Aarburg
Encyclopedia
Aarburg is a municipality
in the district of Zofingen
in the canton
of Aargau
in Switzerland
.
The small town lies in the southwest Aargau
at an Engnis Aare in the lower Wiggertal. It lies in the intersection of the most important traffic routes of Switzerland. The dominant landmark is the Aarburg Fortress, one of Switzerland's largest castles and a heritage site of national significance
. The visual character of Aarburg is shaped by the fortification and the church on a rock spur.
In Roman times a road went by Aarburg, connecting the Olten region with the rest of inner Switzerland. During the construction of a factory in the 20th century, a hoard of coins produced during the reign of Emperor Tetricus I was discovered. The coin hoard was probably buried during the Bagauden Invasions in 284 C.E.
When, precisely, the fortress of Aarburg was constructed on the rocky outcropping is unknown. The first time it was documented was in 1123 when it is mentioned as Areburc. At the time it was the property of the Grafen von Frohburg family. From this castle the Bailiwick of Aarburg was governed, what is today the western part of the county of Zofingen, though not the city of Zofigen itself. In 1299 the Frohburgs sold the castle and the Bailiwick of Aarburg to the Habsburg family. The settlement at the foot of the castle was clearly identified as a town in the year 1330. Archeological evidence has shown that the city was probably founded around the year 1312.
Wedged between the cities of Olten and Zofingen, with only four kilometers between them, Aarburg could not develop commercially and remained a small town. The people of Aarburg lived mainly on the tariff revenues that commerce along the Gotthard Pass provided. A small harbor on the Aare river was constructed in 1361. The resulting river boat traffic was of great economic importance until the 16th and 17th centuries.
After a short siege the city was captured by Bern on the 14th of April, 1415. In 1416, the castle became the residence of the bailiff of the Bailiwick of Aarburg. Under control of Bern, the castle was expanded into a fortress in the 16th and 17th centuries, in order to protect the alliance between the Reformed cities of Bern and Zurich from attack by their Catholic neighbors.
On the 4th of May, 1840 the town and fortress were captured by France without a struggle. The district of Aarburg was dissolved and the regional administrative functions of the French imposed Helvetic Republic
were moved to Zofingen. The newly established Canton of Aargau took over the fortress in 1804, initially using it as a jail and prison. Since 1893 the castle has housed a canton-run school.
A huge fire destroyed much of the premises and the church on the 4th of May, 1840, leaving 88 families homeless. The village was rebuilt, though without the main fortifications. On the rock spur, near the castle, a church was raised up between 1842 and 1845 in the new gothic style.
The first textile factory was opened in 1824. The railway station was opened in on the 9th of July, 1856 along the Aarau – Olten – Zofingen – Emmenbrücke line; on the 16th of March, 1857, the Herzogenbuchsee line was opened, later extended to Bern. Aarburg thereby became a privileged industrial city. In the second half of the 20 century the township's population doubled due to the construction of the autobahn nearby.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.8% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 23.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 10.2%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 4.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 3.4%. Out of the forested land, 29.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 12.2% is used for growing crops and 4.8% is pastures, while 2.3% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Zofingen district, along the Aare river. It lies at the foot of Aarburg hill and castle. It consists of the village of Aarburg and industrial sections from the 19th and 20th Centuries, along the river.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Or a Castle Sable with portcullis closed the tower dexter ensigned with a cross of the first and on the top of the sinister tower an Eagle displayed of the second.
(77.9%), with Italian
being second most common ( 6.0%) and Serbo-Croatian
being third ( 3.7%).
The age distribution, , in Aarburg is; 714 children or 10.7% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 798 teenagers or 11.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 956 people or 14.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 924 people or 13.8% are between 30 and 39, 1,146 people or 17.1% are between 40 and 49, and 863 people or 12.9% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 578 people or 8.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 420 people or 6.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 253 people or 3.8% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 41 people or 0.6% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.61 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 38.9% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 287 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 1,578 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 677 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 2,577 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. there were 909 single family homes (or 29.9% of the total) out of a total of 3,037 homes and apartments. There were a total of 142 empty apartments for a 4.7% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 32.64% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(21.78%), the FDP
(13.4%) and the CVP
(10.63%). In the federal election, a total of 1,364 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 40.0%.
