Diessenhofen
Encyclopedia
Diessenhofen is a municipality
in Frauenfeld District in the canton
of Thurgau
in Switzerland
.
and Bronze Age
scattered objects found in the shallow valleys of the district and on the banks of the Rhine. A hoard of coins from the Roman era
(251-270), and the remains of three towers of the Danube
-Iller
-Rhein Limes
(4th century) show Roman settlements in the area. The reference in a deed of the Abbey of St. Gall
from 757 mention an Alamanni
village, which was probably on the plateau south of the church. In 1178 Count Hartmann III. of Kyburg
, raised the village to town and probably appointed a Ministerialis
(unfree knights in the service of a feudal overlord) family as the Stewards of Diessenhofen. By 1245, at the latest, it was the center of a bailiwick
and a castle was built in town. Compared to Schaffhausen
and Stein am Rhein
, Diessenhofen was a modest market town
. Hartmann granted the town a measure of freedom and self-government. He used the castle and bridge over the Rhine to secure and defend his possessions on both sides of the Rhine. After the extinction of the Kyburgs and the transition of sovereignty to the Habsburgs in 1264, the city developed as one of the cornerstones of the region. The Stewards, who sat at Unterhof Castle
, temporarily united both the Vogt
and Schultheiss offices into a single person. By 1320 the citizens chose a Town Council of 8-12 members, and during the 15th Century this evolved into a 24-28 member Grand Town Council. In 1349, the Duke of Austria wrestled the Vogt office away from the Stewards and granted it to another Ministerialis. These two developments made citizenship rights in Diessenhofen increasingly important.
The loss of Habsburg influence and the decline of the Habsburg supported Stewards gradually transformed the city between 1415 and 1442. Diessenhofen was captured in 1460 during the conquest of Thurgau by the Swiss Confederation
. The town was besieged for ten days before it was captured, but, much like Frauenfeld
, it retained certain privileges in the new Thurgau. These included both the high and low courts
and the recently acquired customs, tax and Vogt rights, as well as the castle. After 1574 they also acquired the rights over the left bank of the Rhine and the possessions of Paradise Monastery. During the 16th Century, the town gained the low court rights over most of the modern Diessenhofen District. Diessenhofen's court decisions did not have to be approved by the Governor in Frauenfeld, but went directly to the Confederation Council, in contrast to the rest of Thurgau. The city only had to pay homage
to the Governor every two years.
The patronage of the church of St. Dionysius is mentioned in 1468. The advowson
right in the 12th Century was included in the possession of the Count of Thurgau. By 1230 it was held by the Kyburgs. In 1264, the city government through the Habsburgs had the right. Practically, the citizens exercised the right after 1383 and it was legally confirmed in 1415. When the Protestant Reformation
entered the town in 1524, many citizens converted to the new religion. The Mass
was abolished in 1529 by the Protestant pastor, who also ordered the confiscation of Catholic Church
property. Diessenhofen supported the city of Zurich
in the Second war of Kappel
in 1531, which ended in a Protestant defeat. After the defeat, the Catholic cantons reintroduced the Mass in 1532. The church remained a shared church
until the construction of the Catholic Church in 1966-67. In 1349 the Jewish community of Diessenhofen was driven out of town. In 1401 a Jewish man was successfully prosecuted for ritual murder, which led to further persecution in Winterthur
and Schaffhausen. During the 13th Century, two Nunneries were built between Diessenhofen and Schaffhausen, St. Katharinental and Paradise, which remained in operation until their dissolution
in the 19th Century.
