Editing Solothurn

{{short description|Town in Switzerland}}
{{Infobox Switzerland municipality
|subject_name      = Solothurn
|image_photo       = Solothurn 2023.jpg
|municipality_type = town, municipality
|imagepath_flag    = CHE Solothurn SO Flag.svg
|imagepath_coa     = Coat of arms of Solothurn.svg 
|canton            = Solothurn
|iso-code-region   = CH-SO
|district          = [[Solothurn District|Solothurn]]
|coordinates       = {{Coord|47|12|30|N|7|32|14|E|type:city_region:CH-SO|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code       = 4500
|municipality_code = 2601
|area              = 6.28
|elevation         = 432 |elevation_description = Chapel of St Peter
|population        = {{Swiss populations NC|CH-SO|2601}}
|populationof      = {{Swiss populations YM|CH-SO}}
|popofyear         = {{Swiss populations Y|CH-SO}}
|website           = www.stadt-solothurn.ch
|mayor             = Stefanie Ingold |mayor_asof = 2021 |mayor_party = SP
|mayor_title       = Stadtpräsidentin |list_of_mayors = List of mayors of Solothurn
|parliament_name   = none (Gemeindeversammlung) |parliament_number_of_members =
|executive_name    = Gemeinderat |executive_number_of_members = 30
|places            =
|demonym           = {{langx|de|Solothurner(in)}}
|neighboring_municipalities = [[Bellach]], [[Biberist]], [[Feldbrunnen-Sankt Niklaus]], [[Langendorf, Switzerland|Langendorf]], [[Rüttenen]], [[Zuchwil]]
|twintowns         = [[Heilbronn]] (Germany), [[Kraków]] (Poland), [[Le Landeron]] (Switzerland)
}}
'''Solothurn''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|oʊ|l|ə|t|ʊər|n|,_|ˈ|z|oʊ|-}} {{respell|SOH|lə|toorn|,_|ZOH|-}}; {{IPA|de|ˈzoːlotʊrn|lang|De-Solothurn.ogg}}; {{langx|fr|Soleure}} {{IPA|fr|sɔlœʁ|}}; {{langx|it|Soletta}} {{IPA|it|soˈletta|}}; {{langx|rm|{{audio|Roh-Soloturn.ogg|Soloturn|help=no}}}}) is a [[List of towns in Switzerland|town]], a [[Municipalities of Switzerland|municipality]], and the [[Capital (political)|capital]] of the [[canton of Solothurn]] in [[Switzerland]]. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the [[Aare]] and on the foot of the Weissenstein [[Jura mountains]].

The town is the only [[municipalities of Switzerland|municipality]] of the [[Solothurn (district)|district]] of the same name.

The town got its name from Salodurum, a Roman-era settlement. From 1530 to 1792 it was the seat of the [[France|French]] [[ambassador (diplomacy)|ambassador]] to Switzerland. The pedestrian-only old town was built between 1530 and 1792 and shows an impressive array of [[Baroque]] architecture, combining Italian Grandezza, French style, and Swiss ideas. The town has eighteen structures listed as heritage sites.

The official language of Solothurn is (the Swiss variety of Standard) [[Swiss Standard German|German]], but the main spoken language is the local variant of the [[Alemannic German|Alemannic]] [[Swiss German (linguistics)|Swiss German]] dialect.

==History==

===Pre-Roman settlement===
The oldest finds from Solothurn probably date from the [[Paleolithic]] era. The remains of a [[Mesolithic]] camp were discovered in 1986 during renovations of the former ''Kino Elite'' building. From the [[Neolithic]], [[Bronze Age|Bronze]] and [[Iron Age]], only a few scattered items have been discovered.<ref>{{HDS|1174<!--Section 3-1-->|Solothurn – Prehistoric Solothurn}}</ref>

===Roman settlement===
[[File:Picswiss SO-19-21.jpg|thumb|left|Modern Wengi bridge; the Roman bridge was north of this point.]]

The [[Switzerland in the Roman era|Roman]] settlement at Solothurn was probably built around AD 15–25 as a road station and bridge head on the road from [[Aventicum]] to [[Augusta Raurica]] or [[Vindonissa]]. A small [[vicus]] or settlement quickly developed around the [[castrum]]. Solothurn is first mentioned in 219 as ''vico salod[uro]''<ref name=HDS/> on the so-called Eponastein. The name may indicate either that a [[Celts|Celtic]] settlement existed on the site before or just be a testimony to the mixed [[Gallo-Roman culture]] in the north-west provinces of the Roman Empire.<ref name=HDS_Roman>{{HDS|1174<!--Section 3-2-->|Solothurn – Roman Empire}}</ref> It came to be known as ''Salodurum'', this name believed to derive from a Celtic language, possibly meaning "Salo's fort," from the personal name Salo + Proto-Celtic *''dūnom'', meaning "fort" or "stronghold," likely influenced by the Latin ''durus'', meaning "hard" or "strong," as in other place names. Its strategical importance lay in the position at the approach to the Rhine from southeast. In the 2nd–3rd century AD, the vicus expanded rapidly to fill almost all of what is now the old town of Solothurn, including a portion of today's suburb south of the [[Aare]].<ref name=HDS_Roman/>

The Roman bridge was probably somewhat above the current Wengibrücke. The Roman era river bed was {{convert|40|-|80|m|ft|sp=us}} north of the present Aare. The main street of the Vicus was well below the present main street. In addition to the normal government of the settlement, there were two mayors (magistri), and a six-member college (seviri Augustales), which was entrusted with supporting the [[Imperial cult (ancient Rome)|imperial cult]]. Salodurum was also home to a guard detachment of the [[Legio XXII Primigenia|XXII Legion]], whose high command was stationed in [[Mainz]] in Germany. According to inscriptions, there was a temple of Jupiter, a temple of Apollo Augustus and an altar to the goddess of horses [[Epona]], who was popular in the Roman military and of Celtic origin. However, the locations of those three temples is not known. There was bath house on the main street and a pottery district in the northwest of the town which have been documented archaeologically. A cemetery with urns and cremation burials on the eastern end of the Vicus was discovered in 1762–63 during the demolition of the old church of St. Ursus. In addition, two Roman tombs were discovered in the same area.<ref name=HDS_Roman/>

