Opfikon
Encyclopedia
Opfikon (ˈɔpfikoːn; in the local Swiss German
dialect
: ˈopfikxə) is the name of a municipality
in the Swiss
canton
of Zurich, located in the district
of Bülach
.
: Party per fess gules and argent, in chief a half length portrait of a man wearing a coat sable with a white collar, in base cross pattee sable.
in the Glatt Valley
, near Zurich Airport, and thus lies within the greater Zurich area. As it belongs to the region known as the Zurichois Lowlands (Zürcher Unterland
), the landscape is rather flat. The lowest point lies 420.4 m above sea level at the border to the neighboring commune of Rümlang
, the highest one in the Hard forest, 481 m above sea level. 37% of the municipal territory is covered by settlement area, 17% by wood, 27% by farming ground, 17.6% by transport infrastructures and 1.2% by waters.
, whereas on the other side of it lies Oberhusen. Glattbrugg, as its name (‚bridge over the Glatt’) suggests, originally was not a settlement, but a passage of some importance. However, the name was later also used for a smithy and a mill that were built near the bridge at the left-hand riverbank, and round which eventually developed another settlement.
When the whole political order was changed during the Helvetic Republic
(1798–1803), Opfikon became part of the municipality of Kloten
, that pertained to the district of Bassersdorf
. Oberhusen, lying on the other side of the Glatt, fell to the commune of Seebach
belonging to the district of Regensdorf
.
After Napoleon's Act of Mediation
(19 February 1803) the administration of the canton of Zurich
was rearranged again, and Opfikon and Oberhusen were united into a commune named Opfikon, which appertained now to the likewise new-formed district of Bülach
. In the course of the Restoration after the end of the Napoleonic era, the commune of Opfikon, consisting of the two civil communities Opfikon and Oberhusen (with Glattbrugg) established in 1815, became part of the chief district (Oberamt) of Embrach
, that in 1831, as a result of the new-established cantonal
constitution
, changed its capital to Bülach
. In 1918 the two civil communities were merged in the already existing political commune of Opfikon.
Due to the growing importance of the former hamlet Glattbrugg, the name Oberhusen is the longer the less used, and the municipality
as a whole is now often called Opfikon-Glattbrugg to draw a distinction to Opfikon proper as a part of it.
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 18.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 68.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 13.4%. In Opfikon about 64.4% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
The historical population is given in the following table:
s for the municipal parliament (2 April 2006)were as follows:
The President of the municipality is Walter Fehr (Gemeindeverein ‚Municipal Association’)
In the 2007 National Council elections the most popular party was the SVP
which received 48.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(15.5%), the FDP
(9.9%) and the CVP
(9.4%).
Adecco
S.A., the world's largest employment agency, is headquartered in Glattbrugg. Belair Airlines, a subsidiary of Air Berlin
, is headquartered in Glattbrugg. In addition Swissport
and Zimex Aviation
have their head offices in Glattbrugg.
Kraft Foods Europe has its head office in Glattpark, Opfikon. China Airlines
, at one point, operated the Switzerland Branch office in Glattbrugg.
Opfikon has an unemployment rate of 4.63%. , there were 80 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 13 businesses involved in this sector. 1510 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 121 businesses in this sector. 14456 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 752 businesses in this sector.
and Opfikon
, which are on different lines but only some 250 metres (820.2 ft) apart. Opfikon is seved by Zurich S-Bahn
line S7
, whilst Glattbrugg is served by S-Bahn line S5
. Opfikon is a 11 minute ride from Zürich Hauptbahnhof by S-Bahn.
Opfikon is also served by the Stadtbahn Glattal
, a light rail system that interworks with the Zurich tram system
, with several stops in the municipality. Routes 10 and 12 cross the municipality via Glattbrugg railway station on their journeys from Zurich Airport to, respectively, central Zurich
and Stettbach railway station
. Route 11 runs along the southern boundary of the municipality on its journey from central Zurich to Auzelg in the neighbouring municipality of Wallisellen
.
