Bremgarten is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It serves as seat of the district of Bremgarten. The medieval old town is listed as a heritage site of national significance. In 2013, Bremgarten was the first municipality in Europe to introduce laws forbidding asylum seekers from visiting certain public places such as libraries, swimming pools, schools and churches. On 1 January 2014 the former municipality of Hermetschwil-Staffeln merged into the municipality of Bremgarten. History The area was known before 1140 as Bremgarten, though the city wasn't founded until almost a century later. In 1230, a settlement was founded near the present location of Bremgarten. Then, in 1238/39 it was mentioned as Bremegarten. In 1258, it was granted city right by Rudolf I of Habsburg. Bremgarten's population grew rapidly, and it became an important market town with an outstanding Latin school. Because it was part of the Habsburg lands, the residents of Bremgarten fought at the Battles of Morgarten (1315) and Sempach on the Habsburg side. In 1379, a courthouse was built in Bremgarten, serving as center of a new legal district. Berikon joined Bremgarten in 1374. Later, in 1410, Unterlunkhofen, Oberlunkhofen, Jonen and Arni joined. Oberwil-Lieli joined in 1429, Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg in 1430, and finally Huserhof in 1482. Two districts were created: a "high" one for Ober- and Unterlunkhofen, Arni, Islisberg, Jonen, Werd and Huserhof and a "lower" one for the remaining village. In 1415, Aargau was conquered by the Old Swiss Confederation. While Bern kept the southwest portion which consisted of Zofingen, Aarburg, Aarau, Lenzburg, and Brugg. Bremgarten became part of the Freie Ämter or free bailiwicks. They remained relatively independent and were allowed to keep their own legal districts. Bremgarten, together with the rest of the Freie Ämter (Mellingen, Muri, Villmergen, and the countship of Baden), were governed as "subject lands" by all or some of the Confederates. When Bremgarten refused the offer to join the Confederation freely, it became involved in the 1443 Old Zürich War, in which it was besieged and captured. Bremgarten played an important role in the Reformation. An important Swiss reformer called Heinrich Bullinger was born there in 1504. As early as 1529, the official religion of the city changed from Catholicism. However, Catholicism was reintroduced by force in 1531 after the Battle of Kappel. Bullinger was forced into exile and moved to Zürich, where he became the successor of Huldrych Zwingli