Erlen
Encyclopedia
Erlen is a municipality
in Weinfelden District in the canton
of Thurgau
in Switzerland
.
Before 1798 Erlen belonged in the so-called Hohen Gerichte, which was directly under the authority of the Confederation
governor of Thurgau. Eppishausen and a house in Erlen were part of the Gerichtsherrschaft (a combination of court
and manor
rights]]) of Eppishausen. Ehstegen was part of the Oberaach fief of the Abbey of St. Gall
and until 1812 formed its own municipality.
In 1764 a Reformed
Church was built in Erlen, though it remained part of the parish
of Sulgen
. The church cemetery was built in 1819 and in 1992 it finally became an independent parish. The Catholics
in Erlen remained part of the Catholic parish of Sulgen.
The Brunschweiler family from Schocherswil
settled in Erlen in 1652 and promoted the spread of spinning and weaving as a cottage industry. Erlen attained some importance in the 17th and 18th Centuries through the linen trade and dyeing. By the 19th Century, mechanical embroidery was also added to the local industry. Larger social and structural changes in Erlen occurred since 1951, when the growing steel company Lista AG built a steel factory in town. The factory employed about 350 workers in 2004, down from the nearly 700 that they employed in 1990.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.7% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 1.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.7%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 3.4% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.5%. Out of the forested land, 13.0% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.8% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 52.3% is used for growing crops, while 18.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the water in the municipality, 0.2% is in lakes and 0.2% is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in Weinfelden District. It consists of the linear village
of Erlen and the former communities of Buchackern, Engishofen, Ennetaach, and Kümmertshausen as well as Riedt (which used to be part of the municipality of Sulgen). The village of Erlen consists of the sections of Erlen-Dorf, Ehstegen and Eppishausen.
(90.2%), with Albanian
being second most common ( 3.7%) and Italian
being third ( 2.3%).
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. The population was made up of 1,203 Swiss men (38.7% of the population), and 329 (10.6%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,298 Swiss women (41.8%), and 277 (8.9%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 16 live births to Swiss citizens and 13 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 21 deaths of Swiss citizens and 2 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 11. There were 2 Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 4 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 13 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 8 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 14 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 33 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.6%.
The age distribution, , in Erlen is; 323 children or 10.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 447 teenagers or 14.3% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 436 people or 13.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 364 people or 11.6% are between 30 and 39, 574 people or 18.3% are between 40 and 49, and 441 people or 14.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 286 people or 9.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 165 people or 5.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 85 people or 2.7% 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 0.57 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 50% 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 1,120 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. there were 477 single family homes (or 79.2% of the total) out of a total of 602 inhabited buildings. There were 51 two family buildings (8.5%), 15 three family buildings (2.5%) and 59 multi-family buildings (or 9.8%). There were 598 (or 19.5%) persons who were part of a couple without children, and 1,884 (or 61.4%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 169 (or 5.5%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 16 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 6 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 27 who lived in a household made up of unrelated persons, and 79 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 5.22%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.9 new units per 1000 residents. there were 1,253 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 358. There were 18 single room apartments and 248 apartments with six or more rooms. the average price to rent an average apartment in Erlen was 994.51 Swiss franc
s (CHF) per month (US$800, £450, €640 approx. exchange rate from 2000). The average rate for a one room apartment was 660.00 CHF (US$530, £300, €420), a two room apartment was about 599.36 CHF (US$480, £270, €380), a three room apartment was about 806.15 CHF (US$640, £360, €520) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1472.35 CHF (US$1180, £660, €940). The average apartment price in Erlen was 89.1% of the national average of 1116 CHF.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 49.14% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(12.62%), the FDP
(11.23%) and the SP
(8.35%). In the federal election, a total of 844 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 43.1%.
