Windisch
Encyclopedia
Windisch is a municipality
in the district of Brugg
in the canton
of Aargau
in Switzerland
.
Windisch is situated at the site of the Roman legion camp Vindonissa
. In 1064 the current municipality was mentioned as Vinse, and in 1175 as Vindisse. Until the 19th Century the official name was Windisch und Oberburg. The village grew into a regional power following the foundation of Königsfelden Abbey
in 1309 in memory of the regicide
of King Albert I of Germany
in the previous year. Albert was on the way to suppress a revolt in Swabia
when he was murdered on May 1, 1308, near Windisch on the Reuss River
, by his nephew John of Swabi
, afterwards called "the Parricide" or "John Parricida", whom he had deprived of his inheritance. After the foundation of the Abbey, the village was placed under the authority of the Abbey. Starting in 1348 the rights to high and low justice
were held by Agnes of Hungary. In 1411 those rights transferred back to the monastery. The abbey church, possibly in antiquity under the patronage of St. Martin but in the Middle Ages
under the patronage of Mary
, is built on the site of the 6th Century Bishop
's church. The present building, with a late-Romanesque
nave
and Gothic
choir
, was built between 1310-30. The church's charnel house
was rebuilt in 1793 into a schoolhouse.
After the conquest of the Aargau by Bern and the introduction of the Reformation
(1528) the monastery was suppressed. Until 1798 it served as the residence of the Bernese bailiff
s . People from Windisch worked in the bailiff's residence as servants, maids and workmen, while the poor came to the former abbey for alms.
The main sources of income in Windisch included handicrafting, ferries, fisheries, shipping, tavern and iron ore mining in Lindhof, but agriculture was the major contributor. There was a ferry over the Reuss river on the Bern-Zurich road. This was replace in 1799 by a bridge. Plague epidemics (in 1667 60% of the population died of the plague) and the restrictive immigration policies of the municipality prevented growth. However, during the 18th Century, the emergence of new occupations, led to a significant population increase. These new industries included cap and stocking weaving, and water powered light industry (including plaster and flour mills). At the same time improved agriculture techniques allowed more food to be produced from the fields. The nearest neighbor to Windisch was the town of Brugg
. The close proximity led to centuries of conflicts over grazing rights, city monopolies, taxation and especially the location of the municipal boundary. In 1863, due to a border adjustment, Windisch lost 45 hectares (111.2 acre) to Brugg.
In the 19th Century the economy of the village changed. In 1825 Henry Kunz founded the cotton mill
Kunz which had 567 employees in 1846. They built factory workers' homes and a village school. In 1804 part of Königsfelden Abbey converted into a District Hospital. In 1872 a new building was built and since 1887 it has been a psychiatric clinic. The construction of the railway network transformed Brugg and Windisch into a railroad hub with a large depot and repair shop (primarily for steam locomotives). These innovations resulted in the influx of factory workers, nurses and trained staff. This led to a restructuring of the population: for example, the locally born and working population fell from 88% (1815), 55% (1837) and 21% (1900) to 4% (1970), while the proportion of Catholics rose from 9% (1850) to 45 % (1970). Agriculture employs only 0.6% of the population (1990). In 1965, a Higher Technical School of Windisch (now a university) opened. The changing population structure led to political shifts in favor of the Social Democratic Party (SP)
(1921-49 was known as the period of the "red Windisch"). With a pronounced emphasis on political independence, Windisch grew together structurally and economically with Brugg.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.3% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 21.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 9.6%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.8% uof the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 7.1%. 22.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 13.8% is used for growing crops and 6.9% is pastures, while 2.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in the Brugg district, between the Aare and Reuss river
s in the region known as the Wasserschloss. It consists of the former linear village
s of Windisch and Oberburg as well as the hamlets
of Fahrgut, Schürhof, Lindhof and Bachtalen and the region around the former Königsfelden Abbey
.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Or on a Sevenfold Mount Vert a Castle embattled Sable towered on dexter and to its sinister a Lion rampant Gules.
The age distribution, , in Windisch is; 732 children or 11.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 783 teenagers or 11.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 837 people or 12.6% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 888 people or 13.3% are between 30 and 39, 1,017 people or 15.3% are between 40 and 49, and 826 people or 12.4% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 693 people or 10.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 525 people or 7.9% are between 70 and 79, there are 302 people or 4.5% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 55 people or 0.8% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.57 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 32.9% 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 316 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 1,576 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 774 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.29 individuals. , there were 2,726 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 763 single family homes (or 24.9% of the total) out of a total of 3,066 homes and apartments. There were a total of 16 empty apartments for a 0.5% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0.6 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 32.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP (23%), the CVP
(12.6%) and the FDP
(10.7%).
