Kappel am Albis
Encyclopedia
Kappel am Albis is a municipality
in the district of Affoltern
in the canton
of Zürich in Switzerland
.
Its name of Kappel is specified by "on the Albis
" to distinguish it from two other villages called Kappel in Switzerland.
The settlement was founded in 1185 as a Cistercian monastery
which today houses a seminar centre and Der Alte Post (The Old Post Office) which is a restaurant.
It was the location of the Wars of Kappel
in 1529 and 1531, during the turmoils that accompanied the Reformation
of Huldrych Zwingli
. A monument to Zwingli is located nearby at the hamlet of Näfenhäuser and can be seen to the right of the road on the Kappel am Albis website picture at Näfenhäuser with Zwingli monument.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 54.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CSP
(12.7%), the SPS
(10.9%) and the FDP
(7.4%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 28.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 11.1%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Kappel am Albis about 83.6% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Kappel am Albis has an unemployment rate of 1.09%. , there were 75 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 29 businesses involved in this sector. 65 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 18 businesses in this sector. 124 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 25 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 district of Affoltern
Affoltern (district)
Affoltern District is one of the twelve districts of the German-speaking canton of Zürich, Switzerland. Its capital is the city of Affoltern am Albis.- Municipalities :...
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....
.
Its name of Kappel is specified by "on the Albis
Albis
The Albis is a chain of hills in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, stretching for some 19 km from Sihlbrugg in the south to Waldegg near Zurich in the north. The chain forms, among others, the border between the Affoltern and Horgen districts. The best known point is Uetliberg at 870 m,...
" to distinguish it from two other villages called Kappel in Switzerland.
History
Kappel am Albis is first mentioned in 1185 as de Capella.The settlement was founded in 1185 as a Cistercian monastery
Kappel Abbey
Kappel Abbey is a former Cistercian monks monastery located in Kappel am Albis in the Swiss canton of Zurich.-Foundation of the abbey:Kappel Abbey is first mentioned in 1185 by Bishop Hermann II of Constance. The abbey was founded by the Freiherr of Eschenbach. The name was derived from a chapel...
which today houses a seminar centre and Der Alte Post (The Old Post Office) which is a restaurant.
It was the location of the Wars of Kappel
Wars of Kappel
The wars of Kappel were two armed conflicts fought near Kappel am Albis between the Protestant and the Roman Catholic cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy during the reformation in Switzerland.*First war of Kappel...
in 1529 and 1531, during the turmoils that accompanied the Reformation
Reformation in Switzerland
The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate and population of Zürich in the 1520s. It led to significant changes in civil life and state matters in Zürich and spread to several other cantons of the Old Swiss...
of Huldrych Zwingli
Huldrych Zwingli
Ulrich Zwingli was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system, he attended the University of Vienna and the University of Basel, a scholarly centre of humanism...
. A monument to Zwingli is located nearby at the hamlet of Näfenhäuser and can be seen to the right of the road on the Kappel am Albis website picture at Näfenhäuser with Zwingli monument.
Geography
Kappel am Albis has an area of 7.8 km² (3 sq mi). Of this area, 70.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 21% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 7.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (1%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).Demographics
Kappel am Albis has a population (as of ) of . , 8.9% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -0.7%. Most of the population speaks German (96.1%), with English being second most common ( 1.3%) and French being third ( 0.7%).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 54.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(12.7%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(10.9%) 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....
(7.4%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 28.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 11.1%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Kappel am Albis about 83.6% 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...
).
Kappel am Albis has an unemployment rate of 1.09%. , there were 75 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 29 businesses involved in this sector. 65 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 18 businesses in this sector. 124 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 25 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1634 | 256 |
| 1799 | 438 |
| 1850 | 743 |
| 1900 | 697 |
| 1950 | 676 |
| 1980 | 567 |
| 2000 | 865 |