Steckborn
Encyclopedia
Steckborn is a municipality
in Frauenfeld District in the canton
of Thurgau
in Switzerland
.
It is located on the Untersee of Lake Constance
.
The area around Steckborn was inhabited already in the second century. There are also Roman
remains of walls and fortifications. Probably in the ninth century, the village became part of the territory of the monastery of Reichenau
. This is the period when it is first documented.
In 1313, Steckborn first was given city rights. Because all ecclesiastical authority ended with the French invasion in 1798, the dominance of Reichenau also ended. Steckborn has been the district capital of its district since the founding of the canton of Thurgau in 1803.
When a new tower was to be built for the church in 1833, a 17-year-old first-year apprentice, Ferdinand Stadler, was given a chance to draw up the plans. In 1848, the Cistercian convent at Feldbach was closed.
In 1890, an embroidery workshop was established in the buildings of the Feldbach convent. This was to grow into the Bernina Sewing Machine
Factory, now known as BERNINA International.
Steckborn has an area, , of 8.76 square kilometres (3.4 sq mi). Of this area, 3.16 km² (1.2 sq mi) or 36.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 4.07 km² (1.6 sq mi) or 46.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.52 km² (0.586875281060653 sq mi) or 17.4% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.02 km² (4.9 acre) or 0.2% is either rivers or lakes.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 9.4% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 0.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.3%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.6% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 5.1%. Out of the forested land, 44.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 33.0% is used for growing crops, while 3.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
(87.4%), with Italian
being second most common ( 4.6%) and Albanian
being third ( 1.9%).
, the gender distribution of the population was 50.3% male and 49.7% female. The population was made up of 1,292 Swiss men (37.5% of the population), and 441 (12.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,382 Swiss women (40.2%), and 327 (9.5%) non-Swiss women. In there were 23 live births to Swiss citizens and 6 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 42 deaths of Swiss citizens and 1 non-Swiss citizen death. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 19 while the foreign population increased by 5. There were 3 Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 7 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 50 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 16 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 2 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 51 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.6%.
The age distribution, , in Steckborn is; 306 children or 8.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 411 teenagers or 11.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 390 people or 11.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 334 people or 9.7% are between 30 and 39, 612 people or 17.7% are between 40 and 49, and 532 people or 15.4% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 407 people or 11.8% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 265 people or 7.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 181 people or 5.2% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 23 people or 0.7% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.54 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 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 41.9% 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 1,402 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 513 single family homes (or 73.6% of the total) out of a total of 697 inhabited buildings. There were 64 two family buildings (9.2%), 35 three family buildings (5.0%) and 85 multi-family buildings (or 12.2%). There were 811 (or 24.4%) persons who were part of a couple without children, and 1,630 (or 49.1%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 179 (or 5.4%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 34 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 6 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 30 who lived in a household made up of unrelated persons, and 130 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.22%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.8 new units per 1000 residents.
there were 1,698 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 508. There were 79 single room apartments and 223 apartments with six or more rooms. the average price to rent an average apartment in Steckborn was 926.39 Swiss franc
s (CHF) per month (US$740, £420, €590 approx. exchange rate from 2000). The average rate for a one room apartment was 460.64 CHF (US$370, £210, €290), a two room apartment was about 669.76 CHF (US$540, £300, €430), a three room apartment was about 824.12 CHF (US$660, £370, €530) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1750.34 CHF (US$1400, £790, €1120). The average apartment price in Steckborn was 83.0% of the national average of 1116 CHF.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 37.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(17.1%), the FDP
(16.6%) and the CVP
(12.11%). In the federal election, a total of 992 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 45.9%.
The historical population is given in the following table:
.
The entire village of Steckborn and the region of Glarisegg are designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
there were 2,164 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 800 or about 37.0% of the residents worked outside Steckborn while 623 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 1,987 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 9.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 43% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there was 1 individual who belonged to the Christian Catholic
faith there are 67 individuals (or about 2.02% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 128 individuals (or about 3.86% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There were 130 (or about 3.92% of the population) who are Islam
ic. There are 38 individuals (or about 1.14% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 310 (or about 9.34% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 124 individuals (or about 3.73% of the population) did not answer the question.
