Meisterschwanden
Encyclopedia
Meisterschwanden is a municipality
in the district of Lenzburg
in the canton
of Aargau
in Switzerland
.
lake side settlements, at Seerose and Erlenhölzli, near the modern Meisterschwanden. Both sites were discovered from archeological digs on the lake shote. Additionally, at the Erlenhölzli site, divers discovered traces of Pfyn culture
ceramics, stone tools and several artifacts made of wood, including a bow and arrow fragment all from about 3,600 BC.
Meisterschwanden is first mentioned in 1173 as Meistersvanc though this comes from at 14th Century copy of the original. In 1179 it was mentioned as Maestirwanch. In 1363 the Twingherrschaft
transferred from the lords of Meisterschwanden to the Lords of Hallwyl
. The high court
rights came to Bern in 1415. During the second Villmergen war
in 1712, Fahrwangen
was used as a camp by the Reformed
troops. As the Catholic troops attacked, according to legend, the women of Fahrwangen and Meisterschwanden marched out to join the soldiers. The Protestant
Bernese troops were so impressed with the valor of the women, that they granted them a day when the women could command. Since then, on the second Sunday in January they have celebrated the Meitlisunntig (Girls' Sunday). On this day, women from both villages run through the streets carrying nets. Any man who is captured in a net must pay his Lösegelds or ransom (often in the form of alcoholic drinks) to get free.
A chapel was already in the village before 1300. Until 1817 it was part of the parish
of Seengen
, but then formed its own parish. The Reformed
parish church
was built in 1820-22 and the Catholic
church was built in 1977.
Economically, the village was dependent on agriculture, which was supplemented by fishing and some viticulture
. In the 18th Century, small scale cotton processing businesses appeared in the village. This was replaced in 1850 by straw goods manufacturing. At the beginning of the 21st Century, there are some small and medium enterprises as well as day tourism (2 hotels on the lake) in the village.
The steam boat navigation on the Lake Hallwyl began in 1888. In 1916, the village received a rail connection (Wohlen-Meisterschwanden-rail). A bus line has stopped in the village since 1997.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.4% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 12.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 5.9%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.9% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.1%. Out of the forested land, 17.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 37.9% is used for growing crops and 16.2% is pastures, while 3.5% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in the Lenzburg district, on a terrace above the western bank of the Hallwilersee. Originally it stretched along the village stream, but has since spread out. It consists of the haufendorf village (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Meisterschwanden and, since 1900, the hamlet
of Tennwil.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per fess nebuly Azure and Argent.
The age distribution, , in Meisterschwanden is; 251 children or 10.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 277 teenagers or 11.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 235 people or 9.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 326 people or 13.2% are between 30 and 39, 488 people or 19.8% are between 40 and 49, and 379 people or 15.3% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 282 people or 11.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 153 people or 6.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 67 people or 2.7% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 12 people or 0.5% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.55 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 60.7% 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 46 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 385 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 348 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 807 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. there were 508 single family homes (or 45.7% of the total) out of a total of 1,111 homes and apartments. There were a total of 16 empty apartments for a 1.4% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 22.6 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 37.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(20.9%), the SP
(15.5%) and the CVP
(8.9%).
The historical population is given in the following table:
. The entire village of Meisterschwanden is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
there were 1,099 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 837 or about 76.2% of the residents worked outside Meisterschwanden while 306 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 568 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 6.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 60.9% used a private car.
faith.
). Of the school age population , there are 164 students attending primary school, there are 118 students attending secondary school in the municipality.
Meisterschwanden is home to the Gemeindebibliothek Meisterschwanden (municipal library of Meisterschwanden). The library has 4,840 books or other media, and loaned out 11,228 items in the same year. It was open a total of 250 days with average of 11 hours per week during that year.
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 Lenzburg
Lenzburg (district)
Lenzburg District is a district of the Canton of Aargau in Switzerland, lying at the center of the canton. The district capital is the town of Lenzburg. It has a population of .-Geography:...
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 Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
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
There were two neolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
lake side settlements, at Seerose and Erlenhölzli, near the modern Meisterschwanden. Both sites were discovered from archeological digs on the lake shote. Additionally, at the Erlenhölzli site, divers discovered traces of Pfyn culture
Pfyn 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:...
ceramics, stone tools and several artifacts made of wood, including a bow and arrow fragment all from about 3,600 BC.
Meisterschwanden is first mentioned in 1173 as Meistersvanc though this comes from at 14th Century copy of the original. In 1179 it was mentioned as Maestirwanch. In 1363 the Twingherrschaft
Zwing und Bann
Zwing und Bann is a Swiss feudal set of rules and regulations governing justice and punishment in a village or villages. Zwing and Twing are different spellings based on the local Swiss German dialect. The magistrate or Zwingherr had legally binding rules and regulations in the exercise of low...
transferred from the lords of Meisterschwanden to the Lords of Hallwyl
Hallwyl Castle
Hallwyl Castle is one of the most important moated castles in Switzerland. It is located on two islands in the River Aabach, near the northern end of Lake Hallwil in the municipality of Seengen in the canton of Aargau...