Around 325–350, the unfortified settlement along the road was transformed into a fortified camp or castrum, which covered only half of the former settlement area. A {{convert|2|-|3|m|ft|sp=us}} thick and {{convert|9|m|ft|abbr=on}} high wall was built around the settlement. The new, fortified town was bell-shaped, and is still visible in the [[cadastral]] map of the town. At various points in the town, large and small pieces of the old Roman wall are still visible in the houses of the old town. The location of a gate in the north and a tower in the south-east corner are known and it is likely that there were additional gates and towers. Almost nothing is known about the buildings inside the walls.<ref name=HDS_Early_MA>{{HDS|1174<!--Section 3-3-->|Solothurn – Late Antiquity to Early Middle Ages}}</ref>

===Early Middle Ages===
[[File:Hl Victor von Solothurn.jpg|thumb|left|upright|St. Victor of Solothurn]]
In the [[Early Middle Ages]] there were two settlement centres, a secular settlement in the former castrum and a religious settlement on the grounds of the late-Roman cemeteries outside the walls. Both the religious histories and archeological discoveries indicate that both areas remained inhabited continuously into the Early Middle Ages. The former chapel of St. Stephen inside the castrum was built on the foundation of an earlier, late-Roman building. A burial memorial in the cemetery of the nearby St. Peter's Chapel dates to around the collapse of the Roman Empire. By the middle of the 5th century, St. [[Eucherius of Lyon]] mentions the martyrdom of St. [[Ursus of Solothurn|Ursus]] and St. [[Victor of Solothurn|Victor]] and a cult of saints in Solothurn. About 500 AD, the [[Burgundians|Burgundian]] Princess Sedeleuba took the bones of St. Victor to [[Geneva]], while the bones of St. Ursus remained in Solothurn. The church dedicated to the veneration of Saint Ursus is first mentioned in 870.<ref name=HDS_Early_MA/>

===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.

===Buildings in the medieval city===
[[File:Zentralbibliothek Solothurn - Armoiries de Soleure Die Statt Solothurn 1606 - aa0257.tif|thumbnail|left|17th-century coat of arms of the city.]]
Before 1200 there was a Zähringer fortified tower north of the Monastery of St. Ursus. In the first half of the 13th century, a city wall was built around the area of the former castrum as well as the adjoining industrial area to the east and the churches of St. Peter and St. Urs. Near the Monastery of St. Ursus, a [[Franciscan]] monastery was built, and after 1280 it formed the northern city wall on the eastern part of the city. In 1532, the French embassy with a church and stately home was built in the eastern half of the city. In the western part of Solothurn, the town hall was built. First it was along the main street and in 1476 it moved south of the Franciscan monastery. A main market place grew up along the main street, and in the first half of the 17th century it moved to the northern banks of the Aare. The town hall, market place and clock tower formed the political and economic centre of city life.<ref name=HDS_Construction>{{HDS|1174<!--Section 3-6-->|Solothurn – Public and private buildings in the city}}</ref>

===Early modern Solothurn===
[[File:Solothurn Baseltor.JPG|thumb|upright|The Basel gate was added in the 16th century]]
[[File:Herrliberger Solothurn.jpg|thumb|Solothurn in 1757]]
The medieval cooperative election of the mayor and councillors led to the creation of a nearly hereditary [[oligarchy]] by the 15th century. By the second half of the 16th century, the political voice of citizens was nearly totally suppressed. By the second half of the 17th century, the government was run by a small group of [[Patrician (post-Roman Europe)|patrician]]s. The oligarchs were weakened in the 18th century, when in 1718–21 the city council managed to regain some powers. However, in 1682, a new citizenship law prevented wealthy families who had moved into Solothurn from becoming members of the council. While this law reduced the number of people who could be on the city council, the introduction of a secret ballot procedure in 1764 and measures against vote-buying in 1774 allowed more and more non-patrician [[:wikt:burgher|burgher]]s to join the council.<ref name=HDS_government/>

During the heyday of the patricians in the 17th and 18th centuries, a number of elegant town houses (Reinert House 1692–93, [[Palais Besenval]] 1703–06) and summer residences outside the city (Sommerhaus Vigier 1648–50, [[Waldegg Castle]] 1682–86 (now in nearby [[Feldbrunnen-St. Niklaus]]), [[Steinbrugg Castle]] 1665–68 and [[Blumenstein Castle]] 1725–28) were built. A number of new public buildings were also added including; the Arsenal (1610–19), the town hall with its north staircase tower (1632–34) and its eastern façade (Archive tower 1624, completed 1703–14), the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] church (1680–89), the new Ambassadorenhof (1717–24), the Holy Spirit Hospital in a suburb (1735–1800) and the new [[Classicism|classicist]] Church of St. Ursus (1763–90). In the 16th century the town walls were reinforced with the Basel gate and three round towers.<ref name=HDS_Construction/>

Between 1667 and 1727, following plans by Francesco Polatta, Jacques Le Prestre Tarade and Sébastien de Vauban, the city built fortifications with eleven full and half [[bastion]]s. The new city wall increased the size of the city by including the eastern suburb of Kreuzacker. Until the 18th century, prisoners were housed in the towers of the medieval and early modern fortifications store. Between 1753 and 1761 a new prison was built outside the city walls, which remained in use into the 20th century. A gallows was first mentioned in 1460 and was located northeast of the city near Feldbrunnen. A second gallows was located to the southwest of the city.<ref name=HDS_Construction/>

From 1530 to 1792 it was the seat of the [[France|French]] [[ambassador (diplomacy)|ambassador]] to Switzerland.

The early modern period in Solothurn ended, as in the rest of Switzerland, with the [[Switzerland in the Napoleonic era|French invasion]] in 1798.

