Gossau, St. Gallen
Encyclopedia
Gossau is a municipality
in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of St. Gallen
in the canton
of St. Gallen in Switzerland
.
The municipality is located in the St Gallen Wahlkreis. Gossau is the largest municipality in the valley between the Glatt Valley
and the Sitter River and lies on the intersection of the St. Gallen-Zürich
and Thurgau
-Appenzell
roads. It consists of the village of Gossau with the sections of Mettendorf, Niederdorf, Oberdorf and Watt and the village of Arnegg as well as the hamlets
of Albertschwil, Enggetschwil, Geretschwil, Hochschoren, Hueb, Matten, Neuchlen, Rain, Rüeggetschwil, Rüti, Wilen, Zinggenhueb, Erlen, Herzenwil and Stöcklen. In 1806 the hamlets of Arnegg (without Oberarnegg), Erlen, Fronackeren, Geretschwil, Herzenwil, Hölzli, Stöcklen, Wilen and Zinggenhueb came to Gossau from Andwil
in exchange for Fronackeren, Hölzli, Landegg and Neuegg.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Or a Cross bottony Gules issuant from jaws of a Wyvern passant Vert and in sinister chief a Bear rampant Sable langued and in his virility of the second.
, 487 are from Italy
, 1,574 are from ex-Yugoslavia
, 105 are from Austria
, 214 are from Turkey
, and 496 are from another country. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 3.9%. Most of the population speaks German (88.4%), with Serbo-Croatian being second most common ( 4.2%) and Italian being third ( 2.1%). Of the Swiss national languages , 14,855 speak German
, 48 people speak French
, 349 people speak Italian
, and 24 people speak Romansh.
The age distribution, , in Gossau is; 2,007 children or 11.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 2,158 teenagers or 12.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 2,304 people or 13.7% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 2,703 people or 16.1% are between 30 and 39, 2,401 people or 14.3% are between 40 and 49, and 2,125 people or 12.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,324 people or 7.9% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 1,074 people or 6.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 617 people or 3.7% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 90 people or 0.5% who are between 90 and 99, and 2 people or 0.0% who are 100 or more.
there were 2,251 persons (or 13.4% of the population) who were living alone in a private dwelling. There were 3,870 (or 23.0%) persons who were part of a couple (married or otherwise committed) without children, and 9,167 (or 54.5%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 870 (or 5.2%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 98 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 82 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 97 who lived household made up of unrelated persons,and 370 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 36.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(26.3%), the SP
(13.9%) and the FDP
(12.2%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Gossau about 68.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
). Out of the total population in Gossau, , the highest education level completed by 3,808 people (22.7% of the population) was Primary, while 6,416 (38.2%) have completed Secondary, 1,678 (10.0%) have attended a Tertiary school, and 670 (4.0%) are not in school. The remainder did not answer this question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
. Both the village of Gossau and the Kulturlandschaft Matten/Wilen/Zinggenhueb (Cultural region Matten/Wilen/Zinggenhueb), which is shared between Gossau and Andwil, are designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
parish church
of St. Andreas was built in 1732 by Jakob Grubenmann. It was lengthened to the west and renovated in 1925. It is a single-nave
church with a transept
and an oval dome over the crossing
. The Reformed
church of Gossau was built in 1899-1900. Castle Oberberg is located east of Gossau. It was built in the 13th Century. During the Appenzell Wars
(1401–1429) it was destroyed and rebuilt in the 15th Century. It is a late gothic
castle, with a high medieval
south west wall and a modern chapel.
the average unemployment rate was 3.0%. There were 915 businesses in the municipality of which 201 were involved in the secondary sector of the economy while 604 were involved in the third.
there were 4,500 residents who worked in the municipality, while 4,514 residents worked outside Gossau and 6,318 people commuted into the municipality for work.
faith, there are 943 individuals (or about 5.61% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 286 individuals (or about 1.70% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There is 1 individual who is Jewish
, and 625 (or about 3.72% of the population) who are Islam
ic. There are 104 individuals (or about 0.62% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 804 (or about 4.78% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 477 individuals (or about 2.84% of the population) did not answer the question.
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 Wahlkreis (constituency) of St. Gallen
St. Gallen (Wahlkreis)
St. Gallen is a constituency in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The Wahlkreis has been established on June 10, 2001 with an area of . The Wahlkreis has its name by the city of St. Gallen.-Demographics:...
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 St. Gallen 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
Gossau has an area, , of 27.5 km² (10.6 sq mi). Of this area, 63% is used for agricultural purposes, while 16.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 20.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.6%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).The municipality is located in the St Gallen Wahlkreis. Gossau is the largest municipality in the valley between the Glatt Valley
Glatt Valley
The Glatt Valley is a region and a river valley in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- Geography :The River Glatt is a tributary of the River Rhine in the Zürcher Unterland area of the Canton of Zurich...
and the Sitter River and lies on the intersection of the St. Gallen-Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and 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:...
