Obersaxen
Encyclopedia
Obersaxen is a municipality
in the district of Surselva
in the Swiss
canton
of Graubünden
.
The current settlement was founded in the thirteenth century, when a group of German
-speaking Walser
settled the plateau. Right in the heart of the mainly Romansh-speaking Surselva (which encompasses the valley of the Vorderrhein
, along with all of its side valleys, among others the Val Lumnezia
), Obersaxen is an island of German speakers.
Obersaxen has an area, , of 61.5 km² (23.7 sq mi). Of this area, 54.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 23.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (19.8%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
The municipality is located in the Rueun sub-district of the Surselva district. It is located on the northern face of the Mundaun mountain chain, on the right side of the Rhine valley. It consists of 28 settlements which are divided into five Pirten around the central village of Meierhof.
' blazon
is Per pale Gules a Key Or and Azure two Bars Argent. The right half of the coat of arms comes from the seal of the Freiherr
of Rhäzüns
, who acquired rights in Obersaxen through the Walser immigration. The key is a symbol of Saint Peter
which was on the 14th Century village seal.
, and is virtually incomprehensible to other Swiss people, and even much more so to speakers of standard German
.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. The age distribution, , in Obersaxen is; 88 children or 11.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 108 teenagers or 13.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 65 people or 8.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 130 people or 16.7% are between 30 and 39, 131 people or 16.8% are between 40 and 49, and 92 people or 11.8% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 70 people or 9.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 62 people or 8.0% are between 70 and 79, there are 31 people or 4.0% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 2 people or 0.3% who are between 90 and 99.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 49.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(25.8%), the FDP
(12%) and the SP
(11.4%).
In Obersaxen about 64.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Obersaxen has an unemployment rate of 0.71%. , there were 98 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 47 businesses involved in this sector. 81 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 11 businesses in this sector. 171 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 42 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
. Despite the fact that it's quite close to the internationally popular resort of Flims-Laax
, it is quite popular among locals and others who are "in-the-know", due to the quality of skiing and lack of the large crowds that are to be found in Flims. Obersaxen is also home to 2010 overall alpine skiing World Cup & Olympic champion Carlo Janka
.
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 Surselva
Surselva (district)
Surselva District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of and has a population of ....
in the Swiss
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....
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 Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
.
History
Obersaxen is first mentioned in 765 as Supersaxa though this is from a copy which dates from later. In 956 it was mentioned as Supersaxa, and in 1227 as Ubersahse.The current settlement was founded in the thirteenth century, when a group of German
Walser German
The Walser language , also known as Walliser German , is a group of Highest Alemannic dialects spoken in Walser settlements in parts of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Austria and in the German-speaking part of the Canton of Wallis , in the uppermost Rhône valley.The terms Walser and...
-speaking Walser
Walser
The Walser are German-speaking people who live in the Alps of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein and Austria. The Walser people are named after the Wallis , the uppermost Rhône River valley...
settled the plateau. Right in the heart of the mainly Romansh-speaking Surselva (which encompasses the valley of the Vorderrhein
Vorderrhein
The Vorderrhein is one of the two sources of the Rhine. Its catchment area of is located predominantly in the Canton of Graubünden . The Vorderrhein is about long, thus more than 5% longer than the Hinterrhein...
, along with all of its side valleys, among others the Val Lumnezia
Val Lumnezia
The Val Lumnezia is a Swiss high Alpine valley made up of the main Lumnezia valley, and a side valley, the Valser valley to the south-east. Located at , it forms also Municipality, which is composed of the communities Vella, Vignogn, Degen, Suraua, Vrin, Cumbel, Morissen, Vals and Lumbrein. Its...
), Obersaxen is an island of German speakers.
Geography
The municipality is located in the Rueun sub-district of the Surselva district. It is located on the northern face of the Mundaun mountain chain, on the right side of the Rhine valley. It consists of 28 settlements which are divided into five Pirten around the central village of Meierhof.
Coat of arms
The municipal coat of armsCoat 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...
' blazon
Blazon
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...
is Per pale Gules a Key Or and Azure two Bars Argent. The right half of the coat of arms comes from the seal of the Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
of Rhäzüns
Rhäzüns
Rhäzüns is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Rhäzüns has an area, , of . Of this area, 23.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 69.1% is forested...
, who acquired rights in Obersaxen through the Walser immigration. The key is a symbol of Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
which was on the 14th Century village seal.
Demographics
Obersaxen has a population (as of ) of . , 6.6% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -4.9%. Most of the population speaks German (89.3%), with Romansh being second most common ( 5.0%) and Portuguese being third ( 3.7%). The language spoken here is a very distinctive form of Swiss GermanSwiss German
Swiss German is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland and in some Alpine communities in Northern Italy. Occasionally, the Alemannic dialects spoken in other countries are grouped together with Swiss German as well, especially the dialects of Liechtenstein and Austrian Vorarlberg...
, and is virtually incomprehensible to other Swiss people, and even much more so to speakers of standard German
Standard German
Standard German is the standard variety of the German language used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas...
.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. The age distribution, , in Obersaxen is; 88 children or 11.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 108 teenagers or 13.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 65 people or 8.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 130 people or 16.7% are between 30 and 39, 131 people or 16.8% are between 40 and 49, and 92 people or 11.8% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 70 people or 9.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 62 people or 8.0% are between 70 and 79, there are 31 people or 4.0% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 2 people or 0.3% who are between 90 and 99.
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 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...
which received 49.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(25.8%), 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%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(11.4%).
In Obersaxen about 64.9% 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...
).
Obersaxen has an unemployment rate of 0.71%. , there were 98 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 47 businesses involved in this sector. 81 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 11 businesses in this sector. 171 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 42 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 830 |
| 1900 | 652 |
| 1910 | 636 |
| 1950 | 705 |
| 2000 | 779 |
Sport
Obersaxen is a relatively large, but not particularly well-known ski resortSki resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
. Despite the fact that it's quite close to the internationally popular resort of Flims-Laax
Flims
Flims is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The town of Flims is dominated by the Flimserstein which you can see from almost anywhere in the area....
, it is quite popular among locals and others who are "in-the-know", due to the quality of skiing and lack of the large crowds that are to be found in Flims. Obersaxen is also home to 2010 overall alpine skiing World Cup & Olympic champion Carlo Janka
Carlo Janka
Carlo Janka is a champion alpine ski racer from Switzerland. Born in Obersaxen in the canton of Graubünden, he had the winter sports facilities right in front of his home...
.