Widen
Encyclopedia
Widen is a municipality
in the district of Bremgarten
in the canton
of Aargau
in Switzerland
.
In medieval times, the manor belonged to Habsburg
. 1415 the Eidgenossen conquered the Aargau and Widen then belonged to the Grafschaft Baden. In March 1798 the French conquered Switzerland and proclamated the Helvetic Republic
, in which Widen and Eggenwil formed one single municipality in the short-dated canton of Baden. After the foundation of the canton of Aargau 1803, Widen and Eggenwil were separated. Up to that time, there's not much known about Widen, because there are almost no documents left.
During the 19th century Widen stayed a small village. Lots of poor inhabitants had to leave their home and emigrated. The given up farms were freshly occupied by people from the canton of Bern, which were Protestant. That's why today, compared to its merely catholic neighbour villages, Widen has a relatively high percentage of Protestant inhabitants.
On the 1 May 1902 the Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn
was founded and Widen was connected to the railway network, by a station on the Mutschellen
pass. During the first half of the 20th century Widen stayed small. However, from 1950 to 1990 the population began to grow rapidly, in 1990 3918 people lived in Widen. The population then sank slightly and now it stays constantly at about 3600 people.
The village center is situated on a little plateau between the Mutschellen
in the south and the Hasenberg in the north, of which the latter is the southernmost part of the Heitersberg. In the west the plateau goes down to the Reuss
.
Widen has grown together with some of its neighbour villages Berikon
, Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg
and Zufikon
. The highest point of the village lies on the Hasenberg at 740 metres (2,427.8 ft), the lowest point at 430 metres (1,410.8 ft), near Eggenwil.
Neighbour villages are Bellikon
in the north, Bergdietikon
in the north-east, Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg
in the east, Berikon in the south-east, Zufikon
in the south and Eggenwil
in the west.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent a Willow Tree pollarded and eradicated Vert. The tree on the flag of Widen is a willow , so this is an example of canting
.
The age distribution, , in Widen is; 297 children or 8.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 372 teenagers or 10.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 424 people or 11.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 416 people or 11.7% are between 30 and 39, 534 people or 15.0% are between 40 and 49, and 597 people or 16.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 520 people or 14.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 274 people or 7.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 125 people or 3.5% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 7 people or 0.2% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.53 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 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 53.3% 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 116 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 613 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 710 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.39 individuals. there were 547 single family homes (or 33.1% of the total) out of a total of 1,651 homes and apartments. There were a total of 21 empty apartments for a 1.3% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 36.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(18.3%), the FDP
(16.1%) and the SP
(15.5%).
In Widen about 84.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
). Of the school age population , there are 215 students attending primary school in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
there was a total of 1,917 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 1,629 or about 85.0% of the residents worked outside Widen while 430 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 718 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 18.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 57.2% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 11 individuals (or about 0.30% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic
faith.
provided by the Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn.
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 Bremgarten
Bremgarten (district)
Bremgarten District is a Swiss district in the Canton of Aargau, corresponding to the valleys of the Reuss and Bünz rivers in the area known as the Freiamt.-Geography:...
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 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:...
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
At the end of the 12th century a manor called "Wyda" is mentioned the first time, there's no exact year. "Widen", in the way like it's written today, appears the first time during the 14th century.In medieval times, the manor belonged to Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
. 1415 the Eidgenossen conquered the Aargau and Widen then belonged to the Grafschaft Baden. In March 1798 the French conquered Switzerland and proclamated 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...
, in which Widen and Eggenwil formed one single municipality in the short-dated canton of Baden. After the foundation of the canton of Aargau 1803, Widen and Eggenwil were separated. Up to that time, there's not much known about Widen, because there are almost no documents left.
During the 19th century Widen stayed a small village. Lots of poor inhabitants had to leave their home and emigrated. The given up farms were freshly occupied by people from the canton of Bern, which were Protestant. That's why today, compared to its merely catholic neighbour villages, Widen has a relatively high percentage of Protestant inhabitants.
On the 1 May 1902 the Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn
Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn
The Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn is a privately owned railway company in Switzerland. Its railway line connects Wohlen and Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau with Dietikon in the canton of Zurich. The line has been modernised and is part of the S-Bahn Zürich network...
was founded and Widen was connected to the railway network, by a station on the Mutschellen
Mutschellen
Mutschellen is the name of a pass in the canton of Aargau in the district of Bremgarten near the border of canton Zurich. Three municipalities, Berikon, Widen, and Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg, meet directly atop the pass.-Location and Development:...
pass. During the first half of the 20th century Widen stayed small. However, from 1950 to 1990 the population began to grow rapidly, in 1990 3918 people lived in Widen. The population then sank slightly and now it stays constantly at about 3600 people.
