:ORG. --dab (𒁳) 09:40, 29 June 2009 (UTC)

The reason why no third party sources have been cited is that there are no third party sources on Theodism. You are stuck with materials produced by Theodish folk or nothing. This is due to the nature of Theodism itself. Theods publish very little about Theodism in general and don't have written materials about how our rituals or customs function within our own groups. Our practices and customs are only disseminated face to face within the theod via oral tradition. We don't discuss our practices with outsiders and we don't write them out for public consumption. Theods do not have events open to the public so academics haven't really had an opportunity to observe us and publish about it. Those outside of Theodism have very little idea what it is we do other than in a general sense and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I am ignorant about how Wikipedia deals with issues like that but there it is. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.104.148.103 (talk) 19:32, 3 September 2009 (UTC)
 * in spite of what you say, my point is that there is rather a lot of material published on Theodism by Theodists. The problem is just that it is self-published. The way this spells out for the purposes of Wikipedia is that lack of coverage in third party sources translates to lack of notability. If things stand as you say though, I do not expect Theodists to be unhappy about not being covered in Wikipedia. Personally, I find the idea of reconstructing paganism by reconstructing aspects of the structure of pagan society rather intriguing. Indeed, I would say it is impossible to be a "reconstructionist" in a narrow sense without doing exactly this, so I would not mind discussing Theodism in some detail under that aspect, but I need to recognize that failure to present third party sources leaves me in WP:OR territory with this. --dab (𒁳) 08:20, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

I believe it is pertinent that several Theodish groups are incredibly small. Axenthof and Sweartfenn Theods, which both get proportionally a lot of space and therefore apparent importance, are comprised of a Lord who holds only one oath (maybe two). It's misleading to count two guys co-hosting a website- the only sources, and first person at that- as 'recreating Germanic tribal structure,' much less qualifying them as a religious movement. That line of thinking suggests that every married couple or two or three friends who spill mead together every third Yule are major kindreds- or at least they would be if they had a web presence.99.189.225.168 (talk) 18:31, 19 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Yes, this confirms my impression. I would in principle be interested in covering this topic, and I have tried several times to collect material, but every time it turns out that there are simply no third-party sources on this sufficient for an article. So we cannot have an article about it even if we wanted to. Giving this its own section here is already too much wrt WP:DUE I am afraid, but it seems not to do too much harm to the overall article, so I don't mind its presence.
 * if there were tens of thousands of couples or small groups doing this across the US, I am sure it would be covered somewhere in the literature on new religious movements. But the way it looks, we are talking about something of the order of a few dozen people in total. This doesn't make this more notable than your local sports club or church choir. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is, religious movements become notable if they (a) gather at least few thousand adherents or (b) make headlines for serious crimes (terrorism, child abuse). Notability is just notability, it doesn't mean being notable is being "better". --dab (𒁳) 14:56, 15 November 2011 (UTC)

The Word is Ásatrú, not Heathenry
Stephen A. McNallen, an American Asatru leader, avoids "heathen" because in the "public mind" it means an "ignorant, superstitious, or uncouth person." Stephen A. McNallen. Asatru: A Native European Spirituality. Runestone Press. 2015. p. 2 ISBN 0972029257.

Likewise,Dr. Michael Strmiska, a pagan who studies the subject, made this observation: "recently I prefer Norse-Germanic Paganism as a catch-all term that covers all relevant bases and slights none."SEE

There has been no consensus for renaming this article. --ThorLives (talk) 01:10, 11 November 2015 (UTC)

 * This topic has a long history on Wikipedia. You can read an early version in the Nostalgia Wikipedia. Started October 1, 2001. Original title was Asatru.
 * on 14 March 2003 moved Asatru to Ásatrú.
 * on 18 January 2009 moved Ásatrú to Ásatrú in the United States (per talk), redirected Asatru to Germanic Neopaganism and started a new disambiguation at Ásatrú (disambiguation).
 * on 9 November 2015 moved Ásatrú in the United States to Heathenry in the United States (As per RFC concensus decision, at Wikipedia we use "Heathenry" as the name for this religion.)
 * I asked Midnightblueowl for a link to that consensus, and they pointed me to Talk:Heathenry (new religious movement), a discussion which moved Germanic neopaganism → Heathenry (new religious movement). Participation there was thin; I see three supports (including the nom.) and one oppose.
 * Given the 14 year history of this topic having "Ásatrú" in the title, what seems like significantly different usages of "Ásatrú" in the U.S. versus Europe, and the objections above and on my talk page, I'm finding this move to be too bold, and will reverse it. A WP:requested move should be opened here to change this title.

 * Secondarily to this, there has been recent edit-warring over whether there is a WP:primary topic for Asatru, and if so, what that is. Some say it should redirect to Heathenry (new religious movement), as the broad-topic outline which covers Asatru worldwide. Others believe that it should redirect to this article, as the United States is the place where the term is most commonly used. I don't see any consensus over this, so if you can't form one here, I feel the default should be to put the disambiguation at the base title, or perhaps make it a broad-concept article about all things Ásatrú. I see that there are several of them covered on Wikipedia, including Ásatrú Alliance, Asatru Folk Assembly, Ásatrú Scouting and Guiding, Ásatrú holidays, etc. I know some don't like seeing partial title matches on a disambiguation page, but I don't always mind – or call it a broad-concept to get away from the partial title issue. Wbm1058 (talk) 22:16, 20 November 2015 (UTC)

 * Further discussion related to this matter has been opened at Talk:Ásatrú. – Wbm1058 (talk) 14:53, 2 December 2015 (UTC)

RfC: Should this article be renamed "Heathenry in the United States"
Basic question: Should this article be renamed "Heathenry in the United States"?

More information: This article is currently titled "Ásatrú in the United States", and is devoted to the subject of Heathenry, a modern Pagan new religious movement, as it exists in the United States. As the GA-rated article on Heathenry makes clear, "Heathenry" is the term which is commonly used (in particular by academics) as a catch-all to cover the entirety of this new religious movement. Other terms, such as "Asatru" and "Odinism", are favoured by some practitioners but are avoided by others, and lack the wider coverage of the term "Heathenry". Given that many of the Heathens in the United States do not use "Asatru" but instead favour "Odinism" or other terms, it seems problematic to have this page titled "Ásatrú in the United States", with "Heathenry in the United States" being a much more inclusive and apposite title. I believe that this should be a fairly un-controversial change and would like to gain consensus in support of it from various otherwise un-involved editors. Midnightblueowl (talk) 11:46, 29 December 2015 (UTC)

Votes:
 * Support as nominator. Midnightblueowl (talk) 13:03, 31 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Support per above points. Rubbish computer (HALP!: I dropped the bass?) 00:46, 14 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Support, per above. Seems prudent. Other terms should redirect. Best, FoCuS contribs ;  talk to me!  04:32, 20 January 2016 (UTC)

A month's gone by, and we have 100% of votes in favour of renaming the article. I shall proceed accordingly. Midnightblueowl (talk) 21:13, 29 January 2016 (UTC)

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title: Talk:Heathenry in the United States