In Windisch about 61.8% 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 579 students attending primary school, there are 316 students attending secondary school, there are 302 students attending tertiary or university level schooling in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
. The oldest is the celtic/roman
military fort and settlement of Vindonissa. The other large site is the church of the former Königsfelden Abbey with its glass paintings of 1325, Agnes chapel, comptrollery and convent building. The other three are the former Upper Technical School at Klosterzelgstrasse, the former cotton mill Kunz at Alte Spinnerei 4,5 and the psychiatric clinic of Königsfelden.
there was a total of 3,181 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 2,446 or about 76.9% of the residents worked outside Windisch while 1,765 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 2,500 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 20.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 39% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 5 individuals (or about 0.08% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic
faith.
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 Brugg
Brugg (district)
Brugg District is a district in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, it is located south of the Aare and the Aargauer Jura covers the district. The capital of the district is the town of Brugg.-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
Vindonissa
Vindonissa was a Roman legion camp at modern Windisch, Switzerland. It was probably established in 15 AD. In an expansion around 30, thermal baths were added....
. In 1064 the current municipality was mentioned as Vinse, and in 1175 as Vindisse. Until the 19th Century the official name was Windisch und Oberburg. The village grew into a regional power following the foundation of Königsfelden Abbey
Königsfelden Abbey
Königsfelden Abbey is a former Franciscan monastery and former Clarisse convent in the municipality of Windisch in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It was founded in 1308 by the Habsburgs and during the Reformation in 1528 it was secularized. The complex was then the residence of the bailiffs...
in 1309 in memory of the regicide
Regicide
The broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
of King Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
in the previous year. Albert was on the way to suppress a revolt in Swabia
Suebi
The Suebi or Suevi were a group of Germanic peoples who were first mentioned by Julius Caesar in connection with Ariovistus' campaign, c...
when he was murdered on May 1, 1308, near Windisch on the Reuss River
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...
, by his nephew John of Swabi
John Parricida
John Parricida, or John the Parricide or Johann Parricida , also called John of Swabia from the House of Habsburg was a son of Rudolf II, former Duke of Austria and Agnes, daughter of King Ottokar II Přemysl of Bohemia...
, afterwards called "the Parricide" or "John Parricida", whom he had deprived of his inheritance. After the foundation of the Abbey, the village was placed under the authority of the Abbey. Starting in 1348 the rights to high and low justice
High, middle and low justice
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judiciary power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents....
were held by Agnes of Hungary. In 1411 those rights transferred back to the monastery. The abbey church, possibly in antiquity under the patronage of St. Martin but in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
under the patronage of Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
, is built on the site of the 6th Century Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
's church. The present building, with a late-Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, was built between 1310-30. The church's charnel house
Charnel house
A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves...
was rebuilt in 1793 into a schoolhouse.
After the conquest of the Aargau by Bern and the introduction of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
(1528) the monastery was suppressed. Until 1798 it served as the residence of the Bernese bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
s . People from Windisch worked in the bailiff's residence as servants, maids and workmen, while the poor came to the former abbey for alms.
The main sources of income in Windisch included handicrafting, ferries, fisheries, shipping, tavern and iron ore mining in Lindhof, but agriculture was the major contributor. There was a ferry over the Reuss river on the Bern-Zurich road. This was replace in 1799 by a bridge. Plague epidemics (in 1667 60% of the population died of the plague) and the restrictive immigration policies of the municipality prevented growth. However, during the 18th Century, the emergence of new occupations, led to a significant population increase. These new industries included cap and stocking weaving, and water powered light industry (including plaster and flour mills). At the same time improved agriculture techniques allowed more food to be produced from the fields. The nearest neighbor to Windisch was the town of Brugg
Brugg
Brugg or Brügg may refer to the following places:* In Switzerland:** Brugg, Aargau, in the Canton of Aargau*** FC Brugg, a Swiss football club, from the town of Brugg in Canton Aargau...
. The close proximity led to centuries of conflicts over grazing rights, city monopolies, taxation and especially the location of the municipal boundary. In 1863, due to a border adjustment, Windisch lost 45 hectares (111.2 acre) to Brugg.
