Estavayer-le-Lac
Encyclopedia
Estavayer-le-Lac is a municipality
of the canton of Fribourg
, situated on the south shore of Lake Neuchâtel
. Estavayer-le-Lac is located between Yverdon and Bern. It is the capital of the district of Broye
.
The lake shore near Estavayer-le-Lac was inhabited during the Neolithic
era. The lake shore settlement at La Tuillère is from the 4th and 3rd millennium BC. It was first explored in 1857, but the main excavation happened in 1969 in preparation for a large construction project. Two late Bronze Age
(11th-9th century BC) sites were also discovered; Pianta II, first mentioned in 1860, and Station II or Ténevières, which was mentioned in 1856 and excavated in 1878-79. Unfortunately, most of the 19th Century discoveries were looted by treasure hunters and the material was spread among several museums. The quality and quantity of the finds show that there was a large and sophisticated bronze industry along the lake shore at the beginning of the first Millennium BC. The craftsmen produced needles, knives and wheels in large numbers, the majority of which were probably intended for trade. The Bronze Age pile dwellings along the lake shore were abandoned around 850 BC.
During the early Iron Age
(800-450 BC) the largest settlements moved from the lake shore to high ground or fortified hills. The area of La Motte Chatel in the heart of today's Estavayer-le-Lac was likely inhabited during this time. One of the most interesting finds from this era is the Hallstatt era
iron dagger from 650-550 BC. It was found by chance in the 1950s and was probably buried as an offering. It is one of the best preserved and technically successful example of an antenna dagger (so called for the rolled ends). The dagger built from 30 forged pieces that were riveted together, the sheath is composed of 25 pieces that were welded together.
The city was founded sometime in the 12th Century. Due to the close ties between the Bishop of Lausanne
and the noble d'Estavayer family, it is likely that it was founded with the support of the Bishop. The first citizens of Estavayer-le-Lac were mentioned in 1291. During the Middle Ages
the history of the town is closely linked with that of their lords. This changed in the 13th Century when the Lords of Estavayer split into three branches. Each branch owned a castle in the city, and exercised sovereign rights over some of the citizens. All three branches shared the city government between themselves. In 1244, the Bishop placed the Lords of Estavayer under the Counts of Savoy. From this point on the city was part of the Savoy district of Vaud. In 1349, William IV of Estavayer sold his part of the city to Isabelle of Chalon, the Countess of Vaud. Estavayer-le-Lac became the center of a district under Vaud. Between 1403-1535 Estavayer-le-Lac sent representatives to the assembly of estates which was generally held in Moudon
.
During the Burgundian Wars
, the town was besieged by the Swiss Confederation
and captured on 27 October 1475, with heavy losses among the citizens of the town. The city of Fribourg
purchased a number of rights in Estavayer-le-Lac in 1488 and appointed a vogt
to reside in Chenaux Castle
and administer the Fribourg properties in town. In 1536, they acquired additional rights in the town and surroundings and made Estavayer-le-Lac the center of a Fribourg bailiwick
. The bailiff was also the Schultheiss of the city and stood before the Council. After the death of the last Lord of Estavayer in 1632, Fribourg took the rest of the city in 1635, and became the sole ruler of the city. It remained the capital of a bailiwick until the end of the Helvetic Republic
, when it became the capital of the Broye district.
From the late Middle Ages until 1671, the town was governed by the common law of Lausanne. In 1671, the Fribourg authorities issued their own laws for the city. A town council was first mentioned in the charter of 1350, which was granted by Isabelle Chalon. In the 15th Century, the council consisted of the governor and 18 people, six each from the three sub-dominions. After 1536, the Council was made up of the mayor, the governor, twelve councilors and six (changed to three in 1576) adjuncts. The members of the council and all government officers were proposed by the mayor and appointed by the Citizens' Assembly. The pastor, members of the clergy and the holders of all lower offices were appointed by the Council. Only full citizens of the town were allowed to hold office or vote in the Citizens' Assembly. This created a large body of disenfranchised residents without access to important offices. This order continued until the end of the Ancien Régime.