-Appenzell
Appenzell
Appenzell is a region and historical canton in the northeast of Switzerland, entirely surrounded by the Canton of St. Gallen....
roads. It consists of the village of Gossau with the sections of Mettendorf, Niederdorf, Oberdorf and Watt and the village of Arnegg as well as 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 Albertschwil, Enggetschwil, Geretschwil, Hochschoren, Hueb, Matten, Neuchlen, Rain, Rüeggetschwil, Rüti, Wilen, Zinggenhueb, Erlen, Herzenwil and Stöcklen. In 1806 the hamlets of Arnegg (without Oberarnegg), Erlen, Fronackeren, Geretschwil, Herzenwil, Hölzli, Stöcklen, Wilen and Zinggenhueb came to Gossau from Andwil
Andwil
Andwil is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of St. Gallen in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-History:Andwil is first mentioned in 846 as Anninwilare. In 1275 it was mentioned as Annewiler.-Geography:...
in exchange for Fronackeren, Hölzli, Landegg and Neuegg.
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 Or a Cross bottony Gules issuant from jaws of a Wyvern passant Vert and in sinister chief a Bear rampant Sable langued and in his virility of the second.
Demographics
Gossau has a population (as of ) of . , about 18.4% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Of the foreign population, , 168 are from GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 487 are from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 1,574 are from ex-Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
, 105 are from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, 214 are from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and 496 are from another country. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 3.9%. Most of the population speaks German (88.4%), with Serbo-Croatian being second most common ( 4.2%) and Italian being third ( 2.1%). Of the Swiss national languages , 14,855 speak 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....
, 48 people speak 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...
, 349 people 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 24 people speak Romansh.
The age distribution, , in Gossau is; 2,007 children or 11.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 2,158 teenagers or 12.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 2,304 people or 13.7% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 2,703 people or 16.1% are between 30 and 39, 2,401 people or 14.3% are between 40 and 49, and 2,125 people or 12.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,324 people or 7.9% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 1,074 people or 6.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 617 people or 3.7% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 90 people or 0.5% who are between 90 and 99, and 2 people or 0.0% who are 100 or more.
there were 2,251 persons (or 13.4% of the population) who were living alone in a private dwelling. There were 3,870 (or 23.0%) persons who were part of a couple (married or otherwise committed) without children, and 9,167 (or 54.5%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 870 (or 5.2%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 98 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 82 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 97 who lived household made up of unrelated persons,and 370 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.
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 36.7% 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...
(26.3%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(13.9%) 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....
(12.2%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Gossau about 68.9% 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...
). Out of the total population in Gossau, , the highest education level completed by 3,808 people (22.7% of the population) was Primary, while 6,416 (38.2%) have completed Secondary, 1,678 (10.0%) have attended a Tertiary school, and 670 (4.0%) are not in school. The remainder did not answer this question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1837 | 2,649 |
| 1850 | 2,853 |
| 1900 | 6,055 |
| 1910 | 8,455 |
| 1941 | 7,512 |
| 1950 | 8,316 |
| 1970 | 12,793 |
| 2000 | 16,805 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Former Rubberband Factory at Stadtbühlstrasse 12 is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significanceSwiss 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...
. Both the village of Gossau and the Kulturlandschaft Matten/Wilen/Zinggenhueb (Cultural region Matten/Wilen/Zinggenhueb), which is shared between Gossau and Andwil, are designated as 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:...
.
Sights
The CatholicRoman 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...
parish church
Parish 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. Andreas was built in 1732 by Jakob Grubenmann. It was lengthened to the west and renovated in 1925. It is a single-nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
church with a transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
and an oval dome over the crossing
Crossing (architecture)
A crossing, in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a cruciform church.In a typically oriented church , the crossing gives access to the nave on the west, the transept arms on the north and south, and the choir on the east.The crossing is sometimes surmounted by a tower...
. The 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 of Gossau was built in 1899-1900. Castle Oberberg is located east of Gossau. It was built in the 13th Century. During the Appenzell Wars
Appenzell Wars
The Appenzell Wars were a series of conflicts that lasted from 1401 until 1429 in the Appenzell region of Switzerland. The wars were a successful uprising of cooperative groups, such as the farmers of Appenzell or the craftsmen of the city of St. Gallen, against the traditional medieval power...
(1401–1429) it was destroyed and rebuilt in the 15th Century. It is a late gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
castle, with a high medieval
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
south west wall and a modern chapel.
Economy
, Gossau had an unemployment rate of 1.92%. , there were 322 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 118 businesses involved in this sector. 4,104 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 205 businesses in this sector. 6,539 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 551 businesses in this sector.the average unemployment rate was 3.0%. There were 915 businesses in the municipality of which 201 were involved in the secondary sector of the economy while 604 were involved in the third.
there were 4,500 residents who worked in the municipality, while 4,514 residents worked outside Gossau and 6,318 people commuted into the municipality for work.
Religion
From the , 9,608 or 57.2% are Roman Catholic, while 3,935 or 23.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there are 22 individuals (or about 0.13% of the population) who belong to the Christian CatholicChristian 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 943 individuals (or about 5.61% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 286 individuals (or about 1.70% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There is 1 individual who is Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 625 (or about 3.72% 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 104 individuals (or about 0.62% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 804 (or about 4.78% 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 477 individuals (or about 2.84% of the population) did not answer the question.