Münsingen
Encyclopedia
Münsingen is a municipality
in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
The village lies on the River Aar between the cities of Bern and Thun
.
The municipality is located in the Aare valley and includes the village of Münsingen, and the canton's psychiatric clinic.
ic village first settled in around 400 BC. The origin of the name is unclear, though attributed to the Alamanni
. Münsingen is first mentioned between 993 and 1010 as Munisingam. When it belonged to the royal court of Upper Burgundy. In the 13th and 14th centuries Münsingen came under the lordship of the Senn knights from whom the present arms of the municipality are derived. As an important gathering-place during the Peasants' War
, and in the ensuing process of democratization, Münsingen played a major part in the history of the canton of Bern.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 26.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(19.7%), the Green Party
(17.5%) and the FDP
(15.7%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 22.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 15.4%. In Münsingen about 79% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Münsingen has an unemployment rate of 1.6%. , there were 94 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 1246 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 84 businesses in this sector. 4220 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 385 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
, Germany
Humpolec
, Czech Republic
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 Bern-Mittelland administrative district
Bern-Mittelland (administrative district)
Bern-Mittelland District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Bern-Mittelland administrative region, and is the only district in the region...
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 village lies on the River Aar between the cities of Bern and Thun
Thun
Thun is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland with about 42,136 inhabitants , as of 1 January 2006....
.
Geography
Münsingen has an area of 8.5 km² (3.3 sq mi). Of this area, 49.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 16.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 32.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (1.6%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The municipality is located in the Aare valley and includes the village of Münsingen, and the canton's psychiatric clinic.
History
Münsingen developed from a CeltCelt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic village first settled in around 400 BC. The origin of the name is unclear, though attributed to the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
. Münsingen is first mentioned between 993 and 1010 as Munisingam. When it belonged to the royal court of Upper Burgundy. In the 13th and 14th centuries Münsingen came under the lordship of the Senn knights from whom the present arms of the municipality are derived. As an important gathering-place during the Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
, and in the ensuing process of democratization, Münsingen played a major part in the history of the canton of Bern.
Main sights
- Schloss Münsingen (Castle)
- Landwirtschaftliche Schule Schwand (the former Schwand Agricultural School)
Administration
Münsingen is administered by a seven-member council and a 30-seat municipal assembly.Demographics
Münsingen has a population (as of ) of . , 8.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 9.7%. Most of the population speaks German (92.9%), with Italian being second most common ( 1.5%) and French being third ( 1.1%).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 26.7% 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....
(19.7%), 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:...
(17.5%) and the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(15.7%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 22.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 15.4%. In Münsingen about 79% 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...
).
Münsingen has an unemployment rate of 1.6%. , there were 94 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 25 businesses involved in this sector. 1246 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 84 businesses in this sector. 4220 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 385 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 555 |
| 1850 | 1,202 |
| 1900 | 2,306 |
| 1950 | 5,250 |
| 1970 | 8,350 |
| 2000 | 10,937 |
Economy
Münsingen's most important enterprise is the firm of USM (Ulrich Schaerer Münsingen), internationally known producers of office furniture.Education
Educational provision in Münsingen covers all levels from primary school, through middle and secondary schools (Realschule and Sekundarschule), up to senior-level education (Vorgymnasium).Twinned municipalities
MünsingenMünsingen, Germany
Münsingen is a town in the district of Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 23 km southeast of Reutlingen, and 37 km west of Ulm.-History:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Humpolec
Humpolec
Humpolec is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic, situated south-east of Prague and roughly halfway between the Czech capital and Brno, on the northwestern edge of the Bohemian-Moravian highlands ....
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....