The historical population is given in the following table:
. The entire village of Aarburg is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
On a terrace between the fortress and the old city one finds the reformed church. It was constructed from 1842 to 1845 in the new gothic
style with two spires located on the west side. Beneath the church on the rock spur is the parsonage, constructed in 1726; until the city fire of 1840 the city gate went through its basement.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 24 Old Catholics (or about 0.38% of the population) belonging to the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
.
). Of the school age population , there are 490 students attending primary school, there are 170 students attending secondary school, there are 109 students attending tertiary or university level schooling, and there are 9 students who are seeking a job after school in the municipality. Aarburg is home to the Stadtbibliothek Aarburg library. The library has 8,271 books or other media, and loaned out 20,379 items in the same year. It was open a total of 230 days with average of 11 hours per week during that year.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Zofingen
Zofingen (district)
Zofingen District is a district in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It is located in the southwest corner of the Canton. The seat is Zofingen. The largest municipality in population is Oftringen, the smallest is Wiliberg. It has a population of ....
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
The small town lies in the southwest Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
at an Engnis Aare in the lower Wiggertal. It lies in the intersection of the most important traffic routes of Switzerland. The dominant landmark is the Aarburg Fortress, one of Switzerland's largest castles and a heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
. The visual character of Aarburg is shaped by the fortification and the church on a rock spur.
History
When, precisely, the fortress of Aarburg was constructed on the rocky outcropping is unknown. The first time it was documented was in 1123 when it is mentioned as Areburc. At the time it was the property of the Grafen von Frohburg family. From this castle the Bailiwick of Aarburg was governed, what is today the western part of the county of Zofingen, though not the city of Zofigen itself. In 1299 the Frohburgs sold the castle and the Bailiwick of Aarburg to the Habsburg family. The settlement at the foot of the castle was clearly identified as a town in the year 1330. Archeological evidence has shown that the city was probably founded around the year 1312.
Wedged between the cities of Olten and Zofingen, with only four kilometers between them, Aarburg could not develop commercially and remained a small town. The people of Aarburg lived mainly on the tariff revenues that commerce along the Gotthard Pass provided. A small harbor on the Aare river was constructed in 1361. The resulting river boat traffic was of great economic importance until the 16th and 17th centuries.
After a short siege the city was captured by Bern on the 14th of April, 1415. In 1416, the castle became the residence of the bailiff of the Bailiwick of Aarburg. Under control of Bern, the castle was expanded into a fortress in the 16th and 17th centuries, in order to protect the alliance between the Reformed cities of Bern and Zurich from attack by their Catholic neighbors.
On the 4th of May, 1840 the town and fortress were captured by France without a struggle. The district of Aarburg was dissolved and the regional administrative functions of the French imposed Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
were moved to Zofingen. The newly established Canton of Aargau took over the fortress in 1804, initially using it as a jail and prison. Since 1893 the castle has housed a canton-run school.
A huge fire destroyed much of the premises and the church on the 4th of May, 1840, leaving 88 families homeless. The village was rebuilt, though without the main fortifications. On the rock spur, near the castle, a church was raised up between 1842 and 1845 in the new gothic style.
The first textile factory was opened in 1824. The railway station was opened in on the 9th of July, 1856 along the Aarau – Olten – Zofingen – Emmenbrücke line; on the 16th of March, 1857, the Herzogenbuchsee line was opened, later extended to Bern. Aarburg thereby became a privileged industrial city. In the second half of the 20 century the township's population doubled due to the construction of the autobahn nearby.