Since the Early Middle Ages
the district has been known as the granary of the Thurgau due to its extensive and productive grain fields. Additionally, already in the 9th Century widespread viticulture
is mentioned in the Upper Rhine region. Until the 19th Century, the city was largely self-supplied for food and served as an collection point for food heading from the farms to the surrounding cities (especially Schaffhausen and Zurich). In the 12th Century are a weekly markets in town. Starting in 1387 two yearly markets opened and by the 19th Century that it had increased to eight yearly markets. The local industry covered only the simplest needs of the city and its limited market area. The limited industry and area provided too little money to support the formation of trade-oriented guilds. Diessenhofen was never dominated by a single industry or a special craft. It never was involved in the international Lake Constance
trade industry. The town's location on the Rhine favored the development of fisheries, and it benefited from the salt trade. Bridge and transit tariffs provided the majority of the town's income until the abolition of internal tariffs in 1848.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.3% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 1.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.8%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.3% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 5.8%. Out of the forested land, 33.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 40.9% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality borders on the west and north with Germany
and the canton of Schaffhausen. On the east is the district of Steckborn
, on the southeast, the municipality of Schlatt bei Diessenhofen
, and on the south the municipality of Basadingen-Schlattingen
.
Diessenhofen has a population of , 30.7% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 1.5%. Most of the population speaks German
(81.8%), with Italian
being second most common ( 5.2%) and Albanian
being third ( 3.9%).
, the gender distribution of the population was 50.7% male and 49.3% female. The population was made up of 1,088 Swiss men (33.4% of the population), and 564 (17.3%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,171 Swiss women (35.9%), and 437 (13.4%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 23 live births to Swiss citizens and 14 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 17 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 6 while the foreign population increased by 11. There were 4 Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 2 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 34 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 28 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 25 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 32 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.8%.
The age distribution, , in Diessenhofen is; 297 children or 9.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 384 teenagers or 11.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 430 people or 13.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 460 people or 13.9% are between 30 and 39, 516 people or 15.6% are between 40 and 49, and 472 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 418 people or 12.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 224 people or 6.8% are between 70 and 79, there are 99 people or 3.0% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 14 people or 0.4% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.58 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 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 33.7% 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 1,325 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. there were 338 single family homes (or 67.1% of the total) out of a total of 504 inhabited buildings. There were 46 two family buildings (9.1%), 36 three family buildings (7.1%) and 84 multi-family buildings (or 16.7%). There were 732 (or 22.7%) persons who were part of a couple without children, and 1,722 (or 53.4%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 175 (or 5.4%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 6 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 9 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 23 who lived in a household made up of unrelated persons, and 107 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.72%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0.6 new units per 1000 residents. there were 1,528 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 471. There were 88 single room apartments and 162 apartments with six or more rooms. the average price to rent an average apartment in Diessenhofen was 900.07 Swiss franc
s (CHF) per month (US$720, £410, €580 approx. exchange rate from 2000). The average rate for a one room apartment was 649.00 CHF (US$520, £290, €420), a two room apartment was about 628.34 CHF (US$500, £280, €400), a three room apartment was about 788.98 CHF (US$630, £360, €500) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1614.00 CHF (US$1290, £730, €1030). The average apartment price in Diessenhofen was 80.7% of the national average of 1116 CHF.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 43.96% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(16.98%), the CVP
(12.61%) and the FDP
(11.63%). In the federal election, a total of 909 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 47.3%.
The historical population is given in the following table:
, City Archives in the Rathaus
(Town council house), Former Dominican
Monastery of St. Katharinental with its granary, the zum Goldenen Löwen House and the Goldener Leuen Collection, the Rheinbrücke (Rhine Bridge), and the city walls with Siegelturm are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
. Both the town of Diessenhofen and St Katharinental Monastery are part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
in Germany.
there were 2,220 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 964 or about 43.4% of the residents worked outside Diessenhofen while 967 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 2,223 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 12.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 44.7% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 3 Old Catholics (or about 0.09% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
there are 98 individuals (or about 3.04% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 96 individuals (or about 2.97% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There were 3 individuals (or about 0.09% of the population) who were Jewish
, and 318 (or about 9.85% of the population) who are Islam
ic. There are 11 individuals (or about 0.34% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 269 (or about 8.34% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 139 individuals (or about 4.31% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
Diessenhofen is home to the Diessenhofen primary and secondary school district
.In the 2008/2009 school year there are 691 students at either the primary or secondary levels. There are 131 children in the kindergarten
, and the average class size is 18.71 kindergartners. Of the children in kindergarten, 63 or 48.1% are female, 32 or 24.4% are not Swiss citizens and 30 or 22.9% do not speak German natively. The lower and upper primary levels begin at about age 5-6 and lasts for 6 years. There are 200 children in who are at the lower primary level and 236 children in the upper primary level. The average class size in the primary school is 20.1 students. At the lower primary level, there are 93 children or 46.5% of the total population who are female, 52 or 26.0% are not Swiss citizens and 48 or 24.0% do not speak German natively. In the upper primary level, there are 100 or 42.4% who are female, 59 or 25.0% are not Swiss citizens and 63 or 26.7% do not speak German natively. At the secondary level, students are divided according to performance.