===Modern Solothurn===
[[File:Solothurn um 1900.jpg|thumb|Solothurn in 1900]]
Following the capitulation of Solothurn on 2 March 1798, the French General [[Balthazar Alexis Henri Schauenburg]] set up a provisional government on the following day. The new government met in April to set up the new constitution. The eleven old ''Vogtei'' (baillywicks) were replaced by five districts: Solothurn, Biberist, Balsthal, Olten, and Dornach. The municipal [[Bürgergemeinde]] laid claim to the assets of the defunct city-state and in 1801 it received the ''Sönderungsconvention'', large estates and extensive forest land outside the town. In 1831 the cantonal parliament withdrew all political power from the eleven city guilds. Over the following years (1831–1842) all the guilds were dissolved. Due to the municipal law of 1859, the enforcement of the [[Swiss Federal Constitution|Federal Constitution]] of 1874 and the Cantonal Constitution of 1875, an ''Einwohnergemeinde'' was created. The ''Einwohnergemeinde'' included all residents of the town, as opposed to the more limited ''Bürgergemeinde''. The division of property between residents and the Bürgergemeinde proved to be lengthy and could not be completed until 1978 and then only with the help of the Executive Council.<ref name=HDS_19_20>{{HDS|1174<!--Section 1-1-->|Political developments in the 19th and 20th Centuries}}</ref>

In 1828 Solothurn became the seat of the [[Bishop of Basel]].

Since 1897, the municipal council has been elected by proportional voting and consists of 30 members and 15 alternate members. As the executive body, it elects the council commission (seven members). Mayor and Vice-Mayor are elected by the people. The municipal assembly is the legislative body. The composition of the council remained remarkably stable between 1917 and 1973. The [[Free Democratic Party of Switzerland|Liberals]] held an average of 60% of the seats, the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|Social Democrats]] and the [[Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland|Conservative People's Party]] (CVP today), about 20% each. In 1970, the municipality granted voting rights for women. With the emergence of new parties, the Liberals lost its dominant position. 2009, the FDP 30%, SP 23%, CVP 23%, the Greens 17% and 7% of the votes go to the SVP.<ref name=HDS_19_20/>

Rock band [[Krokus (band)|Krokus]] was formed in Solothurn in 1974.

==Geography==
[[File:ETH-BIB-Solothurn-LBS H1-009731.tif|thumb|Aerial view (1947)]]
Solothurn has an area, {{as of|2009|lc=on}}, of {{convert|6.28|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}. Of this area, {{convert|1.42|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 22.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while {{convert|0.17|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 2.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, {{convert|4.37|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 69.6% is settled (buildings or roads), {{convert|0.33|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 5.3% is either rivers or lakes.<ref name=BFS_land>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics] 2009 data {{in lang|de}} accessed 25 March 2010</ref>

Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.1% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 38.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 17.5%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.9% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 7.5%. Out of the forested land, 0.5% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 14.2% is used for growing crops and 7.0% is pastures, while 1.4% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.<ref name=BFS_land/>

Solothurn is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissenstein [[Jura mountains]].

The municipalities of [[Biberist]], [[Derendingen, Switzerland|Derendingen]], [[Luterbach]], [[Bellach]], [[Langendorf, Switzerland|Langendorf]] and Solothurn are considering a merger at a date in the future into the new municipality of with an, {{as of|2011|lc=on}}, undetermined name.<ref name=Fusion>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/03.html Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz] published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office {{in lang|de}} accessed 17 February 2011</ref>

==Coat of arms==
The [[blazon]] of the municipal [[coat of arms]] is ''Per fess Gules and Argent.''<ref>[http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ch-so084.html Flags of the World.com] accessed 23-March-2011</ref>

==Demographics==
[[File:Aarebrücke Westtangente Solothurn.jpg|thumb|Aare Bridge and a newer section of Solothurn]]
[[File:Solothurn west panorama.jpg|thumb|View over the old town of Solothurn]]
[[File:Radio 32 in Solothurn-2.JPG|thumb|upright|Radio 32 building in Solothurn]]
Solothurn has a population ({{as of|{{Swiss populations YM|CH-SO}}|lc=on}}) of {{Swiss populations|CH-SO|2601}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-SO}} {{as of|2008}}, 21.1% of the population are resident foreign nationals.<ref name=HDS_superweb>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/onlinedb/superweb/login.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Superweb database – Gemeinde Statistics 1981–2008] {{in lang|de}} accessed 19 June 2010</ref> Over the last 10 years (1999–2009) the population has changed at a rate of 4.4%.<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] accessed 23-March-2011</ref>

Most of the population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) speaks German (13,270 or 85.7%), with [[Italian language|Italian]] being second most common (469 or 3.0%) and [[Albanian language|Albanian]] being third (261 or 1.7%). There are 193 people who speak [[French language|French]] and 19 people who speak [[Romansh language|Romansh]].<ref name=STAT2000/>

{{as of|2008}}, the gender distribution of the population was 48.1% male and 51.9% female. The population was made up of 5,891 Swiss men (37.0% of the population) and 1,775 (11.1%) non-Swiss men. There were 6,669 Swiss women (41.8%) and 1,604 (10.1%) non-Swiss women.<ref>[http://www.so.ch/departemente/finanzen/amt-fuer-finanzen/statistik/themen/bevoelkerung/bevoelkerungsstatistik.html Canton of Solothurn Statistics – Wohnbevölkerung der Gemeinden nach Nationalität und Geschlecht] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110305041342/http://www.so.ch/departemente/finanzen/amt-fuer-finanzen/statistik/themen/bevoelkerung/bevoelkerungsstatistik.html |date=2011-03-05 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 11 March 2011</ref> Of the population in the municipality 3,864 or about 24.9% were born in Solothurn and lived there in 2000. There were 3,630 or 23.4% who were born in the same canton, while 4,135 or 26.7% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 3,193 or 20.6% were born outside of Switzerland.<ref name=STAT2000/>

In {{as of|2008|alt=2008}} there were 115 live births to Swiss citizens and 27 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 190 deaths of Swiss citizens and 10 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 75 while the foreign population increased by 17. There were 8 Swiss men and 13 Swiss women who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 91 non-Swiss men and 78 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 98 and the non-Swiss population increased by 161 people. This represents a [[population growth rate]] of 1.7%.<ref name=HDS_superweb/>

