Bertschikon bei Attikon
Encyclopedia
Bertschikon bei Attikon (or Bertschikon) is a municipality
in the district of Winterthur
in the canton
of Zürich in Switzerland.
(1798–1803) though it wasn't fully established until 1882. It consists of seven old municipalities; Bertschikon, Gundetswil, Kefikon (Canton of Zürich portion only), Liebensberg, Stegen, Gündlikon and Zünikon.
The municipality consists of over 30 villages, hamlets
and individual houses along the border with the Canton of Thurgau.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 65.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CSP
(10.2%), the SPS
(7.4%) and the Green Party
(6.1%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.2% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 11.7%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Bertschikon about 81% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
). There are 340 households in Bertschikon.
Bertschikon has an unemployment rate of 0.81%. , there were 109 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 44 businesses involved in this sector. 38 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 14 businesses in this sector. 99 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 23 businesses in this sector. 35.6% of the working population were employed full-time, and 64.4% were employed part-time.
there were 184 Catholics
and 684 Protestants
in Bertschikon. In the 2000 census, religion was broken down into several smaller categories. From the , 71.8% were some type of Protestant, with 67.9% belonging to the Swiss Reformed Church
and 3.9% belonging to other Protestant churches. 17.5% of the population were Catholic. Of the rest of the population, 0% were Muslim, 1.4% belonged to another religion (not listed), 3.5% did not give a religion, and 5.6% were atheist or agnostic.
The historical population is given in the following table:
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 Winterthur
Winterthur (district)
Winterthur District is one of the twelve districts of the German-speaking canton of Zürich, Switzerland. It has a population of . Its capital is the city of Winterthur.- Municipalities :Winterthur District contains a total of 21 municipalities:...
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 Zürich in Switzerland.
History
Bertschikon is first mentioned in 1255 as Bersinkon. The village of Gündlikon is first mentioned in 774 as Cundilinchova though the identification is debated. It is mentioned in 1162 as Gundilinchova. The municipality was created during the Helvetic RepublicHelvetic 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...
(1798–1803) though it wasn't fully established until 1882. It consists of seven old municipalities; Bertschikon, Gundetswil, Kefikon (Canton of Zürich portion only), Liebensberg, Stegen, Gündlikon and Zünikon.
Geography
Bertschikon has an area of 9.6 km² (3.7 sq mi). Of this area, 68.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 20.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 10.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). housing and buildings made up 4.3% of the total area, while transportation infrastructure made up the rest (6.8%). Of the total unproductive area, water (streams and lakes) made up 0.1% of the area. 3.9% of the total municipal area was undergoing some type of construction.The municipality consists of over 30 villages, hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
and individual houses along the border with the Canton of Thurgau.
Demographics
Bertschikon has a population (as of ) of . , 5.5% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. the gender distribution of the population was 51.3% male and 48.7% female. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 2.6%. Most of the population speaks German (96.2%), with Italian being second most common ( 1.0%) and French being third ( 0.7%).In the 2007 election 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 65.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CSP
Christian Social Party (Switzerland)
The Christian Social Party is a political party in Switzerland. The CSP is more social democratic than the CVP. With the moderate Christian left as its background, the CSP commits itself to social democratic and environmentalist political solutions...
(10.2%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(7.4%) 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:...
(6.1%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.2% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 11.7%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Bertschikon about 81% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
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...
). There are 340 households in Bertschikon.
Bertschikon has an unemployment rate of 0.81%. , there were 109 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 44 businesses involved in this sector. 38 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 14 businesses in this sector. 99 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 23 businesses in this sector. 35.6% of the working population were employed full-time, and 64.4% were employed part-time.
there were 184 Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and 684 Protestants
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in Bertschikon. In the 2000 census, religion was broken down into several smaller categories. From the , 71.8% were some type of Protestant, with 67.9% belonging to the Swiss Reformed Church
Swiss 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...
and 3.9% belonging to other Protestant churches. 17.5% of the population were Catholic. Of the rest of the population, 0% were Muslim, 1.4% belonged to another religion (not listed), 3.5% did not give a religion, and 5.6% were atheist or agnostic.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1836 | 823 |
| 1850 | 949 |
| 1900 | 643 |
| 1950 | 720 |
| 1960 | 733 |
| 2000 | 985 |