The parish
of Estavayer-le-Lac was first mentioned in 1228. In the 14th century, a clerical community was founded at the parish church of Saint-Laurent. Although a formal college of canons
was never founded, the town clergy was granted the rights to meet as a college in 1432. The church was rebuilt around 1440. The magnificent choir stalls were added in 1521-25 and in 1530 the canons of the Cathedral of St. Vincent in Bern gave Estavayer-le-Lac four Antiphonaries. In 1443, Humbert of Savoy was buried in the choir of the church. In 1512, the parish of Carignan was incorporated, followed in 1522 by the parish of Lully. William of Estavayer, the archdeacon of Lincoln, founded a Dominican convent in 1316, which still exists today. Other orders also founded convents including; the Minims (1622-1728) and the Jesuit
s (Jesuit College 1827-47).
Until the industrialization of the 18th century, the local economy was based mostly on grain farming and income from the bailiwick. In 1777 the fabric factory Fabrique-Neuve de Cortaillod opened a branch in Estavayer-le-Lac. By the end of the 18th Century there were around 100 fabric dyers, especially young women from the countryside. Before World War II, the food industry settled in town. Today, the main industries are in the production of canned food, tobacco, and wood and metal processing. As a district capital, a secondary school and a district hospital were built in town. The hospital merged in 1999 with the Hospital of Payerne to form the Hôpital de la Broye intercantonal. Due to the intact historic city center and its proximity to the sea, tourism also plays a certain role. Moderate traffic travels through the town on the main street Yverdon-Payerne, the Payerne-Yverdon railway line (opened in 1877) and A1 motorway (opened in 2001).
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.7% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 16.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 7.8%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 4.4%. Out of the forested land, 4.5% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 46.9% is used for growing crops and 8.1% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.
The municipality is located in the Broye district, on the southern bank of Lake Neuchatel
at an elevation of 430 to 460 m (1,410.8 to 1,509.2 ft). It is a district capital and a regional administration and business center.
The municipality of Font
is seeking approval from the Canton to merge on 1 January 2012 into the municipality of Estavayer-le-Lac.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per pale Gules and Argent three bars wavy of the first, overall a Double Rose of the first barbed and seeded proper.
Most of the population speaks French
(3,602 or 81.2%) as their first language, German
is the second most common (256 or 5.8%) and Albanian
is the third (165 or 3.7%). There are 46 people who speak Italian
and 2 people who speak Romansh.
, the population was 47.9% male and 52.1% female. The population was made up of 1,699 Swiss men (32.9% of the population) and 774 (15.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,979 Swiss women (38.3%) and 710 (13.8%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 1,289 or about 29.1% were born in Estavayer-le-Lac and lived there in 2000. There were 983 or 22.2% who were born in the same canton, while 893 or 20.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 1,029 or 23.2% were born outside of Switzerland.
The age distribution, , in Estavayer-le-Lac is; 590 children or 13.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 685 teenagers or 15.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 525 people or 11.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 712 people or 16.0% are between 30 and 39, 637 people or 14.4% are between 40 and 49, and 513 people or 11.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 336 people or 7.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 270 people or 6.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 143 people or 3.2% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 26 people or 0.6% who are 90 and older.
