Leukerbad
Encyclopedia
Leukerbad is a municipality
in the district of Leuk in the canton
of Valais
in Switzerland
.
In 1229, Leukerbad is mentioned for the first time and called "Boez". French is the locally spoken language at that time.
In 1315, the commune becomes independent and the oldest known document about Leukerbad already mentions the baths.
In 1501, the Bishop and Cardinal Matthäus Schiner
acquires the rights for the baths and speaks highly of the health resort during his visits; the thermal tourism develops and
from that time, German is spoken locally.
Between the 16th and 18th century, several major avalanches hit the village but the inhabitants rebuild it every time.
In 1779 a famous guest stays in Leukerbad: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
. Other famous guests will stay in Leukerbad, like Guy de Maupassant or Mark Twain.
In 1908, the Company “Chemin de Fer Electric Leukerbad” was founded but the road quickly dominated the access to the village and the trains stopped in 1967.
The cable-car to the top of Gemmi Pass was built in 1957 and the one to Torrent Alp in 1970-72.
In 1980, the community's thermal centre, The Burgerbad, is open.
The sport centre is open in 1990 and the thermal centre Alpentherme in 1993.
In 1998, Leukerbad offers for the first time a "fixed-rope climbing" (Via ferrata/Klettersteig) route of the Daubenhorn, which is currently the longest in Switzerland.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.3%. Out of the forested land, 6.2% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.0% is used for growing crops and 2.6% is pastures and 11.6% is used for alpine pastures. Of the water in the municipality, 1.1% is in lakes and 0.9% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 9.0% is unproductive vegetation, 53.8% is too rocky for vegetation and 10.8% of the land is covered by glaciers.
Leukerbad is situated in the canton of Valais in the south of Switzerland at 1411 m (4,629.3 ft) above sea level. The location is very impressive because of the cliffs which surround Leukerbad:
To the east, the Daubenhorn at 2942 m (9,652.2 ft) above sea level; to the north the Gemmi Pass (2322 m (7,618.1 ft)) and the Balmhorn (3698 m (12,132.5 ft)); to the west the Torrenthorn (2998 m (9,836 ft)).
The road which leads to Leukerbad comes into the secluded valley from the south and the town of Leuk
in the Rhone valley.
The Gemmi is accessible with the cable-car which connects Leukerbad to the highest point on the pass (2322 m (7,618.1 ft))
From the pass, there is a magnificent view of the Alps. The region is well-known in summer for its hiking trails to Kandersteg
, Adelboden
or the Wildstrubel
. It is appreciated by the families too because of the small beautiful lake called "Daubensee" which is surrounded by easy walks and provides a beautiful place for picnics.
In winter, this same lake is ideal for the cross-country skiers but you can also go there for a snow-shoe trail, a run downhill with a sledge or just a walk on prepared, signposted hikes.
In summer it offers a huge network of hiking and mountain bike trails.
The panoramic views from the Rinderhütte of the 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) peaks of the Valais, French and Italian Alps is breath taking.
The history of the springs of Leukerbad dates back to the Roman times. People, even then,were already aware of the therapeutic effect of the thermal water.
Today, 3900000 litres (1,030,270.9 US gal) of thermal water - up to 51 °C (123.8 °F) - flow from the springs and feed 22 thermal pools. Several baths are at the disposal of the guests in private hotels, in the Rehabilitation centre and in the Volksheilbad , but the biggest public baths are the Burgerbad and the Lindner Alpentherme
of the municipal coat of arms
is Gules, standing on Coupeaux Vert a Griffin rampant coward Argent and Or holding in dexter a Chalice of the last pouring water of the third in chief crowned of the fourth.
Leukerbad has a population of . , 39.5% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of 0.9%. It has changed at a rate of -7.1% due to migration and at a rate of 6.3% due to births and deaths.
Most of the population speaks German
(1,185 or 82.8%) as their first language, French
is the second most common (67 or 4.7%) and Portuguese
is the third (53 or 3.7%). There are 33 people who speak Italian
and 2 people who speak Romansh.
, the gender distribution of the population was 51.1% male and 48.9% female. The population was made up of 471 Swiss men (29.5% of the population) and 344 (21.6%) non-Swiss men. There were 506 Swiss women (31.7%) and 275 (17.2%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality 567 or about 39.6% were born in Leukerbad and lived there in 2000. There were 267 or 18.7% who were born in the same canton, while 268 or 18.7% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 287 or 20.1% were born outside of Switzerland.