The age distribution, {{as of|2000|lc=on}}, in Solothurn is; 913 children or 5.9% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 2,013 teenagers or 13.0% are between 7 and 19. Of the adult population, 888 people or 5.7% of the population are between 20 and 24 years old. 4,832 people or 31.2% are between 25 and 44, and 3,678 people or 23.7% are between 45 and 64. The senior population distribution is 2,068 people or 13.4% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old and there are 1,097 people or 7.1% who are over 80.<ref>[http://www.so.ch/fileadmin/internet/fd/fafaa/pdf/statistik_allgemein/demografie_vz2000_gemeinden.pdf Canton of Solothurn Statistics – Wohnbevölkerung nach Gemeinden, Nationalität, Altersgruppen und Zivilstand, Total (Männer + Frauen)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707003128/http://www.so.ch/fileadmin/internet/fd/fafaa/pdf/statistik_allgemein/demografie_vz2000_gemeinden.pdf |date=2011-07-07 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 11 March 2011</ref>

{{as of|2000}}, there were 6,784 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 6,403 married individuals, 1,144 widows or widowers and 1,158 individuals who are divorced.<ref name=STAT2000>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.3%20-%202000/40.3%20-%202000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=3&openChild=true STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 – 2000] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409212530/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.3%20-%202000/40.3%20-%202000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=3&openChild=true |date=2014-04-09 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 2 February 2011</ref>

{{as of|2000}}, there were 7,447 private households in the municipality, and an average of 1.9 persons per household.<ref name=SFSO/> There were 3,468 households that consist of only one person and 303 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 7,625 households that answered this question, 45.5% were households made up of just one person and there were 49 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 1,907 married couples without children, 1,455 married couples with children. There were 405 single parents with a child or children. There were 163 households that were made up of unrelated people and 178 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.<ref name=STAT2000/>

{{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}} there were 1,311 single family homes (or 44.3% of the total) out of a total of 2,957 inhabited buildings. There were 838 multi-family buildings (28.3%), along with 441 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (14.9%) and 367 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (12.4%). Of the single family homes 161 were built before 1919, while 62 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (443) were built between 1919 and 1945.<ref name=Housing>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_09%20-%20Bau-%20und%20Wohnungswesen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen.asp?lang=1&prod=09&secprod=2&openChild=trueSwiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB – Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 – Gebäude und Wohnungen] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121033424/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_09%20-%20Bau-%20und%20Wohnungswesen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen.asp?lang=1&prod=09&secprod=2&openChild=trueSwiss |date=2015-01-21 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 January 2011</ref>

{{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}} there were 8,586 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 3 rooms of which there were 2,954. There were 728 single room apartments and 1,634 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 7,272 apartments (84.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 794 apartments (9.2%) were seasonally occupied and 520 apartments (6.1%) were empty.<ref name=Housing/> {{as of|2009}}, the construction rate of new housing units was 3.3 new units per 1000 residents.<ref name=SFSO/> {{as of|2003}} the average price to rent an average apartment in Solothurn was 980.18 [[Swiss franc]]s (CHF) per month (US$1043, £760, €852) approx. exchange rate from March 4, 2018). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 568.85 CHF (US$605, £438, €495), a two-room apartment was about 725.13 CHF (US$772, £558, €631), a three-room apartment was about 904.51 CHF (US$962, £696, €787) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1564.78 CHF (US$1665, £1204, €1361). The average apartment price in Solothurn was 87.8% of the national average of 1116 CHF.<ref name=BFS_rent>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/05/06/blank/key/einfuehrung.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Rental prices] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423161803/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/05/06/blank/key/einfuehrung.html |date=2010-04-23 }} 2003 data {{in lang|de}} accessed 26 May 2010</ref> The vacancy rate for the municipality, {{as of|2010|alt=in 2010}}, was 0.45%.<ref name=SFSO/>

==Historical population==
The historical population is given in the following chart:<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|1174|Solothurn}}</ref>
<timeline>
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  id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
  id:darkgrey  value:gray(0.8)
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 id:TO     value:yellowgreen      legend:Total
 id:GE     value:teal      legend:German_Speaking
 id:FR     value:green      legend:French_Speaking
 id:CA     value:lightpurple      legend:Catholic
 id:PR     value:oceanblue      legend:Protestant
 id:SW     value:red      legend:Swiss
PlotData=
  color:yellowgreen width:40   mark:(line,white) align:center
  bar:1850 from:start till:5370 text:"5,370" color:TO
  bar:1870a from:start till:7008 text:"7,008" color:TO
  bar:1888 from:start till:8317 text:"8,317" color:TO
  bar:1900 from:start till:10025 text:"10,025" color:TO
  bar:1910 from:start till:11688 text:"11,688" color:TO
  bar:1930 from:start till:13734 text:"13,734" color:TO
  bar:1950 from:start till:16743 text:"16,743" color:TO
  bar:1970 from:start till:17708 text:"17,708" color:TO
  bar:1990 from:start till:15748 text:"15,748" color:TO
  bar:2000 from:start till:15489 text:"15,489" color:TO
LineData =
  points:(300,245)(400,271)  color:GE
  points:(400,271)(500,300)  color:GE
  points:(500,300)(600,340)  color:GE
  points:(600,340)(700,393)  color:GE
  points:(700,393)(800,381)  color:GE
  points:(800,381)(900,352)  color:GE
  points:(900,352)(1000,348)  color:GE
  points:(300,95)(400,100)  color:FR
  points:(400,100)(500,103)  color:FR
  points:(500,103)(600,100)  color:FR
  points:(600,100)(700,102)  color:FR
  points:(700,102)(800,99)  color:FR
  points:(800,99)(900,96)  color:FR
  points:(900,96)(1000,94)  color:FR
  points:(100,184)(200,201)  color:CA
  points:(200,201)(300,199)  color:CA
  points:(300,199)(400,209)  color:CA
  points:(400,209)(500,217)  color:CA
  points:(500,217)(600,227)  color:CA
  points:(600,227)(700,242)  color:CA
  points:(700,242)(800,277)  color:CA
  points:(800,277)(900,228)  color:CA
  points:(900,228)(1000,196)  color:CA
  points:(100,100)(200,115)  color:PR
  points:(200,115)(300,140)  color:PR
  points:(300,140)(400,164)  color:PR
  points:(400,164)(500,186)  color:PR
  points:(500,186)(600,215)  color:PR
  points:(600,215)(700,242)  color:PR
  points:(700,242)(800,230)  color:PR
  points:(800,230)(900,200)  color:PR
  points:(900,200)(1000,179)  color:PR
  points:(100,189)(200,216)  color:SW
  points:(200,216)(300,240)  color:SW
  points:(300,240)(400,267)  color:SW
  points:(400,267)(500,295)  color:SW
  points:(500,295)(600,338)  color:SW
  points:(600,338)(700,398)  color:SW
  points:(700,398)(800,382)  color:SW
  points:(800,382)(900,347)  color:SW
  points:(900,347)(1000,330)  color:SW
</timeline>

==Main sights==
The old town was built between 1530 and 1792 and shows an architectural combination of Italian Grandezza, French style and Swiss ideas.