The secondary level begins at about age 12 and usually lasts 3 years. There are 220 teenagers who are in the advanced school, of which 125 or 56.8% are female, 45 or 20.5% are not Swiss citizens and 41 or 18.6% do not speak German natively. There are 19 teenagers who are in the standard school, of which 8 or 42.1% are female, 5 or 26.3% are not Swiss citizens and 5 or 26.3% do not speak German natively. Finally, there are 16 teenagers who are in special or remedial classes, of which 6 or 37.5% are female, 8 or 50.0% are not Swiss citizens and 8 or 50.0% do not speak German natively. The average class size for all classes at the secondary level is 19.92 students.
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 Frauenfeld District 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 Thurgau
Thurgau
Thurgau is a northeast canton of Switzerland. The population, , is . In 2007, there were a total of 47,390 who were resident foreigners. The capital is Frauenfeld.-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
Diessenhofen is first mentioned in 757 as Deozincova. In 2000, the village of Willisdorf was incorporated into the municipality. The earliest traces of a settlement are StoneStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
scattered objects found in the shallow valleys of the district and on the banks of the Rhine. A hoard of coins from the 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...
(251-270), and the remains of three towers of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
-Iller
Iller
The Iller is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube, 147 km in length.The source is located near Oberstdorf in the Allgäu region of the Alps, close to the Austrian border. From there it runs northwards, passing the towns of Sonthofen, Immenstadt, and Kempten...
-Rhein Limes
Limes
A limes was a border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. It marked the boundaries of the Roman Empire.The Latin noun limes had a number of different meanings: a path or balk delimiting fields, a boundary line or marker, any road or path, any channel, such as a stream channel, or any...
(4th century) show Roman settlements in the area. The reference in a deed of the Abbey of St. Gall
Abbey of St. Gall
The Abbey of Saint Gall is a religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. The Carolingian-era Abbey has existed since 719 and became an independent principality during the 13th century, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine abbeys in Europe. It was...
from 757 mention an Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
village, which was probably on the plateau south of the church. In 1178 Count Hartmann III. of Kyburg
House of Kyburg
The House of Kyburg was family of Grafen or counts from Zürich in Switzerland. The family was one of the three most powerful noble families in the Swiss plateau beside the Habsburg and the House of Savoy during the 11th and 12th Centuries...
, raised the village to town and probably appointed a Ministerialis
Ministerialis
Ministerialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
(unfree knights in the service of a feudal overlord) family as the Stewards of Diessenhofen. By 1245, at the latest, it was the center of a bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
and a castle was built in town. Compared to Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 ....
and Stein am Rhein
Stein am Rhein
Stein am Rhein is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.The town has a well-preserved medieval centre, retaining the ancient street plan. The site of the city wall, and the city gates are preserved, though the former city wall now consists of houses...
, Diessenhofen was a modest market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
. Hartmann granted the town a measure of freedom and self-government. He used the castle and bridge over the Rhine to secure and defend his possessions on both sides of the Rhine. After the extinction of the Kyburgs and the transition of sovereignty to the Habsburgs in 1264, the city developed as one of the cornerstones of the region. The Stewards, who sat at Unterhof Castle
Unterhof Castle
Unterhof Castle is a castle in the municipality of Diessenhofen of the Canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
, temporarily united both the Vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
and Schultheiss offices into a single person. By 1320 the citizens chose a Town Council of 8-12 members, and during the 15th Century this evolved into a 24-28 member Grand Town Council. In 1349, the Duke of Austria wrestled the Vogt office away from the Stewards and granted it to another Ministerialis. These two developments made citizenship rights in Diessenhofen increasingly important.