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 24% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 66.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 9.4%.
, there were 618 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 705 married individuals, 63 widows or widowers and 45 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.7 which is more people per room than the cantonal average of 0.63 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 61.3% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 568 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 199 households that consist of only one person and 27 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 627 households that answered this question, 31.7% were households made up of just one person and there were 3 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 139 married couples without children, 189 married couples with children There were 32 single parents with a child or children. There were 6 households that were made up of unrelated people and 59 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 151 single family homes (or 29.4% of the total) out of a total of 513 inhabited buildings. There were 230 multi-family buildings (44.8%), along with 52 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (10.1%) and 80 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (15.6%).
, a total of 527 apartments (18.1% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 2,108 apartments (72.5%) were seasonally occupied and 274 apartments (9.4%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.3 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
.
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 57.46% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(23.56%), the SP
(12.75%) and the FDP
(3.94%). In the federal election, a total of 449 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 53.3%.
In the 2009 Conseil d'Etat/Staatsrat
election a total of 415 votes were cast, of which 21 or about 5.1% were invalid. The voter participation was 51.8%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 54.67%. In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election
election a total of 432 votes were cast, of which 14 or about 3.2% were invalid. The voter participation was 51.3%, which is much less than the cantonal average of 59.88%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 1,102. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 13, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 54 of which 11 or (20.4%) were in manufacturing, 1 was in mining and 42 (77.8%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,035. In the tertiary sector; 104 or 10.0% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 32 or 3.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 511 or 49.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 10 or 1.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 2 or 0.2% were technical professionals or scientists, 31 or 3.0% were in education and 182 or 17.6% were in health care.
, there were 328 workers who commuted into the municipality and 69 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 4.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. Of the working population, 5.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 18% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 63 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 4.40% of the population), there was 1 individual who belongs to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 9 individuals (or about 0.63% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 12 (or about 0.84% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 2 individuals who were Buddhist
. 40 (or about 2.80% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 62 individuals (or about 4.33% of the population) did not answer the question.
. The wettest month is December during which time Leukerbad receives an average of 130 mm (5.1 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 10.2 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is August, with an average of 11.4, but with only 103 mm (4.1 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is April with an average of 72 mm (2.8 in) of precipitation over 9.9 days.
). Of the 133 who completed tertiary schooling, 46.6% were Swiss men, 29.3% were Swiss women, 12.8% were non-Swiss men and 11.3% were non-Swiss women.
During the 2010-2011 school year there were a total of 169 students in the Leukerbad school system. The education system
in the Canton of Valais allows young children to attend one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten
. During that school year, there 2 kindergarten classes (KG1 or KG2) and 25 kindergarten students. The canton's school system requires students to attend six years of primary school. In Leukerbad there were a total of 7 classes and 123 students in the primary school. The secondary school
program consists of three lower, obligatory years of schooling (orientation classes), followed by three to five years of optional, advanced schools. There were 46 lower secondary students who attended school in Leukerbad. All the upper secondary students attended school in another municipality.
, there were 36 students in Leukerbad who came from another municipality, while 21 residents attended schools outside 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...
in the district of Leuk 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 Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
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....
.
History
The story of Leukerbad dates back to the 4th century B.C. Graves and ceramics attest the presence of habitation in Leukerbad. From the 5th century, the pass of the Gemmi, unique link between the cantons of Valais and Bern can be got over.In 1315, the commune becomes independent and the oldest known document about Leukerbad already mentions the baths.
In 1501, the Bishop and Cardinal Matthäus Schiner
Matthäus Schiner
Matthäus Schiner was a Swiss bishop of Sion, Cardinal, and diplomat. He was a military commander in several battles in northern Italy....
acquires the rights for the baths and speaks highly of the health resort during his visits; the thermal tourism develops and
from that time, German is spoken locally.
Between the 16th and 18th century, several major avalanches hit the village but the inhabitants rebuild it every time.
In 1779 a famous guest stays in Leukerbad: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
. Other famous guests will stay in Leukerbad, like Guy de Maupassant or Mark Twain.
In 1908, the Company “Chemin de Fer Electric Leukerbad” was founded but the road quickly dominated the access to the village and the trains stopped in 1967.
The cable-car to the top of Gemmi Pass was built in 1957 and the one to Torrent Alp in 1970-72.
In 1980, the community's thermal centre, The Burgerbad, is open.
The sport centre is open in 1990 and the thermal centre Alpentherme in 1993.