Geography
Widen has an area, , of 2.6 square kilometres (1 sq mi). Of this area, 44.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 17% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 37.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.4%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).The village center is situated on a little plateau between the Mutschellen
Mutschellen
Mutschellen is the name of a pass in the canton of Aargau in the district of Bremgarten near the border of canton Zurich. Three municipalities, Berikon, Widen, and Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg, meet directly atop the pass.-Location and Development:...
in the south and the Hasenberg in the north, of which the latter is the southernmost part of the Heitersberg. In the west the plateau goes down to the Reuss
Reuss River
The Reuss is a river in Switzerland. With a length of and a drainage basin of , it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland...
.
Widen has grown together with some of its neighbour villages Berikon
Berikon
Berikon is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.The village lies on a hill above and to the east of the Reuss Valley, covering part of the Mutschellen Pass...
, Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg
Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg
Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. Prior to 1953, the municipality was officially known simply as Rudolfstetten.-History:...
and Zufikon
Zufikon
Zufikon is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:A single archeological find dates human habitation in the area to the Bronze Age. The first written reference to the village occurred in 1150....
. The highest point of the village lies on the Hasenberg at 740 metres (2,427.8 ft), the lowest point at 430 metres (1,410.8 ft), near Eggenwil.
Neighbour villages are Bellikon
Bellikon
Bellikon is a municipality in the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:The area was settled during Roman times. The Roman road between Vindonissa and Turicum ran through here...
in the north, Bergdietikon
Bergdietikon
Bergdietikon is a municipality in the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It is located in the Limmat Valley -History:...
in the north-east, Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg
Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg
Rudolfstetten-Friedlisberg is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. Prior to 1953, the municipality was officially known simply as Rudolfstetten.-History:...
in the east, Berikon in the south-east, Zufikon
Zufikon
Zufikon is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:A single archeological find dates human habitation in the area to the Bronze Age. The first written reference to the village occurred in 1150....
in the south and Eggenwil
Eggenwil
Eggenwil is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Eggenwil is first mentioned about 1160 as Egenwilare in a donation document, the Acta Murensia. The village and church were given by Albert II, Count of Habsburg to Muri Abbey. However, the...
in the west.
Coat of arms
The 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...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Argent a Willow Tree pollarded and eradicated Vert. The tree on the flag of Widen is a willow , so this is an example of canting
Canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name in a visual pun or rebus. The term cant came into the English language from Anglo-Norman cant, meaning song or singing, from Latin cantāre, and English cognates include canticle, chant, accent, incantation and recant.Canting arms –...
.
Demographics
Widen has a population (as of ) of . , 12.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of -4%. Most of the population speaks German (92.8%), with Italian being second most common ( 1.4%) and French being third ( 1.0%).The age distribution, , in Widen is; 297 children or 8.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 372 teenagers or 10.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 424 people or 11.9% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 416 people or 11.7% are between 30 and 39, 534 people or 15.0% are between 40 and 49, and 597 people or 16.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 520 people or 14.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 274 people or 7.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 125 people or 3.5% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 7 people or 0.2% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.53 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 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 53.3% 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 116 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 613 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 710 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.39 individuals. there were 547 single family homes (or 33.1% of the total) out of a total of 1,651 homes and apartments. There were a total of 21 empty apartments for a 1.3% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.
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 36.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(18.3%), 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....
(16.1%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(15.5%).
In Widen about 84.3% 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...
). Of the school age population , there are 215 students attending primary school in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1975 | 1,851 |
| 1980 | 2,715 |
| 1990 | 3,918 |
| 2000 | 3,583 |
Economy
, Widen had an unemployment rate of 2.11%. , there were 36 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 13 businesses involved in this sector. 165 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 23 businesses in this sector. 576 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 89 businesses in this sector.there was a total of 1,917 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 1,629 or about 85.0% of the residents worked outside Widen while 430 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 718 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 18.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 57.2% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 1,442 or 39.7% were Roman Catholic, while 1,422 or 39.1% 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 were 11 individuals (or about 0.30% of the population) 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.
Transportation
Berikon-Widen is a stop of the S-Bahn Zürich on the line S17S17 (ZVV)
The S17 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, in the cantons of Zürich and Aargau .- Route :...
provided by the Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn.