Matten bei Interlaken
Encyclopedia
Matten bei Interlaken is a municipality
in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
The municipalities of Matten, Unterseen
, and Interlaken
comprise a single metropolitan area.
In the seventh century, Alemanni first settled in the modern municipal area, pushing out the Celts into the surrounding valleys. The first documented reference to the town, in the phrase inter lacus Madon, was on November 8, 1133 in a letter from Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
. It is known that many residents of Matten served as soldiers in service of a foreign power.
A milestone in the history of the place was the first Unspunnenfest
in 1805. As tourism to the Bernese Oberland
increased in the course of the nineteenth century, Matten profitted, and the large hotels Jungfraublick (1863) and Mattenhof (1870) were built. The latter served as a military hospital
in World War II
.
During World War II, an airbase
was built in the municipality. For its construction, a large portion of the southeastern part of the municipality was drained
. Today, although there is still a tarmac strip, this area no longer serves a military purpose and it is now used for cattle grazing. Other large events take advantage of the large flattened area as well, such as the Country- und Trucker Festival and the Greenfield Festival
. Erich von Däniken's Mystery Park was also built on the former airbase land.
matta- ("meadow
").
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.2% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 9.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 7.6%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.2%. Out of the forested land, 55.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 2.0% is used for growing crops and 18.6% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
Matten bei Interlaken lies in the Bernese Oberland in the Alps
, in the Bödeli
(the tongue of land between of Lake Thun
and Lake Brienz
). In the West, Matten borders on the foothills of the Abendberg Ridge, the Kleinen Rugen and the Grossen Rugen. The municipality includes the village and the exclave of Änderberg.
Matten bei Interlaken, like eight adjacent municipalities, belongs to the church parish Gsteig bei Interlaken.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 33.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(21.3%), the FDP
(15.9%) and the Green Party
(10.6%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.4% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.9% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.7%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Matten bei Interlaken about 75.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Matten bei Interlaken has an unemployment rate of 2.75%. , there were 37 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 15 businesses involved in this sector. 162 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 26 businesses in this sector. 803 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 97 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
consists of the municipal assembly. The executive
is the municipal council of seven members; in the case of tied votes the mayor becomes the tie-breaker. All of the authorities have additional responsibilities as well.
plays an important role. In Matten, the Balmers Herberge is well-known to backpackers
. The Tell Freilichtspiele, located within the municipality, attracts thousands of tourists in summer. Along with Mystery Park, it is one of Matten's most famous tourist attractions.
With the closing of the airbase, Matten and the Bödeli region as a whole lost many valuable jobs. Although the area is still characterized by agriculture, only 4% of the workforce is employed in the sector.
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....
.
The municipalities of Matten, Unterseen
Unterseen
Unterseen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.It is the highest town on the Aare, in the Bödeli watershed, between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz...
, and Interlaken
Interlaken
Interlaken is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland.-History:...
comprise a single metropolitan area.
History
Matten bei Interlaken is first mentioned in 1133 as inter lacus Madon.In the seventh century, Alemanni first settled in the modern municipal area, pushing out the Celts into the surrounding valleys. The first documented reference to the town, in the phrase inter lacus Madon, was on November 8, 1133 in a letter from Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
. It is known that many residents of Matten served as soldiers in service of a foreign power.
A milestone in the history of the place was the first Unspunnenfest
Unspunnenfest
Unspunnenfest is a festival held in the town of Interlaken, Switzerland, near the old ruin of Unspunnen Castle, in the Bernese Alps, approximately once every twelve years, most recently in 2006. The festival highlights traditional Swiss culture and features competitions of Steinstossen , Schwingen ...
in 1805. As tourism to the Bernese Oberland
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...
increased in the course of the nineteenth century, Matten profitted, and the large hotels Jungfraublick (1863) and Mattenhof (1870) were built. The latter served as a military hospital
Military hospital
Military hospital is a hospital, which is generally located on a military base and is reserved for the use of military personnel, their dependents or other authorized users....
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
was built in the municipality. For its construction, a large portion of the southeastern part of the municipality was drained
Drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...
. Today, although there is still a tarmac strip, this area no longer serves a military purpose and it is now used for cattle grazing. Other large events take advantage of the large flattened area as well, such as the Country- und Trucker Festival and the Greenfield Festival
Greenfield Festival
The Greenfield Festival is an annual music festival on the outskirts of the Swiss city, Interlaken.- 2005 :* Date: 24. – 26. June 2005* Visitors: 25'500Line-up:* Adam Green* Aereogramme* Alter Bridge* Boss Martians* Breed 77* Bright Eyes...
. Erich von Däniken's Mystery Park was also built on the former airbase land.
Origin of the name
Matten is a native field name, going back to the Old High GermanOld High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
matta- ("meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
").
