Hirzel
Encyclopedia
Hirzel is a municipality
in the district of Horgen
in the canton
of Zürich in Switzerland
.
The municipality includes the sections of Hirzel-Kirche, Hirzel-Spitzen and Hirzel-Höchi. In 1878 the municipality borders were surveyed and moved. As a result, several individual farm houses came to Hirzel from Wädenswil
, with four more from Horgen
.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 39.6% of the vote. The next two most popular parties were the SPS
(15.7%), the FDP
(11.3%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27.7% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.3% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.9%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Hirzel about 84.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
). There are 727 households in Hirzel.
Hirzel has an unemployment rate of 0.7%. , there were 101 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 43 businesses involved in this sector. 105 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 22 businesses in this sector. 296 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 66 businesses in this sector. 49.6% of the working population were employed full-time, and 50.4% were employed part-time.
there were 535 Catholics
and 1063 Protestants
in Hirzel. In the 2000 census, religion was broken down into several smaller categories. From the , 56.7% were some type of Protestant, with 54.3% belonging to the Swiss Reformed Church
and 2.4% belonging to other Protestant churches. 27.7% of the population were Catholic. Of the rest of the population, 0% were Muslim, 2.3% belonged to another religion (not listed), 3.5% did not give a religion, and 9.7% were atheist or agnostic.
The historical population is given in the following table:
, the author of children's book Heidi
, was born in Hirzel in 1827. There is a museum about her life located in the village.
(Zimmerbergbus), provided by the Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn
(SZU), connects the Zimmerberg
region and parts of the Sihl valley
.
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 district of Horgen
Horgen (district)
Horgen District is a district of Canton of Zürich in Switzerland. The district is located in the Zimmerberg and Sihl Valley region; its capital is the town of Horgen. The district consists of 12 municipalities and has a population of and an area of ....
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 Zürich 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
Hirzel has an area of 9.6 km² (3.7 sq mi). Of this area, 68.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 9.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (3.3%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). housing and buildings made up 7.2% of the total area, while transportation infrastructure made up the rest (2.2%). Of the total unproductive area, water (streams and lakes) made up 1.1% of the area. 4% of the total municipal area was undergoing some type of construction.The municipality includes the sections of Hirzel-Kirche, Hirzel-Spitzen and Hirzel-Höchi. In 1878 the municipality borders were surveyed and moved. As a result, several individual farm houses came to Hirzel from Wädenswil
Wädenswil
-References:...
, with four more from Horgen
Horgen
Horgen is a village in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.It is one of the larger towns along the south bank of the Lake of Zurich.- History :Horgen is also the type-site of Switzerland's middle Neolithic archaeological culture...
.
Demographics
Hirzel has a population (as of ) of . , 8.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. the gender distribution of the population was 49.6% male and 50.4% female. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -1.9%. Most of the population speaks German (93.8%), with English being second most common ( 1.7%) and French being third ( 0.9%).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 39.6% of the vote. The next two 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....
(15.7%), 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....
(11.3%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27.7% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.3% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.9%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Hirzel about 84.8% 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...
). There are 727 households in Hirzel.
Hirzel has an unemployment rate of 0.7%. , there were 101 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 43 businesses involved in this sector. 105 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 22 businesses in this sector. 296 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 66 businesses in this sector. 49.6% of the working population were employed full-time, and 50.4% were employed part-time.
there were 535 Catholics
Roman 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...
and 1063 Protestants
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in Hirzel. In the 2000 census, religion was broken down into several smaller categories. From the , 56.7% were some type of Protestant, with 54.3% belonging 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...
and 2.4% belonging to other Protestant churches. 27.7% of the population were Catholic. Of the rest of the population, 0% were Muslim, 2.3% belonged to another religion (not listed), 3.5% did not give a religion, and 9.7% were atheist or agnostic.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1678 | c. 800 |
| 1786 | c. 1,300 |
| 1850 | 1,219 |
| 1900 | 1,154 |
| 1941 | 977 |
| 1950 | 1,094 |
| 2000 | 1,900 |
Notable residents
Johanna SpyriJohanna Spyri
Johanna Spyri was an author of children's stories, and is best known for her book Heidi. Born Johanna Louise Heusser in the rural area of Hirzel, Switzerland, as a child she spent several summers in the area around Chur in Graubünden, the setting she later would use in her novels.-Biography:In...
, the author of children's book Heidi
Heidi
Heidi is a Swiss work of fiction, published in two parts as Heidi's years of learning and travel and Heidi makes use of what she has learned.It is a novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather's care, in the Swiss Alps...
, was born in Hirzel in 1827. There is a museum about her life located in the village.
Transportation
The Zimmerberg bus lineZimmerberg bus line
The Zimmerberg bus line is a bus line network in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- Structure :Zimmerbergbus is a bus line in the district of Horgen, operated by the Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn and its local partner firms: AHW Busbetriebe AG in Horgen, Busbetriebe Bamert GmbH in Wollerau,...
(Zimmerbergbus), provided by the Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn
Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn
The Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn – commonly abbreviated to SZU – is a railway company and transport network in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland...
(SZU), connects the Zimmerberg
Zimmerberg
Zimmerberg is a mountain and a region located in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Its name bases on the Old High German word zimbar in the meaning of lumber.- Geography :...
region and parts of the Sihl valley
Sihl Valley
Sihl Valley is a river valley and belongs to the Zimmerberg-Sihltal region located in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Commonly Sihltal is used as the name of the lower Sihl valley, i.e...
.