In 1998, Leukerbad offers for the first time a "fixed-rope climbing" (Via ferrata/Klettersteig) route of the Daubenhorn, which is currently the longest in Switzerland.
Geography
Leukerbad has an area, , of 67.2 square kilometre. Of this area, 9.52 square kilometre or 14.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 5.99 square kilometre or 8.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.91 square kilometre or 1.4% is settled (buildings or roads), 1.32 square kilometre or 2.0% is either rivers or lakes and 49.47 square kilometre or 73.6% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.3%. Out of the forested land, 6.2% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.0% is used for growing crops and 2.6% is pastures and 11.6% is used for alpine pastures. Of the water in the municipality, 1.1% is in lakes and 0.9% is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 9.0% is unproductive vegetation, 53.8% is too rocky for vegetation and 10.8% of the land is covered by glaciers.
Leukerbad is situated in the canton of Valais in the south of Switzerland at 1411 m (4,629.3 ft) above sea level. The location is very impressive because of the cliffs which surround Leukerbad:
To the east, the Daubenhorn at 2942 m (9,652.2 ft) above sea level; to the north the Gemmi Pass (2322 m (7,618.1 ft)) and the Balmhorn (3698 m (12,132.5 ft)); to the west the Torrenthorn (2998 m (9,836 ft)).
The road which leads to Leukerbad comes into the secluded valley from the south and the town of Leuk
Leuk
Leuk is a municipality in the district of Leuk in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.Since it controls access to the Gemmi Pass, it had some importance from the time of Roman Raetia. The Leukerbad thermal baths are just North of Leuk, towards the pass...
in the Rhone valley.
Gemmi
The Gemmi Pass is famous in the history of the Valais because it had for a long time been a very busy route between Valais and Bern.The Gemmi is accessible with the cable-car which connects Leukerbad to the highest point on the pass (2322 m (7,618.1 ft))
From the pass, there is a magnificent view of the Alps. The region is well-known in summer for its hiking trails to Kandersteg
Kandersteg
Kandersteg is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located along the valley of the River Kander, west of the Jungfrau massif. It is noted for its spectacular mountain scenery and sylvan alpine landscapes. Tourism is a...
, Adelboden
Adelboden
Adelboden is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.-Geography:Adelboden lies in the west of the Berner Oberland, at the end of the valley of the Engstlige river, which flows in Frutigen into the Kander river.Adelboden is a...
or the Wildstrubel
Wildstrubel
The Wildstrubel is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland on the border between the Canton of Berne and the Canton of Valais.The mountain has three summits, all of similar height:...
. It is appreciated by the families too because of the small beautiful lake called "Daubensee" which is surrounded by easy walks and provides a beautiful place for picnics.
In winter, this same lake is ideal for the cross-country skiers but you can also go there for a snow-shoe trail, a run downhill with a sledge or just a walk on prepared, signposted hikes.
Torrent
The cable-car to Torrent Alp brings to the Rinderhütte at 2313 m (7,588.6 ft) above sea level. In winter it is the paradise of skiers who then have 50 km (31.1 mi) of runs at their disposal.In summer it offers a huge network of hiking and mountain bike trails.
The panoramic views from the Rinderhütte of the 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) peaks of the Valais, French and Italian Alps is breath taking.
Thermal baths
Today, 3900000 litres (1,030,270.9 US gal) of thermal water - up to 51 °C (123.8 °F) - flow from the springs and feed 22 thermal pools. Several baths are at the disposal of the guests in private hotels, in the Rehabilitation centre and in the Volksheilbad , but the biggest public baths are the Burgerbad and the Lindner Alpentherme
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 Gules, standing on Coupeaux Vert a Griffin rampant coward Argent and Or holding in dexter a Chalice of the last pouring water of the third in chief crowned of the fourth.
Demographics
Most of the population speaks 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....
(1,185 or 82.8%) as their first language, 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...
is the second most common (67 or 4.7%) and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
is the third (53 or 3.7%). There are 33 people who 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 2 people who speak Romansh.
, the gender distribution of the population was 51.1% male and 48.9% female. The population was made up of 471 Swiss men (29.5% of the population) and 344 (21.6%) non-Swiss men. There were 506 Swiss women (31.7%) and 275 (17.2%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality 567 or about 39.6% were born in Leukerbad and lived there in 2000. There were 267 or 18.7% who were born in the same canton, while 268 or 18.7% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 287 or 20.1% were born outside of Switzerland.
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 24% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 66.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 9.4%.
