Map - Altstetten (Zürich) (Zürich (Kreis 9) / Altstetten)

Altstetten is a quarter in district 9 of the city of Zürich in Switzerland. It was formerly a municipality in its own right, but was incorporated into Zürich in 1934.

Altstetten is first mentioned in 1249, at which time a distinction was made between in Altstettin superiori and in villa Altstetin Inferiori. Excavations have found remains probably from the late Bronze Age (1000-800 BC), together with those of a Roman villa.

In 1847, the Swiss Northern Railway opened Switzerland's first domestic railway line between Zürich and Baden. The line passed through Altstetten, and a station was provided. Over time, the line became the principal rail route between Zürich and northern and western Switzerland. In 1864, a second line, to Zug via Affoltern am Albis, made a junction with the first just west of Altstetten railway station. In 1907, the Swiss Federal Railway, who had taken over both lines, opened a workshop in Altstetten.

In 1900, the Limmattal-Strassenbahn opened an interurban electric tramway through Altstetten, connecting with Zürich's city trams at Letzigraben, which then formed the boundary between Zürich and Altstetten. Beyond Altstetten, the tramway continued to Schlieren, Dietikon and Weiningen. In 1931, the line was taken over by the Städtische Strassenbahn Zürich, operators of Zürich's city trams, by which time the line had been cut back to Schlieren. In the late 1950s the line was further cut back to Farbhof in the western of Altstetten, and it now forms part of city tram route 2.

The former municipality of Altstetten was incorporated into the city of Zürich in 1934. The neighbouring municipality of Albisrieden was incorporated at the same time, and together they form district 9 of the city.

In 1967 Ernst Sieber became the parish priest of Zürich-Altstetten where he worked until his retirement as pastor in 1992.