Worth knowing

Only about one hour’s drive from Zurich, Glarus is the main city of the eponymous Canton. In a decision by the “Landsgemeinde”, the people of Glarner resolved in 2006 to merge the communities of Netstal, Glarus, Riedern, and Ennenda into the Glarus community at the beginning of 2011.

During the “Landsgemeinde” (in Switzerland the totality of citizens of a canton, district, or county who are eligible to vote), which has been held every year since 1387, all eligible citizens congregate on a specific day to perform their civic duty. The “Landsgemeinde“ is the legislative congregation and therefore the highest authority in Glarus Canton. The citizens meet outdoors on the first Sunday in May to discuss constitutional and legal issues, the amount of taxes to be paid, and important material matters, and to subsequently vote on these issues. The “Landsgemeinde“ is considered a symbol of the canton’s direct democracy.