, there were 2,001 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,961 married individuals, 243 widows or widowers and 232 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 1,737 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 626 households that consist of only one person and 149 households with five or more people. , a total of 1,673 apartments (80.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 304 apartments (14.7%) were seasonally occupied and 96 apartments (4.6%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 8.5 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.45%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
, the Collegiate church
of Saint-Laurent, the Convent
of the Dominican
nuns, the town fortifications, the House de la Dîme and the House des Sires d’Estavayer listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
. The entire town of Estavayer-le-Lac is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 29.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(25.0%), the SVP
(18.5%) and the FDP
(12.8%). The CVP received about the same percentage of the vote as they did in the 2007 Federal election
(31.7% in 2007 vs 29.7% in 2011). The SPS moved from third in 2007 (with 20.5%) to second in 2011, the SVP moved from second in 2007 (with 23.6%) to third and the FDP gained popularity (13.5% in 2007). A total of 1,372 votes were cast in this election, of which 16 or 1.2% were invalid.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 2,496. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 23, of which 18 were in agriculture and 5 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 1,299 of which 1,056 or (81.3%) were in manufacturing, 1 was in mining and 238 (18.3%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,174. In the tertiary sector; 247 or 21.0% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 59 or 5.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 87 or 7.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 12 or 1.0% were in the information industry, 51 or 4.3% were the insurance or financial industry, 92 or 7.8% were technical professionals or scientists, 142 or 12.1% were in education and 376 or 32.0% were in health care.
, there were 1,495 workers who commuted into the municipality and 812 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. Of the working population, 6% used public transportation to get to work, and 58% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 54 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 1.22% of the population), there were 6 individuals (or about 0.14% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 131 individuals (or about 2.95% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 2 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who were Jewish
, and 299 (or about 6.74% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 5 individuals who were Buddhist
, 3 individuals who were Hindu
and 3 individuals who belonged to another church. 297 (or about 6.69% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 315 individuals (or about 7.10% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 451 who completed tertiary schooling, 60.8% were Swiss men, 22.6% were Swiss women, 7.8% were non-Swiss men and 8.9% were non-Swiss women.
The Canton of Fribourg school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten
, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend a three or four year optional upper Secondary school. The upper Secondary school is divided into gymnasium
(university preparatory) and vocational programs. After they finish the upper Secondary program, students may choose to attend a Tertiary school or continue their apprenticeship
.
During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 1,276 students attending 72 classes in Estavayer-le-Lac. A total of 895 students from the municipality attended any school, either in the municipality or outside of it. There were 6 kindergarten classes with a total of 110 students in the municipality. The municipality had 18 primary classes and 377 students. During the same year, there were 33 lower secondary classes with a total of 683 students. There were 2 upper Secondary classes, with 33 upper Secondary students. The municipality had 13 special Tertiary classes, with 73 specialized Tertiary students.
, there were 440 students in Estavayer-le-Lac who came from another municipality, while 145 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
of the canton of Fribourg
Canton of Fribourg
The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the west of the country. The capital of the canton is Fribourg. The name Fribourg is French, whereas is the German name for both the canton and the town.-History:...
, situated on the south shore of Lake Neuchâtel
Lake Neuchâtel
Lake Neuchâtel is a lake in Romandy, Switzerland . The lake lies mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel, but is also shared by the cantons of Vaud, of Fribourg, and of Bern....
. Estavayer-le-Lac is located between Yverdon and Bern. It is the capital of the district of Broye
Broye (district)
Broye District is a one of the seven districts of the Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, lying in the vicinity of Lake Neuchâtel. Its territory is non-contiguous and Broye is fragmented into four parts, three of which exist as exclaves from the canton of Fribourg...
.
History
Estavayer-le-Lac is first mentioned in 1156 as Stavaiel. In 1228 it was mentioned as Estavaier. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Stäffis am See, however, that name is no longer used.The lake shore near Estavayer-le-Lac was inhabited during the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
era. The lake shore settlement at La Tuillère is from the 4th and 3rd millennium BC. It was first explored in 1857, but the main excavation happened in 1969 in preparation for a large construction project. Two late 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...
(11th-9th century BC) sites were also discovered; Pianta II, first mentioned in 1860, and Station II or Ténevières, which was mentioned in 1856 and excavated in 1878-79. Unfortunately, most of the 19th Century discoveries were looted by treasure hunters and the material was spread among several museums. The quality and quantity of the finds show that there was a large and sophisticated bronze industry along the lake shore at the beginning of the first Millennium BC. The craftsmen produced needles, knives and wheels in large numbers, the majority of which were probably intended for trade. The Bronze Age pile dwellings along the lake shore were abandoned around 850 BC.
