Bäretswil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bäretswil
Coat of arms
Bäretswil Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Bäretswil Location in Canton of Zurich Show map of Canton of Zurich
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Zurich
District	Hinwil
Area
• Total	22.19 km2 (8.57 sq mi)
Elevation	702 m (2,303 ft)
Highest elevation (Allmen)	1,074 m (3,524 ft)
Lowest elevation	616 m (2,021 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	5,052
• Density	227.67/km2 (589.66/sq mi)
Postal code	8344
Localities	Bäretswil, Adetswil; Bettswil, Fehrenwaldsberg, Kleinbäretswil, Tisenwaldsberg, Wappenswil, Neuthal, Hof, Hinterburg, Tanne, Ghöch
Surrounded by	Bauma, Fischenthal, Hinwil, Hittnau, Pfäffikon, Wetzikon

Bäretswil is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It's located in the canton of Zürich, which is like a state or region. Bäretswil is part of the Hinwil district. It's a peaceful place nestled in the hills, known for its beautiful nature and a bit of history.

A Look Back in Time

Bäretswil has a long history! The town was first written about way back in the year 741. Back then, it was called Berofovilare. Just a few years later, in 745, its name was recorded as Perolfeswilari.

Exploring Bäretswil's Geography

Bäretswil covers an area of about 22.2 square kilometers (about 8.6 square miles). A big part of this land, about 51.5%, is used for farming. Forests cover another large section, about 39.1% of the area.

The town itself, with its buildings and roads, takes up about 8.2% of the land. A small part, 1.2%, is made up of non-productive areas like rivers or mountains.

Where is Bäretswil Located?

This municipality is found in the hills between two valleys: the Glatt and Töss Valleys. It includes the main villages of Bäretswil and Adetswil. You'll also find smaller communities, known as hamlets, like Bettswil and Wappenswil. Other small areas include Hof-Neuthal, Tanne, and Klein Bäretswil. There are also many individual homes spread out in the area.

Old Cotton Mill Turned Museum

There's an interesting old cotton mill in the Neuthal part of Bäretswil. This mill used to make cotton products. Today, it's home to cool museums. You can visit them to see old spinning and weaving machines. It's a great way to learn about how things were made long ago!

People of Bäretswil

Bäretswil is home to a growing number of people. As of the latest count, the population is 5,052. About 8.9% of the people living here are from other countries.

Languages Spoken

Most people in Bäretswil speak German. About 93.9% of the population uses German as their main language. Italian is the second most common language, spoken by about 1.7% of the people. Albanian is the third most common, spoken by about 1.3%.

Education and Learning

People in Switzerland are generally well-educated. In Bäretswil, about 80.3% of adults (aged 25-64) have finished high school. Many have also gone on to higher education, like university or a specialized college. There are 1649 homes, or households, in Bäretswil.

Jobs and Work

Bäretswil has a low unemployment rate, which means most people who want to work have jobs. Many people work in different types of jobs:

• Farming: About 204 people work in farming, with 73 businesses in this area.
• Manufacturing: Around 312 people work in factories or making things. There are 70 businesses in this group.
• Services: The largest group, 549 people, work in service jobs. This includes things like shops, schools, and healthcare. There are 120 businesses in this sector.

About 47.6% of working people have full-time jobs. The other 52.4% work part-time.

Religious Backgrounds

In Bäretswil, many people are Christian. As of 2008, there were 898 Catholics and 2444 Protestants. In a survey from 2000, about 60.4% of the people were Protestant. Most of these belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 22.1% of the population was Catholic. Some people belonged to other religions, or chose not to state their religion. About 10.7% said they did not have a religion.

Population Changes Over Time

The number of people living in Bäretswil has changed a lot over the centuries. Here's a quick look:

The numbers for 1629 show the population before and after a major event, likely the plague.

Getting Around Bäretswil

Bäretswil used to have two train stations: Bäretswil and Neuthal. These stations were on the Uerikon–Bauma railway line. Today, regular trains don't run on this line anymore. However, a special heritage railway group, the Dampfbahn-Verein Zürcher Oberland, sometimes runs old steam trains for fun trips. This happens during certain seasons.

Images for kids

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  Aerial view from 400 meters by Walter Mittelholzer (1922)

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  The old cotton mill in the Neuthal section of Bäretswil