Arch, Switzerland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arch
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Arch village Reformed Church
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 Arch
Location in Switzerland
Arch
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Seeland | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 6.38 km2 (2.46 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 450 m (1,480 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 1,700 | |
| • Density | 266/km2 (690/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3296
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| Surrounded by | Bettlach (SO), Bibern (SO), Grenchen (SO), Leuzigen, Rüti bei Büren | |
Arch is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Seeland area of the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It's also home to a church that belongs to the Swiss Reformed Church.
Contents
History of Arch
Arch was first mentioned in historical records in the year 1236. Back then, it was known as "Archo."
Early Settlements and Roman Times
The very first signs of people living in the Arch area are from the neolithic period, which was the New Stone Age. There are also ancient Hallstatt burial mounds, which are like small hills where people were buried long ago. During the Roman times, Arch was on an important road that connected two Roman settlements, Petinesca and Salodurum (modern-day Solothurn).
Castles and Bern's Influence
In the High Middle Ages, there was a simple castle made of earth and wood on a hill called Schlosshubel. Arch was originally part of a larger territory known as the Herrschaft of Strassberg. But in 1388, the powerful city of Bern took control of Arch. A few years later, in 1393, Arch became part of the new bailiwick of Buren, which was an area managed by a local official.
The Village Church
The church in Arch is very old. It was first built in the 10th century in a style called Romanesque, known for its round arches. The church was first mentioned in writing in 1275. In 1528, during the Protestant Reformation, the church changed to the new Protestant religion. Two years later, the part of the church where the choir sings was rebuilt.
Farming and Modern Changes
In 1561, a ferry was started to cross the Aare River, which flows near Arch. For a long time, Arch was mainly a farming village. In the 1800s, new farming tools meant fewer people were needed for farm work, leaving many without jobs. However, a big project called the Jura water correction in the late 1800s created new land for farming. More land was reclaimed in 1918-26 and again in 1980. The 1980 project also included building the A5 motorway, a major highway that helped connect Arch to nearby towns.
The first bridge over the Aare River at Arch was built in 1874. Two years later, a railway line connecting Solothurn and Lyss was built. The bridge and railway brought new job chances to Arch. People started working in the watch industry and later in other factories. In the 20th century, several factories opened in Arch, including places for gravel mining, metal processing (1942), machinery (1966), and construction equipment (1946). There were also suppliers for the watch industry. Many workers started traveling to Arch for their jobs from other villages. Arch grew into an important local center, and in 1972, a secondary school for the Ruti-Arch-Leuzigen area was built in Arch.
Modern Buildings
Arch has some special buildings that are designed to be very energy-efficient. These include two blocks of apartments and one block of single-family homes. They are built to meet the standards of MINERGIE, which is a Swiss quality mark for sustainable construction. Because of these buildings, Arch is ranked third in its canton for being energy-aware.
Geography of Arch
Arch covers an area of about 6.4 square kilometers (2.5 square miles). A large part of this land, about 51.6%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 27.5% of the area. Buildings and roads make up about 16.0% of the land. Rivers and lakes cover about 4.9%, and a small part, 0.6%, is unproductive land.
The town is located on the right side of the Aare River. It shares its northern and southern borders with the Canton of Solothurn. Arch itself is divided into three main parts: Oberdorf, Unterdorf, and Ausserdorf. There are also smaller areas like Aebnit, Breiten, and Leimacher-Mätteli, along with the farms Sibenmatt and Berghof.
On December 31, 2009, Arch's old administrative district, Amtsbezirk Büren, was closed down. The very next day, January 1, 2010, Arch became part of a new district called Verwaltungskreis Seeland.
Arch's Coat of Arms
The official symbol, or blazon, on Arch's coat of arms shows a golden ark on a wavy silver base, with a silver dove flying above, holding an olive branch. This is an example of canting arms, which means the picture on the coat of arms sounds like the name of the place. In German, "ark" is "Arche," which sounds like "Arch."
People of Arch (Demographics)
As of 2022, Arch has a population of 1,608 people. About 8.0% of the people living in Arch are foreign nationals. Over the last ten years (2000-2010), the population of Arch has slightly decreased by about 2.5%.
Most people in Arch, about 94.6%, speak German as their main language. French is the second most common language, spoken by about 1.5% of the population, followed by Italian at 0.6%.
In 2008, the population was almost evenly split between males (49.6%) and females (50.4%). About 28.0% of the people living in Arch in 2000 were also born there.
Age Groups and Households
As of 2010, children and teenagers (ages 0-19) make up 21.4% of the population. Adults (ages 20-64) make up the largest group at 63.4%, and seniors (over 64 years old) are 15.2% of the population.
In 2000, there were 162 households where only one person lived. There were also 46 households with five or more people. Most apartments, about 92.4%, were lived in all the time.
The chart below shows how Arch's population has changed over time:
Economy of Arch
In 2011, Arch had a low unemployment rate of 1.07%. In 2008, there were 570 people working in the town.
Main Job Sectors
Jobs in Arch are divided into three main groups:
- Primary sector: This includes jobs related to natural resources, like farming. In 2008, 36 people worked in this sector, mostly in agriculture.
- Secondary sector: This involves making things, like in factories. There were 317 people working in this sector, mainly in manufacturing (making goods), mining, and construction.
- Tertiary sector: This includes service jobs. There were 217 people working in this sector. These jobs included sales, transportation, hotels, restaurants, education, and healthcare.
Commuting and Transportation
In 2000, many people traveled for work. About 290 workers came into Arch for their jobs, while 614 workers left Arch to work in other places. This means more people leave Arch for work than come in. About 10.8% of working people used public transportation, and 61.5% used a private car to get to work.
Religion in Arch
Based on the 2000 census, most people in Arch are Christian. About 15.7% were Roman Catholic, and 67.9% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a Protestant church). A smaller number of people belonged to other Christian churches, or to other religions like Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism. About 8.06% of the population said they did not belong to any church or were agnostic or atheist.
Education in Arch
In Arch, about 44.7% of the population has finished upper secondary education, which is like high school. About 8.1% have gone on to higher education, such as university or a specialized college.
School System
The school system in the Canton of Bern starts with one year of optional Kindergarten. After that, students go to six years of Primary school. Then, they have three years of mandatory lower Secondary school, where students are grouped by their abilities. After lower Secondary, students can choose to continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).
Student Numbers
During the 2009-2010 school year, 232 students attended classes in Arch.
- There were 2 kindergarten classes with 29 students.
- There were 6 primary classes with 105 students.
- There were 6 lower secondary classes with 98 students.
Some students in Arch's schools were not Swiss citizens, and some spoke a different main language than the one used in the classroom. In 2000, 83 students came to Arch from other towns to go to school, while 85 students from Arch went to schools outside the town.
Images for kids
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View of Arch Oberdorf
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Aerial view by Walter Mittelholzer (1923)
See also
In Spanish: Arch para niños