During the early Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
(800-450 BC) the largest settlements moved from the lake shore to high ground or fortified hills. The area of La Motte Chatel in the heart of today's Estavayer-le-Lac was likely inhabited during this time. One of the most interesting finds from this era is the Hallstatt era
Hallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
iron dagger from 650-550 BC. It was found by chance in the 1950s and was probably buried as an offering. It is one of the best preserved and technically successful example of an antenna dagger (so called for the rolled ends). The dagger built from 30 forged pieces that were riveted together, the sheath is composed of 25 pieces that were welded together.
Bishop of Lausanne
The Bishop of Lausanne was a Prince-Bishop of the Holy Roman Empire and the Ordinary of the diocese of Lausanne, Switzerland .Bern secularized the bishopric in 1536....
and the noble d'Estavayer family, it is likely that it was founded with the support of the Bishop. The first citizens of Estavayer-le-Lac were mentioned in 1291. During the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
the history of the town is closely linked with that of their lords. This changed in the 13th Century when the Lords of Estavayer split into three branches. Each branch owned a castle in the city, and exercised sovereign rights over some of the citizens. All three branches shared the city government between themselves. In 1244, the Bishop placed the Lords of Estavayer under the Counts of Savoy. From this point on the city was part of the Savoy district of Vaud. In 1349, William IV of Estavayer sold his part of the city to Isabelle of Chalon, the Countess of Vaud. Estavayer-le-Lac became the center of a district under Vaud. Between 1403-1535 Estavayer-le-Lac sent representatives to the assembly of estates which was generally held in Moudon
Moudon
Moudon is a municipality in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It was the seat of the district of Moudon and is now in the Broye-Vully district.-History:...
.
During the Burgundian Wars
Burgundian Wars
The Burgundian Wars were a conflict between the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France, later involving the Old Swiss Confederacy, which would play a decisive role. Open war broke out in 1474, and in the following years the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the...
, the town was besieged by the Swiss Confederation
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
and captured on 27 October 1475, with heavy losses among the citizens of the town. The city of Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
purchased a number of rights in Estavayer-le-Lac in 1488 and appointed a 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...
to reside in Chenaux Castle
Chenaux Castle
Chenaux Castle is a castle in the municipality of Estavayer-le-Lac of the Canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
and administer the Fribourg properties in town. In 1536, they acquired additional rights in the town and surroundings and made Estavayer-le-Lac the center of a Fribourg 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...
. The bailiff was also the Schultheiss of the city and stood before the Council. After the death of the last Lord of Estavayer in 1632, Fribourg took the rest of the city in 1635, and became the sole ruler of the city. It remained the capital of a bailiwick until the end of the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
, when it became the capital of the Broye district.
From the late Middle Ages until 1671, the town was governed by the common law of Lausanne. In 1671, the Fribourg authorities issued their own laws for the city. A town council was first mentioned in the charter of 1350, which was granted by Isabelle Chalon. In the 15th Century, the council consisted of the governor and 18 people, six each from the three sub-dominions. After 1536, the Council was made up of the mayor, the governor, twelve councilors and six (changed to three in 1576) adjuncts. The members of the council and all government officers were proposed by the mayor and appointed by the Citizens' Assembly. The pastor, members of the clergy and the holders of all lower offices were appointed by the Council. Only full citizens of the town were allowed to hold office or vote in the Citizens' Assembly. This created a large body of disenfranchised residents without access to important offices. This order continued until the end of the Ancien Régime.
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 Estavayer-le-Lac was first mentioned in 1228. In the 14th century, a clerical community was founded at the parish church of Saint-Laurent. Although a formal college of canons
College (canon law)
A college, in the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, is a collection of persons united together for a common object so as to form one body. The members are consequently said to be incorporated, or to form a corporation.-History:...
was never founded, the town clergy was granted the rights to meet as a college in 1432. The church was rebuilt around 1440. The magnificent choir stalls were added in 1521-25 and in 1530 the canons of the Cathedral of St. Vincent in Bern gave Estavayer-le-Lac four Antiphonaries. In 1443, Humbert of Savoy was buried in the choir of the church. In 1512, the parish of Carignan was incorporated, followed in 1522 by the parish of Lully. William of Estavayer, the archdeacon of Lincoln, founded a Dominican convent in 1316, which still exists today. Other orders also founded convents including; the Minims (1622-1728) and the Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
s (Jesuit College 1827-47).
