Oberflachs
Encyclopedia
Oberflachs is a municipality
in the district of Brugg
in Canton Aargau in Switzerland
. It is located about 6 km south west of the town of Brugg.
bricks and coins have been discovered, the first record of Oberflachs is in 1342 as Obreflaht. From the Middle Ages
until 1732, Kasteln Castle
held the rights to low justice
in the village. The rights to administer High Justice was held by the bailiwick
of Schenkenberg and was acquired in 1460 by the city of Bern. In 1732 the village came fully under Bern's authority when Bern bought the Kasteln Castle. By 1607 the village is identified as a partly independent municipality.
Oberflachs was, like the whole Schenkenbergertal in the 18th Century, a very poor municipality. Grain and vineyard cultivation were the major economic sources in the 17th Century. However, in 1850 wine production collapsed because of vine diseases and phylloxera
. The poverty and collapse of the wine industry forced many residents (particularly in the 1880s) to emigrate overseas. The wine recovered, so that in 1990 there were 22 hectares cultivated.
In the 1970s several new housing districts were built. In 1960, the number of commuters exceeded the number of locals that worked in the municipality. In 2005, agriculture provided 28% of the jobs in the community. A merger of Oberflachs with four municipalities failed in 2009 because Veltheim
voters rejected the proposal.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 5.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.4%. 34.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 18.0% is used for growing crops and 25.7% is pastures, while 10.7% is used for orchards or vine crops.
The municipality is located in the Brugg district, at the foot of the Schenkenbergertal. It consists of the linear village
of Oberflachs and Kasteln Castle. The highest point has an elevation of 770 metres (2,526.2 ft), and the lowest point, 395 m (1,295.9 ft).
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent three Flax flowers Azure seeded Or slipped and leaved Vert in saltire and in pale. This is an example of canting
with the German word for flax
being Flachs
The age distribution, , in Oberflachs is; 56 children or 11.7% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 70 teenagers or 14.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 39 people or 8.1% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 62 people or 12.9% are between 30 and 39, 78 people or 16.3% are between 40 and 49, and 63 people or 13.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 59 people or 12.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 35 people or 7.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 13 people or 2.7% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 5 people or 1.0% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.54 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 72% 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 8 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 71 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 89 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.53 individuals. there were 113 single family homes (or 53.6% of the total) out of a total of 211 homes and apartments. There were a total of 0 empty apartments. , the construction rate of new housing units was 4.1 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 45.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(12.1%), the Green Party
(11.5%) and the SP
(9.9%).
In Oberflachs about 80% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
). Of the school age population , there are 48 students attending primary school in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
.
there was a total of 226 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 175 or about 77.4% of the residents worked outside Oberflachs while 49 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 100 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 5.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 55.1% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there was 1 individual who belonged to the Christian Catholic
faith.
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 Brugg
Brugg (district)
Brugg District is a district in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, it is located south of the Aare and the Aargauer Jura covers the district. The capital of the district is the town of Brugg.-Geography:...
in Canton Aargau 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....
. It is located about 6 km south west of the town of Brugg.
History
While various Roman eraSwitzerland in the Roman era
The history of Switzerland in the Roman era encompasses the roughly six centuries during which the territory of modern Switzerland was a part of the Roman Republic and Empire...
bricks and coins have been discovered, the first record of Oberflachs is in 1342 as Obreflaht. From the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
until 1732, Kasteln Castle
Schloss Kasteln
Kasteln Castle is a castle in the municipality of Oberflachs in Canton Aargau, Switzerland. It is located west of the village on a rocky outcrop, surrounded by vineyards and woods. Today, it serves as a boarding school for students with behavioral problems...
held the rights to low justice
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....
in the village. The rights to administer High Justice was held by the bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
of Schenkenberg and was acquired in 1460 by the city of Bern. In 1732 the village came fully under Bern's authority when Bern bought the Kasteln Castle. By 1607 the village is identified as a partly independent municipality.
Oberflachs was, like the whole Schenkenbergertal in the 18th Century, a very poor municipality. Grain and vineyard cultivation were the major economic sources in the 17th Century. However, in 1850 wine production collapsed because of vine diseases and phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
. The poverty and collapse of the wine industry forced many residents (particularly in the 1880s) to emigrate overseas. The wine recovered, so that in 1990 there were 22 hectares cultivated.
In the 1970s several new housing districts were built. In 1960, the number of commuters exceeded the number of locals that worked in the municipality. In 2005, agriculture provided 28% of the jobs in the community. A merger of Oberflachs with four municipalities failed in 2009 because Veltheim
Veltheim
Veltheim is a municipality in the district of Wolfenbüttel, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
voters rejected the proposal.
Geography
Oberflachs has an area, , of 3.38 square kilometres (1.3 sq mi). Of this area, 1.84 square kilometre (0.710427971810264 sq mi) or 54.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.27 square kilometre (0.490349741412519 sq mi) or 37.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.3 square kilometre (0.115830647577761 sq mi) or 8.9% is settled (buildings or roads).Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 5.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.4%. 34.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 18.0% is used for growing crops and 25.7% is pastures, while 10.7% is used for orchards or vine crops.
The municipality is located in the Brugg district, at the foot of the Schenkenbergertal. It consists of the linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
of Oberflachs and Kasteln Castle. The highest point has an elevation of 770 metres (2,526.2 ft), and the lowest point, 395 m (1,295.9 ft).
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 Argent three Flax flowers Azure seeded Or slipped and leaved Vert in saltire and in pale. This is an example of canting
Canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name in a visual pun or rebus. The term cant came into the English language from Anglo-Norman cant, meaning song or singing, from Latin cantāre, and English cognates include canticle, chant, accent, incantation and recant.Canting arms –...
with the German word for flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
being Flachs
Demographics
Oberflachs has a population of , 4.2% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 10.7%. Most of the population speaks German (98.3%), with English being second most common ( 1.1%) and Italian being third ( 0.4%).The age distribution, , in Oberflachs is; 56 children or 11.7% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 70 teenagers or 14.6% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 39 people or 8.1% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 62 people or 12.9% are between 30 and 39, 78 people or 16.3% are between 40 and 49, and 63 people or 13.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 59 people or 12.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 35 people or 7.3% are between 70 and 79, there are 13 people or 2.7% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 5 people or 1.0% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.54 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 72% 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 8 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 71 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 89 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.53 individuals. there were 113 single family homes (or 53.6% of the total) out of a total of 211 homes and apartments. There were a total of 0 empty apartments. , the construction rate of new housing units was 4.1 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 45.1% 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....
(12.1%), 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:...
(11.5%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(9.9%).
In Oberflachs about 80% 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...
). Of the school age population , there are 48 students attending primary school in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 215 |
| 1850 | 512 |
| 1900 | 428 |
| 1950 | 364 |
| 2000 | 468 |
Sights
The village of Oberflachs is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage SitesInventory 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
, Oberflachs had an unemployment rate of 1.3%. , there were 37 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 12 businesses involved in this sector. 22 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 4 businesses in this sector. 74 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 10 businesses in this sector.there was a total of 226 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 175 or about 77.4% of the residents worked outside Oberflachs while 49 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 100 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 5.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 55.1% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 76 or 16.2% were Roman Catholic, while 340 or 72.6% 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 was 1 individual who belonged to the Christian Catholic
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...
faith.