In 1980, Solothurn was awarded the [[Wakker Prize]] for the development and preservation of its architectural heritage.

Solothurn is home to 18 structures that are listed as Swiss [[Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance|heritage sites of national significance]]. The religious buildings on the list are; the Visitation [[Convent]], the Jesuit Church with ''Kollegium'' (Lapidarium), the [[Swiss Reformed Church|Swiss Reformed]] Church on Westringstrasse and the St. Ursen Cathedral. There are four civic buildings on the list; the old [[Armory (military)|Armory]] which is now the Cantonal Museum, the [[Seat of local government|Rathaus]] (town council house), the State Archives at Bielstrasse 41 and the nearby Central Library at Bielstrasse 39. Two other museums are on the list, the Art Museum and the Naturmuseum. There are two houses and two public objects on the list; the Haller-Haus (former Bishops Palace) at Baselstrasse 61, the Sommerhaus Vigier at Untere Steingrubenstrasse 21, the Mauritius Fountain and the town clock tower. Two castles are listed; the former Blumenstein Castle and [[Steinbrugg Castle]]. Finally, the list includes the old town of Salodurum which was a Roman era [[Vicus]] and the medieval and [[Early Modern Switzerland|early modern]] city as well as the city walls. The entire old city of Solothurn is part of the [[Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar/a-objekte.parsys.000116.DownloadFile.tmp/so.pdf|title=Kantonsliste A-Objekte:Solothurn|year=2009|work=KGS Inventar|publisher=Federal Office of Civil Protection|language=de|access-date=12 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718143839/http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar/a-objekte.parsys.000116.DownloadFile.tmp/so.pdf|archive-date=18 July 2011}}</ref>

Sights include:

* Aarhof
* Besenval Palace
* [[Solothurn Cathedral|Cathedral of St. Ursus]] (1762–73). It was begun by Gaetano Matteo Pisoni and completed by Paolo Antonio Pisoni. The interior has stuccoes by Francesco Pozzi and canvasses by [[Domenico Corvi]].
* Church of the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]] (''Jesuitenkirche'', 1680–89)
* Clock tower (''Zeitglockenturm'', 12th century)
* Gate of Basel
* Gate of Bienne
* Kosciuszko Museum
* Krone
* Landhaus
* Museum of the Old Arsenal (1609–14), housing the most ancient collection of armour in Europe.
* Old town
* The [[Verena Gorge]] and the [[Verena Gorge Hermitage]]
* Waldegg Castle<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planetware.com/solothurn/feldbrunnen-waldegg-castle-ch-so-sw.htm |title=Waldegg Castle, Feldbrunnen, Solothurn |publisher=Planetware.com |access-date=2011-09-16}}</ref>
* [[Weissenstein]] mountain

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Soleure aar.JPG|The Aare as seen from the cathedral.
File:Amthausplatz Solothurn.jpg|Amthausplatz
File:Historisches museum blumenstein suedfassade.jpg|Historical Museum of Solothurn
File:Kosciuszko Solothurn.JPG|House in Solothurn where [[Tadeusz Kościuszko]] was living at the time of his death in October 1817.
</gallery>

==Politics==
In the [[2007 Swiss federal election|2007 federal election]] the most popular party was the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|SP]] which received 24.09% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the [[FDP.The Liberals|FDP]] (23.53%), the [[Green Party of Switzerland|Green Party]] (18.56%) and the [[Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland|CVP]] (17.19%). In the federal election, a total of 5,767 votes were cast, and the [[voter turnout]] was 53.8%.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/data/04/03.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office, ''Nationalratswahlen 2007: Stärke der Parteien und Wahlbeteiligung, nach Gemeinden/Bezirk/Canton''] {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 May 2010</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Market in Solothurn.jpg|thumb|The market ({{As of|2015|lc=y}}) in Solothurn.]]
[[File:Picswiss SO-19-13.jpg|thumb|Solothurn's train station]]

{{As of|2010|In 2010}}, Solothurn had an unemployment rate of 4.6%. {{as of|2008}}, there were 22 people employed in the [[Primary sector of the economy|primary economic sector]] and about 4 businesses involved in this sector. 2,587 people were employed in the [[Secondary sector of the economy|secondary sector]] and there were 178 businesses in this sector. 14,381 people were employed in the [[Tertiary sector of the economy|tertiary sector]], with 1,226 businesses in this sector.<ref name=SFSO/> There were 8,023 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which women made up 46.9% of the workforce.

{{as of|2008|alt=In 2008}} the total number of [[full-time equivalent]] jobs was 13,378. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 16, of which 7 were in agriculture and 9 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 2,430 of which 1,398 or (57.5%) were in manufacturing and 813 (33.5%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 10,932. In the tertiary sector; 1,537 or 14.1% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 454 or 4.2% were in the movement and storage of goods, 610 or 5.6% were in a hotel or restaurant, 583 or 5.3% were in the information industry, 975 or 8.9% were the insurance or financial industry, 1,095 or 10.0% were technical professionals or scientists, 614 or 5.6% were in education and 2,612 or 23.9% were in health care.<ref>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_06%20-%20Industrie%20und%20Dienstleistungen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen.asp?lang=1&prod=06&secprod=2&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Betriebszählung: Arbeitsstätten nach Gemeinde und NOGA 2008 (Abschnitte), Sektoren 1–3] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225013454/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_06%20-%20Industrie%20und%20Dienstleistungen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen.asp?lang=1&prod=06&secprod=2&openChild=true |date=2014-12-25 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 January 2011</ref>

