In recent years, Canton Thurgau has become one of the top addresses in Switzerland for the establishment of new businesses. Numerous new enterprises are setting up shop in our attractive canton every year. Decisive are the excellent general conditions with low taxes and perfect connections. You simply get to your destination quicker than anywhere else. Here, visions become reality.

From the Agricultural Canton to the Industrial Canton
The economic history of Thurgau is marked by change. After the former hinterland of the bishop’s seat Constance joined the Swiss Confederation in the Late Middle Ages, an agricultural, rural society dominated. While the new border divided, on the one hand, it also motivated, on the other hand, people to overcome it through a special kind of openness, innovation, and belief in progress. The people of Thurgau have retained these traits until today. Countless pioneers took up residence here during the Age of Industrialization and turned the canton into one of the most industrialized cantons in Switzerland. Everything revolved around the machine industry, the textile industry, and the processing of agricultural products.

Thurgau has undergone a remarkable development over the last few decades which in recent years is due to the implementation of concrete objectives contained in a governmental business development plan: Low taxes, excellent transportation routes, and outstanding quality in education.

Today, Thurgau is a typical venue for small and midsized enterprises (SME). 88 % of all businesses have less than ten employees. At the same time, there are also a number of large, in particular, export-based enterprises which convey the innovative power and quality of Thurgau into the entire world. Several of these comapnies will be presented elsewhere in this magazine.

Vitality and Growth
Even today, Thurgau still has an above average industrialization. More than 35 % of all employees work in the secondary, i.e. manufacturing, sector. In contrast, the primary, i.e. raw materials, sector has been declining continuously so that only about 9 % of all employees work here. The service sector has grown considerably during the last few years and has created numerous new jobs. But also the construction industry and health services are important branches.

Between 2001 and 2005, Thurgau exhibited an above average growth in employment with 2.7 % (CH: 0.7 %). The expansion or the successful relocation of enterprises from the plastics, machine as well as vehicle and electric industries, which all represent intensive value creation branches with growth potential, send a clear signal. The canton has exhibited above average growth in the information science/business services and educational/research branches during the past few years. In addition to the 15,000 places of employment, more than 300 new businesses are founded in Thurgau every year.

Human Resources as Potential
Even though the canton underwent a remarkable structural change during the last few decades, employment always remained above the Swiss average and, thus, unemployment stayed below average. With its current unemployment rate of 2.4 %, it is about one percent less than that of Switzerland.

The economic history explains the reason for this excellent potential of human resources in the canton. Well educated and highly skilled workers who come from a broad range of vocational education and training programs as well as numerous graduates from the neighboring universities and universities of applied sciences all serve as an excellent recruitment ground for enterprises.

Sound Public Finances – Low Taxes
During the last few years, the parliament and the government of Thurgau has undertaken great efforts to turn the canton into one of the most attractive regions in Switzerland with regard to taxes. This goal was achieved through numerous revisions in the tax legislation. Existing and new businesses have since then enjoyed these lower tax rates and, thus, have sufficient potential for investment and expansion.

It is also worth noting that Thurgau has not only low taxes, but also one of the most efficient and inexpensive administrative structures in all of Switzerland.

Thurgau, the Gate to Switzerland and Europe
Another vital factor for the prosperous economy in Thurgau is its close proximity to Germany and, thus, to the EU. The city bridge Kreuzlingen/Constance provides a strong and intense traffic-based, infrastructural, touristic, educational, and societal link to the neighbor in Baden-Wuerttemberg. The busy cross-border traffic and impressive exchange of goods, services, and employees furnish proof of the close relationships in the Lake Constance region via the canton of Thurgau. 2,500 generally well-educated commuters come to work in Thurgau and, thus, foster the growth of the region. Many export-based firms as well as numerous logistics and transportation companies have settled in the Kreuzlingen-Constance area. Due to the increased number of close links and the opening borders, Thurgau has an outstanding foundation with which it can achieve its economic and employment objectives.

