Guttannen
Encyclopedia
Guttannen is a municipality
in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
Guttannen lies in the Bernese Oberland
near Grimsel Pass
. It is the highest settlement in the Haslital
. The adjacent municipalities from the north clockwise are Innertkirchen
, Gadmen
, Oberwald, Obergesteln
, Ulrichen, Münster-Geschinen
, Fieschertal
and Grindelwald
.
The Aare springs from glaciers in Guttannen. There are four lakes in the municipality: Lake Oberaar, Lake Grimsel, Lake Räterichsboden and Lake Gelmer. In the western part of the municipality
are the mountains Schreckhorn
, Lauteraarhorn
and Finsteraarhorn
. Guttannen also includes Finsteraar Glacier, Lauteraar Glacier, Unteraar Glacier
, Grueben Glacier, and Bächli Glacier.
Guttannen has an area, , of 200.79 km² (77.5 sq mi). Of this area, 7.67 km² (3 sq mi) or 3.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.77 km² (7.2 sq mi) or 9.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.98 km² (0.378380115420684 sq mi) or 0.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 7.45 km² (2.9 sq mi) or 3.7% is either rivers or lakes and 165.86 km² (64 sq mi) or 82.6% is unproductive land.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.3%. 3.8% of the total land area is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 2.9% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes. Of the unproductive areas, 13.7% is unproductive vegetation, 45.6% is too rocky for vegetation and 23.3% of the land is covered by glaciers.
By Swiss standards, its area is colossal; it is larger than the entire Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. It is also an evangelical-reformed parish
.
Guttannen has a population (as of ) of . , 4.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -13.2%. Most of the population speaks German (98.2%), with French being second most common ( 0.3%) and Rhaeto-romance being third ( 0.3%).
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 54.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(15.7%), the SPS
(12%) and the Green Party
(10.4%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.8% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.4%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Guttannen about 64% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Guttannen has an unemployment rate of 1.05%. , there were 83 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 27 businesses involved in this sector. 67 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 8 businesses in this sector. 98 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 12 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
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 Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district
Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district)
Interlaken-Oberhasli District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Oberland administrative region. It contains 29 municipalities with an area of and a population of 48,763....
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
Bernese Oberland
The Bernese Oberland is the higher part of the canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the southern end of the canton: The area around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and the valleys of the Bernese Alps .The flag of the Bernese Oberland consists of a black eagle in a gold field The Bernese Oberland (Bernese...
near Grimsel Pass
Grimsel Pass
Grimsel Pass is a Swiss high mountain pass.-Position:It connects the valley of the Rhone River in the canton of Valais and the Haslital in the canton of Bern....
. It is the highest settlement in the Haslital
Haslital
The Hasli region is a historical Landvogtei or Talschaft in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Obwalden, Uri and Wallis...
. The adjacent municipalities from the north clockwise are Innertkirchen
Innertkirchen
Innertkirchen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.Its coat of arms depicts an eagle wearing an imperial crown.-History:...
, Gadmen
Gadmen
Gadmen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The name Gadmen comes from the Old High German "gadum," meaning barn or small house, and was first mentioned in 1382....
, Oberwald, Obergesteln
Obergesteln
Obergesteln is a village in the municipality of Obergoms in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.Obergesteln was an independent municipality until January 1, 2009, when it merged with Oberwald and Ulrichen to form the municipality Obergoms....
, Ulrichen, Münster-Geschinen
Münster-Geschinen
Münster-Geschinen is a village in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It was formed in 2004 from the union of the municipalities of Münster and Geschinen.-History:...
, Fieschertal
Fieschertal
Fieschertal is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Fieschertal has an area, , of . Of this area, 3.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.1% is settled and 94.7% is unproductive land.The...
and Grindelwald
Grindelwald
Grindelwald is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at above sea level in the Bernese Alps.-Winter sports:...
.
The Aare springs from glaciers in Guttannen. There are four lakes in the municipality: Lake Oberaar, Lake Grimsel, Lake Räterichsboden and Lake Gelmer. In the western part of 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...
are the mountains Schreckhorn
Schreckhorn
The Schreckhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps. It is the highest peak located entirely in the canton of Berne. The Schreckhorn is the northernmost Alpine four-thousander and the northernmost summit rising above 4,000 metres in Europe....
, Lauteraarhorn
Lauteraarhorn
The Lauteraarhorn is a peak of the Aarmassif in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It lies close to the Schreckhorn and the Finsteraarhorn...
and Finsteraarhorn
Finsteraarhorn
The Finsteraarhorn is the highest mountain in the Bernese Alps and the highest mountain in the canton of Berne. It is also the highest summit in the Alps lying outside the main chain, or watershed. The Finsteraarhorn is the ninth highest and third most prominent peak in the Alps...
. Guttannen also includes Finsteraar Glacier, Lauteraar Glacier, Unteraar Glacier
Unteraar Glacier
The Unteraar Glacier is the larger of the two sources of the Aar river in the Bernese Alps. It emerges from the association of the Finsteraar Glacier and the Lauteraar Glacier and flows for about to the east down to the Grimselsee near the Grimsel Pass...
, Grueben Glacier, and Bächli Glacier.
Guttannen has an area, , of 200.79 km² (77.5 sq mi). Of this area, 7.67 km² (3 sq mi) or 3.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.77 km² (7.2 sq mi) or 9.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.98 km² (0.378380115420684 sq mi) or 0.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 7.45 km² (2.9 sq mi) or 3.7% is either rivers or lakes and 165.86 km² (64 sq mi) or 82.6% is unproductive land.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.3%. 3.8% of the total land area is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 2.9% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes. Of the unproductive areas, 13.7% is unproductive vegetation, 45.6% is too rocky for vegetation and 23.3% of the land is covered by glaciers.
By Swiss standards, its area is colossal; it is larger than the entire Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. It is also an evangelical-reformed 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...
.
Demographics
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 54.8% 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....
(15.7%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(12%) 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:...
(10.4%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.8% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.4%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Guttannen about 64% 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...
).
Guttannen has an unemployment rate of 1.05%. , there were 83 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 27 businesses involved in this sector. 67 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 8 businesses in this sector. 98 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 12 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 288 |
| 1850 | 506 |
| 1900 | 345 |
| 1920 | 298 |
| 1950 | 557 |
| 2000 | 328 |