Aesch, Basel-Landschaft facts for kids

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Aesch

Coat of arms

Aesch

Location in Switzerland

Aesch

Location in Canton of Basel-Landschaft

Switzerland

Area

• Total

7.4 km² (2.9 sq mi)

Elevation

(Haupt-/ Ettingerstrasse)

315 m (1,033 ft)

Population

(Jun 2021 )

• Total

10,368

• Density

1,401/km² (3,629/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

German: Aescher(in)

Postal code

4147

Surrounded by

Dornach (SO), Duggingen, Ettingen, Pfeffingen, Reinach, Therwil

Aesch (sometimes called Aesch BL to tell it apart from other places named "Aesch") is a village and a municipality in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland. It's mostly located on the west side of the Birs river and is like a suburb of Basel.

A very old burial site in a forest called Gmeiniwald is considered an important national heritage site.

The main language spoken in Aesch is a local version of Swiss German, which is a type of Alemannic dialect. The official language is German.

History of Aesch
Geography
Coat of Arms
Demographics
Heritage Sites of National Significance
Economy
Religion
Transport
Education
Notable people
Images for kids
See also

History of Aesch

Aesch was first mentioned in official papers in the year 1252, where it was called Esch.

Ancient Times in Aesch

People lived in the Aesch area a very long time ago, even during the Upper Paleolithic period. Graves found in Gmeiniwald show this. These Dolmen graves, which are ancient stone tombs, are from around 3000 BC.

The Gmeiniwald site was found in 1907. It had a central grave chamber that was about 2.4 by 4.1 meters. Inside, archaeologists found the bones of 47 people, including 14 children. They also found tools like arrows, spears, flint knives, and pottery pieces.

Later, in 1977, parts of a settlement from the middle Bronze Age (around 1500 to 1300 BC) were found. This included a fireplace and the base of a small house. In 1923, a workshop for melting bronze was discovered. It had pieces of copper and bronze, including axes and sickles.

Roman Era and Middle Ages

During the Roman era, from the 1st to 4th centuries, there were three Roman farms in the area. They even grew grapes for wine!

In the Early Middle Ages, cemeteries were found in Steinacker (7th century) and Saalbünten (8th-10th centuries). These discoveries suggest Aesch was settled earlier than previously thought. Frohberg Castle was first mentioned in 1292, but it was already falling apart by 1356.

Early Modern Times

From the 13th century, Aesch was part of the bishop's land. Later, in 1519, it was taken over by the Count of Thierstein. A local official called a landvogt managed the area.

In 1702, Aesch became the main administrative center for the region. The landvogt moved into Blarer Castle, which was built between 1604 and 1607. Aesch also became a customs station after a new bridge was built.

The people of Aesch were part of the church in Pfeffingen. In 1672, a chapel was built in Aesch. In the Late Middle Ages, there might have been a nunnery nearby, but there isn't much proof.

In 1529, Aesch, like Basel, became Protestant. However, between 1582 and 1588, the Bishop of Basel successfully brought the Catholic faith back to the village. Because Aesch was on a border, it suffered a lot during wars, like the Thirty Years War (1618–48). Many old buildings were destroyed.

Aesch was mainly a farming village, especially known for its vineyards. The good soil and sunny hills were perfect for growing grapes.

After a short period under French rule (1793-1815), Aesch became part of the Canton of Basel in 1815. In 1830, Aesch was a center for revolutionary leaders who wanted more freedom.

Modern Aesch

Aesch remained mostly a farming area until the 20th century. Some factories, like a rope factory (1865) and a metal factory (1876), moved in. The amount of land used for vineyards decreased in the late 1800s. However, local farmers worked hard to fight plant diseases and keep their vineyards. Today, Aesch has the most vineyards in the Basel-Country region.

Even with a railway line (1875) and a tram line (1907) connecting it to Basel, not many big companies came to Aesch until after World War II. After the war, many companies, especially in metal, machinery, and medicine, set up in new industrial areas.

The number of farms in Aesch dropped a lot over the years. Meanwhile, the population grew quickly, leading to new housing developments like Neu-Aesch, built in 1987. By 1990, most jobs in Aesch were in the services sector, and many people traveled to work from other places.

In 1851, Blarer Castle was bought by the municipality and used as a school. Later, it was sold and turned into a modern office building in 1959.

Geography

Aesch covers an area of about 7.39 square kilometers. Almost half of this land (47%) is used for farming. About 16.4% is covered by forests. The rest (36%) is built-up with buildings and roads. A small part (0.7%) is rivers or lakes.

The municipality is in the Arlesheim district, mostly on the left side of the Birs river. It's now part of the larger urban area of Basel. Aesch itself is a long village built along the road between Birseck and the Laufen valley.

Coat of Arms

The blazon of Aesch's coat of arms shows a black spear point pointing upwards and to the right, with a red six-pointed star in the top left corner, all on a silver background.

Demographics

Aesch has a population of about 10,235 people. Around 22% of the people living in Aesch are from other countries. Over the past ten years, the population has grown slightly.

Most people in Aesch (about 84.8%) speak German. The next most common languages are Italian language (5.5%) and French (1.4%).

In 2010, about 6.5% of the population were young children (0-6 years old), and 14% were teenagers (7-19 years old). The largest group of adults was between 50 and 64 years old (20.9%).

In 2000, there were about 4,079 households in Aesch, with an average of 2.3 people per household. About 28.6% of households had only one person.

Heritage Sites of National Significance

The Gmeiniwald, which is a very old stone grave site, and the Neumatt School Complex are both listed as important heritage sites of national significance in Switzerland.

Economy

In 2007, Aesch had a low unemployment rate of 2.48%.

In 2005, about 98 people worked in the primary economic sector (like farming and forestry). About 2,127 people worked in the secondary sector (like manufacturing and construction). And 1,872 people worked in the tertiary sector (like services, sales, and healthcare).

In 2008, there were about 3,941 full-time jobs in Aesch. Most jobs were in manufacturing (making things) and construction. Many jobs were also in sales, transport, hotels, finance, and healthcare.

In 2000, many people traveled into Aesch for work (4,206 workers), and many traveled out of Aesch for work (3,953 workers). This means Aesch brings in more workers than it sends out. About 28.2% of workers used public transport, and 42.8% used a private car to get to work.

Religion

According to the 2000 census, about 44.1% of people in Aesch were Roman Catholic, and 28.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a Protestant church). There were also smaller numbers of people belonging to other Christian churches, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. About 14.98% of the population did not belong to any church.

Transport

Aesch is on the railway line that goes from Basel to Biel/Bienne. It has its own train station, Aesch railway station, which is served by local trains. Aesch is also connected to the Basel tramway network by Line 11.

Education

In Aesch, about 41.4% of the population have finished upper secondary education (like high school). About 14.1% have gone on to higher education, such as university.

The International School Basel has a campus in Aesch.

Notable people

Alfred Vogel (1902–1996): A Swiss plant doctor, nutritionist, and writer who was born in Aesch.
Petra Sprecher (born 1973): A Swiss circus artist, stuntwoman, and actress who grew up in Aesch.