Sigriswil
Encyclopedia
Sigriswil is a municipality
in the administrative district of Thun
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
show that the area around Sigriswil has been inhabited as early as 5000 years ago. It's thought that the first modern inhabitants can be traced back to Alamanni
tribesmen who settled on the banks of Thun lake around the 5th Century A.D., later moving on up into the higher elevations around the modern village of Sigriswil between the 8-10th century. Of historical interest is that in 1347, the inhabitants of Sigriswil were able to buy their independence in the Castle of Thun from Count Eberhard (a member of the Kyburg
dynasty who had fallen on hard financial times) for the sum of 300 "Pfund Thuner Pfennige" (300 pounds of 'Thun Pennies'). Today, Sigriswil is a tranquil alpine farming village as well as a popular tourist resort.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 53.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(11.6%), the FDP
(10.5%) and the Green Party
(8.2%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 19.8% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 55.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 24.5%. In Sigriswil about 74.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Sigriswil has an unemployment rate of 1.39%. , there were 405 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 139 businesses involved in this sector. 145 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 47 businesses in this sector. 1059 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 135 businesses in this sector.
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 administrative district of Thun
Thun (administrative district)
Thun District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Oberland administrative region. It contains 35 municipalities with an area of and a population of 103,233....
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 Bern 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
Archeological remains dating from the Late Neolithic and Bronze AgeBronze 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...
show that the area around Sigriswil has been inhabited as early as 5000 years ago. It's thought that the first modern inhabitants can be traced back to Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
tribesmen who settled on the banks of Thun lake around the 5th Century A.D., later moving on up into the higher elevations around the modern village of Sigriswil between the 8-10th century. Of historical interest is that in 1347, the inhabitants of Sigriswil were able to buy their independence in the Castle of Thun from Count Eberhard (a member of the Kyburg
Kyburg
Kyburg may refer to:*Henry E. Kyburg, Jr., the philosopher/logician*The castle Kyburg in the Canton of Zurich*The municipality surrounding the castle, Kyburg, Zurich*The noble House of Kyburg that took their name from the castle....
dynasty who had fallen on hard financial times) for the sum of 300 "Pfund Thuner Pfennige" (300 pounds of 'Thun Pennies'). Today, Sigriswil is a tranquil alpine farming village as well as a popular tourist resort.
Geography
Sigriswil has an area of 55.4 km² (21.4 sq mi). Of this area, 39.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 46.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 4.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (9.2%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).Demographics
Sigriswil has a population (as of ) of . , 8.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 5.5%. Most of the population speaks German (95.0%), with Portuguese being second most common ( 0.9%) and French being third ( 0.7%).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 53.9% 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....
(11.6%), 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....
(10.5%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(8.2%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 19.8% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 55.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 24.5%. In Sigriswil about 74.2% 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...
).
Sigriswil has an unemployment rate of 1.39%. , there were 405 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 139 businesses involved in this sector. 145 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 47 businesses in this sector. 1059 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 135 businesses in this sector.
External links
- http://www.sigriswil.ch