{{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}}, there were 13,529 workers who commuted into the municipality and 3,598 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 3.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving.<ref name=commuter>[http://www.media-stat.admin.ch/stat/pendler/pop.php Swiss Federal Statistical Office – Statweb] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120804043150/http://www.media-stat.admin.ch/stat/pendler/pop.php |date=2012-08-04 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 24 June 2010</ref> Of the working population, 20.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 40.3% used a private car.<ref name=SFSO/>

==Religion==
[[File:01-weststadtkirche-st.marien.jpg|thumb|upright|Church of St. Marien in the west of Solothurn]]

From the {{as of|2000|alt=2000 census}}, 5,463 or 35.3% were [[Roman Catholic]], while 4,358 or 28.1% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 278 [[Orthodoxy#Christianity|members of an Orthodox church]] (or about 1.79% of the population), there were 182 individuals (or about 1.18% of the population) who belonged to the [[Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland|Christian Catholic Church]], and there were 248 individuals (or about 1.60% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 27 individuals (or about 0.17% of the population) who were [[Judaism|Jewish]], and 915 (or about 5.91% of the population) who were [[Islam]]ic. There were 78 individuals who were [[Buddhism|Buddhist]], 173 individuals who were [[Hinduism|Hindu]] and 27 individuals who belonged to another church. 3,139 (or about 20.27% of the population) belonged to no church, are [[Agnosticism|agnostic]] or [[Atheism|atheist]], and 601 individuals (or about 3.88% of the population) did not answer the question.<ref name=STAT2000/>

==Education==
[[File:Kanti solothurn feb2009.jpg|thumb|The Cantonal School (Gymnasium) in Solothurn]]

In Solothurn about 5,724 or (37.0%) of the population have completed non-mandatory [[Education in Switzerland#Secondary|upper secondary education]], and 2,815 or (18.2%) have completed additional higher education (either [[List of universities in Switzerland|university]] or a ''[[Fachhochschule]]''). Of the 2,815 who completed tertiary schooling, 58.0% were Swiss men, 28.0% were Swiss women, 8.1% were non-Swiss men and 5.9% were non-Swiss women.<ref name=STAT2000/>

During the 2010–2011 school year there were a total of students in the Solothurn school system. The [[Education in Switzerland|education system]] in the Canton of Solothurn allows young children to attend two years of non-obligatory [[Kindergarten]].<ref>[http://www.so.ch/departemente/bildung-und-kultur/volksschule-und-kindergarten/infos-zu/schulsystem.html Canton of Solothurn – Education information] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508024839/http://www.so.ch/departemente/bildung-und-kultur/volksschule-und-kindergarten/infos-zu/schulsystem.html |date=2011-05-08 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 11 March 2011</ref> During that school year, there were Schülerbestand children in kindergarten. The canton's school system requires students to attend six years of [[primary school]], with some of the children attending smaller, specialized classes. In the municipality there were 2010–2011 students in primary school. The [[secondary school]] program consists of three lower, obligatory years of schooling, followed by three to five years of optional, advanced schools. All the lower secondary students from Solothurn attend their school in a neighboring municipality.<ref>[http://www.so.ch/departemente/bildung-und-kultur/volksschule-und-kindergarten/infos-zu/statistik/daten.html Canton of Solothurn – School statistics] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707003114/http://www.so.ch/departemente/bildung-und-kultur/volksschule-und-kindergarten/infos-zu/statistik/daten.html |date=2011-07-07 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 13 March 2011</ref> {{as of|2000}}, there were 2,517 students in Solothurn who came from another municipality, while 188 residents attended schools outside the municipality.<ref name=commuter/>

Solothurn is home to two libraries. These libraries include the Zentralbibliothek Solothurn and the ''Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Pädagogische Hochschule, Standort Solothurn'' (a library of the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz). There was a combined total ({{as of|2008|lc=on}}) of 1,195,394 books or other media in the libraries, and in the same year a total of 522,650 items were loaned out.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/16/02/02/data.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office, list of libraries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706231342/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/16/02/02/data.html |date=2015-07-06 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 14 May 2010</ref>

==Sport==
[[FC Solothurn]] is the town's football club.

==The number 11==
Solothurn has a special affinity for the number [[11 (number)|eleven]].

The Canton of Solothurn was the eleventh to become part of the Swiss Confederation. There are eleven churches and chapels, as well as eleven historical fountains and eleven towers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=MacEacheran |first1=Mike |title=The Swiss town obsessed with the number 11 |date=12 February 2019 |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20190211-the-swiss-town-obsessed-with-the-number-11 |publisher=[[BBC Travel]] |access-date=25 March 2019}}</ref> The [[Solothurn Cathedral|St. Ursus cathedral]] has eleven altars and eleven bells, and the stairs in front of the cathedral have landings after every eleven steps.

A local brewery has named itself ''Öufi'', which is [[Swiss German]] for eleven, and produces a [[beer]] with the same name.

== Solothurn Folk Tale ==
The City of Solothurn has a [[Myth|Mythical]] Tale set during the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] occupation times. The People of Solothurn who believed in a singular god were tortured by the Roman soldiers in the Area. The Romans who were [[Polytheism|polytheist]] were forcefully converting the locals to believing in their gods. But the People of Solothurn were resilient and stubborn with what they thought was the truth. Some converted though and after a while the romans started imprisoning the [[Heresy|Heretics]] to their [[Religion]].  The prisoners were famished, dehydrated, cold, and put into inhabitable conditions, just until they stopped believing in their singular [[God]]. But they did not falter and after months it was decided that they would be executed. The Romans built a great Fire intending to burn them, but when time came to actually execute the plan a great big [[storm]] arrived and poured rain on the city including the fire extinguish it. The People of Solothurn believed that this was an act of their god to save  them. The romans wanting to get over with it brought the prisoners to the Bridge that stood over the river [[Aare]]. There they put the prisoners to their knees and head over the water and one by one chopped their heads off then pushed the rest of the body into the river. When it was out of sight the bodies would find their heads and go on shore to an empty field. The Bodies would then use their heads to dig themselves a grave where they would then put themselves to rest.