Edgar Georg Sidamgrotzki
Office for Economics and Labor

The canton of Thurgau, part of the “Euregio Lake Constance”, may also be called the “Gate of Switzerland” leading to and from the European Union. Thurgau is predestined to attract enterprises from the EU and Swiss companies which are active in the EU or seek to do so.

The Thurgauer Kantonalbank, founded in 1871, has more than 700 employees and a balance sheet total of about 15 billion francs. The legally mandated requirement to foster a vital economy is taken to heart by the state bank with a great sense of responsibility which is documented by its close ties to the market: Seven out of ten small and mid-sized enterprises in Thurgau have business relations with the bank. The ISO certified universal bank provides comprehensive services to private persons, small and mid-sized enterprises (SME) as well as public authorities; about 180,000 customers trust the bank. In addition to 30 branch offices and branches in the entire canton, more than 70 automatic teller machines, various electronic channels, and the Contact Center are all available to customers so that they might transact their banking business with ease. The Kantonalbank is one of the largest employers in Thurgau and trains more than 60 apprentices.

First Contact with a Business Venue
The most important location for banks in Thurgau, above all for the neighboring country Germany, is Kreuzlingen, the border city adjoining Constance. The Swiss banks also offer, of course, their various financial services in the other cities of Thurgau, but Kreuzlingen, the “First City of Switzerland”, holds special importance due to its close proximity to the border. In light of the fact that five banks are located within a short distance of one another along Kreuzlingen’s main street, the Hauptstrasse, one can justifiably speak of the “City of Banking” when talking about Kreuzlingen. UBS, Credit Suisse, Thurgauer Kantonalbank, Migrosbank, and Raiffeisenbank are all located in Kreuzlingen. The quality of services offered by the banks in Kreuzlingen is comparable to that offered in such large  national banking centers as Zurich, Basel, Geneva, or Lugano.

The relevance of the banking location Kreuzlingen is quite considerable to the business venue Thurgau. An excellent portfolio of banking services is a decisive factor in attracting enterprises or private persons to Thurgau since many first contacts of interested parties seeking to relocate at home or abroad are established through the service representatives of a bank. Other economic sectors such as, for example, hotels and restaurants, jewelers, factory outlets, or retailers, also profit from the regular visits of international customers.

Clear Rules
It goes without saying that the customer service representatives of an international banking and financial center are familiar with the laws of their customers’ home countries, and more precisely, are well acquainted withthe German regulations and requirements. A written permit (license) issued by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) is required, for example, to legally manage and handle banking transactions or render financial services in Germany. However, the possibility also exists for foreign institutions to be exempted from the license obligation in specified business sectors. This option, for example, has already been utilized by UBS and Credit Suisse; this means, therefore, that under certain, clearly defined circumstances and obligations, cross-border banking services may actually be rendered in Germany.

Social Commitment
Above and beyond their core business, Thurgau’s banks are also committed to the social and cultural life of the canton. As the biggest sponsor in the canton, the Thurgau Kantonalbank (TKB) has been supporting, for example, for many years now young talents in sports and culture, sponsoring specifically popular sports, and is involved in cantonal and regional events. In addition, the bank also acts as the organizer of important events. With the Thurgau Apple, the Thurgau tourism award, and the innovation prizes of the Technology Center Constance, the TKB sponsors important awards of the business community. The bank also finances the TKB Professorial Chair for Applied Economic Research at the University of Constance and supports the entrepreneurial center START. As a sponsor, the TKB promotes the realization of numerous events and projects in the cultural and social sector and focuses in the acquisition of artwork on regional artists.

