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St Gallen

Sankt Gallen
The Abbey Cathedral of St Gall and the old city
The Abbey Cathedral of St Gall and the old city
Coat of arms of Sankt Gallen
Coat of arms
Sankt Gallen is located in Switzerland
Sankt Gallen
Sankt Gallen
Coordinates: 47°25′N 9°22′E / 47.417°N 9.367°E / 47.417; 9.367Coordinates: 47°25′N 9°22′E / 47.417°N 9.367°E / 47.417; 9.367
Country Switzerland
Canton St. Gallen
District St. Gallen
Government
 • Executive Stadtrat
with 5 members
 • Mayor Stadtpräsident (list)
Thomas Scheitlin FDP/PRD
(as of February 2014)
 • Parliament Stadtparlament
with 63 members
Area
 • Total 39.39 km2 (15.21 sq mi)
Elevation 675 m (2,215 ft)
Highest elevation (Birt) 1,074 m (3,524 ft)
Lowest elevation (Goldachtobel) 496 m (1,627 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
 • Total 75,538
 • Density 1,900/km2 (5,000/sq mi)
Postal code 9000
SFOS number 3203
Localities Wolfganghof, Winkeln, Bruggen, Lachen, Rosenberg, Riethüsli, St. Georgen, Innenstadt, St. Jakob, Linsenbühl-Dreilinden, Rotmonten, Langgass-Heiligkreuz, St. Fiden, Notkersegg, Neudorf, Achslen, Guggeien
Surrounded by Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach
Twin towns Liberec (Czech Republic)
Website www.stadt.sg.ch
SFSO statistics
Imperial City of St. Gallen
Reichsstadt Sankt Gallen
State of the Holy Roman Empire (to 1499 / 1648)
Old Swiss Confederacy associate and protectorate (1454–1798)
1401–1798
Capital St. Gallen
Languages High Alemannic
Government Republic
Historical era Renaissance, Baroque
 •  City founded ca. 974
 •  Gained Reichsfreiheit 1401
 •  Abbey became Old Swiss Confederacy protectorate 17 August 1451
 •  Associate & protectorat of Old Swiss Confederacy
Early Swiss cross.svg

13 June 1454
 •  Swabian War: de facto independent from Holy Roman Empire 1499
 •  Peace of Westphalia: de jure independence 1648
 •  Annexed to Helvetic Republic canton of Säntis
1798
 •  Helvetic Republic collapsed; city & abbey became part of newly founded canton of St. Gallen


1803
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Duchy of Swabia
Canton of Säntis
Largest groups of foreign residents 2011
Nationality Numbers  % of total
(% of foreigners)
 Germany 5,118 7.0 (24.7)
 Serbia
(incl. Montenegro and Kosovo)
3,231 4.4 (15.6)
 Italy 2,587 3.5 (12.5)
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,093 1.5 (5.3)
 Austria 952 1.3 (4.6)
 Portugal 870 1.2 (4.2)
 Republic of Macedonia 787 1.1 (3.8)
 Turkey 780 1.0 (3.8)
 Spain 585 0.8 (2.8)
 Croatia 530 0.7 (2.6)

St. Gallen or traditionally St Gall, in German sometimes Sankt Gallen (About this sound Sankt Gallen ; English: St Gall; French: Saint-Gall; Italian: San Gallo; Romansh: Son Gagl) is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration (with around 160,000 inhabitants) and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. Its economy consists mainly of the service sector.

The main tourist attraction is the Abbey of Saint Gall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Abbey's renowned library contains books from the 9th century.

The official language of St. Gallen is (the Swiss variety of Standard) German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect.

The city has good transport links to the rest of the country and to neighbouring Germany and Austria. It also functions as the gate to the Appenzell Alps.


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