).
Steckborn is home to the Steckborn primary school district. It is also home to the Steckborn secondary school district.
In the 2008/2009 school year there are 282 students in the primary school district. There are 73 children in the kindergarten
, and the average class size is 24.33 kindergartners. Of the children in kindergarten, 32 or 43.8% are female, 11 or 15.1% are not Swiss citizens and 10 or 13.7% do not speak German natively. The lower and upper primary levels begin at about age 5-6 and lasts for 6 years. There are 109 children in who are at the lower primary level and 100 children in the upper primary level. The average class size in the primary school is 21.89 students. At the lower primary level, there are 49 children or 45.0% of the total population who are female, 26 or 23.9% are not Swiss citizens and 22 or 20.2% do not speak German natively. In the upper primary level, there are 45 or 45.0% who are female, 21 or 21.0% are not Swiss citizens and 23 or 23.0% do not speak German natively.
At the secondary level, students are divided according to performance. The secondary level begins at about age 12 and usually lasts 3 years. In the secondary school district there are 174 students who are in special or remedial classes, of which 86 or 49.4% are female, 37 or 21.3% are not Swiss citizens and 32 or 18.4% do not speak German natively.
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 Frauenfeld District 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 Thurgau
Thurgau
Thurgau is a northeast canton of Switzerland. The population, , is . In 2007, there were a total of 47,390 who were resident foreigners. The capital is Frauenfeld.-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....
.
It is located on the Untersee of Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
.
History
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
remains of walls and fortifications. Probably in the ninth century, the village became part of the territory of the monastery of Reichenau
Reichenau Island
Reichenau Island lies in Lake Constance in southern Germany, at approximately . It lies between Gnadensee and Untersee, two parts of Lake Constance, almost due west of the city of Konstanz. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway that was completed in 1838...
. This is the period when it is first documented.
In 1313, Steckborn first was given city rights. Because all ecclesiastical authority ended with the French invasion in 1798, the dominance of Reichenau also ended. Steckborn has been the district capital of its district since the founding of the canton of Thurgau in 1803.
When a new tower was to be built for the church in 1833, a 17-year-old first-year apprentice, Ferdinand Stadler, was given a chance to draw up the plans. In 1848, the Cistercian convent at Feldbach was closed.
In 1890, an embroidery workshop was established in the buildings of the Feldbach convent. This was to grow into the Bernina Sewing Machine
Bernina Sewing Machine
BERNINA is the sewing machine brand of the Fritz Gegauf AG company, founded in 1893 in Steckborn, Switzerland, and is also often used as a shorthand for the company itself, which has formed part of BERNINA International AG since the beginning of the 1990s. The origins of the company lie in the...
Factory, now known as BERNINA International.
Geography
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 9.4% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 0.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.3%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.6% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 5.1%. Out of the forested land, 44.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 33.0% is used for growing crops, while 3.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
Demographics
Steckborn has a population of , 22.3% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has remained the same. Most of the population speaks GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
(87.4%), with Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
being second most common ( 4.6%) and Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
being third ( 1.9%).
, the gender distribution of the population was 50.3% male and 49.7% female. The population was made up of 1,292 Swiss men (37.5% of the population), and 441 (12.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,382 Swiss women (40.2%), and 327 (9.5%) non-Swiss women. In there were 23 live births to Swiss citizens and 6 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 42 deaths of Swiss citizens and 1 non-Swiss citizen death. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 19 while the foreign population increased by 5. There were 3 Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 7 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 50 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 16 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 2 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 51 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.6%.