Credit Suisse (CS), for example, grants scholarships for the International School Kreuzlingen-Constance and sponsors the city theater Stadttheater Constance and the philharmonic orchestra Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Constance. Last but not least, the Kreuzlingen CS Branch Manager, Mr. Daniel Geisselhardt, also points to the “Berliner Kulturstipendium der Thurgauer Wirtschaft,” i.e. a cultural scholarship of the Thurgau business community, which Credit Suisse supports as well as to the financial assistance being provided for the restoration of the park grounds at Arenenberg Castle. Other banks in Thurgau are also promoting a variety of events: The more than 120 employees of the UBS AG corporation in Thurgau are involved in various cultural, athletic, governmental, and business institutions. UBS is, for example, the main sponsor of the Business Forum Thurgau in Weinfelden, the so-called stepping stone event which brings Thurgau enterprises and students from Thurgau together in an innovative setting, as well as the Memorial Mountain Race in Steckborn.

UBS Kreuzlingen organizes the UBS Forum which managed to provide valuable impulses to the Kreuzlingen/Constance region. The Forum’s objective is to improve the culture of talking with one another. Crossing all political and social boundaries, it was possible to discuss topics of general interest and to translate them into action. The urban development and mission statement of Kreuzlingen may serve as examples here.

The Raiffeisenbank has also been active as a sponsor in many social sectors of the canton on numerous occasions.

Thomas Willauer

Canton Thurgau has a very dense as well as an effective and efficient road and rail network and offers perfect connections to the surrounding business regions as well as to Zurich Kloten Airport. In Thurgau, the transportation problems of large urban agglomerations do not exist. That’s why traffic jams and parking worries are the exception. One moves forward in Thurgau.

Public transportation serves the entire canton with exceptional quality. During the past ten years, the canton and its municipalities have really expanded the train and bus services a lot in conjunction with the public transportation companies. Thurgau was, thus, able to visibly increase its locational attractiveness. Between 1996 and 2006, the services provided by rail and bus companies increased by more than 60 percent to 12 million kilometers travelled. During the same period of time, the number of passengers increased by 36 percent to more than 26 million; with anticipated additional increases. Further improvements are planned since public transportation will become even more important when commercial businesses and private households decide on where to settle down.

Today, a dense rail and bus network with a length of 700 kilometers and about 900 stops offers mobility which is environmentally safe and literally located just around the corner. On most rail lines, modern and mostly airconditioned regional trains travel at 30-minute intervals. The other rail and bus lines are operated at one-hour intervals which are increased to 30-minute intervals with additional trains and buses during the morning and evening peak times. A very special role is assumed by the passenger and car ferry Friedrichshafen – Romanshorn which travels across the lake in one-hour intervals. It alleviates the barrier effect of Lake Constance, unites the business regions on either side of the lake, combines the Swiss and German railroad systems, and offers a real alternative to long trips around the lake.

Thurgau’s outstanding connections to business regions outside the canton and the business centers Zurich, St. Gallen, and Constance as well as to Zurich’s Kloten Airport are all assured by direct rail lines and roads (A1 and A7). In this, the excellent hourly express train connections of the IC Romanshorn-Weinfelden-Zurich-Bern train and the ICN Constance-Kreuzlingen-Weinfelden-Zurich-Biel train also assume a vital role. Both express trains are coordinated with each other in such a way that they travel between Weinfelden and Zurich (travel time: 50 minutes) at 30-minute intervals with stops in Frauenfeld, Winterthur, and Zurich Airport. Thanks to the superb links to regional trains and regional buses as well as the city buses in Frauenfeld and Kreuzlingen, it is guaranteed that two thirds of Thurgau’s citizens are connected with the business region of Zurich at 30-minute intervals. In Winterthur, the Thurgau rail lines offer attractive connections to Zurich’s commuter rail system. With the extension of the S8 from Winterthur to Weinfelden, which will be in operation as of December 2007, it is no longer necessary to change trains in Winterthur.

The THURBO regional train helps to discover the recreational paradise Thurgau in a relaxed style. One of the most beautiful train routes is the Seelinie (i.e. “lake line”) from Schaffhausen via Stein am Rhein – Kreuzlingen – Romanshorn to Rorschach. Charming historic villages, marvelous parks by the lake, and countless places of interest as well as many museums are all located along the route. The exploration by rail may be interrupted for a sightseeing tour at any time. Traveling is great fun with these modern passenger trains. Many tips for excursions may be found at the website: www.thurbo.ch under the heading “Ausflüge.” Whether it be a hiking tour, a bicycle trip, or a skating excursion: A detailed description is available for each trip.