Until the industrialization of the 18th century, the local economy was based mostly on grain farming and income from the bailiwick. In 1777 the fabric factory Fabrique-Neuve de Cortaillod opened a branch in Estavayer-le-Lac. By the end of the 18th Century there were around 100 fabric dyers, especially young women from the countryside. Before World War II, the food industry settled in town. Today, the main industries are in the production of canned food, tobacco, and wood and metal processing. As a district capital, a secondary school and a district hospital were built in town. The hospital merged in 1999 with the Hospital of Payerne to form the Hôpital de la Broye intercantonal. Due to the intact historic city center and its proximity to the sea, tourism also plays a certain role. Moderate traffic travels through the town on the main street Yverdon-Payerne, the Payerne-Yverdon railway line (opened in 1877) and A1 motorway (opened in 2001).
Geography
Estavayer-le-Lac has an area, , of 6.4 square kilometre. Of this area, 3.57 square kilometre or 55.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.39 square kilometre or 6.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.14 square kilometre or 33.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.02 km² (4.9 acre) or 0.3% is either rivers or lakes and 0.3 square kilometre or 4.7% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.7% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 16.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 7.8%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 4.4%. Out of the forested land, 4.5% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 46.9% is used for growing crops and 8.1% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.
The municipality is located in the Broye district, on the southern bank of Lake Neuchatel
Lake Neuchâtel
Lake Neuchâtel is a lake in Romandy, Switzerland . The lake lies mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel, but is also shared by the cantons of Vaud, of Fribourg, and of Bern....
at an elevation of 430 to 460 m (1,410.8 to 1,509.2 ft). It is a district capital and a regional administration and business center.
The municipality of Font
Font, Switzerland
Font is a municipality in the district of Broye, in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland.-Geography:Font has an area, , of . Of this area, or 52.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 26.8% is forested...
is seeking approval from the Canton to merge on 1 January 2012 into the municipality of Estavayer-le-Lac.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Per pale Gules and Argent three bars wavy of the first, overall a Double Rose of the first barbed and seeded proper.
Demographics
Estavayer-le-Lac has a population of . , 25.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 19.5%. Migration accounted for 14.7%, while births and deaths accounted for 2.5%.Most of the population speaks French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(3,602 or 81.2%) as their first language, German
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....
is the second most common (256 or 5.8%) 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...
is the third (165 or 3.7%). There are 46 people who speak 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...
and 2 people who speak Romansh.
, the population was 47.9% male and 52.1% female. The population was made up of 1,699 Swiss men (32.9% of the population) and 774 (15.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,979 Swiss women (38.3%) and 710 (13.8%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 1,289 or about 29.1% were born in Estavayer-le-Lac and lived there in 2000. There were 983 or 22.2% who were born in the same canton, while 893 or 20.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 1,029 or 23.2% were born outside of Switzerland.
The age distribution, , in Estavayer-le-Lac is; 590 children or 13.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 685 teenagers or 15.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 525 people or 11.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 712 people or 16.0% are between 30 and 39, 637 people or 14.4% are between 40 and 49, and 513 people or 11.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 336 people or 7.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 270 people or 6.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 143 people or 3.2% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 26 people or 0.6% who are 90 and older.