In the 19th Century the economy of the village changed. In 1825 Henry Kunz founded the cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
Kunz which had 567 employees in 1846. They built factory workers' homes and a village school. In 1804 part of Königsfelden Abbey converted into a District Hospital. In 1872 a new building was built and since 1887 it has been a psychiatric clinic. The construction of the railway network transformed Brugg and Windisch into a railroad hub with a large depot and repair shop (primarily for steam locomotives). These innovations resulted in the influx of factory workers, nurses and trained staff. This led to a restructuring of the population: for example, the locally born and working population fell from 88% (1815), 55% (1837) and 21% (1900) to 4% (1970), while the proportion of Catholics rose from 9% (1850) to 45 % (1970). Agriculture employs only 0.6% of the population (1990). In 1965, a Higher Technical School of Windisch (now a university) opened. The changing population structure led to political shifts in favor of the Social Democratic Party (SP)
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(1921-49 was known as the period of the "red Windisch"). With a pronounced emphasis on political independence, Windisch grew together structurally and economically with Brugg.
Geography
Windisch has an area, , of 4.91 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi). Of this area, 1.16 square kilometre (0.447878503967341 sq mi) or 23.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.22 square kilometre (0.471044633482893 sq mi) or 24.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.23 square kilometre (0.861007813661353 sq mi) or 45.4% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.31 square kilometre (0.119691669163686 sq mi) or 6.3% is either rivers or lakes.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.3% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 21.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 9.6%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.8% uof the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 7.1%. 22.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 13.8% is used for growing crops and 6.9% is pastures, while 2.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
The municipality is located in the Brugg district, between the Aare and Reuss river
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...
s in the region known as the Wasserschloss. It consists of the former linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
s of Windisch and Oberburg as well as the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Fahrgut, Schürhof, Lindhof and Bachtalen and the region around the former Königsfelden Abbey
Königsfelden Abbey
Königsfelden Abbey is a former Franciscan monastery and former Clarisse convent in the municipality of Windisch in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It was founded in 1308 by the Habsburgs and during the Reformation in 1528 it was secularized. The complex was then the residence of the bailiffs...
.
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 Or on a Sevenfold Mount Vert a Castle embattled Sable towered on dexter and to its sinister a Lion rampant Gules.
Demographics
Windisch has a population of , 29.1% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 4.5%. Most of the population speaks German (80.6%), with Italian being second most common ( 4.9%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 3.2%).The age distribution, , in Windisch is; 732 children or 11.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 783 teenagers or 11.8% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 837 people or 12.6% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 888 people or 13.3% are between 30 and 39, 1,017 people or 15.3% are between 40 and 49, and 826 people or 12.4% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 693 people or 10.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 525 people or 7.9% are between 70 and 79, there are 302 people or 4.5% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 55 people or 0.8% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.57 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 32.9% 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 316 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 1,576 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 774 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.29 individuals. , there were 2,726 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 763 single family homes (or 24.9% of the total) out of a total of 3,066 homes and apartments. There were a total of 16 empty apartments for a 0.5% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0.6 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 32.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP (23%), 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...
(12.6%) 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....
(10.7%).
In Windisch about 61.8% 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 579 students attending primary school, there are 316 students attending secondary school, there are 302 students attending tertiary or university level schooling in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1529 | 33 households |
| 1578 | 61 |
| 1736 | 77 |
| 1736 | 402 |
| 1815 | 661 |
| 1850 | 1,287 |
| 1880 | 2,052 |
| 1900 | 2,389 |
| 1910 | 3,231 |
| 1950 | 4,363 |
| 1980 | 7,598 |
| 1990 | 6,915 |
Heritage sites of national significance
There are five sites in Windisch that are listed as Swiss heritage site 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 oldest is the celtic/roman
Switzerland in the Roman era
The history of Switzerland in the Roman era encompasses the roughly six centuries during which the territory of modern Switzerland was a part of the Roman Republic and Empire...
military fort and settlement of Vindonissa. The other large site is the church of the former Königsfelden Abbey with its glass paintings of 1325, Agnes chapel, comptrollery and convent building. The other three are the former Upper Technical School at Klosterzelgstrasse, the former cotton mill Kunz at Alte Spinnerei 4,5 and the psychiatric clinic of Königsfelden.
Economy
, Windisch had an unemployment rate of 2.52%. , there were 20 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 9 businesses involved in this sector. 353 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 46 businesses in this sector. 2,308 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 195 businesses in this sector.there was a total of 3,181 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 2,446 or about 76.9% of the residents worked outside Windisch while 1,765 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 2,500 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 20.6% used public transportation to get to work, and 39% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 2,288 or 34.4% were Roman Catholic, while 2,252 or 33.9% 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 5 individuals (or about 0.08% 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.