Aarau

Sister cities

• Reutlingen
• Delft
• Neuchâtel

History

A few artifacts from the Neolithic period were found in Aarau. Near the location of the present train station, the ruins of a settlement from the Bronze Age (about 1000 BC) have been excavated. The Roman road between Salodurum (Solothurn) and Vindonissa passed through the area, along the route now covered by the Bahnhofstrasse. In 1976 divers in the Aare found part of a seven-meter wide wooden bridge from the late Roman times. Aarau was founded around AD 1240 by the counts of Kyburg. The town was ruled from the "Rore" tower, which has been incorporated into the modern city hall. In 1273 the counts of Kyburg died out. Agnes of Kyburg, who had no male relations, sold the family's lands to King Rudolf I von Habsburg. He granted Aarau its city rights in 1283. Starting in the early 18th century, the textile industry was established in Aarau. German immigration contributed to the city's favorable conditions, in that they introduced the cotton and silk factories. These highly educated immigrants were also responsible for educational reform and the enlightened, revolutionary spirit that developed in Aarau. On 27 December 1797, the last Tagsatzung of the Old Swiss Confederacy was held in Aarau. Two weeks later a French envoy continued to foment the revolutionary opinions of the city. The contrast between a high level of education and a low level of political rights was particularly great in Aarau, and the city refused to send troops to defend the Bernese border. By Mid-March 1798 Aarau was occupied by French troops. On 22 March 1798 Aarau was declared the capital of the Helvetic Republic.

Most-observed species

• Meadow Brown

  Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  12,345
• Annual Fleabane

  Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. · Magnoliopsida
  7,740
• European roe deer

  Capreolus capreolus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Mammalia
  7,272
• Common Blue

  Polyommatus icarus (von Rottemburg, 1775) · Insecta
  6,664
• Marbled White

  Melanargia galathea Linnaeus, 1758 · Insecta
  6,193
• Small Heath

  Coenonympha pamphilus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  4,719
• red fox

  Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) · Mammalia
  3,808
• Indian Balsam

  Impatiens glandulifera Royle · Magnoliopsida
  3,573

Most recent

• M 3.7 — 2026-04-26
  4 km N of Quarten, Switzerland
• M 4.1 — 2025-07-21
  4 km E of Frutigen, Switzerland
• M 3.5 — 2024-06-27
  1 km SSW of Todtmoos, Germany
• M 4.2 — 2024-06-04
  2 km NNW of Unteriberg, Switzerland
• M 4.4 — 2023-03-22
  1 km NW of Pont-de-Roide, France
• M 3.9 — 2022-09-10
  1 km WSW of Zimmersheim, France