Romans were the first to fortify the area now known as Zurich, although there is evidence of settlement as far back as the Bronze Age. In the first century BC the Romans turned the Lindenhof into a customs post and named it Turicum. Even though growth was slow, textiles such as of silk and wool allowed Zurich’s Merchants to build up great wealth. In 1218 Zurich was given the status of a free city under the Holy Roman Empire. In 1336 the merchants and artisans of the city lead by burgomaster Rudolf Brun, managed to push the nobility out of power and gave the power instead, to workers guilds. In 1351 Zurich joined the Swiss Confederation and soon became known as a cultural and intellectual center.

Power and Prestige came when Zurich became the first Swiss city to adopt the reformation. Huldrych Zwingli, who was dubbed Zurich’s spiritual father, taught the reformation at the Grossmunster from 1519 until his death in 1531. In 1525 Catholic masses were eliminated which turned Zurich into a hub for nonconformists. The change from Zwinglian preaching’s to the Calvinist doctrine, in 1549 brought the city into a decline. Alfred Escher, as a city counselor, helped to make Zurich once again the economic capital of Switzerland, by improving the manufacturing industry, the banking industry, and even tourism through his innovative ideas. Zurich’s stock exchange was founded in 1877 and is still Switzerland’s most important stock exchange.

Switzerland was strictly neutral during both world wars and as a result Zurich managed to flourish after WWII. Zurich today has the 4th largest stock market in the world, behind, New York, London, and Tokyo and is also the leading market for gold and other precious metals. The city is run primarily by the Social Democrats though the guilds still remain influential.