Sempach
Encyclopedia
Sempach is a municipality
in the district of Sursee in the canton
of Lucerne in Switzerland
.
It has retained some traces of its medieval appearance, especially the main gateway, beneath a watch tower, and reached by a bridge over the old moat.About half an hour distant to the north-east, on the hillside, is the site of the famous battle of Sempach (9 July 1386), in which the Swiss defeated the Austrians, whose leader, Duke Leopold, lost his life. The legendary deed of Arnold of Winkelried is associated with this victory. The spot is now marked by an ancient and picturesque Battle Chapel (restored in 1886) and by a modern monument to Winkelried.
A few years later, in 1393, the so-called Sempacherbrief was signed between the Acht Orte (the original eight Swiss cantons), plus the associated Canton of Solothurn
. It was the first document signed by all eight (plus Solothurn), but it also defined that none of them was to unilaterally start a war without the consent of all the others.
Some miles north of Sempach is the quaint village of Beromünster
(973 inhabitants in 1900), with a collegiate church founded in the l0th century and dating, in parts, from the 11th and 12th centuries (fine 17th-century choir stalls and altar frontals), the chapter of secular canons now consisting of invalided priests of the canton of Lucerne: it was in Beromünster that the first dated book was printed (1470) in Switzerland, by care of the canons, while thence came Gering who introduced printing into France.
Sempach is the site of the Sempach Bird Observatory
.
It is built above the eastern shore of Lake Sempach
, and about 2 miles (3.2 km) by road north of the Sempach railway station (9 miles (14.5 km) N.W. of Lucerne
) on the main line between Lucerne
and Olten
.
Steinibühlweiher
is located above the town.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the CVP
which received 37.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(25.6%), the SVP
(16.1%) and the SPS
(10.3%).
The age distribution in Sempach is; 986 people or 25.4% of the population is 0–19 years old. 1,077 people or 27.8% are 20–39 years old, and 1,396 people or 36% are 40–64 years old. The senior population distribution is 323 people or 8.3% are 65–79 years old, 82 or 2.1% are 80–89 years old and 15 people or 0.4% of the population are 90+ years old.
In Sempach about 81.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
there are 1,237 households, of which 285 households (or about 23.0%) contain only a single individual. 146 or about 11.8% are large households, with at least five members. there were 615 inhabited buildings in the municipality, of which 474 were built only as housing, and 141 were mixed use
buildings. There were 358 single family homes, 44 double family homes, and 72 multi-family homes in the municipality. Most homes were either two (248) or three (163) story structures. There were only 16 single story buildings and 47 four or more story buildings.
Sempach has an unemployment rate of 1.16%. , there were 130 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 38 businesses involved in this sector. 379 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 38 businesses in this sector. 840 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 142 businesses in this sector. 54.8% of the population of the municipality were employed in some capacity. At the same time, females made up 43.6% of the workforce.
the religious membership of Sempach was; 2,678 (76.9%) were Roman Catholic, and 485 (13.9%) were Protestant, with an additional 22 (0.63%) that were of some other Christian faith. There are 86 individuals (2.47% of the population) who are Muslim. Of the rest; there were 15 (0.43%) individuals who belong to another religion (not listed), 123 (3.53%) who do not belong to any organized religion, 74 (2.12%) who did not answer the question.
. The wettest month is June during which time Sempach receives an average of 148 mm (5.8 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 13.2 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.6, but with only 115 mm (4.5 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is October with an average of 66 mm (2.6 in) of precipitation over 13.2 days.
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 Sursee 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 Lucerne 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
A few years later, in 1393, the so-called Sempacherbrief was signed between the Acht Orte (the original eight Swiss cantons), plus the associated Canton of 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...
. It was the first document signed by all eight (plus Solothurn), but it also defined that none of them was to unilaterally start a war without the consent of all the others.
Some miles north of Sempach is the quaint village of Beromünster
Beromünster
Beromünster is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland. On 1 January 2009 Gunzwil became part of Beromünster.-History:...
(973 inhabitants in 1900), with a collegiate church founded in the l0th century and dating, in parts, from the 11th and 12th centuries (fine 17th-century choir stalls and altar frontals), the chapter of secular canons now consisting of invalided priests of the canton of Lucerne: it was in Beromünster that the first dated book was printed (1470) in Switzerland, by care of the canons, while thence came Gering who introduced printing into France.