The age distribution, , in Steckborn is; 306 children or 8.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 411 teenagers or 11.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 390 people or 11.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 334 people or 9.7% are between 30 and 39, 612 people or 17.7% are between 40 and 49, and 532 people or 15.4% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 407 people or 11.8% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 265 people or 7.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 181 people or 5.2% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 23 people or 0.7% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.54 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 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 41.9% 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 1,402 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 513 single family homes (or 73.6% of the total) out of a total of 697 inhabited buildings. There were 64 two family buildings (9.2%), 35 three family buildings (5.0%) and 85 multi-family buildings (or 12.2%). There were 811 (or 24.4%) persons who were part of a couple without children, and 1,630 (or 49.1%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 179 (or 5.4%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 34 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 6 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 30 who lived in a household made up of unrelated persons, and 130 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.22%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.8 new units per 1000 residents.
there were 1,698 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 508. There were 79 single room apartments and 223 apartments with six or more rooms. the average price to rent an average apartment in Steckborn was 926.39 Swiss franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
s (CHF) per month (US$740, £420, €590 approx. exchange rate from 2000). The average rate for a one room apartment was 460.64 CHF (US$370, £210, €290), a two room apartment was about 669.76 CHF (US$540, £300, €430), a three room apartment was about 824.12 CHF (US$660, £370, €530) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1750.34 CHF (US$1400, £790, €1120). The average apartment price in Steckborn was 83.0% of the national average of 1116 CHF.
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 37.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(17.1%), 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....
(16.6%) 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...
(12.11%). In the federal election, a total of 992 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 45.9%.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 1,509 |
| 1860 | 1,500 |
| 1870 | 1,649 |
| 1880 | 1,829 |
| 1890 | 1,618 |
| 1900 | 1,733 |
| 1950 | 2,846 |
| 1960 | 3,514 |
| 1980 | 3,232 |
| 1990 | 3,381 |
| 2000 | 3,320 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Reformed church and church yard on Kirchgasse and the Turmhof at Seestrasse 84 as well as the prehistoric lake side settlements at Schanz and Turgi / Feldbach are all listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significanceSwiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
The entire village of Steckborn and the region of Glarisegg are designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
.
Economy
, Steckborn had an unemployment rate of 2.04%. , there were 41 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 14 businesses involved in this sector. 580 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 33 businesses in this sector. 720 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 146 businesses in this sector.there were 2,164 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 800 or about 37.0% of the residents worked outside Steckborn while 623 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 1,987 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 9.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 43% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 1,262 or 38.0% were Roman Catholic, while 1,260 or 38.0% 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 was 1 individual 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 there are 67 individuals (or about 2.02% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 128 individuals (or about 3.86% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There were 130 (or about 3.92% of the population) who are Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There are 38 individuals (or about 1.14% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 310 (or about 9.34% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 124 individuals (or about 3.73% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Steckborn about 66.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
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...
).
Steckborn is home to the Steckborn primary school district. It is also home to the Steckborn secondary school district.
In the 2008/2009 school year there are 282 students in the primary school district. There are 73 children in the kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, and the average class size is 24.33 kindergartners. Of the children in kindergarten, 32 or 43.8% are female, 11 or 15.1% are not Swiss citizens and 10 or 13.7% do not speak German natively. The lower and upper primary levels begin at about age 5-6 and lasts for 6 years. There are 109 children in who are at the lower primary level and 100 children in the upper primary level. The average class size in the primary school is 21.89 students. At the lower primary level, there are 49 children or 45.0% of the total population who are female, 26 or 23.9% are not Swiss citizens and 22 or 20.2% do not speak German natively. In the upper primary level, there are 45 or 45.0% who are female, 21 or 21.0% are not Swiss citizens and 23 or 23.0% do not speak German natively.
At the secondary level, students are divided according to performance. The secondary level begins at about age 12 and usually lasts 3 years. In the secondary school district there are 174 students who are in special or remedial classes, of which 86 or 49.4% are female, 37 or 21.3% are not Swiss citizens and 32 or 18.4% do not speak German natively.
Notable residents
- Karl Friedrich Gegauf, entrepreneur
- Fritz GegaufFritz GegaufFritz Gegauf was a Swiss inventor and founder of the Bernina Sewing Machine Factory. He was the son of Karl Friedrich Gegauf , inventor of the hemstitch sewingmachine.-Biography:...
, inventor of the sewing machine and founder of Bernina - Susie StoddartSusie StoddartSusie Wolff is a Scottish racing driver. She has progressed through the ranks of motorsport, starting off in karting, then moving up to Formula Renault and Formula 3 before moving to the DTM to compete for Mercedes-Benz since 2006...
, DTM Race car driver