Obfelden
Encyclopedia
Obfelden is a municipality
in the district of Affoltern
in the canton
of Zürich in Switzerland
.
Until 1847 it was part of the municipality of Ottenbach.
The municipality is located on the Reuss River
and on the border with the Canton of Aargau. It consists of five smaller communities; Bickwil, Ober-, Unterlunnern, Wolsen and Toussen.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 38% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(15.6%), the FDP
(12%) and the CSP
(11.5%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 64.4% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 9.7%. In Obfelden about 78.4% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Obfelden has an unemployment rate of 2%. , there were 90 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 26 businesses involved in this sector. 334 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 57 businesses in this sector. 659 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 130 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
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 Affoltern
Affoltern (district)
Affoltern District is one of the twelve districts of the German-speaking canton of Zürich, Switzerland. Its capital is the city of Affoltern am Albis.- Municipalities :...
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
Obfelden is first mentioned in 1246 as Bickewilare. In 1257 it was mentioned as Lundenerun and Lunderun inferioris, in 1311 as Wolunsun and in 1325 as Tunsen.Until 1847 it was part of the municipality of Ottenbach.
Geography
Obfelden has an area of 7.6 km² (2.9 sq mi). Of this area, 54.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 22.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 20.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (2.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The municipality is located on the Reuss River
Reuss River
The Reuss is a river in Switzerland. With a length of and a drainage basin of , it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland...
and on the border with the Canton of Aargau. It consists of five smaller communities; Bickwil, Ober-, Unterlunnern, Wolsen and Toussen.
Demographics
Obfelden has a population (as of ) of . , 16.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 7.6%. Most of the population speaks German (89.6%), with Italian being second most common ( 3.9%) and Albanian 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 38% 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....
(15.6%), 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 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...
(11.5%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 64.4% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 9.7%. In Obfelden about 78.4% 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...
).
Obfelden has an unemployment rate of 2%. , there were 90 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 26 businesses involved in this sector. 334 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 57 businesses in this sector. 659 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 130 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1450 | c. 24 Households |
| 1634 | 311 |
| 1668 | 562 |
| 1799 | 789 |
| 1850 | 896 |
| 1900 | 1,335 |
| 1950 | 1,517 |
| 2000 | 4,182 |