Sempach is the site of the Sempach Bird Observatory
Sempach Bird Observatory
The Sempach Bird Observatory is a bird observatory and ornithological research centre, also known as the Swiss Ornithological Institute, which is based at the town of Sempach in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland. It overlooks Lake Sempach...
.
Geography
Sempach has a land area of 8.95 km² (3.5 sq mi) and a total area (including the lake) of 11.68 km² (4.5 sq mi). Of this area, 68.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 14.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 16.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). , 14.53% of the total land area was forested. Of the agricultural land, 63.8% is used for farming or pastures, while 4.92% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the settled areas, 6.37% is covered with buildings, 0.89% is industrial, 0.22% is classed as special developments, 1.23% is parks or greenbelts and 7.6% is transportation infrastructure. Of the unproductive areas, 0.34% is unproductive standing water (ponds or lakes), and 0.11% is other unproductive land.It is built above the eastern shore of Lake Sempach
Lake Sempach
Lake Sempach is a lake in the Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland. Its area is about 14.5 km² and its maximum depth is 87 m.-External links:* *http://www.sempachersee.ch Information about the municipalites on the lake* at Sempach...
, and about 2 miles (3.2 km) by road north of the Sempach railway station (9 miles (14.5 km) N.W. of Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
) on the main line between Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
and Olten
Olten
Olten is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name.Olten's railway station is within 30 minutes of Zurich, Bern, Basel, and Lucerne by train, and is a rail hub of Switzerland.-History:...
.
Steinibühlweiher
Steinibühlweiher
Steinibühlweiher is a pond at Sempach in the Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland. The artificial reservoir has a surface area of 3 ha....
is located above the town.
Demographics
Sempach has a population (as of ) of . , 6.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 17.5%. Most of the population speaks German (93.8%), with Albanian being second most common ( 2.2%) and Spanish being third ( 0.7%).In the 2007 election 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 37.5% 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....
(25.6%), 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...
(16.1%) and the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(10.3%).
The age distribution in Sempach is; 986 people or 25.4% of the population is 0–19 years old. 1,077 people or 27.8% are 20–39 years old, and 1,396 people or 36% are 40–64 years old. The senior population distribution is 323 people or 8.3% are 65–79 years old, 82 or 2.1% are 80–89 years old and 15 people or 0.4% of the population are 90+ years old.
In Sempach about 81.3% 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...
).
there are 1,237 households, of which 285 households (or about 23.0%) contain only a single individual. 146 or about 11.8% are large households, with at least five members. there were 615 inhabited buildings in the municipality, of which 474 were built only as housing, and 141 were mixed use
Mixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
buildings. There were 358 single family homes, 44 double family homes, and 72 multi-family homes in the municipality. Most homes were either two (248) or three (163) story structures. There were only 16 single story buildings and 47 four or more story buildings.
Sempach has an unemployment rate of 1.16%. , there were 130 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 38 businesses involved in this sector. 379 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 38 businesses in this sector. 840 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 142 businesses in this sector. 54.8% of the population of the municipality were employed in some capacity. At the same time, females made up 43.6% of the workforce.
the religious membership of Sempach was; 2,678 (76.9%) were Roman Catholic, and 485 (13.9%) were Protestant, with an additional 22 (0.63%) that were of some other Christian faith. There are 86 individuals (2.47% of the population) who are Muslim. Of the rest; there were 15 (0.43%) individuals who belong to another religion (not listed), 123 (3.53%) who do not belong to any organized religion, 74 (2.12%) who did not answer the question.
Weather
Sempach has an average of 133.9 days of rain per year and on average receives 1114 mm (43.9 in) of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
. The wettest month is June during which time Sempach receives an average of 148 mm (5.8 in) of precipitation. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 13.2 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.6, but with only 115 mm (4.5 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is October with an average of 66 mm (2.6 in) of precipitation over 13.2 days.
External links
- http://www.sempach.ch
- Statistical data is available from http://www.lu.ch/download/fd/afs/pdf/jbkt/profile/gp_1102.pdf