, there were 2,001 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,961 married individuals, 243 widows or widowers and 232 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 1,737 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 626 households that consist of only one person and 149 households with five or more people. , a total of 1,673 apartments (80.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 304 apartments (14.7%) were seasonally occupied and 96 apartments (4.6%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 8.5 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.45%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The De Rivaz Chapel, the Sacré-Coeur Chapel, the Chenaux CastleChenaux Castle
Chenaux Castle is a castle in the municipality of Estavayer-le-Lac of the Canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
, the Collegiate church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
of Saint-Laurent, the Convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of the 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...
nuns, the town fortifications, the House de la Dîme and the House des Sires d’Estavayer 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...
. The entire town of Estavayer-le-Lac is 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:...
.
Politics
In the 2011 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2011
Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 23 October 2011.All of the Federal Assembly were to be elected: all 200 seats in the National Council and all 46 seats in the Council of States....
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 29.7% 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....
(25.0%), 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...
(18.5%) and the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(12.8%). The CVP received about the same percentage of the vote as they did 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...
(31.7% in 2007 vs 29.7% in 2011). The SPS moved from third in 2007 (with 20.5%) to second in 2011, the SVP moved from second in 2007 (with 23.6%) to third and the FDP gained popularity (13.5% in 2007). A total of 1,372 votes were cast in this election, of which 16 or 1.2% were invalid.
Economy
, Estavayer-le-Lac had an unemployment rate of 3.9%. , there were 28 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 10 businesses involved in this sector. 1,343 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 62 businesses in this sector. 1,537 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 187 businesses in this sector. There were 2,066 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 43.9% of the workforce.the total number of full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
jobs was 2,496. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 23, of which 18 were in agriculture and 5 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 1,299 of which 1,056 or (81.3%) were in manufacturing, 1 was in mining and 238 (18.3%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,174. In the tertiary sector; 247 or 21.0% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 59 or 5.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 87 or 7.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 12 or 1.0% were in the information industry, 51 or 4.3% were the insurance or financial industry, 92 or 7.8% were technical professionals or scientists, 142 or 12.1% were in education and 376 or 32.0% were in health care.
, there were 1,495 workers who commuted into the municipality and 812 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. Of the working population, 6% used public transportation to get to work, and 58% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 2,853 or 64.3% were Roman Catholic, while 533 or 12.0% 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 54 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 1.22% of the population), there were 6 individuals (or about 0.14% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
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...
, and there were 131 individuals (or about 2.95% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 2 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who were Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 299 (or about 6.74% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There were 5 individuals who were Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, 3 individuals who were Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and 3 individuals who belonged to another church. 297 (or about 6.69% of the population) belonged 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 315 individuals (or about 7.10% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Estavayer-le-Lac about 1,339 or (30.2%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 451 or (10.2%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the 451 who completed tertiary schooling, 60.8% were Swiss men, 22.6% were Swiss women, 7.8% were non-Swiss men and 8.9% were non-Swiss women.
The Canton of Fribourg school system provides one year of non-obligatory 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...
, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend a three or four year optional upper Secondary school. The upper Secondary school is divided into gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
(university preparatory) and vocational programs. After they finish the upper Secondary program, students may choose to attend a Tertiary school or continue their apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
.
During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 1,276 students attending 72 classes in Estavayer-le-Lac. A total of 895 students from the municipality attended any school, either in the municipality or outside of it. There were 6 kindergarten classes with a total of 110 students in the municipality. The municipality had 18 primary classes and 377 students. During the same year, there were 33 lower secondary classes with a total of 683 students. There were 2 upper Secondary classes, with 33 upper Secondary students. The municipality had 13 special Tertiary classes, with 73 specialized Tertiary students.
, there were 440 students in Estavayer-le-Lac who came from another municipality, while 145 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Famous citizens
- Jan BaletJan BaletJan Balet , was a famous German/US-American painter, graphic artist and illustrator. Affected by the style naive art he worked particularly as a graphic artist and as an Illustrator of children's books. Besides this he painted pictures in the style of naive art...
, 1913–2009, famous painter, graphic artist and illustrator - Léon Savary, 1895–1968, Swiss journalist and author, buried in Estavayer-Le-Lac.
- Jean-Claude Périsset,Archbishop,13 Apr 1939,Apostolic Nuncio to Germany