Editing Solothurn (section)

===Medieval city===
[[File:Solothurn Stumpf.jpg|thumb|Solothurn in 1548]]
During the Early Middle Ages, Solothurn was part of the Kingdom of [[Lotharingia]] (Lorraine). After the collapse of Lotharingia, it became part of the [[Second Kingdom of Burgundy]]. In 1033, the Kingdom of Burgundy became part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and Solothurn gained some independence. In 1038, [[Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor]] [[Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor|Conrad II]] held court at Solothurn and there crowned his son, [[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry III]] King of Burgundy. The royal court resided in Solothurn on several occasions until 1052, however, there is no evidence of a permanent royal palace. In 1127, it was acquired by the dukes of [[House of Zähringen|Zähringen]]. Under the rule of the Zähringens, in 1146, Solothurn's coins are first mentioned. In 1182, ''causidicus'' or Zähringen appointed judges first appeared in Solothurn. After the extinction of the Zähringer line in 1218 it became a [[free imperial city]] under the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1252, the town council and [[Schultheiss]] or mayor became mostly independent and had their own town seals.<ref name=HDS_independent>{{HDS|1174<!--Section 3-4-->|Solothurn – The city becomes independent}}</ref> In 1251 it was mentioned as ''saluerre'' and in 1275 as ''Solotren''.<ref name=HDS/> Starting around 1200, there was a council of nobles in the town.

In 1252, a group of nobles that could witness and support deeds, known as ''consuls et cives Solodorenses'', first appears in the town. Initially the nobles exercised power over the entire town. However, the [[guild]] movement of the 14th century resulted in a reduction in the power of the nobles and also a restricted guild system in Solothurn. By around 1350, an eleven-member ''Altrat'' (Council of Elders) and a 22-member ''Jungrat'' (Younger Council) existed in the city. Each of the eleven guilds were represented by a member of the ''Altrat'' and two members of the ''Jungrat''. These 33 councillors exercised, together with the mayor, the power of government and helped appoint lawmakers. The members of the two councils were elected each year by the citizens of the city, after which the councils and mayor appointed many of the government officials. The noble families retained some power as the guilds became part of the town council. However, in 1459 the last noble family died out and positions on the council fell to wealthy farmers, butchers and millers.<ref name=HDS_government>{{HDS|1174<!--Section 3-5-->|Solothurn – City Government}}</ref>

Until the [[pogrom]] on 1348 during an outbreak of the [[Plague (disease)|plague]], there was a small Jewish community in Solothurn.<ref name=HDS_Economy>{{HDS|1174<!--Section 3-8-->|Solothurn – Economy}}</ref>

Over the 13th to 15th centuries, the citizens of the city slowly emancipated themselves from the higher nobility. In 1276 and 1280 Emperor [[Rudolph I of Germany|Rudolf I]] codified the previously poorly defined rights of the city and granted it the privilege ''de non Evocando'' or the right that their citizens were protected from trial in foreign courts. In 1344 Solothurn acquired the right to appoint their own Schultheiss from the Count of Buchegg, which was confirmed by Emperor [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] in 1360. In 1409, Emperor [[Rupert, King of Germany|Ruprecht]] extended the ''de non Evocando'' privilege to include the royal High Court as well.<ref name=HDS_independent/>

As the city grew in power, it bound the Monastery of St. Ursus more closely to the city. In 1251 the city defeated claims made by the Monastery on the right to appoint the Schultheiss. Shortly after the acquisition of the right to the Schultheiss office in 1344, the city came into possession of the [[vogt]] right over the Monastery by granting citizenship rights to the former vogt (bailiff), Burkhard Senn the Elder. In 1512–20 the city received the right to appoint [[Canon (priest)|canons]] and [[Provost (religion)|provosts]] from the [[Pope]].<ref name=HDS_independent/>

After the alliance with [[Bern]] in 1295, it became part of the [[Swiss Confederation]]. In 1382 the [[Habsburg]]s attacked the city, involving Solothurn in the [[Battle of Sempach]]. By the treaty of two years later, the Habsburgs renounced all claims to the territory of the city. The latter was expanded by acquisition of neighbouring lands in the 15th century, roughly up to the today's canton area.

In 1481, it obtained full membership in the Swiss Confederation.