Gondiswil
Encyclopedia
Gondiswil is a municipality
in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.0%. 23.5% of the total land area is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 40.4% is used for growing crops and 26.6% is pastures, while 2.2% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
It lies in the Oberaargau
in the Swiss Plateau
on the northeast boundary of the district of Aarwangen and the canton of Bern (next to the canton of Aargau
).
It includes the following villages:
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 65.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(10%), the CSP
(7.7%) and the FDP
(7.1%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.4% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 55.4% and the seniors (over 64 years old) make up 21.1%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Gondiswil about 73.4% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Gondiswil has an unemployment rate of 0.92%. , there were 117 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 53 businesses involved in this sector. 57 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 14 businesses in this sector. 41 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 15 businesses in this sector.
–Huttwil
railway and has a station.
In 1894 the Schieferkohle railway was founded. From 1918-1919, limited coal mining
occurred, but the beds were too small, and the mine collapsed, leaving a small lake. In World War II
, coal was again mined from the area.
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 Oberaargau administrative 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 Bern 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
Gondiswil has an area, , of 9.37 km² (3.6 sq mi). Of this area, 6.49 km² (2.5 sq mi) or 69.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.28 km² (0.88031292159098 sq mi) or 24.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.55 km² (0.212356187225894 sq mi) or 5.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 0.3% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.1% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.0%. 23.5% of the total land area is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 40.4% is used for growing crops and 26.6% is pastures, while 2.2% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
It lies in the Oberaargau
Oberaargau
The Oberaargau is the region that encompasses the upper watershed of the Aar River in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On the north, lie the Jura Mountains, and on the south the hills leading to the Emmental...
in the Swiss Plateau
Swiss plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface...
on the northeast boundary of the district of Aarwangen and the canton of Bern (next to the canton of Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
).
It includes the following villages:
- Brüggenweid
- Freibach
- Haltstelle
- Staldershaus
- Schwendi
Population
Gondiswil has a population (as of ) of . , 2.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. The municipality is quickly losing population, due to the difficulties in the agricultural sector, the basis of the local economy (66% of local businesses are farms). Over the last 10 years the population has shrunk at a rate of -6.2%. Most of the population speaks German (97.4%), with Albanian being second most common ( 1.8%) and English being third ( 0.4%).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 65.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(10%), the CSP
Christian Social Party (Switzerland)
The Christian Social Party is a political party in Switzerland. The CSP is more social democratic than the CVP. With the moderate Christian left as its background, the CSP commits itself to social democratic and environmentalist political solutions...
(7.7%) and the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(7.1%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.4% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 55.4% and the seniors (over 64 years old) make up 21.1%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Gondiswil about 73.4% 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...
).
Gondiswil has an unemployment rate of 0.92%. , there were 117 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 53 businesses involved in this sector. 57 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 14 businesses in this sector. 41 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 15 businesses in this sector.
| Historical population | |
|---|---|
| Year | Population |
| 1764 | 694 |
| 1850 | 1422 |
| 1900 | 1008 |
| 1950 | 958 |
| 2000 | 734 |
Economy and transport
Gondiswil lies on the WolhusenWolhusen
Wolhusen is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.-Geography:Wolhusen has an area of . Of this area, 58.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 32.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 8.6% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
–Huttwil
Huttwil
Huttwil is a municipality in the Oberaargau administrative district in the Swiss canton of Bern.-History:Huttwil is first mentioned in the 9th Century as Huttiwilare.During the Swiss peasant war of 1653, Huttwil was a center of the rebellion...
railway and has a station.
In 1894 the Schieferkohle railway was founded. From 1918-1919, limited coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
occurred, but the beds were too small, and the mine collapsed, leaving a small lake. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, coal was again mined from the area.
Further reading
- OK BE 800 (Hrsg.): Der Amtsbezirk Aarwangen und seine Gemeinden, 1991, ISBN 3-907012-10-0