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Switzerland}}

===Twin towns—Sister cities===
Solothurn is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:

*{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Heilbronn]], [[Germany]], since 1981
*{{flagicon|CH}} [[Le Landeron]], [[Switzerland]], since 2003

===Partnerships===
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Kraków]] in [[Poland]], since 1990<ref name="Kraków">{{cite web|url=http://www.krakow.pl/otwarty_na_swiat/?LANG=UK&MENU=l&TYPE=ART&ART_ID=16|title=Kraków otwarty na świat|publisher=www.krakow.pl|access-date=2009-07-19}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
[[File:Robertglutz.jpg|140px|thumb|Robert Glutz, 1855]]
[[File:Charles Sealsfield.jpg|140px|thumb|Charles Sealsfield, 1864]]
[[File:Wilhelm-vigier-crop.jpg|140px|thumb|Wilhelm Vigier, 1886]]
[[File:Chef Anton Mosimann OBE DL.jpg|140px|thumb|Chef Anton Mosimann, 2010]]
[[File:Ester Alder (cropped).jpg|140px|thumb|Ester Alder, 2014]]
[[File:FIS Worldcup Nordic Combined Ramsau 20161218 DSC 8266.jpg|140px|thumb|Tim Hug, 2016]]

=== Early times ===
* [[Ursus of Solothurn]] († c. 303), saint and patron of the Roman Catholic cathedral in Solothurn, where his body is located
* [[Urs Graf der Ältere]] (1485–1528), Renaissance goldsmith, painter, printmaker and mercenary
* [[Gregorius Sickinger]] (1558–1631), painter, draughtsman and engraver
* {{ill|Georg Gotthart|de}} (1552–1619), poet and playwright

=== 17th century ===
* [[Jean II d'Estrées]] (1624–1707), Marshal of France and a naval commander of [[Louis XIV]]
* [[Johann Rudolf Byss]] (1660–1738), painter of the Netherlandish and Italian classic styles
* [[Franz Adam Karrer]] (1672–1741), senior Swiss military officer in French service

=== 18th century ===
* [[Franz Josef von Hallwyl]] (1719–1785), senior Swiss military officer in French service
* [[Pierre Victor, baron de Besenval de Brünstatt|Peter Viktor, Baron von Besenval von Brunstatt]] (1721–1791), [[Swiss mercenaries|Swiss military officer in French service]] and [[Favourite|favorite]] of Queen [[Marie  Antoinette]]<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Besenval_de_Bronstatt,_Pierre_Victor,_Baron_de  |volume= 03 |short=x}}</ref> 
* General [[Tadeusz Kościuszko]] (1746–1817), Polish statesman and [[Continental Army|American]] military leader, lived in exile in Solothurn
* [[Urs Glutz von Blotzheim]] (1751–1816), military officer and politician
* [[Victor von Gibelin]] (1771–1853), [[Swiss mercenaries|Swiss military officer in French service]] and politician
* [[Robert Glutz-Blotzheim]] (1786–1818), writer, librarian and historian
* {{ill|Konrad Josef Glutz von Blotzheim|de}} (1789–1857), priest<ref>[[:de:Konrad Josef Glutz von Blotzheim|German Wiki, Konrad Josef Glutz von Blotzheim]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=May 2021}}
* [[Charles Sealsfield]] (1793–1864), Austrian-American writer, journalist and advocate for a German democracy <ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Sealsfield,_Charles |volume= 24 |short=x}}</ref>

=== 19th century ===
* [[Johann Friedrich Dietler]] (1804–1874), portrait painter
* {{ill|Franz Krutter|de}} (1807–1873), writer, lawyer and politician<ref>[[:de:Franz Krutter|German Wiki, Franz Krutter]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=May 2021}}
* [[Franz Pfeiffer (literary scholar)|Franz Pfeiffer]] (1815–1868), literary scholar who worked in Germany and Austria <ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Pfeiffer,_Franz |volume= 21 |short=x}}</ref> 
* [[Wilhelm Vigier]] (1823–1886), politician, President of the [[Swiss Council of States]] 1862–1863 and 1882–1883 
* [[Frank Buchser]] (1828–1890), painter of notable post–Civil War American figures
* [[Otto Frölicher]] (1840–1890), landscape painter
* {{ill|Conradin Zschokke|de}} (1842–1918), engineer<ref>[[:de:Conradin Zschokke|German Wiki, Conradin Zschokke]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=May 2021}}
* [[Victor Sterki]] (1846–1933), Swiss [[malacologist]] who lived in Ohio, USA
* [[Cuno Amiet]] (1868–1961), painter, illustrator, graphic artist and sculptor

=== 20th century ===
* [[Ruedi Walter]] (1916–1990), comedian, radio personality and stage and film actor<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910131/  IMDb Database] retrieved 18 January 2019</ref>
* [[Oscar Wiggli]] (1927–2016), composer and sculptor
* [[Herbert Meier]] (1928–2018), writer and translator
* [[Otto F. Walter]] (1928–1994), publisher and author
* [[Urs Jaeggi]] (born 1931), sociologist, painter and author
* [[Urs Noel Glutz von Blotzheim]] (born 1932), zoologist, known for his ornithological work
* [[Schang Hutter]] (1934–2021), sculptor<ref>[[:de:Schang Hutter|German Wiki, Schang Hutter]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=May 2021}}
* [[Peter Bichsel]] (born 1935), writer and journalist, representing modern German literature
* {{ill|Walter Bloch|de}} (born 1943), philosopher and writer
* {{ill|Walter Schenker|de}} (1943–2018), author
* [[Anton Mosimann]] OBE, DL (born 1947), chef and restaurateur
* [[Markus Gygax]] (born 1950), former commander of the Swiss Air Force
* [[Chris von Rohr]] (born 1951), rock musician, record producer, founder of hard rock band Krokus
* [[Kurt Fluri]] (born 1955), politician, member of the [[National Council of Switzerland]]
* [[Esther Alder]] (born 1958), politician, in 2015 became the Mayor of Geneva
* [[Denise Wyss]] (born 1965), first woman to be ordained in the [[Old Catholic Church]]
* [[Bernhard Hess]] (born 1966), politician, member of the National Council 1999–2007
* [[Tom Misteli]] (born 1966), cell biologist and pioneer in the field of genome cell biology
* [[Martin vom Brocke]] (born 1969), dentist, orthodontist and author
* [[Adèle Thorens Goumaz]] (born 1971), politician, member of the National Council since 2007
* [[Martin Oeggerli]] (born 1974), photographer specializing in scientific microscopy and fine art
* [[Krokus (band)|Krokus]] (founded 1975 by Chris von Rohr), hard rock and heavy metal band
* [[Andreas Reize]] (born 19 May 1975), organist and conductor, [[Thomaskantor]]

