Balm bei Messen
Encyclopedia
Balm bei Messen was a municipality
in the district of Bucheggberg
in the canton
of Solothurn in Switzerland
. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Balm bei Messen, Brunnenthal
and Oberramsern
merged into the municipality of Messen
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 4.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.2%. Out of the forested land, 30.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 54.1% is used for growing crops and 5.5% is pastures.
The village is located in the Bucheggberg district, in the Limpach along the southern slope of the Bucheggberg. It consists of the haufendorf village (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Balm bei Messen.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent a Holly Branch Vert in bend sinister over a Mount of 3 Coupeaux of the same.
Most of the population speaks German
(107 or 98.2%), with French
being second most common (1 or 0.9%) and Albanian
being third (1 or 0.9%).
Of the population in the village 49 or about 45.0% were born in Balm bei Messen and lived there in 2000. There were 22 or 20.2% who were born in the same canton, while 30 or 27.5% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 5 or 4.6% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 2 live births to Swiss citizens and were 2 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens remained the same as did the foreign population. The total Swiss population remained the same in 2008 and the non-Swiss population remained the same. This represents a population growth rate of 0.0%.
The age distribution, , in Balm bei Messen is; 4 children or 3.7% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 31 teenagers or 28.4% are between 7 and 19. Of the adult population, 5 people or 4.6% of the population are between 20 and 24 years old. 30 people or 27.5% are between 25 and 44, and 24 people or 22.0% are between 45 and 64. The senior population distribution is 11 people or 10.1% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old and there are 4 people or 3.7% who are over 80.
, there were 44 people who were single and never married in the village. There were 57 married individuals, 5 widows or widowers and 3 individuals who are divorced.
There were 10 households that consist of only one person and 4 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 41 households that answered this question, 24.4% were households made up of just one person. Of the rest of the households, there are 11 married couples without children, 17 married couples with children There was one single parent with a child or children.
there were 14 single family homes (or 42.4% of the total) out of a total of 33 inhabited buildings. There were 4 multi-family buildings (12.1%) and along with 15 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (45.5%). Of the single family homes 7 were built before 1919, while 1 were built between 1990 and 2000.
there were 39 apartments in the village. The most common apartment size was 5 rooms of which there were 10. There were single room apartments and 21 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 35 apartments (89.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 4 apartments (10.3%) were seasonally occupied.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 44.27% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(29.26%), the SP
(17.81%) and the Green Party
(4.07%). In the federal election, a total of 57 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 64.8%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 25. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 11, all of which were in agriculture. There were no jobs in the secondary sector. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 14. In the tertiary sector; 4 or 28.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 2 or 14.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4 or 28.6% were in the information industry, 1 was the insurance or financial industry, 2 or 14.3% were in education.
, there were 34 workers who commuted away from the village.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 2 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 1.83% of the population). 4 (or about 3.67% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 2 individuals (or about 1.83% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 12 who completed tertiary schooling, 75.0% were Swiss men, 25.0% were Swiss women.
, there were 27 students from Balm bei Messen who attended schools outside the village.
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 Bucheggberg
Bucheggberg (district)
Bucheggberg District is one of the ten districts of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland, situated to the southwest of the canton. Together with the Wasseramt District, it forms the Amtei of Wasseramt-Bucheggberg...
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 Solothurn 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....
. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Balm bei Messen, Brunnenthal
Brunnenthal, Switzerland
Brunnenthal was a municipality in the district of Bucheggberg, in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Balm bei Messen, Brunnenthal and Oberramsern merged into the municipality of Messen.-History:...
and Oberramsern
Oberramsern
Oberramsern was a municipality in the district of Bucheggberg in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010, the municipalities of Balm bei Messen, Brunnenthal and Oberramsern merged into the municipality of Messen.-History:...
merged into the municipality of Messen
Messen
Messen is a municipality in the district of Bucheggberg, in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Balm bei Messen, Brunnenthal and Oberramsern merged into the municipality of Messen.-History:...
.
History
Balm bei Messen is first mentioned in 1254 as de Balmo. In 1275 it was mentioned as in Balm.Geography
Balm bei Messen has an area, , of 2.18 square kilometre (0.841702705731726 sq mi). Of this area, 1.3 km² (0.501932806170296 sq mi) or 59.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.7 km² (0.270271511014775 sq mi) or 32.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.16 km² (0.0617763453748056 sq mi) or 7.3% is settled (buildings or roads).Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 4.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.2%. Out of the forested land, 30.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 54.1% is used for growing crops and 5.5% is pastures.
The village is located in the Bucheggberg district, in the Limpach along the southern slope of the Bucheggberg. It consists of the haufendorf village (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Balm bei Messen.
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 Argent a Holly Branch Vert in bend sinister over a Mount of 3 Coupeaux of the same.
Demographics
Balm bei Messen has a population of 111. Over the last 10 years (1999-2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of 0%.Most of the population speaks German
German 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....
(107 or 98.2%), with French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
being second most common (1 or 0.9%) and Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
being third (1 or 0.9%).
Of the population in the village 49 or about 45.0% were born in Balm bei Messen and lived there in 2000. There were 22 or 20.2% who were born in the same canton, while 30 or 27.5% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 5 or 4.6% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 2 live births to Swiss citizens and were 2 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens remained the same as did the foreign population. The total Swiss population remained the same in 2008 and the non-Swiss population remained the same. This represents a population growth rate of 0.0%.
The age distribution, , in Balm bei Messen is; 4 children or 3.7% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 31 teenagers or 28.4% are between 7 and 19. Of the adult population, 5 people or 4.6% of the population are between 20 and 24 years old. 30 people or 27.5% are between 25 and 44, and 24 people or 22.0% are between 45 and 64. The senior population distribution is 11 people or 10.1% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old and there are 4 people or 3.7% who are over 80.
, there were 44 people who were single and never married in the village. There were 57 married individuals, 5 widows or widowers and 3 individuals who are divorced.
There were 10 households that consist of only one person and 4 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 41 households that answered this question, 24.4% were households made up of just one person. Of the rest of the households, there are 11 married couples without children, 17 married couples with children There was one single parent with a child or children.
there were 14 single family homes (or 42.4% of the total) out of a total of 33 inhabited buildings. There were 4 multi-family buildings (12.1%) and along with 15 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (45.5%). Of the single family homes 7 were built before 1919, while 1 were built between 1990 and 2000.
there were 39 apartments in the village. The most common apartment size was 5 rooms of which there were 10. There were single room apartments and 21 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 35 apartments (89.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 4 apartments (10.3%) were seasonally occupied.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss 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 FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
which received 44.27% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(29.26%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(17.81%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(4.07%). In the federal election, a total of 57 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 64.8%.
Economy
There were 55 residents of the village who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 40.0% of the workforce.the total number of full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
jobs was 25. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 11, all of which were in agriculture. There were no jobs in the secondary sector. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 14. In the tertiary sector; 4 or 28.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 2 or 14.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4 or 28.6% were in the information industry, 1 was the insurance or financial industry, 2 or 14.3% were in education.
, there were 34 workers who commuted away from the village.
Religion
From the , 13 or 11.9% were Roman Catholic, while 88 or 80.7% 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 2 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 1.83% of the population). 4 (or about 3.67% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 2 individuals (or about 1.83% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Balm bei Messen about 37 or (33.9%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 12 or (11.0%) have completed 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 12 who completed tertiary schooling, 75.0% were Swiss men, 25.0% were Swiss women.
, there were 27 students from Balm bei Messen who attended schools outside the village.