-(i)kon/-(i)ken, that is widely spread in the area of the cantons
of Zurich
, Argovia and Lucerne
and that has been merged from the suffix -ing- ‚followers of the mentioned one’ and the word hof ‚landed estate’ in the dative
plural
form, used as a locative. This origin is yet more obvious at the congenerous place names ending in -(i)kofen, frequent in the cantons of Bern, Solothurn
, and also in Thurgovia; place names of this formation are dated to the 7th/8th century. The first part of the name traces back to an anthroponym *Opfo, that, however, as such is not on record and is regarded either as a short form of a name like Otfried or something similar or as a formation from a supposed stem *upp-, forming names in west Germanic
, which would have developed to OHG
*opf-/upf-.
The oldest ensured evidence of the name (Obtinchofa/Obfinchoven) dates back to 1153; the attribution of an earlier record Ubinchova in a document from the year 744 is doubtful.
Swiss 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...
dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
: ˈopfikxə) is the name of a municipality
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 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 Zurich, located in the district
Districts of Switzerland
In contrast to centrally organised states, in the federally constituted Switzerland each canton iscompletely free to decide its own internal organisation. Therefore there exists a variety of structures and terminology for the subnational entities between canton and municipality, loosely termed...
of Bülach
Bülach (district)
Bülach District is one of 12 districts of the Canton of Zürich in Switzerland, with some 117,000 inhabitants the third largest in the canton. Its administrative capital is Bülach, the largest municipality is Kloten, the location of Zurich Airport...
.
Coat of arms
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...
: Party per fess gules and argent, in chief a half length portrait of a man wearing a coat sable with a white collar, in base cross pattee sable.
Geography
Opfikon is situated right to the northeast of the city of ZurichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
in the Glatt Valley
Glatt Valley
The Glatt Valley is a region and a river valley in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- Geography :The River Glatt is a tributary of the River Rhine in the Zürcher Unterland area of the Canton of Zurich...
, near Zurich Airport, and thus lies within the greater Zurich area. As it belongs to the region known as the Zurichois Lowlands (Zürcher Unterland
Zürcher Unterland
The Zürcher Unterland comprises the northwestern part of the canton of Zurich, including the districts of Bülach and Dielsdorf....
), the landscape is rather flat. The lowest point lies 420.4 m above sea level at the border to the neighboring commune of Rümlang
Rümlang
Rümlang is a municipality in the district of Dielsdorf in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland, and belongs to the Glatt Valley . Zürich Airport is partially located in Rümlang.-Geography:...
, the highest one in the Hard forest, 481 m above sea level. 37% of the municipal territory is covered by settlement area, 17% by wood, 27% by farming ground, 17.6% by transport infrastructures and 1.2% by waters.
Historical overview
The present municipality traces back to two settlements, one of which is Opfikon itself, situated right from the river GlattGlatt (Rhine)
Glatt is the name of a lesser affluent to the High Rhine in the Unterland of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. It is long and flows out from the Greifensee thru the Glatt Valley, discharging into the Rhine by Glattfelden...
, whereas on the other side of it lies Oberhusen. Glattbrugg, as its name (‚bridge over the Glatt’) suggests, originally was not a settlement, but a passage of some importance. However, the name was later also used for a smithy and a mill that were built near the bridge at the left-hand riverbank, and round which eventually developed another settlement.
When the whole political order was changed during the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
(1798–1803), Opfikon became part of the municipality of Kloten
Kloten
-External links:* -References:...
, that pertained to the district of Bassersdorf
Bassersdorf
Bassersdorf is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Zurich, located in the district of Bülach, and belongs to the Glatt Valley .- History :...
. Oberhusen, lying on the other side of the Glatt, fell to the commune of Seebach
Seebach (Zürich)
Seebach is a quarter in the district 11 of Zurich, located in the Glatt Valley .It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zurich in 1934....
belonging to the district of Regensdorf
Regensdorf
Regensdorf is a municipality in the district of Dielsdorf of the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. It is the biggest city in the region Furttal .Katzensee is a lake on the border with the Affoltern quarter of the city of Zürich.-History:...
.
After Napoleon's Act of Mediation
Act of Mediation
The Act of Mediation was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasion of Switzerland by French troops in 1798. After the withdrawal of French troops in July 1802,...
(19 February 1803) the administration of the canton of Zurich
Canton of Zürich
The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...
was rearranged again, and Opfikon and Oberhusen were united into a commune named Opfikon, which appertained now to the likewise new-formed district of Bülach
Bülach
Bülach is a municipality in Switzerland in the canton of Zurich, located in the district of the same name, and belongs to the Glatt Valley .-History:Bülach is first mentioned in 811 as Pulacha...
