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      Themes Description
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      Basic cadastral surveying plan

      The basic cadastral surveying plan serves as a background plan in raster form. It may also be superimposed with additional thematic data.
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      Collection of the cadastral surveying data

      Learn more about Swiss cadastral surveying methods and measuring technology and geographic information system (GIS) data processing.
      Cadastral Surveying
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      Objectives & work methods
      Benefits & results
      Methods & data models
      The Swiss Cadastral Survey provides data relating to landownership and is the basis for a variety of geographic data and applications.
      CadastralWebMap-WMS

      CadastralWebMap WMS is a presentation service, providing digital cadastral surveying data in reduced form.
      Cadastralinfo – real estate data

      Use the Cadastralinfo service to access data relating to the Swiss cadastral system and to find plot numbers in Switzerland.
      Cadastral surveying status

      Overview of the status of the cadastral surveying and the standard of quality of the collected data.
      Cadastral survey data – procurement
      see
      Collection of the cadastral surveying data
      Utilisation of data
      Cadastral survey data are collected, managed and updated by the cantons. Here you can access the geoportals of the cantons.
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      Details for contact form

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      Extracts from the PLR-cadastre

      Get extracts from the Cadastre of Public-law Restrictions on landownership (PLR Cadastre) as an online map or a Pdf document.
      Themes Description
      Fundamentals of surveying

      Learn about geodetic fundamentals of Switzerland's Cadastral Surveying: coordinates, reference system and reference frame.
      Themes Description
      GeoMeta-WMS

      The GeoMeta Web Map Service provides information about cadastral surveying status and the continuous adaptation process of official geodata.
      GNSS – low distortion areas

      This dataset provides information about the locations of low distortion areas, i.e. areas with a high degree of geometric precision.
      Geographic names

      The cadastral surveying enables standardisation of geographic names in Switzerland, including district, place, street and station names.
      Themes Description
      History of the Swiss cadastral system

      Real estate data have been used for more than 300 years – initially for tax collection purposes, but today they are also used for recording landownership rights, as well as for a broad variety of other purposes.
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      Information material & shop

      The information material about the world of Swiss cadastral surveying is available from the Federal Directorate of Cadastral Surveying.
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      Legal bases

      Overview of the legal bases for the cadastral surveying and the PLR-cadastre
      Land registry offices

      In Switzerland, cantons are responsible for keeping records in their land registers. Access is usually organised through municipality.
      Land Registry

      Landowners’ rights in Switzerland are officially recorded in the Land Register. Together with the PLR Cadastre, this is the basis for safeguarding landownership.
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      MOpublic – simplified data model

      MOpublic is the simplified version of the cadastral surveying data model, and has been specified as the official Swiss standard.
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      Order form

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      Portrait & tasks

      The Swiss cadastral system records and manages objects with a spatial dimension and makes them publicly available. The resulting data form the basis for other datasets and applications.
      PLR Cadastre
      see
      Objectives & organisation of the PLR Cadastre
      Content & products of the PLR Cadastre
      Further development of the PLR Cadastre
      The Cadastre of Public Law Restrictions on Landownership is the official information system concerning public-law restrictions on landownership in Switzerland.
      Photos, Videos & Illustrations

      Here you will find photos, videos and illustrations of the Swiss cadastral system.
      Publications

      Find publications available in English about the Swiss cadastral surveying and the Cadastre of Public-law Restrictions on landownership and the land register.
      Plan for the land register

      The plan for the land register records location, form and content of a plot of land. This is the most foundation for safeguarding landownership in Switzerland.
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      Responsibility & organisation

      The federal government is responsible for the supervision of the cadastral system, while the cantons are responsible for its operational management.
      Register of surveyors

      Only those persons who are listed in the register of surveyors are authorised to independently carry out cadastral surveying tasks.
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      Status of periodical update

      Overview of the status of the periodical update of the cadastral survey
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      Training & further education

      The cadastral surveying system offers a variety of attractive and specialised jobs for people with various levels of education, ranging from surveyors to geodata managers.
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      Web Map Services – Internet presentation

      Web Map Service is the presentation service for digital usage and representation of cadastral surveying maps and plans on the Internet.
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Work & surveying methods

Freedom of choice of method was introduced in the area of cadastral surveying in 1993. Since that date, it has been possible to apply a variety of data collection methods.

In order to be able to depict a building, a municipal border or the edge of a road in a plan, points have to be measured and their coordinates have to be calculated. Several methods and processes are available for this purpose, and the most frequently used are:

Terrestrial imaging

Graphic depiction of angle and distance measurement in terrestrial surveying

The oldest surveying method is terrestrial imaging, i.e. surveying from the ground. The most commonly used instrument for this purpose is the tachymeter, which measures angles and distances, and uses these to calculate the coordinates and height of the objects to be surveyed. The digital models in use today carry out these calculations directly. The data are stored in the device and can subsequently be transferred to the computer system in the office for further processing.

Terrestrial imaging

Graphic depiction of angle and distance measurement in terrestrial surveying

Levelling

Graphic depiction of levelling with the levelling instrument between two upright poles

This is a well-established and extremely accurate method of calculating height differences. The levelling device is set up between two upright poles, the target line of which is aligned horizontally. The variation between the two readings on the upright poles corresponds to the height difference.

Levelling

Graphic depiction of levelling with the levelling instrument between two upright poles

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS)

Graphic depiction of how satellites transmit their signals to the ground, where they are registered by special receivers

Positioning with the aid of satellites (GNSS) is also used in cadastral surveying. Navigation satellites orbit our planet and constantly transmit signals to the ground, where they are registered using special receivers. Distances can be measured with the aid of these signals and the position of the recipient can thus be calculated. Through the application of special measurement and evaluation methods, or the use of reference data from Switzerland’s automatic GNSS network (AGNES), it is possible to calculate coordinates and heights extremely accurately (to within a few centimetres) in just a few seconds.

STP_GPS_Messverfahren_EN

Graphic depiction of how satellites transmit their signals to the ground, where they are registered by special receivers

Photogrammetry

Graphic depiction of the photogrammetry method used in surveying: three-dimensional images can be produced by combining three aerial photos of a specific section of terrain

With the aid of photogrammetry the terrain is systematically flown over and photographed from the air. A special digital surveying camera is used for photographing from a manned aircraft or a drone. With the aid of special computer systems or evaluation devices, the images are subsequently merged to form a single picture so that the surface appears three-dimensional (stereo effect): mountains tower up before our eyes, and ravines appear to gape open. Objects can thus be recorded in three dimensions and contours can be evaluated.

Photogrammetry

Graphic depiction of the photogrammetry method used in surveying: three-dimensional images can be produced by combining three aerial photos of a specific section of terrain

Laser scanning

Graphic depiction of the laser scanning method: here an aircraft is scanning the terrain

For surveying purposes, laser scanning is carried out from the air. A laser device installed in an aircraft scans the terrain below. The distance from the ground can be calculated on the basis of the position of the aircraft and the duration of the signal, and this makes it possible to obtain information regarding the topography and structure of the terrain.

Laser scanning

Graphic depiction of the laser scanning method: here an aircraft is scanning the terrain

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Geodesy and Federal Directorate of Cadastral Surveying
Cadastral surveying and PLR Cadastre

Telephone +41 58 464 73 03
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