The historical population is given in the following table:
there were 2,167 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 990 or about 45.7% of the residents worked outside Erlen while 693 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 1,870 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 7.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 50.9% used a private car.
ic. There are 7 individuals (or about 0.23% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 168 (or about 5.48% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 129 individuals (or about 4.20% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
Erlen is home to the Erlen-Riedt-Ennetaach primary and secondary school district
. In the 2008/2009 school year there are 420 students at either the primary or secondary levels. There are 85 children in the kindergarten
, and the average class size is 17 kindergartners. Of the children in kindergarten, 40 or 47.1% are female, 21 or 24.7% are not Swiss citizens and 22 or 25.9% do not speak German natively. The lower and upper primary levels begin at about age 5-6 and lasts for 6 years. There are 121 children in who are at the lower primary level and 127 children in the upper primary level. The average class size in the primary school is 20.67 students. At the lower primary level, there are 56 children or 46.3% of the total population who are female, 32 or 26.4% are not Swiss citizens and 28 or 23.1% do not speak German natively. In the upper primary level, there are 67 or 52.8% who are female, 28 or 22.0% are not Swiss citizens and 26 or 20.5% 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 93 teenagers who are in the advanced school, of which 42 or 45.2% are female, 5 or 5.4% are not Swiss citizens and 8 or 8.6% do not speak German natively. There are 79 teenagers who are in the standard school, of which 33 or 41.8% are female, 13 or 16.5% are not Swiss citizens and 16 or 20.3% do not speak German natively. The average class size for all classes at the secondary level is 19.11 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 Weinfelden 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
The current municipality was formed in 1995 from the smaller communities of Erlen, Engishofen, Ennetaach, Kümmertshausen and Riedt. The section of Erlen known as Ehstegen was first mentioned in 838 as Escislec.Before 1798 Erlen belonged in the so-called Hohen Gerichte, which was directly under the authority of the Confederation
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
governor of Thurgau. Eppishausen and a house in Erlen were part of the Gerichtsherrschaft (a combination of court
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 manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
rights]]) of Eppishausen. Ehstegen was part of the Oberaach fief 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...
and until 1812 formed its own municipality.
In 1764 a Reformed
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...
Church was built in Erlen, though it remained part of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Sulgen
Sulgen
Sulgen is a municipality in Weinfelden District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-Geography:Sulgen has an area, , of . Of this area, or 67.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 12.9% is forested...
. The church cemetery was built in 1819 and in 1992 it finally became an independent parish. The 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...
in Erlen remained part of the Catholic parish of Sulgen.
The Brunschweiler family from Schocherswil
Amriswil
Amriswil is a municipality in Arbon District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Amriswil is first mentioned in 799 as Amalgeriswilare. During the Middle Ages Amriswil and Brüschwil were part of a Bishop's fief. During the 15th Century, the Helmsdorf family ruled in Eppishausen...
settled in Erlen in 1652 and promoted the spread of spinning and weaving as a cottage industry. Erlen attained some importance in the 17th and 18th Centuries through the linen trade and dyeing. By the 19th Century, mechanical embroidery was also added to the local industry. Larger social and structural changes in Erlen occurred since 1951, when the growing steel company Lista AG built a steel factory in town. The factory employed about 350 workers in 2004, down from the nearly 700 that they employed in 1990.
Geography
Erlen has an area, , of 12.19 square kilometres (4.7 sq mi). Of this area, 8.69 km² (3.4 sq mi) or 71.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.81 km² (0.698844907052488 sq mi) or 14.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.63 km² (0.629346518505832 sq mi) or 13.4% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.06 km² (14.8 acre) or 0.5% is either rivers or lakes and 0.04 km² (9.9 acre) or 0.3% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.7% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 1.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.7%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 3.4% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.5%. Out of the forested land, 13.0% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.8% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 52.3% is used for growing crops, while 18.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the water in the municipality, 0.2% is in lakes and 0.2% is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in Weinfelden District. It consists of the linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
of Erlen and the former communities of Buchackern, Engishofen, Ennetaach, and Kümmertshausen as well as Riedt (which used to be part of the municipality of Sulgen). The village of Erlen consists of the sections of Erlen-Dorf, Ehstegen and Eppishausen.
Demographics
Erlen has a population of , 19.5% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 2.1%. Most of the population speaks GermanGerman 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....
(90.2%), with 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 second most common ( 3.7%) and 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 third ( 2.3%).
