n.
or Zurich
City (pop., 2000: city, 363,273; 1998 est.: metro. area, 935,118), Switzerland.
Located at the northwestern end of Lake Zürich , the site was occupied first by prehistoric lake dwellers and later by the Celtic Helvetii before the Romans conquered the area 0441; 58 BC. It subsequently was held by the Alamanni and the Franks . Zürich grew as a trade centre, and in 1218 it became a free imperial city. In 1351 it joined the Swiss Confederation. Under the leadership of Huldrych Zwingli , Zürich became the centre of the Swiss Reformation in the 16th century. Attracting refugees from the Counter-Reformation , it established a liberal democratic order during the 1830s. Long an industrial centre and Switzerland's largest city, Zürich is also an important financial centre and a major tourist destination. The city's cultural treasures include the National Museum (1833) and the Zürich Opera (1891).