The loss of Habsburg influence and the decline of the Habsburg supported Stewards gradually transformed the city between 1415 and 1442. Diessenhofen was captured in 1460 during the conquest of Thurgau by the Swiss Confederation
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
. The town was besieged for ten days before it was captured, but, much like Frauenfeld
Frauenfeld
Frauenfeld is the capital of the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-Early history:The earliest trace of human settlement are several La Tène era graves to the east of Langdorf. The Roman road from Oberwinterthur to Pfyn ran through what is now the Allmend in Frauenfeld. Two Roman villas were...
, it retained certain privileges in the new Thurgau. These included both the high and low courts
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....
and the recently acquired customs, tax and Vogt rights, as well as the castle. After 1574 they also acquired the rights over the left bank of the Rhine and the possessions of Paradise Monastery. During the 16th Century, the town gained the low court rights over most of the modern Diessenhofen District. Diessenhofen's court decisions did not have to be approved by the Governor in Frauenfeld, but went directly to the Confederation Council, in contrast to the rest of Thurgau. The city only had to pay homage
Homage (medieval)
Homage in the Middle Ages was the ceremony in which a feudal tenant or vassal pledged reverence and submission to his feudal lord, receiving in exchange the symbolic title to his new position . It was a symbolic acknowledgment to the lord that the vassal was, literally, his man . The oath known as...
to the Governor every two years.
The patronage of the church of St. Dionysius is mentioned in 1468. The advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
right in the 12th Century was included in the possession of the Count of Thurgau. By 1230 it was held by the Kyburgs. In 1264, the city government through the Habsburgs had the right. Practically, the citizens exercised the right after 1383 and it was legally confirmed in 1415. When the Protestant Reformation
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...
entered the town in 1524, many citizens converted to the new religion. The Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
was abolished in 1529 by the Protestant pastor, who also ordered the confiscation of Catholic Church
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...
property. Diessenhofen supported the city of Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
in the Second war of Kappel
Second war of Kappel
The second war of Kappel was an armed conflict in 1531 between the Protestant and the Catholic cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy during the Reformation in Switzerland.-Cause:...
in 1531, which ended in a Protestant defeat. After the defeat, the Catholic cantons reintroduced the Mass in 1532. The church remained a shared church
Simultaneum
A shared church, or Simultankirche, Simultaneum or, more fully, simultaneum mixtum, a term first coined in 16th century Germany, is a church in which public worship is conducted by adherents of two or more religious groups. Such churches became common in Europe in the wake of the Reformation...
until the construction of the Catholic Church in 1966-67. In 1349 the Jewish community of Diessenhofen was driven out of town. In 1401 a Jewish man was successfully prosecuted for ritual murder, which led to further persecution in Winterthur
Winterthur
Winterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti...
and Schaffhausen. During the 13th Century, two Nunneries were built between Diessenhofen and Schaffhausen, St. Katharinental and Paradise, which remained in operation until their dissolution
German Mediatisation
The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
in the 19th Century.
Since the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
the district has been known as the granary of the Thurgau due to its extensive and productive grain fields. Additionally, already in the 9th Century widespread viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
is mentioned in the Upper Rhine region. Until the 19th Century, the city was largely self-supplied for food and served as an collection point for food heading from the farms to the surrounding cities (especially Schaffhausen and Zurich). In the 12th Century are a weekly markets in town. Starting in 1387 two yearly markets opened and by the 19th Century that it had increased to eight yearly markets. The local industry covered only the simplest needs of the city and its limited market area. The limited industry and area provided too little money to support the formation of trade-oriented guilds. Diessenhofen was never dominated by a single industry or a special craft. It never was involved in the international Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
trade industry. The town's location on the Rhine favored the development of fisheries, and it benefited from the salt trade. Bridge and transit tariffs provided the majority of the town's income until the abolition of internal tariffs in 1848.
