Meilen
Encyclopedia
Meilen is a municipality
in the district of Meilen
in the canton
of Zürich in Switzerland
.
, Horgen
and early Bronze Age
cultures were unearthed providing clear evidence of early settlement.
The locals also unearthed coins from Roman times (1st to 3rd century AD). One of the Roman roads connected Turicum (Zürich) with places up to Chur and passed Meilen. Many findings were discovered during more recent road building.
Parts of Meilen were possessions of monasteries, including the monastery of St. Gallen, the ones of Einsiedeln and Säckingen, or the more local Grossmünster of Zürich. Meilen is first mentioned between 820-880 as Meilana. It is guessed that this goes back to a gallic name Mediolanum.
The coats of arms shows two castle towers which represent the castle of Friedberg, the local castle. The castle was built around 1200 but extended in the 14th century. Some remains are still visible, including the fountain which reaches down 29 metres. Winegrowing in Meilen dates back for centuries.
In 1384 Meilen became a bailiwick of Zürich. Thanks to the reeve Meilen enjoyed relative autonomy until 1798. Since the Middle Ages local trade and handicraft was established in Meilen. There were at least four mills to support the local agriculture. Towards the end of the 18th century, industrialisation arrived in Meilen in form of textiles, but this form of production disappeared in the 19th century. With the arrival of the railway in 1894 local trade and industry blossomed. The ferry to Horgen was opened in 1933.
It is located on the north bank of the lake of Zürich. Meilen is located about halfway between Zürich and Rapperswil
. Meilen is connected to Horgen across the lake by ferry. In the local dialect it is called Meile.
The town is divided into four districts (Wachten), namely Feldmeilen
, Dorfmeilen and Obermeilen along the lake side, as well as Bergmeilen towards the Mt. Pfannenstiel
. The districts used to be more autonomous, but today the division is only used for schooling purposes.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 34.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(23.1%), the SPS
(15.2%) and the CSP
(10%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 18.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 63% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18.1%. In Meilen about 83.9% 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 5315 households in Meilen.
Meilen has an unemployment rate of 2.06%. , there were 151 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 41 businesses involved in this sector. 1514 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 93 businesses in this sector. 3418 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 482 businesses in this sector. 43% of the working population were employed full-time, and 57% were employed part-time.
there were 3217 Catholics
and 5337 Protestants
in Meilen. In the 2000 census, religion was broken down into several smaller categories. From the , 49.9% were some type of Protestant, with 47.9% belonging to the Swiss Reformed Church
and 2% belonging to other Protestant churches. 26.5% of the population were Catholic. Of the rest of the population, 3% were Muslim, 5.3% belonged to another religion (not listed), 3% did not give a religion, and 14.7% were atheist or agnostic.
The historical population is given in the following table:
The oldest tavern in Meilen is the Löwen (Lion). The tavern is still in use, but since 1958 owned by the municipality. The main hall is now used for political and cultural events.
The inn zur Burg located at Friedberg (or locally known as Burg) was built in 1676. It is an attractive building with many carved ornaments.
There are also a number of mansions, including the Seehof, Seehalde and Grüene Hof. The Seehof mansion was built in 1767-1769 and originally home to the successful textile producer Felix Oeri-Lavater. The mansion Seehalde was built when trade in wine was at its best: the 16th century. The Grüene Hof mansion is located in Feldmeilen. It was built between 1682 and 1684.
a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
, S7
and SN7 lines of the Zürich S-Bahn
. In the evenings, it is a terminal station of the S16
line in alternation to Herrliberg
-Feldmeilen. Meilen is also a significant station for regional bus lines.
In the summer there are regular boats along the lake to Zurich and Rapperswil, run by the Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft
. The Horgen–Meilen car ferry
connects Meilen with Horgen
on the opposite shore of the lake.
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 Meilen
Meilen (district)
Meilen District is one of the twelve districts of the German-speaking canton of Zurich, Switzerland. It lies to the south of the canton in the Pfannenstiel region, forming much of the northern shore of Lake Zurich. The district capital is the town of Meilen....
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....
.
History
Archaeological findings in Meilen date back more than 4,000 years. In January 1854 the level of lake Zürich was particularly low and the locals took the chance to gain some land. During this undertaking prehistoric objects from the PfynPfyn culture
The Pfyn Culture is one of several archaeological cultures of the Neolithic period in Switzerland. It dates from c. 3900 BC to c. 3500 BC.-Discovery:...
, Horgen
Horgen culture
The Horgen culture is one of several archaeological cultures belonging to the Neolithic period of Switzerland. The Horgen culture may derive from the Pfyn culture and early Horgen pottery is similar to the earlier Cortaillod culture pottery of Twann, Switzerland...
and early Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
cultures were unearthed providing clear evidence of early settlement.
The locals also unearthed coins from Roman times (1st to 3rd century AD). One of the Roman roads connected Turicum (Zürich) with places up to Chur and passed Meilen. Many findings were discovered during more recent road building.
Parts of Meilen were possessions of monasteries, including the monastery of St. Gallen, the ones of Einsiedeln and Säckingen, or the more local Grossmünster of Zürich. Meilen is first mentioned between 820-880 as Meilana. It is guessed that this goes back to a gallic name Mediolanum.
The coats of arms shows two castle towers which represent the castle of Friedberg, the local castle. The castle was built around 1200 but extended in the 14th century. Some remains are still visible, including the fountain which reaches down 29 metres. Winegrowing in Meilen dates back for centuries.
