Küsnacht

Infobox Swiss town
subject_name = Küsnacht
municipality_name = Küsnacht
municipality_type = city
imagepath_coa = Kuesnacht-blazon.svg|pixel_coa=


languages = German
canton = Zurich
iso-code-region = CH-ZH
district = Meilen
lat_d=47|lat_m=19|lat_NS=N|long_d=8|long_m=35|long_EW=E
postal_code = 8700
municipality_code = 0154
area = 12.35
elevation = 413|elevation_description=
population = 12784|populationof = December 2006 | popofyear = 2006
website = www.kuesnacht.ch
mayor = Max Baumgartner|mayor_asof=|mayor_party=
mayor_title = |list_of_mayors =
places =
demonym =
neighboring_municipalities= Erlenbach, Herrliberg, Kilchberg, Maur, Rüschlikon, Thalwil, Zollikon, Zumikon
twintowns = |

Küsnacht is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland.

It is located on the north-east bank (also known as "Goldküste") of the Lake Zurich and has a population of 12,784 (in 2006). The local dialect is called "Züridütsch". It is not to be confused with Küssnacht (am Rigi) on Lake Lucerne.

History

Earliest findings of settlement date back to the stone age. There are also findings from the Bronze Age. During Roman times, a mansion was located on the commons. It was called "fundus Cossiniacus" which is probably the origin of the name of Küsnacht. In the 7th century the name was recorded as "Chussenacho". The coat of arms shows a golden cushion on a red background. It is probably a derivate of the coat of arms of the aristocrats of Küssnacht am Rigi.

In the Middle Ages, the land was governed by the people of Regensberg who lived in the castle of Wulp in Küsnacht. After 1531 Küsnacht was governed by Zurich.

Like most other municipalities along Lake Zürich, Küsnacht started to become a suburb of the city of Zürich with the development of the railway link in 1896.

The psychiatrist Carl Jung had his clinic in Küsnacht, which attracted patients from all over the world. Thomas Mann lived in Küsnacht between 1933 and 1939, after he was forced to leave Germany by the Nazis. Amongst the most famous residents of town is Tina Turner.

ites of Interest

Apart from Lake Zurich, popular sites to visit include
* C. G. Jung Institute
* the Cistercian abby of Kappel am Albis
* Küsnachter Tobel with hiking trails among glacial moraine with rare flora and fauna
* Johanniterkomturei building (today housing the Kantonsschule)
* Oberen Mühle, a mill that now houses the local museum
* Seeclub Küsnacht boathouse dating from at least 1290
* the church of St Georg dating from the 12th century

Past & Current Küsnacht Residents

* Otto Frederick Hunziker - Swiss-born American dairy educator
* Meinrad Lienert - poet
* Julius Maggi - food scientist and entrepreneur
* Tina Turner - entertainer
* Albin Zollinger - writer

External links

* [http://www.kuesnacht.ch Official page] (German)