Degen, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Degen is a municipality
in the district of Surselva
in the Swiss
canton
of Graubünden
. Until 1983, it was officially known as Igels.
The municipality is located in the Lugnez sub-district of the Surselva district. It is on a terrace about 200 m (656.2 ft) above the Glenner valley floor. It consists of the village of Degen and the hamlets
of Rumein und Vattiz. Until 1983 Degen was known as Igels. The municipalities of Cumbel
, Degen, Lumbrein
, Morissen
, Suraua
, Vignogn
, Vella
, and Vrin
are considering a merger for some time in the future into a new municipality that will be known as Val Lumnezia.
, the gender distribution of the population was 53.8% male and 46.2% female. The age distribution, , in Degen is; 30 children or 12.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 34 teenagers or 13.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 15 people or 6.1% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 34 people or 13.8% are between 30 and 39, 36 people or 14.6% are between 40 and 49, and 40 people or 16.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 28 people or 11.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 16 people or 6.5% are between 70 and 79, there are 12 people or 4.9% who are between 80 and 89 there are 2 people or 0.8% who are between 90 and 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 60.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(16.2%), the FDP
(14.9%) and the SP
(8.1%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Degen about 59.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Degen has an unemployment rate of 0.4%. , there were 42 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 23 businesses involved in this sector. 17 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 18 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 10 businesses in this sector.
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 Surselva
Surselva (district)
Surselva District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of and has a population of ....
in the Swiss
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....
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 Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
. Until 1983, it was officially known as Igels.
History
Degen is first mentioned about 840 as Higenae/Egenae. Rumein was mentioned at about the same time as villa Ramnensis, and in 1325 Vattiz was mentioned as Vatigis.Geography
Degen has an area, , of 6.8 km² (2.6 sq mi). Of this area, 78.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 10.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (7%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The municipality is located in the Lugnez sub-district of the Surselva district. It is on a terrace about 200 m (656.2 ft) above the Glenner valley floor. It consists of the village of Degen and the 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...
of Rumein und Vattiz. Until 1983 Degen was known as Igels. The municipalities of Cumbel
Cumbel
Cumbel is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Cumbel is first mentioned about 825 as Cumble...
, Degen, Lumbrein
Lumbrein
Lumbrein is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:The Crestaulta hill near the hamlet of Surin was occupied since at least the early Bronze Age . However, Lumbrein is first mentioned about 850 as in villa Lamarine though this comes from a 16th...
, Morissen
Morissen
Morissen |Surselva]] in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Coat of arms:The municipal coat of arms is Gules three Escallops Or. The scallops on the coat of arms represent St. James the Elder who is the patron saint of the village church.-Geography:...
, Suraua
Suraua
Suraua is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The municipality was formed on January 1, 2002 through the union of Camuns, Surcasti, Tersnaus, and Uors-Peiden.-History:...
, Vignogn
Vignogn
Vignogn is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Vignogn is first mentioned in 1325 as Vinanne. In 1469 it was mentioned as Viends.-Geography:...
, Vella
Vella
Vella is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:While there is some evidence of a late Bronze Age settlement and coins from the 3rd and 4th Centuries have been found, Vella is first mentioned about 840 as ad sanctum Vincentium [...] in valle...
, and Vrin
Vrin
Vrin is a municipality in the Val Lumnezia. It belongs to the circle of Lugnez/Lumnezia in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland....
are considering a merger for some time in the future into a new municipality that will be known as Val Lumnezia.
Coat of arms
The municipal coat of arms is Per bend Sable a Mullet Or and of the last a Bend embattled bretessé Sable in bend couped of the first.Demographics
Degen has a population (as of ) of . , 5.3% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -14.6%. Most of the population speaks Romansh(73.7%), with German being second most common (20.6%) and Albanian being third ( 3.6%)., the gender distribution of the population was 53.8% male and 46.2% female. The age distribution, , in Degen is; 30 children or 12.1% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 34 teenagers or 13.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 15 people or 6.1% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 34 people or 13.8% are between 30 and 39, 36 people or 14.6% are between 40 and 49, and 40 people or 16.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 28 people or 11.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 16 people or 6.5% are between 70 and 79, there are 12 people or 4.9% who are between 80 and 89 there are 2 people or 0.8% who are between 90 and 99.
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 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...
which received 60.8% 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...
(16.2%), 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....
(14.9%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(8.1%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Degen about 59.7% 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...
).
Degen has an unemployment rate of 0.4%. , there were 42 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 23 businesses involved in this sector. 17 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 18 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 10 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1808 | 232 |
| 1850 | 255 |
| 1900 | 214 |
| 1950 | 323 |
| 2000 | 247 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Chapel of St. Sebastian is listed as a Swiss heritage site 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...
.