Geography
Diessenhofen has an area, , of 10.12 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi). Of this area, 4.24 km² (1.6 sq mi) or 41.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 3.67 km² (1.4 sq mi) or 36.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.62 km² (0.625485496919907 sq mi) or 16.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.51 km² (0.196912100882193 sq mi) or 5.0% is either rivers or lakes.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.3% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 1.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.8%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.3% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 5.8%. Out of the forested land, 33.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 40.9% is used for growing crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality borders on the west and north with Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the canton of Schaffhausen. On the east is the district of Steckborn
Steckborn (district)
Steckborn District is a former district of the canton of Thurgau, Switzerland. It had a population of . Its capital was the town of Steckborn.The district contained the following municipalities:...
, on the southeast, the municipality of Schlatt bei Diessenhofen
Schlatt bei Diessenhofen
Schlatt bei Diessenhofen is a municipality in Frauenfeld District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Schlatt bei Diessenhofen is first mentioned in 858 as Slate. In the Middle Ages, the House of Kyburg bailiwick of Diessenhofen had jurisdiction over Schlatt...
, and on the south the municipality of Basadingen-Schlattingen
Basadingen-Schlattingen
Basadingen-Schlattingen is a municipality in Frauenfeld District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.It was formed on 1 January 1999 from the union of the municipalities of Basadingen and Schlattingen.-History:...
.
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Canton of Schaffhausen | Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
 |
District of Steckborn Steckborn (district) Steckborn District is a former district of the canton of Thurgau, Switzerland. It had a population of . Its capital was the town of Steckborn.The district contained the following municipalities:... |
| Schlatt bei Diessenhofen Schlatt bei Diessenhofen Schlatt bei Diessenhofen is a municipality in Frauenfeld District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Schlatt bei Diessenhofen is first mentioned in 858 as Slate. In the Middle Ages, the House of Kyburg bailiwick of Diessenhofen had jurisdiction over Schlatt... |
Basadingen-Schlattingen Basadingen-Schlattingen Basadingen-Schlattingen is a municipality in Frauenfeld District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.It was formed on 1 January 1999 from the union of the municipalities of Basadingen and Schlattingen.-History:... |
Basadingen-Schlattingen Basadingen-Schlattingen Basadingen-Schlattingen is a municipality in Frauenfeld District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.It was formed on 1 January 1999 from the union of the municipalities of Basadingen and Schlattingen.-History:... |
Demographics
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....
(81.8%), 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 ( 5.2%) 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 ( 3.9%).
, the gender distribution of the population was 50.7% male and 49.3% female. The population was made up of 1,088 Swiss men (33.4% of the population), and 564 (17.3%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,171 Swiss women (35.9%), and 437 (13.4%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 23 live births to Swiss citizens and 14 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 17 deaths of Swiss citizens and 3 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 6 while the foreign population increased by 11. There were 4 Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 2 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 34 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 28 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 25 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 32 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.8%.
The age distribution, , in Diessenhofen is; 297 children or 9.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 384 teenagers or 11.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 430 people or 13.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 460 people or 13.9% are between 30 and 39, 516 people or 15.6% are between 40 and 49, and 472 people or 14.2% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 418 people or 12.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 224 people or 6.8% are between 70 and 79, there are 99 people or 3.0% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 14 people or 0.4% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.58 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 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 33.7% 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 1,325 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. there were 338 single family homes (or 67.1% of the total) out of a total of 504 inhabited buildings. There were 46 two family buildings (9.1%), 36 three family buildings (7.1%) and 84 multi-family buildings (or 16.7%). There were 732 (or 22.7%) persons who were part of a couple without children, and 1,722 (or 53.4%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 175 (or 5.4%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 6 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 9 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 23 who lived in a household made up of unrelated persons, and 107 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.72%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0.6 new units per 1000 residents. there were 1,528 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 471. There were 88 single room apartments and 162 apartments with six or more rooms. the average price to rent an average apartment in Diessenhofen was 900.07 Swiss franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
s (CHF) per month (US$720, £410, €580 approx. exchange rate from 2000). The average rate for a one room apartment was 649.00 CHF (US$520, £290, €420), a two room apartment was about 628.34 CHF (US$500, £280, €400), a three room apartment was about 788.98 CHF (US$630, £360, €500) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1614.00 CHF (US$1290, £730, €1030). The average apartment price in Diessenhofen was 80.7% of the national average of 1116 CHF.