. In the course of the Restoration after the end of the Napoleonic era, the commune of Opfikon, consisting of the two civil communities Opfikon and Oberhusen (with Glattbrugg) established in 1815, became part of the chief district (Oberamt) of Embrach
Embrach
Embrach is a municipality in the district of Bülach in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- Coat of arms :BlazonTwo crossed silver St. Peter's keys in red....
, that in 1831, as a result of the new-established cantonal
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...
constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, changed its capital to Bülach
Bülach
Bülach is a municipality in Switzerland in the canton of Zurich, located in the district of the same name, and belongs to the Glatt Valley .-History:Bülach is first mentioned in 811 as Pulacha...
. In 1918 the two civil communities were merged in the already existing political commune of Opfikon.
Due to the growing importance of the former hamlet Glattbrugg, the name Oberhusen is the longer the less used, and the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
as a whole is now often called Opfikon-Glattbrugg to draw a distinction to Opfikon proper as a part of it.
Demographics
Opfikon has a population (as of ) of . , 41.5% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 21.1%. Most of the population speaks German (72.5%), with Italian being second most common ( 5.5%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 3.1%).The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 18.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 68.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 13.4%. In Opfikon about 64.4% 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...
).
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1467 | 7 Households |
| 1634 | 26 |
| 1850 | 611 |
| 1900 | 706 |
| 1950 | 2,613 |
| 1970 | 11,115 |
| 2000 | 12,062 |
- in 1634 Oberhausen had 9 households.
Politics
The results of the last electionElection
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s for the municipal parliament (2 April 2006)were as follows:
| Party Party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well.... |
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... (‚Swiss People's Party’) |
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.... (‚Free Democratic Party’) |
GV (‚Municipal Association’) | 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... (‚Christian Democratic People's Party’) |
EVP Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland The Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland is a political party in Switzerland.In questions of redistribution, education, environmentalism, immigration policy, the EVP stands rather center-left. In questions of euthanasia, abortion, and registered partnership and other typically Christian... (‚Evangelical People's Party’) |
SP Social Democratic Party of Switzerland The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland.... (‚Socialist Party’) |
SD Swiss Democrats The Swiss Democrats are a right-wing political party in Switzerland.The party is not represented in the Federal Assembly, but has two members of the Grand Council of Aargau.... (‚Swiss Democrats’) |
GLP Green Liberal Party of Switzerland The Green Liberal Party of Switzerland , abbreviated to glp, is a centrist Green liberal political party in Switzerland. Founded in 2007, the party holds five seats in the Federal Assembly.... (‚Green Liberal Party’) |
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... Young Civil List |
| Seats | 10 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
The President of the municipality is Walter Fehr (Gemeindeverein ‚Municipal Association’)
In the 2007 National Council elections 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 48.3% 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....
(15.5%), 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....
(9.9%) and 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...
(9.4%).
Economy
Adecco
Adecco S.A. is a human resources company, based in Glattbrugg near Zurich, Switzerland. Adecco employs 700,000 temporary workers and contractors who are supplied to business clients, and has over 32,000 employees and 5,500 offices in 60 countries and territories around the world...
S.A., the world's largest employment agency, is headquartered in Glattbrugg. Belair Airlines, a subsidiary of Air Berlin
Air Berlin
Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG is Germany's second largest airline, after Lufthansa, and Europe's sixth largest airline in terms of passengers....
, is headquartered in Glattbrugg. In addition Swissport
Swissport
Swissport International Ltd. is a Swiss company headquartered in Glattbrugg, Opfikon, Switzerland. Owned by PAI, Swissport International Ltd. provides ground services for around 100 million passengers and 3.2 million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of some 650 client-companies in the aviation...
and Zimex Aviation
Zimex Aviation
Zimex Aviation Ltd. is an airline based in Glattbrugg, Switzerland. It provides aircraft leases worldwide to the oil and mining industries and to humanitarian organisations...
have their head offices in Glattbrugg.
Kraft Foods Europe has its head office in Glattpark, Opfikon. China Airlines
China Airlines
China Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of Republic of China . Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation...
, at one point, operated the Switzerland Branch office in Glattbrugg.
Opfikon has an unemployment rate of 4.63%. , there were 80 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 13 businesses involved in this sector. 1510 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 121 businesses in this sector. 14456 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 752 businesses in this sector.
