Weiach
Encyclopedia
Weiach is a municipality
in the district of Dielsdorf
in the canton
of Zürich in Switzerland
.
Weiach (dialect: «Weych») is situated at approximately 390 metres above sea level
in the northwestern corner of the Zürich Lowlands («Zuercher Unterland»), at the cantonal boundary between Zürich and Aargau
. The River Rhine, flows some 100 meters north of the village and forms the natural border line to Germany
, marking the lowest spot in the canton of Zürich (332 meters above sea level).
The Zürich Tax Records (Zürcher Steuerbücher) of 1470 only contains a record of the manor of Weiach. At the time, the village comprised 16 households, with 48 inhabitants over the age of 15 liable to pay tax. Between 1634 and 1760, having been requested to do so by the Zürich authorities, the priests kept detailed records of population size, albeit with sporadic intervals. Later figures have been taken from the following sources: 1790 Werdmüller's Memorabilia Tigurina, 1799 Priests' Inquiry of the Helvetian Government, 1820 Erni's Memorabilia Tigurina, 1827 Lutz's Vollständige Beschreibung des Schweizerlandes. The figure for 1836 is based on the Zürich cantonal census. Figures from 1850 onwards have been taken from the Confederational Census. (The criteria for recording population data have changed considerably over the centuries. Each interpretation can cause the figures to vary considerably. The figures are taken from different sources. For the years 1710 to 1820, data are hardly available.)
Over the centuries, the population size has been closely linked to the profitability of the land, since exports were rare. The resident population oscillated between 500 and 750 persons, making Weiach the largest parish in Neuamt. From the end of the 17th Century onwards, many began to look for work outside Weiach, resulting in emigration. This emigration was often to the USA. Many of the forefathers of Americans with the surname Bombgardner were originally from Weiach.
By the 1960s and 1970s, a few new apartment blocks had been built here and there. In the wake of the agglomeration
of Zürich, Weiach became subsumed by the city in the mid 1980s. New residential areas were designated according to the Quartierpläne. This triggered a construction boom, beginning on the edge of Sanzenberg. 30 per cent of the apartments which existed in 2000 had been built in the previous ten years. The population grew by over 35 per cent thanks to the building of 80 new apartment blocks between 1991 and 2000. Never before had so many people lived simultaneously in the parish of Weiach. The start of urbanisation can be seen from the explosion in the number of single person households from 1990 (an increase of 132 per cent).
A large-scale construction project was planned at the end of 2007 to build a further 55 apartment blocks in the Bedmen area. If this goes ahead, the population figure will again pass the 1000 mark.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 54.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(12.9%), the CSP
(9.4%) and the FDP
(8%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.7% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.4%. In Weiach about 80.4% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Weiach has an unemployment rate of 2.46%. , there were 47 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 17 businesses involved in this sector. 120 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 16 businesses in this sector. 96 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 27 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 district of Dielsdorf
Dielsdorf (district)
Dielsdorf District is a district in the northwestern part of the Swiss canton of Zürich.Since 1871 the administrative center of the district is located in Dielsdorf. Previously the district was named Bezirk Regensberg, and its capital was Regensdorf, the only city in the 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 Zürich 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
Weiach is first mentioned in 1271. It has belonged to Swiss Confederation since 1424. Since 1962 there has been a gravel industry located in Weiach.Geography
Weiach has an area of 9.5 square kilometres (3.7 sq mi). Of this area, 36.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 49.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 11.7% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (1.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).Weiach (dialect: «Weych») is situated at approximately 390 metres above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
in the northwestern corner of the Zürich Lowlands («Zuercher Unterland»), at the cantonal boundary between Zürich and 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:...
. The River Rhine, flows some 100 meters north of the village and forms the natural border line to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, marking the lowest spot in the canton of Zürich (332 meters above sea level).
Historical population development
| Year | Inhabitants | Year | Inhabitants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1634 | 361 | 1860 | 720 |
| 1640 | 428 | 1870 | 737 |
| 1650 | 483 | 1880 | 743 |
| 1670 | 624 | 1888 | 643 |
| 1689 | 767 | 1900 | 601 |
| 1695 | 583 | 1910 | 583 |
| 1711 | 668 | 1920 | 655 |
| 1754 | 547 | 1930 | 642 |
| 1759 | 573 | 1941 | 610 |
| 1790 | 530 | 1950 | 590 |
| 1799 | 548 | 1960 | 646 |
| 1820 | 550 | 1970 | 688 |
| 1827 | 700 | 1980 | 692 |
| 1836 | 675 | 1990 | 719 |
| 1850 | 716 | 2000 | 994 |
| 2010 | 980 |
The Zürich Tax Records (Zürcher Steuerbücher) of 1470 only contains a record of the manor of Weiach. At the time, the village comprised 16 households, with 48 inhabitants over the age of 15 liable to pay tax. Between 1634 and 1760, having been requested to do so by the Zürich authorities, the priests kept detailed records of population size, albeit with sporadic intervals. Later figures have been taken from the following sources: 1790 Werdmüller's Memorabilia Tigurina, 1799 Priests' Inquiry of the Helvetian Government, 1820 Erni's Memorabilia Tigurina, 1827 Lutz's Vollständige Beschreibung des Schweizerlandes. The figure for 1836 is based on the Zürich cantonal census. Figures from 1850 onwards have been taken from the Confederational Census. (The criteria for recording population data have changed considerably over the centuries. Each interpretation can cause the figures to vary considerably. The figures are taken from different sources. For the years 1710 to 1820, data are hardly available.)
Over the centuries, the population size has been closely linked to the profitability of the land, since exports were rare. The resident population oscillated between 500 and 750 persons, making Weiach the largest parish in Neuamt. From the end of the 17th Century onwards, many began to look for work outside Weiach, resulting in emigration. This emigration was often to the USA. Many of the forefathers of Americans with the surname Bombgardner were originally from Weiach.
By the 1960s and 1970s, a few new apartment blocks had been built here and there. In the wake of the agglomeration
Agglomeration
In the study of human settlements, an urban agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place and any suburbs linked by continuous urban area. In France, INSEE the French Statistical Institute, translate it as "Unité urbaine" which means continuous...
of Zürich, Weiach became subsumed by the city in the mid 1980s. New residential areas were designated according to the Quartierpläne. This triggered a construction boom, beginning on the edge of Sanzenberg. 30 per cent of the apartments which existed in 2000 had been built in the previous ten years. The population grew by over 35 per cent thanks to the building of 80 new apartment blocks between 1991 and 2000. Never before had so many people lived simultaneously in the parish of Weiach. The start of urbanisation can be seen from the explosion in the number of single person households from 1990 (an increase of 132 per cent).
A large-scale construction project was planned at the end of 2007 to build a further 55 apartment blocks in the Bedmen area. If this goes ahead, the population figure will again pass the 1000 mark.
Demographics
Weiach has a population (as of ) of . , 10.1% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 6.9%. Most of the population speaks German (93.6%), with Albanian being second most common ( 1.5%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 1.2%).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 54.8% 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....
(12.9%), the CSP
Christian Social Party (Switzerland)
The Christian Social Party is a political party in Switzerland. The CSP is more social democratic than the CVP. With the moderate Christian left as its background, the CSP commits itself to social democratic and environmentalist political solutions...
(9.4%) 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....
(8%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.7% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.4%. In Weiach about 80.4% 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...
).
Weiach has an unemployment rate of 2.46%. , there were 47 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 17 businesses involved in this sector. 120 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 16 businesses in this sector. 96 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 27 businesses in this sector.
External links
- http://www.weiach.ch