Geography
Aarburg has an area, , of 4.42 square kilometres (1.7 sq mi). Of this area, 0.85 km² (0.328186834803655 sq mi) or 19.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.37 km² (0.528959957271773 sq mi) or 31.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.02 km² (0.779926360356921 sq mi) or 45.7% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.17 km² (0.065637366960731 sq mi) or 3.8% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.8% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 23.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 10.2%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 4.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 3.4%. Out of the forested land, 29.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 12.2% is used for growing crops and 4.8% is pastures, while 2.3% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Zofingen district, along the Aare river. It lies at the foot of Aarburg hill and castle. It consists of the village of Aarburg and industrial sections from the 19th and 20th Centuries, along the river.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Or a Castle Sable with portcullis closed the tower dexter ensigned with a cross of the first and on the top of the sinister tower an Eagle displayed of the second.
Demographics
Aarburg has a population of , 39.0% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 3.8%. Most of the population speaks GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
(77.9%), with Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
being second most common ( 6.0%) and Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
being third ( 3.7%).
The age distribution, , in Aarburg is; 714 children or 10.7% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 798 teenagers or 11.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 956 people or 14.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 924 people or 13.8% are between 30 and 39, 1,146 people or 17.1% are between 40 and 49, and 863 people or 12.9% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 578 people or 8.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 420 people or 6.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 253 people or 3.8% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 41 people or 0.6% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.61 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 38.9% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 287 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 1,578 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 677 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 2,577 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. there were 909 single family homes (or 29.9% of the total) out of a total of 3,037 homes and apartments. There were a total of 142 empty apartments for a 4.7% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
Swiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 32.64% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(21.78%), the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(13.4%) and the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(10.63%). In the federal election, a total of 1,364 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 40.0%.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| about 1400 | c 180 |
| 1764 | 569 |
| 1798 | 1,029 |
| 1850 | 1,700 |
| 1900 | 2,300 |
| 1970 | 5,943 |
| 2000 | 6,263 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Galgen, the Gasthof (combination hotel and restaurant) alte Post (former noble's house) at Städtchen 5 and the Castle are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significanceSwiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
. The entire village of Aarburg is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
.
Sights
The old city is located in a triangular area between the river and the wedge-shaped rock formation, which forms a natural barrier on two sides. The houses are grouped around a similarly wedge-shaped square. The town fortification on the north side was never rebuilt after the fire of 1840. Dominating the old city is a narrow, extended rock spur, on which one finds the Aarburg fortress. It was constructed at the beginning of the 12 century and expanded into a mighty fortress when it was controlled by Bern. The fortress complex is a nationally recognized cultural asset and serves as a youth center today. The fortress offers public tours at 2:00 PM on Saturdays during the spring and summer months (around April–October). A tour fee is charged (2010:10.CHF) for persons 16 and over. Private tours may be arranged by reservation all year through the youth center (Jugendheim Aarburg). The Aarburg Historic Museum is open the 2nd and 4th Sunday mornings of the month.On a terrace between the fortress and the old city one finds the reformed church. It was constructed from 1842 to 1845 in the new gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style with two spires located on the west side. Beneath the church on the rock spur is the parsonage, constructed in 1726; until the city fire of 1840 the city gate went through its basement.
Economy
, Aarburg had an unemployment rate of 3.8%. , there were 15 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 5 businesses involved in this sector. 928 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 50 businesses in this sector. 1,767 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 217 businesses in this sector. there were 3,233 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 2,402 or about 74.3% of the residents worked outside Aarburg while 1,856 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 2,687 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 17.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 49.1% used a private car.Religion
From the , 2,140 or 34.2% were Roman Catholic, while 2,287 or 36.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 24 Old Catholics (or about 0.38% of the population) belonging to the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
.
Education
In Aarburg about 59.4% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the school age population , there are 490 students attending primary school, there are 170 students attending secondary school, there are 109 students attending tertiary or university level schooling, and there are 9 students who are seeking a job after school in the municipality. Aarburg is home to the Stadtbibliothek Aarburg library. The library has 8,271 books or other media, and loaned out 20,379 items in the same year. It was open a total of 230 days with average of 11 hours per week during that year.