=== Sport ===
* [[Edgar Buchwalder]] (1916–2009), cyclist, silver medalist at the [[1936 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Anton Allemann]] (1936–2008), footballer, played 27 times for the Swiss national team
* [[Alex Tschui]] (born 1939), modern pentathlete, competed at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Marco Walker]] (born 1970), former footballer who played 344 games
* [[Alexander Popov (swimmer)|Alexander Popov]] (born 1971), Russian former swimmer, won gold in the 50m. and 100m. freestyle at the [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992]] and [[1996 Summer Olympics]], lives in Solothurn
* [[Tim Hug]] (born 1987), Nordic combined skier, competed in the [[2010 Winter Olympics]]
* [[Yannick Schwaller]] (born 1995), curler, [[2023 World Men's Curling Championship]] bronze medalist, [[2014 World Junior Curling Championships|2014 World Junior Men's Curling]] Champion

==Climate==
{{Weather box
|location = Solothurn/[[Koppigen]], elevation {{convert|485|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = Y
| Jan high C = 3.1
| Feb high C = 5.2
| Mar high C = 10.5
| Apr high C = 14.9
| May high C = 18.9
| Jun high C = 22.9
| Jul high C = 25.1
| Aug high C = 24.6
| Sep high C = 19.7
| Oct high C = 14.1
| Nov high C = 7.5
| Dec high C = 3.5
| year high C = 14.2
| Jan mean C = 0.4
| Feb mean C = 1.1
| Mar mean C = 5.2
| Apr mean C = 8.9
| May mean C = 13.2
| Jun mean C = 16.8
| Jul mean C = 18.7
| Aug mean C = 18.4
| Sep mean C = 14.0
| Oct mean C = 9.5
| Nov mean C = 4.3
| Dec mean C = 1.0
| year mean C = 9.3
| Jan low C = -2.7
| Feb low C = -2.8
| Mar low C = 0.3
| Apr low C = 3.1
| May low C = 7.5
| Jun low C = 11.1
| Jul low C = 12.8
| Aug low C = 12.7
| Sep low C = 9.2
| Oct low C = 5.6
| Nov low C = 1.2
| Dec low C = -1.8
| year low C = 4.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 65.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 56.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 62.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 75.5
|May precipitation mm = 105.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 106.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 107.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 114.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 84.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 85.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 76.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 84.8
|year precipitation mm = 1026.0
| Jan snow cm = 11.4
| Feb snow cm = 11.6
| Mar snow cm = 5.1
| Apr snow cm = 1.8
| May snow cm = 0.0
| Jun snow cm = 0.0
| Jul snow cm = 0.0
| Aug snow cm = 0.0
| Sep snow cm = 0.0
| Oct snow cm = 0.6
| Nov snow cm = 5.0
| Dec snow cm = 13.5
| year snow cm = 49.0
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 10.1
| Feb precipitation days = 9.3
| Mar precipitation days = 9.5
| Apr precipitation days = 9.5
| May precipitation days = 11.9
| Jun precipitation days = 11.4
| Jul precipitation days = 10.8
| Aug precipitation days = 11.2
| Sep precipitation days = 9.1
| Oct precipitation days = 10.3
| Nov precipitation days = 10.6
| Dec precipitation days = 11.4
| year precipitation days = 125.1
|unit snow days = 1.0&nbsp;cm
| Jan snow days = 3.6
| Feb snow days = 3.3
| Mar snow days = 1.7
| Apr snow days = 0.6
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.1
| Nov snow days = 1.2
| Dec snow days = 3.3
| year snow days = 13.8
| Jan humidity = 86
| Feb humidity = 81
| Mar humidity = 75
| Apr humidity = 73
| May humidity = 74
| Jun humidity = 73
| Jul humidity = 71
| Aug humidity = 74
| Sep humidity = 79
| Oct humidity = 85
| Nov humidity = 88
| Dec humidity = 88
| year humidity = 79
| source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name=NOAA1>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241211103435/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/archive/arc0216/0253808/5.5/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Switzerland/CSV/Koppigen_06635.csv
| archive-date = 11 December 2024
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/archive/arc0216/0253808/5.5/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Switzerland/CSV/Koppigen_06635.csv
| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 11 December 2024}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[MeteoSwiss]]<ref name=MeteoSwiss>{{cite web
| url = https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/product/output/climate-data/climate-diagrams-normal-values-station-processing/KOP/climsheet_KOP_np9120_e.pdf
| title = Climate Normals Koppigen (Reference period 1991−2020) 
| publisher = Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, MeteoSwiss 
| access-date = 27 January 2022}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

==See also==
* [[Solothurner Literaturpreis]]

==References==
; Bibliography
* B. Amiet, H. Sigrist, Th. Wallner: ''Solothurner Kantonsgeschichte'', 3 volumes
* U. Wiesli: ''Geographie des Kantons Solothurn''

; Notes
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080522035341/http://www.solothurn-city.ch/topic2477.html Solothurn tourist office] D/F + {{in lang|en}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Soleure (town) | volume= 25 |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge| pages = 350–360 |short=1}}

{{Sister bar|auto=y}}
{{Cantons of Switzerland}}
{{List of European capitals by region}}
{{Districts of the canton of Solothurn}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Solothurn| ]]
[[Category:Canton of Solothurn]]
[[Category:Cantonal capitals of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Cities in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Solothurn]]
[[Category:Districts of the canton of Solothurn]]
[[Category:Free imperial cities]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the canton of Solothurn]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 1st century]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Aare]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1648]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1218]]