Canton of St. Gallen

The Canton of St. Gallen (German: Kanton St. Gallen (help·info)) is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. It covers an area of 2,026 km², and has a population of 465,937 (2007) of which 97,461 (or 20.9%) are foreigners. The capital is St. Gallen. Spelling variations include: St. Gall, Saint Gall, Saint Gallen, Sankt Gallen, and Son Gagl. The lands of the canton St. Gallen represent acquisitions of the ab... more

The Canton of St. Gallen (German: Kanton St. Gallen (help·info)) is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. It covers an area of 2,026 km², and has a population of 465,937 (2007) of which 97,461 (or 20.9%) are foreigners. The capital is St. Gallen. Spelling variations include: St. Gall, Saint Gall, Saint Gallen, Sankt Gallen, and Son Gagl. The lands of the canton St. Gallen represent acquisitions of the abbey of St. Gallen over centuries. The founding of St. Gallen is based on the Irish monk Gallus (ca 550–620 or 640), who built a hermitage at the river Steinach in 612. Around 720, one hundred years after Gallus's death, the Alemannian priest Othmar built an abbey and gave it the name Abbey of St. Gallen. In 926 Hungarian raiders attacked the abbey and surrounding town. About 1205 the abbot became a prince of the church in the Holy Roman Empire. In 1311 St. Gallen became a Free imperial city. By about 1353 the guilds, headed by the cloth... less