Freienbach
Encyclopedia
Freienbach is a municipality
in Höfe District in the canton of Schwyz
in Switzerland
.
The municipality is located on Lake Zurich
and stretches from the lake (elevation 406 m (1,332 ft) to the Etzel
mountain (ele. 1098 m (3,602.4 ft). It consists of the villages of Freienbach, Pfäffikon
(not to be confused with Pfäffikon in the canton of Zurich), Wilen, Bäch, Hurden (located on the Seedamm
) and the two islands of Lützelau and Ufenau (Ufnau).
the gender distribution of the population was 50.6% male and 49.4% female. The age distribution, , in Freienbach is; 2,963 people or 22.7% of the population is between 0 and 19. 4,174 people or 32.0% are 20 to 39, and 4,432 people or 33.9% are 40 to 64. The senior population distribution is 977 people or 7.5% are 65 to 74. There are 407 people or 3.1% who are 70 to 79 and 102 people or 0.78% of the population who are over 80.
there are 5,558 households, of which 1,653 households (or about 29.7%) contain only a single individual. 274 or about 4.9% are large households, with at least five members.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 44.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(19%), the SPS
(16.3%) and the CVP
(15%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Freienbach about 74.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Freienbach has an unemployment rate of 1.7%. , there were 184 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 53 businesses involved in this sector. 2,718 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 216 businesses in this sector. 7,174 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 1,029 businesses in this sector.
From the , 7,641 or 58.5% are Roman Catholic, while 2,915 or 22.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
. Of the rest of the population, there are 6 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic
faith, there are 202 individuals (or about 1.55% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 18 individuals (or about 0.14% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There are 12 individuals (or about 0.09% of the population) who are Jewish
, and 633 (or about 4.85% of the population) who are Islam
ic. There are 92 individuals (or about 0.70% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 1,151 (or about 8.82% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 385 individuals (or about 2.95% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
to Rapperswil
. Freienbach-Hurden is a stop of the S5
line; its railway station is a 39 minute ride from Zürich Hauptbahnhof. Freienbäch-Bäch is a stop on the S8
line.
Pfäffikon SZ railway station
is a junction station
served by both long distance and S-Bahn trains; some of S-Bahn trains terminate there.
of St. Peter and Paul with Martin's Chapel, the Seedamm Cultural Center of Pfäffikon, the castle tower and moat are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
. The prehistoric settlements at Hurden Rosshorn and Hurden Seefeld are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
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 Höfe District in the canton of Schwyz
Canton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
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....
.
Geography
Freienbach has an area, , of 13.8 km² (5.3 sq mi). Of this area, 40.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 23.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 31% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (4.5%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The municipality is located on Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....
and stretches from the lake (elevation 406 m (1,332 ft) to the Etzel
Etzel (mountain)
The Etzel is a mountain in the Alps on the south side of Lake Zurich in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland....
mountain (ele. 1098 m (3,602.4 ft). It consists of the villages of Freienbach, Pfäffikon
Pfäffikon, Schwyz
Pfäffikon is the principal town of the Municipality of Freienbach in canton Schwyz in Switzerland. Together with Wollerau, Pfäffikon is considered the principal town of the borough Höfe and the center of the region of Ausserschwyz. The former farm town is known today as cultural, economic and...
(not to be confused with Pfäffikon in the canton of Zurich), Wilen, Bäch, Hurden (located on the Seedamm
Seedamm
Seedamm is the partially artificial dam and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden and Rapperswil .- Geography and location :...
) and the two islands of Lützelau and Ufenau (Ufnau).
Demographics
Freienbach has a population (as of ) of . , 23.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 23.8%. Most of the population speaks German (87.9%), with Italian being second most common ( 2.3%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 2.0%).the gender distribution of the population was 50.6% male and 49.4% female. The age distribution, , in Freienbach is; 2,963 people or 22.7% of the population is between 0 and 19. 4,174 people or 32.0% are 20 to 39, and 4,432 people or 33.9% are 40 to 64. The senior population distribution is 977 people or 7.5% are 65 to 74. There are 407 people or 3.1% who are 70 to 79 and 102 people or 0.78% of the population who are over 80.
there are 5,558 households, of which 1,653 households (or about 29.7%) contain only a single individual. 274 or about 4.9% are large households, with at least five members.
In the 2007 election 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 44.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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....
(19%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(16.3%) and 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...
(15%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Freienbach about 74.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
Freienbach has an unemployment rate of 1.7%. , there were 184 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 53 businesses involved in this sector. 2,718 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 216 businesses in this sector. 7,174 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 1,029 businesses in this sector.
From the , 7,641 or 58.5% are Roman Catholic, while 2,915 or 22.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
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...
. Of the rest of the population, there are 6 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic
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...
faith, there are 202 individuals (or about 1.55% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 18 individuals (or about 0.14% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There are 12 individuals (or about 0.09% of the population) who are Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 633 (or about 4.85% 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 92 individuals (or about 0.70% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 1,151 (or about 8.82% 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 385 individuals (or about 2.95% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1743 | 1,198 |
| 1850 | 2,058 |
| 1900 | 2,270 |
| 1950 | 3,950 |
| 1970 | 8,429 |
| 1980 | 9,874 |
| 1990 | 11,237 |
| 2000 | 13,157 |
| 2005 | 14,597 |
| 2007 | 15,261 |
Transport
Freienbach, Wilen and Hurden are stops of the S-Bahn Zürich on the line S40S40 (ZVV)
The S40 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, in the cantons of Schwyz, St...
to Rapperswil
Rapperswil
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
. Freienbach-Hurden is a stop of the S5
S5 (ZVV)
The S5 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, and is one of the network's lines connecting the cantons of Zürich, St...
line; its railway station is a 39 minute ride from Zürich Hauptbahnhof. Freienbäch-Bäch is a stop on the S8
S8 (ZVV)
The S8 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, and is one of the network's lines connecting the cantons of Thurgau, Zürich and Schwyz.- Route :...
line.
Pfäffikon SZ railway station
Pfäffikon SZ railway station
Pfäffikon SZ railway station is a junction station serving Pfäffikon, the principal town of the municipality of Freienbach, in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland....
is a junction station
Junction station
Junction station usually refers to a railway station situated or close to a junction where lines to several destinations diverge. The usual minimum is three incoming lines...
served by both long distance and S-Bahn trains; some of S-Bahn trains terminate there.
Heritage sites of national significance
The prehistoric lakeside settlement at Hurden/Seedamm and Ufnau, the parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St. Peter and Paul with Martin's Chapel, the Seedamm Cultural Center of Pfäffikon, the castle tower and moat 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...
. The prehistoric settlements at Hurden Rosshorn and Hurden Seefeld are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps is a series of prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands...
a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site.