In 1384 Meilen became a bailiwick of Zürich. Thanks to the reeve Meilen enjoyed relative autonomy until 1798. Since the Middle Ages local trade and handicraft was established in Meilen. There were at least four mills to support the local agriculture. Towards the end of the 18th century, industrialisation arrived in Meilen in form of textiles, but this form of production disappeared in the 19th century. With the arrival of the railway in 1894 local trade and industry blossomed. The ferry to Horgen was opened in 1933.
Geography
Meilen has an area of 11.9 square kilometres (4.6 sq mi). Of this area, 46.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 24.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 27.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (1.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). housing and buildings made up 21.4% of the total area, while transportation infrastructure made up the rest (5.8%). Of the total unproductive area, water (streams and lakes) made up 0.2% of the area. 26.5% of the total municipal area was undergoing some type of construction.It is located on the north bank of the lake of Zürich. Meilen is located about halfway between Zürich and Rapperswil
Rapperswil
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Busskirch, Curtiberg, Kempraten-Lenggis, Wagen, and Wurmsbach.-Today:On...
. Meilen is connected to Horgen across the lake by ferry. In the local dialect it is called Meile.
The town is divided into four districts (Wachten), namely Feldmeilen
Feldmeilen
Feldmeilen is a village within the municipality of Meilen in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland.-Geography:Feldmeilen is located in the district of Meilen in the Pfannenstiel region on the northwestern shore of the Zürichsee between Zürich and Rapperswil.-Demographics, Education and...
, Dorfmeilen and Obermeilen along the lake side, as well as Bergmeilen towards the Mt. Pfannenstiel
Pfannenstiel (Zürich)
Pfannenstiel is a wooded mountain respectively a region overlooking the Lake Zürich and Zürcher Oberland in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- Geography :...
. The districts used to be more autonomous, but today the division is only used for schooling purposes.
Demographics
Meilen has a population (as of ) of . , 16.5% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. the gender distribution of the population was 47.6% male and 52.4% female. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 12.2%. Most of the population speaks German (87.6%), with Italian being second most common ( 2.4%) and English being third ( 1.7%).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 34.1% 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....
(23.1%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(15.2%) and 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...
(10%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 18.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 63% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18.1%. In Meilen about 83.9% 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 5315 households in Meilen.
Meilen has an unemployment rate of 2.06%. , there were 151 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 41 businesses involved in this sector. 1514 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 93 businesses in this sector. 3418 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 482 businesses in this sector. 43% of the working population were employed full-time, and 57% were employed part-time.
there were 3217 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 5337 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 Meilen. In the 2000 census, religion was broken down into several smaller categories. From the , 49.9% were some type of Protestant, with 47.9% 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% belonging to other Protestant churches. 26.5% of the population were Catholic. Of the rest of the population, 3% were Muslim, 5.3% belonged to another religion (not listed), 3% did not give a religion, and 14.7% were atheist or agnostic.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1634 | 1,107 |
| 1697 | 1,590 |
| 1799 | 3,034 |
| 1850 | 3,065 |
| 1900 | 3,213 |
| 1950 | 5,992 |
| 1970 | 9,881 |
| 2000 | 11,480 |
Sightseeing
The Protestant church is located at the lake side and dominates the pictures of the town from the lake. The church's history dates back to a chapel of the 7th century. The current church was built in 1493.The oldest tavern in Meilen is the Löwen (Lion). The tavern is still in use, but since 1958 owned by the municipality. The main hall is now used for political and cultural events.
The inn zur Burg located at Friedberg (or locally known as Burg) was built in 1676. It is an attractive building with many carved ornaments.
There are also a number of mansions, including the Seehof, Seehalde and Grüene Hof. The Seehof mansion was built in 1767-1769 and originally home to the successful textile producer Felix Oeri-Lavater. The mansion Seehalde was built when trade in wine was at its best: the 16th century. The Grüene Hof mansion is located in Feldmeilen. It was built between 1682 and 1684.
World heritage site
The prehistoric settlement at Rorenhaab is part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the AlpsPrehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps is a series of prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands...
a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site.
Transportation
Meilen is serviced by the S6S6 (ZVV)
The S6 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, and is one of the network's lines connecting the cantons of Zürich and Aargau.- Route :...
, S7
S7 (ZVV)
The S7 is a regional railway line of the Zürich S-Bahn on the ZVV and is one of the network's trunk lines.- Route :...
and SN7 lines of the Zürich S-Bahn
Zürich S-Bahn
The Zurich S-Bahn system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been incrementally expanded to cover the ZVV area, which comprises the entire canton of Zurich and portions of neighboring cantons The Zurich S-Bahn system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been...
. In the evenings, it is a terminal station of the S16
S16 (ZVV)
The S16 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, and is one of the network's lines connecting the cantons of Zürich and Schaffhausen.- Route :...
line in alternation to Herrliberg
Herrliberg
Herrliberg is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- History :There are findings dating back to the Bronze age....
-Feldmeilen. Meilen is also a significant station for regional bus lines.
In the summer there are regular boats along the lake to Zurich and Rapperswil, run by the Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft
Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft
The Lake Zurich Shipping Company or Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft is a public Swiss company operating passenger ships and boats on Lake Zürich....
. The Horgen–Meilen car ferry
Horgen–Meilen ferry
The Horgen–Meilen ferry, operated by the Zürichsee-Fähre Horgen-Meilen AG company, is a Swiss car ferry that operates across Lake Zurich between the lakeside towns of Horgen and Meilen...
connects Meilen with 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...
on the opposite shore of the lake.