Oeschgen
Encyclopedia
Oeschgen is a municipality
in the district of Laufenburg
in the canton
of Aargau
in Switzerland
.
items, and evidence of Bronze Age
and Roman era
settlements. Modern Oeschgen is first mentioned in 1234 as Escecon. In 1242 it was mentioned as Eschincon.
The village was first owned by the Lords of Eschkon during the 13th to 15th Centuries. They were vassals of Rheinfelden and occasionally the Habsburgs. From the mid-14th Century until 1797, Oeschgen was part of the Austrian-Habsburg District of Laufenburg. In 1803 it was part of the Canton of Fricktal when it joined the new Canton of Aargau. The rights to low justice
were held by the Lords of Grünenberg, then from 1475 until 1797 by the Lords of Schönau. In 1597-98 the Lords of Schönau built a manor house
in the village. This manor later became the municipal administration building and was renovated between 1971-75. In the Second World War an internment camp for Polish soldiers was built near the village.
The Lords of Schönau held the patronage right of the church of St. Cosmas and St. Damian. The church was probably from the late 12th century and a new building in was built in 1912.
Until the 19th Century the major sources of income were viticulture
and grain. By the start of the 21 Century Oeschgen had become mostly residential, with some small businesses. Most of the workers commute to the agglomeration of Basel
and into Frick
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 6.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 6.8%. Out of the forested land, 17.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.1% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 37.7% is used for growing crops and 25.6% is pastures, while 4.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in the Laufenburg district, in the upper Fricktal
(Frick river valley). It lies along the Sisselnbach and on the A3 motorway. It consists of the haufendorf village (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Oeschgen.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per fess Sable and Or three Annulets counterchanged.
The age distribution, , in Oeschgen is; 106 children or 11.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 117 teenagers or 12.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 99 people or 10.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 122 people or 13.3% are between 30 and 39, 170 people or 18.6% are between 40 and 49, and 116 people or 12.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 104 people or 11.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 51 people or 5.6% are between 70 and 79, there are 21 people or 2.3% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 8 people or 0.9% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.57 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 66.2% 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 19 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 124 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 144 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 305 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. there were 200 single family homes (or 57.5% of the total) out of a total of 348 homes and apartments. There were a total of 2 empty apartments for a 0.6% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.2 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 41.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(24.5%), the SP
(11.5%) and the FDP
(6.7%).
In Oeschgen about 71.8% 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 76 students attending primary school in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
there were 416 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 338 or about 81.3% of the residents worked outside Oeschgen while 35 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 113 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 8.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 52.7% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 3 individuals (or about 0.38% of the population) 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 Laufenburg
Laufenburg (district)
Laufenburg District is a district of the canton of Aargau, Switzerland, essentially consisting of the upper Fricktal valley in the Aargau Jura south of the Rhine. Its capital is the town of Laufenburg. 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
The earliest traces of human settlement include several individual Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
items, and evidence of Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Roman era
Switzerland 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...
settlements. Modern Oeschgen is first mentioned in 1234 as Escecon. In 1242 it was mentioned as Eschincon.
The village was first owned by the Lords of Eschkon during the 13th to 15th Centuries. They were vassals of Rheinfelden and occasionally the Habsburgs. From the mid-14th Century until 1797, Oeschgen was part of the Austrian-Habsburg District of Laufenburg. In 1803 it was part of the Canton of Fricktal when it joined the new Canton of Aargau. 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....
were held by the Lords of Grünenberg, then from 1475 until 1797 by the Lords of Schönau. In 1597-98 the Lords of Schönau built a manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
in the village. This manor later became the municipal administration building and was renovated between 1971-75. In the Second World War an internment camp for Polish soldiers was built near the village.
The Lords of Schönau held the patronage right of the church of St. Cosmas and St. Damian. The church was probably from the late 12th century and a new building in was built in 1912.
Until the 19th Century the major sources of income were 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...
and grain. By the start of the 21 Century Oeschgen had become mostly residential, with some small businesses. Most of the workers commute to the agglomeration of Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
and into Frick
Frick, Switzerland
Frick is a municipality in the district of Laufenburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. A dinosaur graveyard containing more than 100 Plateosaurus was found there in August 2007.-History:...
.
Geography
Oeschgen has an area, , of 4.38 square kilometres (1.7 sq mi). Of this area, 2.95 km² (1.1 sq mi) or 67.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.8 km² (0.308881726874028 sq mi) or 18.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.62 km² (0.239383338327372 sq mi) or 14.2% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 6.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 6.8%. Out of the forested land, 17.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.1% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 37.7% is used for growing crops and 25.6% is pastures, while 4.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in the Laufenburg district, in the upper Fricktal
Fricktal
The Fricktal region is the northwest finger extending from the Swiss canton of Aargau. It is situated in Northwestern Switzerland east of Basel, between the High Rhine forming the border with Germany in the north and the Jura Mountains in the south. The Fricktal contains the districts of...
(Frick river valley). It lies along the Sisselnbach and on the A3 motorway. It consists of the haufendorf village (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Oeschgen.
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 Sable and Or three Annulets counterchanged.
Demographics
Oeschgen has a population of , 12.2% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 10.8%. Most of the population speaks German (93.4%), with Italian being second most common ( 2.3%) and Albanian being third ( 1.5%).The age distribution, , in Oeschgen is; 106 children or 11.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 117 teenagers or 12.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 99 people or 10.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 122 people or 13.3% are between 30 and 39, 170 people or 18.6% are between 40 and 49, and 116 people or 12.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 104 people or 11.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 51 people or 5.6% are between 70 and 79, there are 21 people or 2.3% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 8 people or 0.9% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.57 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 66.2% 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 19 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 124 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 144 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 305 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.6 persons per household. there were 200 single family homes (or 57.5% of the total) out of a total of 348 homes and apartments. There were a total of 2 empty apartments for a 0.6% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.2 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 41.2% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(24.5%), the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(11.5%) 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....
(6.7%).
In Oeschgen about 71.8% 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 76 students attending primary school in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1788 | 389 |
| 1850 | 604 |
| 1900 | 392 |
| 1950 | 472 |
| 2000 | 798 |
Economy
, Oeschgen had an unemployment rate of 1.03%. , there were 58 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 19 businesses involved in this sector. 31 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 11 businesses in this sector. 127 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 30 businesses in this sector.there were 416 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 338 or about 81.3% of the residents worked outside Oeschgen while 35 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 113 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 8.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 52.7% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 516 or 64.7% were Roman Catholic, while 165 or 20.7% 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 were 3 individuals (or about 0.38% of the population) 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.