Altdorf

Tell, William

Altdorf, capital of Uri canton, central Switzerland. It lies near the confluence of the Reuss River and the Schächen torrent, southeast of Lucerne. In the centre of the town a bronze statue of William Tell (1895) marks the place at which, according to tradition, he shot, with his crossbow, an apple from his son’s head. The Tell theatre (1925) stages performances of Friedrich Schiller’s play Wilhelm Tell. Tell is said to have been born at nearby Bürglen. Landmarks in Altdorf include a Capuchin monastery from 1581, a medieval tower, and the town church and town hall, both rebuilt after 1799. The town is on the St. Gotthard railway line and has cable and rubber works and an ammunition factory. The population is mostly Roman Catholic and German speaking. Pop. (2007 est.) 8,595.