. The high court
High, middle and low justice
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judiciary power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents....
rights came to Bern in 1415. During the second Villmergen war
Battles of Villmergen
The Battles of Villmergen were two battles between Reformed and Catholic Swiss cantons. They occurred on January 24, 1656 and July 24, 1712 at Villmergen, Canton of Aargau, Switzerland ....
in 1712, Fahrwangen
Fahrwangen
Fahrwangen is a municipality in the district of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Prehistorical finds from various Neolithic eras, Roman and Alamanni ruins all testify to a long history of human habitation around Fahrwangen. The modern municipality of Fahrwangen is first...
was used as a camp by the Reformed
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...
troops. As the Catholic troops attacked, according to legend, the women of Fahrwangen and Meisterschwanden marched out to join the soldiers. The Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Bernese troops were so impressed with the valor of the women, that they granted them a day when the women could command. Since then, on the second Sunday in January they have celebrated the Meitlisunntig (Girls' Sunday). On this day, women from both villages run through the streets carrying nets. Any man who is captured in a net must pay his Lösegelds or ransom (often in the form of alcoholic drinks) to get free.
A chapel was already in the village before 1300. Until 1817 it was part of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Seengen
Seengen
Seengen is a municipality in the district of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:Seengen has an area, , of . Of this area, or 51.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 32.3% is forested...
, but then formed its own parish. The Reformed
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...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
was built in 1820-22 and the Catholic
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...
church was built in 1977.
Economically, the village was dependent on agriculture, which was supplemented by fishing and some viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
. In the 18th Century, small scale cotton processing businesses appeared in the village. This was replaced in 1850 by straw goods manufacturing. At the beginning of the 21st Century, there are some small and medium enterprises as well as day tourism (2 hotels on the lake) in the village.
The steam boat navigation on the Lake Hallwyl began in 1888. In 1916, the village received a rail connection (Wohlen-Meisterschwanden-rail). A bus line has stopped in the village since 1997.
Geography
Meisterschwanden has an area, , of 4.27 square kilometres (1.6 sq mi). Of this area, 2.46 km² (0.949811310137636 sq mi) or 57.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.8 km² (0.308881726874028 sq mi) or 18.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.02 km² (0.393824201764386 sq mi) or 23.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.2% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.4% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 12.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 5.9%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.9% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.1%. Out of the forested land, 17.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 37.9% is used for growing crops and 16.2% is pastures, while 3.5% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in the Lenzburg district, on a terrace above the western bank of the Hallwilersee. Originally it stretched along the village stream, but has since spread out. It consists of the haufendorf village (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Meisterschwanden and, since 1900, the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Tennwil.
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 Per fess nebuly Azure and Argent.
Demographics
Meisterschwanden has a population of , 14.6% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 20.2%. Most of the population speaks German (90.9%), with Italian being second most common ( 3.8%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 1.6%).The age distribution, , in Meisterschwanden is; 251 children or 10.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 277 teenagers or 11.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 235 people or 9.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 326 people or 13.2% are between 30 and 39, 488 people or 19.8% are between 40 and 49, and 379 people or 15.3% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 282 people or 11.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 153 people or 6.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 67 people or 2.7% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 12 people or 0.5% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.55 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 60.7% 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 46 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 385 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 348 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 807 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. there were 508 single family homes (or 45.7% of the total) out of a total of 1,111 homes and apartments. There were a total of 16 empty apartments for a 1.4% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 22.6 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
Swiss 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 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 37.3% 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....
(20.9%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(15.5%) and 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...
(8.9%).
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 308 |
| 1850 | 1,020 |
| 1900 | 1,113 |
| 1950 | 1,089 |
| 2000 | 2,055 |
- Includes the hamlet of Tennwil
Heritage sites of national significance
The Villa Fischer at Kirchrain 11 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...
. The entire village of Meisterschwanden is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
.
Economy
, Meisterschwanden had an unemployment rate of 1.87%. , there were 47 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 21 businesses involved in this sector. 250 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 25 businesses in this sector. 424 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 69 businesses in this sector.there were 1,099 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 837 or about 76.2% of the residents worked outside Meisterschwanden while 306 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 568 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 6.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 60.9% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 633 or 30.8% were Roman Catholic, while 991 or 48.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there was 1 individual who belonged to the Christian CatholicChristian 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...
faith.
Education
In Meisterschwanden about 76.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or 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 school age population , there are 164 students attending primary school, there are 118 students attending secondary school in the municipality.
Meisterschwanden is home to the Gemeindebibliothek Meisterschwanden (municipal library of Meisterschwanden). The library has 4,840 books or other media, and loaned out 11,228 items in the same year. It was open a total of 250 days with average of 11 hours per week during that year.