Geography
Matten bei Interlaken has an area, , of 5.9 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi). Of this area, 1.26 km² (0.486488719826594 sq mi) or 21.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 3.37 km² (1.3 sq mi) or 57.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.25 km² (0.482627698240669 sq mi) or 21.2% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.07 km² (17.3 acre) or 1.2% is either rivers or lakes and 0.02 km² (4.9 acre) or 0.3% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.2% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 9.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 7.6%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.2%. Out of the forested land, 55.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 2.0% is used for growing crops and 18.6% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
Matten bei Interlaken lies in the Bernese Oberland in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, in the Bödeli
Bödeli
Bödeli is the tongue of land between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. Lake Thun and Lake Brienz were not yet separate after the last ice age. The rivers Lütschine from the south and the Lombach from the north brought enough debris to cause a partitioning over the...
(the tongue of land between of Lake Thun
Lake Thun
Lake Thun is an Alpine lake in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. It took its name from the city of Thun, on its northern shore.Lake Thun's approximately 2,500 km² large catchment area frequently causes local flooding after heavy rainfalls...
and Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz is a lake just north of the Alps, in the Canton of Berne in Switzerland. The lake took its name from the village Brienz on its northern shore. Interlaken and the villages Matten and Unterseen lie to the south west of the lake. The shores are steep, and there is almost no shallow water...
). In the West, Matten borders on the foothills of the Abendberg Ridge, the Kleinen Rugen and the Grossen Rugen. The municipality includes the village and the exclave of Änderberg.
Matten bei Interlaken, like eight adjacent municipalities, belongs to the church parish Gsteig bei Interlaken.
Demographics
Matten bei Interlaken has a population (as of ) of . , 13.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 4.3%. Most of the population speaks German (90.3%), with Italian being second most common ( 2.3%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 1.4%).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 33.8% of the vote. The next three 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....
(21.3%), 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....
(15.9%) 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:...
(10.6%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.4% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.9% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.7%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Matten bei Interlaken about 75.2% 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...
).
Matten bei Interlaken has an unemployment rate of 2.75%. , there were 37 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 15 businesses involved in this sector. 162 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 26 businesses in this sector. 803 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 97 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 372 |
| 1850 | 795 |
| 1900 | 1,602 |
| 1910 | 2,042 |
| 1930 | 1,813 |
| 1950 | 2,183 |
| 2000 | 3,671 |
Politics
The legislatureLegislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
consists of the municipal assembly. The executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
is the municipal council of seven members; in the case of tied votes the mayor becomes the tie-breaker. All of the authorities have additional responsibilities as well.
Economy
Because of the growth of the municipalities Unterseen, Interlaken, and Matten into one another, their economies have also become tightly interconnected. For all of them, tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
plays an important role. In Matten, the Balmers Herberge is well-known to backpackers
Backpacking (travel)
Backpacking is a term that has historically been used to denote a form of low-cost, independent international travel. Terms such as independent travel and/or budget travel are often used...
. The Tell Freilichtspiele, located within the municipality, attracts thousands of tourists in summer. Along with Mystery Park, it is one of Matten's most famous tourist attractions.
With the closing of the airbase, Matten and the Bödeli region as a whole lost many valuable jobs. Although the area is still characterized by agriculture, only 4% of the workforce is employed in the sector.
Notable sights in the area
- EigerEigerThe Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m...
, MönchMönchThe Mönch is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, in Switzerland. Together with the Eiger and the Jungfrau it forms a highly recognisable group of mountains visible from far away....
and JungfrauJungfrauThe Jungfrau is one of the main summits in the Bernese Alps, situated between the cantons of Valais and Bern in Switzerland...
, part of the JungfrauJungfrauThe Jungfrau is one of the main summits in the Bernese Alps, situated between the cantons of Valais and Bern in Switzerland...
-Aletsch-BietschhornBietschhornThe Bietschhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. The northeast and southern slopes of the mountain are part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes the Jungfrau and the Aletsch Glacier...
UNESCO World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance... - Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
- Tell Freilichtspiele
- Kunsteisbahn
- Loop road to the kleinen Rugen
- The Schynige PlatteSchynige PlatteThe Schynige Platte is a Swiss mountain region near Wilderswil where the Schynige Platte Railway ends .In good weather conditions the summit offers spectacular views to many surrounding mountains, including Jungfrau, Eiger, Silberhorn and others, as well as Thunersee and Brienzersee...
(via the Schynige Platte Railway) provides a scenic view of Interlaken and the surrounding mountains - The Harder KulmHarder KulmThe Harder Kulm is a Swiss mountain of the Bernese Alps located near the town of Interlaken, in the Canton of Bern.-Overview:The mountain is located in the Bernese Oberland region, between the Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Its summit is linked with Interlaken by the Harderbahn, a touristic funicular...
via the HarderbahnHarderbahn.The Harderbahn is one of two funiculars that operate from the town of Interlaken to the mountain of Harder Kulm, in Switzerland. This funicular, the longer of the two, runs from a base station to a station near the summit of the Harder Kulm , Interlaken’s own mountain... - Mystery Park
- Greenfield Festival
- Country und Trucker-Festival