Transport
Opfikon is served by two railway stations, GlattbruggGlattbrugg railway station
Glattbrugg is a railway station in Switzerland, in the Glattbrugg area of the municipality of Opfikon. The station is an interchange point between the Zurich S-Bahn and the Stadtbahn Glattal light rail system. It is served by S-Bahn line S5, and by Zurich tram routes 10 and 12, operating on behalf...
and Opfikon
Opfikon railway station
Opfikon is a railway station in Switzerland, in the municipality of Opfikon. The station is served by Zurich S-Bahn line S7. Opfikon station is some walk from Glattbrugg station on S-Bahn line S5 and the Stadtbahn Glattal.- References :...
, which are on different lines but only some 250 metres (820.2 ft) apart. Opfikon is seved by Zurich S-Bahn
Zürich S-Bahn
The Zurich S-Bahn system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been incrementally expanded to cover the ZVV area, which comprises the entire canton of Zurich and portions of neighboring cantons The Zurich S-Bahn system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been...
line S7
S7 (ZVV)
The S7 is a regional railway line of the Zürich S-Bahn on the ZVV and is one of the network's trunk lines.- Route :...
, whilst Glattbrugg is served by S-Bahn line S5
S5 (ZVV)
The S5 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, and is one of the network's lines connecting the cantons of Zürich, St...
. Opfikon is a 11 minute ride from Zürich Hauptbahnhof by S-Bahn.
Opfikon is also served by the Stadtbahn Glattal
Stadtbahn Glattal
Stadtbahn Glattal is a project to introduce a modern rapid-transit system to the Glattal area to the North of the city of Zürich in Switzerland. Stadtbahn Glattal is being developed as a metre gauge tram system with through running to that of neighbouring Zürich...
, a light rail system that interworks with the Zurich tram system
Zürich trams
Trams make an important contribution to public transport in the city of Zurich in Switzerland. The tram network serves most city neighbourhoods, and is the backbone of public transport within the city, albeit supplemented by the inner sections of the Zurich S-Bahn, along with urban trolleybus and...
, with several stops in the municipality. Routes 10 and 12 cross the municipality via Glattbrugg railway station on their journeys from Zurich Airport to, respectively, central Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and Stettbach railway station
Stettbach railway station
Stettbach is a railway station on the north-eastern boundary of the Swiss city of Zürich. Although the station is located just within the city boundary, in the city's Schwamendingen district, it takes its name from the nearby village of Stettbach, which is in the adjacent municipality of...
. Route 11 runs along the southern boundary of the municipality on its journey from central Zurich to Auzelg in the neighbouring municipality of Wallisellen
Wallisellen
Wallisellen is a municipality in the district of Bülach in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland, and belongs to the Glatt Valley .-History:The first settlement at Wallisellen dates from 58 BC....
.
Etymology
Opfikon is formed with the place name suffixAffix
An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed. They are bound morphemes by definition; prefixes and suffixes may be separable affixes...
-(i)kon/-(i)ken, that is widely spread in the area of the cantons
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 Zurich
Canton of Zürich
The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...
, Argovia and Lucerne
Canton of Lucerne
Lucerne is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population of the canton is . , the population included 57,268 foreigners, or about 15.8% of the total population. The cantonal capital is Lucerne.-History:...
and that has been merged from the suffix -ing- ‚followers of the mentioned one’ and the word hof ‚landed estate’ in the dative
Dative case
The dative case is a grammatical case generally used to indicate the noun to whom something is given, as in "George gave Jamie a drink"....
plural
Plural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
form, used as a locative. This origin is yet more obvious at the congenerous place names ending in -(i)kofen, frequent in the cantons of Bern, Solothurn
Canton of Solothurn
Solothurn is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland. The capital is Solothurn.-History:The territory of the canton comprises land acquired by the capital...
, and also in Thurgovia; place names of this formation are dated to the 7th/8th century. The first part of the name traces back to an anthroponym *Opfo, that, however, as such is not on record and is regarded either as a short form of a name like Otfried or something similar or as a formation from a supposed stem *upp-, forming names in west Germanic
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
, which would have developed to OHG
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
*opf-/upf-.
The oldest ensured evidence of the name (Obtinchofa/Obfinchoven) dates back to 1153; the attribution of an earlier record Ubinchova in a document from the year 744 is doubtful.