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. The population was made up of 1,203 Swiss men (38.7% of the population), and 329 (10.6%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,298 Swiss women (41.8%), and 277 (8.9%) non-Swiss women.
In there were 16 live births to Swiss citizens and 13 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 21 deaths of Swiss citizens and 2 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 11. There were 2 Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 4 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 13 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 8 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was a decrease of 14 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 33 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.6%.
The age distribution, , in Erlen is; 323 children or 10.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 447 teenagers or 14.3% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 436 people or 13.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 364 people or 11.6% are between 30 and 39, 574 people or 18.3% are between 40 and 49, and 441 people or 14.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 286 people or 9.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 165 people or 5.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 85 people or 2.7% 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 0.57 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 50% 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 1,120 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. there were 477 single family homes (or 79.2% of the total) out of a total of 602 inhabited buildings. There were 51 two family buildings (8.5%), 15 three family buildings (2.5%) and 59 multi-family buildings (or 9.8%). There were 598 (or 19.5%) persons who were part of a couple without children, and 1,884 (or 61.4%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 169 (or 5.5%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 16 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 6 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 27 who lived in a household made up of unrelated persons, and 79 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 5.22%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.9 new units per 1000 residents. there were 1,253 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 358. There were 18 single room apartments and 248 apartments with six or more rooms. the average price to rent an average apartment in Erlen was 994.51 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$800, £450, €640 approx. exchange rate from 2000). The average rate for a one room apartment was 660.00 CHF (US$530, £300, €420), a two room apartment was about 599.36 CHF (US$480, £270, €380), a three room apartment was about 806.15 CHF (US$640, £360, €520) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1472.35 CHF (US$1180, £660, €940). The average apartment price in Erlen was 89.1% 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 49.14% 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...
(12.62%), 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....
(11.23%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(8.35%). In the federal election, a total of 844 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 43.1%.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1870 | 1,127 |
| 1950 | 1,453 |
| 1970 | 1,857 |
| 1990 | 2,298 |
| 1950 | 611 |
| 1970 | 1,006 |
| 2000 | 3,068 |
- Population for the entire, combined municipality
Sights
The entire village of Erlen-Eppishausen is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage SitesInventory 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:...
Economy
, Erlen had an unemployment rate of 1.74%. , there were 208 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 56 businesses involved in this sector. 571 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 41 businesses in this sector. 392 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 76 businesses in this sector.there were 2,167 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 990 or about 45.7% of the residents worked outside Erlen while 693 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 1,870 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 7.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 50.9% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 908 or 29.6% were Roman Catholic, while 1,460 or 47.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there are 39 individuals (or about 1.27% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 119 individuals (or about 3.88% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There were 238 (or about 7.76% of the population) who are IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There are 7 individuals (or about 0.23% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 168 (or about 5.48% 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 129 individuals (or about 4.20% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Erlen about 66.8% 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...
).
Erlen is home to the Erlen-Riedt-Ennetaach 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 420 students at either the primary or secondary levels. There are 85 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 17 kindergartners. Of the children in kindergarten, 40 or 47.1% are female, 21 or 24.7% are not Swiss citizens and 22 or 25.9% do not speak German natively. The lower and upper primary levels begin at about age 5-6 and lasts for 6 years. There are 121 children in who are at the lower primary level and 127 children in the upper primary level. The average class size in the primary school is 20.67 students. At the lower primary level, there are 56 children or 46.3% of the total population who are female, 32 or 26.4% are not Swiss citizens and 28 or 23.1% do not speak German natively. In the upper primary level, there are 67 or 52.8% who are female, 28 or 22.0% are not Swiss citizens and 26 or 20.5% 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 93 teenagers who are in the advanced school, of which 42 or 45.2% are female, 5 or 5.4% are not Swiss citizens and 8 or 8.6% do not speak German natively. There are 79 teenagers who are in the standard school, of which 33 or 41.8% are female, 13 or 16.5% are not Swiss citizens and 16 or 20.3% do not speak German natively. The average class size for all classes at the secondary level is 19.11 students.