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 43.96% 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....
(16.98%), 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...
(12.61%) and 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....
(11.63%). In the federal election, a total of 909 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 47.3%.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1527 | ca 1,000 |
| 1850 | 1,616 |
| 1900 | 1,876 |
| 1950 | 2,608 |
| 1990 | 3,292 |
| 2000 | 3,227 |
Heritage sites of national significance
Unterhof CastleUnterhof Castle
Unterhof Castle is a castle in the municipality of Diessenhofen of the Canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
, City Archives in the Rathaus
Rathaus
Rathaus is a German word literally translating as “council house”, meaning “city hall” or “town hall”. Many specific buildings are referred to as Rathaus even when spoken about in English.Some important Rathäuser are:* Rathaus Schöneberg...
(Town council house), Former Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
Monastery of St. Katharinental with its granary, the zum Goldenen Löwen House and the Goldener Leuen Collection, the Rheinbrücke (Rhine Bridge), and the city walls with Siegelturm are listed as Swiss 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...
. Both the town of Diessenhofen and St Katharinental Monastery are 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:...
.
Architecture
The Altstadt of Diessenhofen centers on the Siegelturm a tower in which seals and official documents are kept. The old covered bridge over the Rhine was rebuilt in 1814. It leads to Gailingen am Hochrhein in Baden-WürttembergBaden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
in Germany.
Economy
, Diessenhofen had an unemployment rate of 1.59%. , there were 74 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 668 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 54 businesses in this sector. 901 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 143 businesses in this sector.there were 2,220 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 964 or about 43.4% of the residents worked outside Diessenhofen while 967 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 2,223 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 12.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 44.7% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 955 or 29.6% were Roman Catholic, while 1,335 or 41.4% 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 3 Old Catholics (or about 0.09% of the population) who belonged 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...
there are 98 individuals (or about 3.04% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 96 individuals (or about 2.97% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There were 3 individuals (or about 0.09% of the population) who were Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 318 (or about 9.85% of the population) who are Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There are 11 individuals (or about 0.34% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 269 (or about 8.34% of the population) belong 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 139 individuals (or about 4.31% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Diessenhofen about 66.5% 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...
).
Diessenhofen is home to the Diessenhofen primary and secondary school district
Education in Switzerland
The education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system mainly to the cantons...
.In the 2008/2009 school year there are 691 students at either the primary or secondary levels. There are 131 children in the kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, and the average class size is 18.71 kindergartners. Of the children in kindergarten, 63 or 48.1% are female, 32 or 24.4% are not Swiss citizens and 30 or 22.9% do not speak German natively. The lower and upper primary levels begin at about age 5-6 and lasts for 6 years. There are 200 children in who are at the lower primary level and 236 children in the upper primary level. The average class size in the primary school is 20.1 students. At the lower primary level, there are 93 children or 46.5% of the total population who are female, 52 or 26.0% are not Swiss citizens and 48 or 24.0% do not speak German natively. In the upper primary level, there are 100 or 42.4% who are female, 59 or 25.0% are not Swiss citizens and 63 or 26.7% do not speak German natively. At the secondary level, students are divided according to performance.
The secondary level begins at about age 12 and usually lasts 3 years. There are 220 teenagers who are in the advanced school, of which 125 or 56.8% are female, 45 or 20.5% are not Swiss citizens and 41 or 18.6% do not speak German natively. There are 19 teenagers who are in the standard school, of which 8 or 42.1% are female, 5 or 26.3% are not Swiss citizens and 5 or 26.3% do not speak German natively. Finally, there are 16 teenagers who are in special or remedial classes, of which 6 or 37.5% are female, 8 or 50.0% are not Swiss citizens and 8 or 50.0% do not speak German natively. The average class size for all classes at the secondary level is 19.92 students.