capital of Nidwalden Halbkanton (demicanton), central Switzerland, southeast of Lucerne. First mentioned in 1172, it was the scene in 1481 of the Diet of Stans. Stans was stormed by the French in 1798, when it revolted against the Helvetic Republic, and educator Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (Pestalozzi, Johann Heinrich) gathered the children orphaned by the conflict for his first school. Notable landmarks are the parish church (1641–47) with a Romanesque tower, the town hall (1715), and the historical museum. Surrounded by orchards, Stans is a tourist centre with a funicular railway to the summit of the nearby Stanserhorn (6,227 feet 【1,898 metres】). The aircraft works located in Stans is one of the most important industries in the demicanton. Pop. (2007 est.) 7,583.