Werner Müller/TW
Werner Müller is Head of the Public Transportation/
Tourism Department of Canton Thurgau

Thurgau has a wealth of small and large convents and monasteries. In the Middle Ages, the Benedictines, Dominicans, Cistercians, and Augustinians founded more than a dozen retreats, including many convents. These imposing edifices continue to dominate the landscape even today and are magnificent attractions for tourism and recreation.

In the mid 19th century, though, most of these monasteries were nationalized and closed. The young canton of Thurgau looked for new uses for the many buildings which it had acquired in this manner and exhibited remarkable imagination. Kalchrain near Herdern and the former headquarters of the Knights of St. John in Tobel were converted into prisons. Hospitals were created in Münsterlingen and in the Dominican convent of St. Katharinental near Diessenhofen while the Augustinian canon chapterhouse in Kreuzlingen became home of Thurgau’s teacher’s seminar.

Today, many of the former convents and monasteries are open to the public in one form or another. Thus, the baroque churches of Paradies, Münsterlingen, or St. Katharinental have an outstanding reputation as harmonious concert sites. But anyone interested in catching a glimpse of monastic life should visit Fischingen Abbey of the Benedictines, or Charterhouse Ittingen.

Since 1977, half a dozen Benedictine monks are living again in Fischingen and run a house of education. In addition to the ecclesiastic, religious education on the weekends, the house is also open to all members of the world of business and education for guest courses. But also individual visitors will find something to their liking in Fischingen. Exhibits are regularly organized with contemporary artists on the abbey’s premises which also permit one to look around in the monastic buildings during the day.

The highlight of every visit is surely the newly restored monastery church. Today’s building is defined by the comprehensive reconstruction that was carried out between 1685-1687 and the subsequent baroque decoration. Particularly remarkable is St. Idda Chapel, a high baroque edifice, which was newly built starting in 1704; nothing comparable may be found anywhere near and far. Saint Idda of Toggenburg lived in the 12th century and had retreated to a cell near Fischingen Abbey after the untimely death of her husband. Here, she lived as a contemplative woman steeped in prayer and as a counselor of the common folk. Her veneration as a holy woman commenced after her death. Various legends arose around her person, and soon pilgrimages to Fischingen began. A little gate still exists at her tomb through which pilgrims may put their feet so that they might be alleviated of their foot ailments.

In contrast to the lively pilgrimages, Charterhouse Ittingen was much more hushed. Carthusian monks combine the ideals of hermitic life with a communal monastic lifestyle. Secluded in the sanctuary of the monastery’s premises, they pursue a rigid daily schedule and keep a vow of silence. No monks have lived in Ittingen since 1848. But the premises have been carefully preserved for more than 150 years so that it is possible to catch a glimpse of the Carthusian world. A number of cells are still kept as if the monastery had just been occupied recently. The richly ornamented church and the carefully restored infrastructure of the monastery with the refectory, chapter house, sacristies, and guest wing may be visited as well. They vividly demonstrate that this secluded monastic community also managed a very successful business back in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Today, Charterhouse Ittingen is actually more than just a historical museum. The Thurgau Museum of Art resides at the same location. It houses not only the canton’s art collection, but also unites art and history through its exhibits of contemporary artists from all over the world. A highlight of any visit to Charterhouse Ittingen is definitely also the “Ittingen Walk,” created by the Canadian artist Janet Cardiff, which permits one to experience the historical rooms in a unique fashion and which winds its way through a contemporary work of art. But those who seek more spiritual experiences will also find something in Ittingen as well. In addition to the extensive program of courses, the Protestant center for meetings and education tecum also invites visitors to use a room of silence for meditation while a maze in the garden allows one to experience first hand a meditative search for the center. Thus, the buildings and gardens of the former monastery combine historical knowledge with contemporary needs and experiences most elegantly.

Markus Landert