Bünzen, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Bünzen is a municipality
in the district of Muri
in the canton
of Aargau
in Switzerland
.
, as well as Roman era
objects. The modern municipality of Bünzen is first mentioned in 1259 as Bunzina. In 1321 Muri Abbey
acquired a Meierhof
farm and church rights in Bünzen from Markwart of Rüssegg. After the conquest of the Aargau in 1415, the Swiss Confederation
placed the village in the Hermetschwil district. The rights to low justice
were held by the administrator of the Meierhof.
In 1328 the village church, under the authority of Muri Abbey, was incorporated. In 1412 the church was given Saint George
as a patron saint
. Today's neo-Gothic
parish church
building was built in 1862 at the northern exit of the village. It replaced the earlier church from 1508.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 5.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.8%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 52.3% is used for growing crops and 8.3% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in the Muri district at the foot of the Lindenberg and on moraine
that stretches to the shore of the Bünz river. It consists of the village of Bünzen and the, independent until 1940, village of Waldhäusern.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent a Beech eradicated Vert and in base a Bar wavy Azure. The waving lines represent the river Bünz.
The age distribution, , in Bünzen is; 105 children or 10.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 135 teenagers or 13.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 114 people or 11.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 129 people or 13.3% are between 30 and 39, 169 people or 17.5% are between 40 and 49, and 151 people or 15.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 87 people or 9.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 32 people or 3.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 39 people or 4.0% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 7 people or 0.7% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.56 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 64.6% 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 16 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 124 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 171 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 318 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. there were 206 single family homes (or 49.2% of the total) out of a total of 419 homes and apartments. There were a total of 4 empty apartments for a 1.0% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 14.8 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 44.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(18.9%), the SP
(11.8%) and the Other (10%).
The historical population is given in the following table:
From the , 569 or 65.8% were Roman Catholic, while 151 or 17.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
.
there were 462 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 326 or about 70.6% of the residents worked outside Bünzen while 157 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 293 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 7.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 51.9% used a private car.
). Of the school age population , there are 89 students attending primary school in the municipality.
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 Muri
Muri (district)
Muri District is a district in the Swiss Canton of Aargau with the administrative capital of Muri. It covers the central and southern part of Freiamt and has a population of .-Geography:...
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....
.
History
Prehistoric items have been found scattered on the banks of the former moraineMoraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
, as well as Roman era
Switzerland in the Roman era
The history of Switzerland in the Roman era encompasses the roughly six centuries during which the territory of modern Switzerland was a part of the Roman Republic and Empire...
objects. The modern municipality of Bünzen is first mentioned in 1259 as Bunzina. In 1321 Muri Abbey
Muri Abbey
Muri Abbey was a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. It flourished for over eight centuries at Muri, in the Canton of Aargau, near Basle in Switzerland...
acquired a Meierhof
Meierhof
A Meierhof or Meyerhof was a farm or building which was occupied or had been occupied by the administrator of a noble or spiritual estate....
farm and church rights in Bünzen from Markwart of Rüssegg. After the conquest of the Aargau in 1415, the Swiss Confederation
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
placed the village in the Hermetschwil district. The rights to low justice
High, middle and low justice
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judiciary power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents....
were held by the administrator of the Meierhof.
In 1328 the village church, under the authority of Muri Abbey, was incorporated. In 1412 the church was given Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
as a patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
. Today's neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
building was built in 1862 at the northern exit of the village. It replaced the earlier church from 1508.
Geography
Bünzen has an area, , of 5.77 square kilometres (2.2 sq mi). Of this area, 3.51 km² (1.4 sq mi) or 60.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.64 km² (0.633207540091757 sq mi) or 28.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.58 km² (0.22393925198367 sq mi) or 10.1% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.02 km² (4.9 acre) or 0.3% is either rivers or lakes and 0.02 km² (4.9 acre) or 0.3% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 5.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.8%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 52.3% is used for growing crops and 8.3% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in the Muri district at the foot of the Lindenberg and on moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
that stretches to the shore of the Bünz river. It consists of the village of Bünzen and the, independent until 1940, village of Waldhäusern.
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 Beech eradicated Vert and in base a Bar wavy Azure. The waving lines represent the river Bünz.
Demographics
Bünzen has a population of , 8.0% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 4.1%. Most of the population speaks German (93.4%), with Italian being second most common ( 1.5%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 1.0%).The age distribution, , in Bünzen is; 105 children or 10.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 135 teenagers or 13.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 114 people or 11.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 129 people or 13.3% are between 30 and 39, 169 people or 17.5% are between 40 and 49, and 151 people or 15.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 87 people or 9.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 32 people or 3.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 39 people or 4.0% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 7 people or 0.7% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.56 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 64.6% 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 16 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 124 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 171 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 318 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. there were 206 single family homes (or 49.2% of the total) out of a total of 419 homes and apartments. There were a total of 4 empty apartments for a 1.0% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 14.8 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 44.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(18.9%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(11.8%) and the Other (10%).
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 574 |
| 1860 | 662 |
| 1900 | 585 |
| 1930 | 826 |
| 1950 | 759 |
| 1980 | 683 |
| 2000 | 865 |
Religion
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...
.
Economy
, Bünzen had an unemployment rate of 1.42%. , there were 71 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 130 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 19 businesses in this sector. 77 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 28 businesses in this sector.there were 462 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 326 or about 70.6% of the residents worked outside Bünzen while 157 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 293 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 7.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 51.9% used a private car.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Bünzen about 74.5% 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 89 students attending primary school in the municipality.