Escholzmatt
Encyclopedia
Escholzmatt is a municipality
in the district of Entlebuch in the canton
of Lucerne in Switzerland
. Escholzmatt is the Lucern's second largest Canton Lucerne in terms of area. It is part of the UNESCO
Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve
since 2001.
The municipality is located on the watershed between the Grosse
and Kleine Emme
rivers. The lowest elevtation in the municipality is 753 m (2,470.5 ft) while the highest is 2090 m (6,857 ft) on the Schrattenfluh by Hengst
. It consists of the village of Escholzmatt and the hamlets
of Lehn, Feldmoos, Wiggen, and Dürrenbach.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the CVP
which received 46.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(33.7%), the FDP
(14.2%) and the Green Party
(2.7%).
The age distribution in Escholzmatt is; 823 people or 26.2% of the population is 0–19 years old. 793 people or 25.2% are 20–39 years old, and 991 people or 31.6% are 40–64 years old. The senior population distribution is 369 people or 11.7% are 65–79 years old, 147 or 4.7% are 80–89 years old and 18 people or 0.6% of the population are 90+ years old.
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Escholzmatt about 53.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
). there are 1,133 households, of which 342 households (or about 30.2%) contain only a single individual. 200 or about 17.7% are large households, with at least five members. there were 667 inhabited buildings in the municipality, of which 311 were built only as housing, and 356 were mixed use
buildings. There were 183 single family homes, 75 double family homes, and 53 multi-family homes in the municipality. Most homes were either two (173) or three (98) story structures. There were only 14 single story buildings and 26 four or more story buildings.
Escholzmatt has an unemployment rate of 1.07%. , there were 564 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 230 businesses involved in this sector. 566 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 33 businesses in this sector. 410 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 71 businesses in this sector. 46.6% of the population of the municipality were employed in some capacity. At the same time, females made up 38.8% of the workforce.
the religious membership of Escholzmatt was; 2,532 (78.4%) were Roman Catholic, and 354 (11.%) were Protestant, with an additional 49 (1.52%) that were of some other Christian faith. There are 79 individuals (2.45% of the population) who are Muslim. Of the rest; there were 37 (1.15%) individuals who belong to another religion, 53 (1.64%) who do not belong to any organized religion, 125 (3.87%) who did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
. The wettest month is June during which time Escholzmatt receives an average of 172 mm (6.8 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 15.1 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 15.5, but with only 150 mm (5.9 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 85 mm (3.3 in) of precipitation over 15.1 days.
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 Entlebuch 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 Lucerne 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....
. Escholzmatt is the Lucern's second largest Canton Lucerne in terms of area. It is part of the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve
Entlebuch Biosphere
The Entlebuch Biosphere is a natural reserve at the foot of the Alps which includes the 395 km² large valley of the Little Emme River between Bern and Lucerne in the Swiss Canton of Lucerne....
since 2001.
History
Escholzmatt is first mentioned in 1160 as Askolvismatte. In 1240 it was mentioned as Askoltispach and Asholtismate, in 1275 it was mentioned as Aeschelsmat.Geography
Escholzmatt has an area of 61.3 km² (23.7 sq mi). Of this area, 50% is used for agricultural purposes, while 44.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 3.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (2.7%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). , 44.24% of the total land area was forested. Of the agricultural land, 49.67% is used for farming or pastures, while 0.26% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the settled areas, 1.4% is covered with buildings, 0.13% is industrial, 0.15% is classed as special developments, 0.07% is parks or greenbelts and 1.38% is transportation infrastructure. Of the unproductive areas, 0.63% is unproductive flowing water (rivers) and 2.07% is other unproductive land.The municipality is located on the watershed between the Grosse
Emme River
The Emme is a river in Switzerland. It rises in the Alps between the peaks of Hohgant and Augstmatthorn in the canton of Bern. The Emme is 80 kilometers long and flows through the Emmental and into the Aar below Solothurn. The drainage area is 983 km². The average discharge at the mouth is...
and Kleine Emme
Kleine Emme
The Kleine Emme is a river of the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, a left tributary of the Reuss River extending for 58 km, draining a basin of 477 km²...
rivers. The lowest elevtation in the municipality is 753 m (2,470.5 ft) while the highest is 2090 m (6,857 ft) on the Schrattenfluh by Hengst
Hengst
The Hengst is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, located in the Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland. It is the highest summit of the Schrattenflue.-External links:*...
. It consists of the village of Escholzmatt 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 Lehn, Feldmoos, Wiggen, and Dürrenbach.
Demographics
Escholzmatt has a population (as of ) of . , 5.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -6.2%. Most of the population speaks German (95.0%), with Albanian being second most common ( 1.7%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 1.0%).In the 2007 election 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 46.3% 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...
(33.7%), 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....
(14.2%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(2.7%).
The age distribution in Escholzmatt is; 823 people or 26.2% of the population is 0–19 years old. 793 people or 25.2% are 20–39 years old, and 991 people or 31.6% are 40–64 years old. The senior population distribution is 369 people or 11.7% are 65–79 years old, 147 or 4.7% are 80–89 years old and 18 people or 0.6% of the population are 90+ years old.
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Escholzmatt about 53.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). there are 1,133 households, of which 342 households (or about 30.2%) contain only a single individual. 200 or about 17.7% are large households, with at least five members. there were 667 inhabited buildings in the municipality, of which 311 were built only as housing, and 356 were mixed use
Mixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
buildings. There were 183 single family homes, 75 double family homes, and 53 multi-family homes in the municipality. Most homes were either two (173) or three (98) story structures. There were only 14 single story buildings and 26 four or more story buildings.
Escholzmatt has an unemployment rate of 1.07%. , there were 564 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 230 businesses involved in this sector. 566 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 33 businesses in this sector. 410 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 71 businesses in this sector. 46.6% of the population of the municipality were employed in some capacity. At the same time, females made up 38.8% of the workforce.
the religious membership of Escholzmatt was; 2,532 (78.4%) were Roman Catholic, and 354 (11.%) were Protestant, with an additional 49 (1.52%) that were of some other Christian faith. There are 79 individuals (2.45% of the population) who are Muslim. Of the rest; there were 37 (1.15%) individuals who belong to another religion, 53 (1.64%) who do not belong to any organized religion, 125 (3.87%) who did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1650 | c900 |
| 1850 | 3,348 |
| 1900 | 3,127 |
| 1950 | 3,509 |
| 2000 | 3,229 |
Weather
Escholzmatt has an average of 153 days of rain per year and on average receives 1424 mm (56.1 in) of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
. The wettest month is June during which time Escholzmatt receives an average of 172 mm (6.8 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 15.1 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 15.5, but with only 150 mm (5.9 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 85 mm (3.3 in) of precipitation over 15.1 days.