Näfels

Former municipality of Switzerland

Coat of arms

Näfels

Location of Näfels

Coordinates: 47°06′N 9°04′E / 47.100°N 9.067°ECoordinates: 47°06′N 9°04′E / 47.100°N 9.067°E

Country

n.a.

Area

• Total

36.93 km² (14.26 sq mi)

Elevation

437 m (1,434 ft)

Highest elevation (Rautispitz)

2,283 m (7,490 ft)

Population (December 2015)

• Total

4,021

• Density

110/km² (280/sq mi)

Postal code

8752

SFOS number

1619

Surrounded by

Glarus, Innerthal (SZ), Mollis, Netstal, Oberurnen

Twin towns

Bad Säckingen (Germany)

Website

www.naefels.ch
SFSO statistics

Näfels is a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Effective from 1 January 2011, Näfels is part of the municipality of Glarus Nord.

Näfels is first mentioned in 1240 as Nevels.

In 1388, the Swiss Confederates beat the Habsburgs at the Battle of Näfels, a victory that proved to be decisive in the series of Swiss-Austrian conflicts that stretched through most of the 14th Century as, in 1389, a peace treaty was signed at Vienna. The losses were much higher on the Austrian side, with 2,500 Austrians killed and 54 Swiss. The town's Slachtkapelle was created as a memorial to the men who fell in battle, and the Näfelser Fahrt, a pilgrimage to the site of the battle, has been held in April every year since the battle.

Näfels has an area, as of 2006^[update], of 36.9 km² (14.2 sq mi). Of this area, 35.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 37.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 4.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (22.1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).

Näfels is located in the Glarner Unterland on the left side of the valley, across from Mollis. It consists of the village of Näfels and the scattered settlements that make up the Näfelser Berg and the Oberseetal.

Näfels had a population (as of 2010) of 4,021. As of 2007^[update], 19.3% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -0.6%. Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speaks German (86.9%), with Italian being second most common ( 5.2%) and Albanian being third ( 2.9%).

In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SPS which received 48.6% of the vote. Most of the rest of the votes went to the SVP with 40.2% of the vote.

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Wikipedia