, there were 618 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 705 married individuals, 63 widows or widowers and 45 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.7 which is more people per room than the cantonal average of 0.63 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 61.3% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 568 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 199 households that consist of only one person and 27 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 627 households that answered this question, 31.7% were households made up of just one person and there were 3 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 139 married couples without children, 189 married couples with children There were 32 single parents with a child or children. There were 6 households that were made up of unrelated people and 59 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 151 single family homes (or 29.4% of the total) out of a total of 513 inhabited buildings. There were 230 multi-family buildings (44.8%), along with 52 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (10.1%) and 80 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (15.6%).
, a total of 527 apartments (18.1% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 2,108 apartments (72.5%) were seasonally occupied and 274 apartments (9.4%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.3 new units per 1000 residents.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The Gemmi Daubenwand 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...
.
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss 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 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...
which received 57.46% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(23.56%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(12.75%) and the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(3.94%). In the federal election, a total of 449 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 53.3%.
In the 2009 Conseil d'Etat/Staatsrat
Conseil d'Etat (Switzerland)
In Switzerland, Conseil d'Etat is the name of the council constituting the cantonal government of French-speaking cantons. It is not to be confused with the Conseil des États which is a chamber of the Swiss parliament....
election a total of 415 votes were cast, of which 21 or about 5.1% were invalid. The voter participation was 51.8%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 54.67%. In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election
Swiss Council of States election, 2007
Elections were held to the Council of States of Switzerland in October and November 2007 as part of the 2007 federal election. All 46 members of the Council of States were elected from all cantons of Switzerland. The first round was held on 21 October...
election a total of 432 votes were cast, of which 14 or about 3.2% were invalid. The voter participation was 51.3%, which is much less than the cantonal average of 59.88%.
Economy
, Leukerbad had an unemployment rate of 3.1%. , there were 25 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 14 businesses involved in this sector. 56 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 15 businesses in this sector. 1,170 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 124 businesses in this sector. There were 865 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 50.1% of the workforce.the total number of full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
jobs was 1,102. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 13, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 54 of which 11 or (20.4%) were in manufacturing, 1 was in mining and 42 (77.8%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,035. In the tertiary sector; 104 or 10.0% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 32 or 3.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 511 or 49.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 10 or 1.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 2 or 0.2% were technical professionals or scientists, 31 or 3.0% were in education and 182 or 17.6% were in health care.
, there were 328 workers who commuted into the municipality and 69 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 4.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. Of the working population, 5.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 18% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 1,107 or 77.4% were Roman Catholic, while 138 or 9.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss 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...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 63 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 4.40% of the population), there was 1 individual who belongs to the Christian Catholic Church
Christian 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...
, and there were 9 individuals (or about 0.63% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 12 (or about 0.84% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There were 2 individuals who were Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. 40 (or about 2.80% of the population) belonged 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 62 individuals (or about 4.33% of the population) did not answer the question.
Weather
Leukerbad has an average of 121.9 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 1188 mm (46.8 in) of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
. The wettest month is December during which time Leukerbad receives an average of 130 mm (5.1 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 10.2 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is August, with an average of 11.4, but with only 103 mm (4.1 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is April with an average of 72 mm (2.8 in) of precipitation over 9.9 days.
Education
In Leukerbad about 553 or (38.6%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 133 or (9.3%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
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...
). Of the 133 who completed tertiary schooling, 46.6% were Swiss men, 29.3% were Swiss women, 12.8% were non-Swiss men and 11.3% were non-Swiss women.
During the 2010-2011 school year there were a total of 169 students in the Leukerbad school system. The education system
Education in Switzerland
The education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system mainly to the cantons...
in the Canton of Valais allows young children to attend one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
. During that school year, there 2 kindergarten classes (KG1 or KG2) and 25 kindergarten students. The canton's school system requires students to attend six years of primary school. In Leukerbad there were a total of 7 classes and 123 students in the primary school. The secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
program consists of three lower, obligatory years of schooling (orientation classes), followed by three to five years of optional, advanced schools. There were 46 lower secondary students who attended school in Leukerbad. All the upper secondary students attended school in another municipality.
, there were 36 students in Leukerbad who came from another municipality, while 21 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Famous residents
- American writer James BaldwinJames Baldwin (writer)James Arthur Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.Baldwin's essays, for instance "Notes of a Native Son" , explore palpable yet unspoken intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies, most notably in mid-20th century America,...
lived here for three months with his lover Lucien Happersberger,(30-09-1932 / 21-08-2010 Switzerland) in Winter 1951.