Barberêche facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barberêche
|
||
|---|---|---|
Barberêche Castle
|
||
|
||
 Barberêche
Location in Switzerland
Barberêche
Location in Canton of Fribourg
|
||
| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Fribourg | |
| District | See/Lac | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 9.13 km2 (3.53 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 569 m (1,867 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2015)
|
||
| • Total | 527 | |
| • Density | 57.72/km2 (149.50/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
1783
|
|
| Surrounded by | La Sonnaz, Misery-Courtion, Courtepin, Gurmels, Düdingen | |
Barberêche was once a town in Switzerland, located in the Fribourg canton. It was special because it sat right on the "language boundary" where French and German are spoken. On January 1, 2017, Barberêche joined with two other towns, Villarepos and Wallenried, to become part of the larger town of Courtepin.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
People have lived in the Barberêche area for a very long time. Archaeologists have found ancient graves from the Hallstatt period and building foundations from Roman times. This shows that people were here many centuries ago.
The first time Barberêche was written about was in 1154. It was called Barbereschi back then. Over the years, its name changed a few times, like Barberesche and Barbareschi. The name comes from an old family name, Barbar(i)us.
From the 1100s, a noble family lived in Barberêche. The area was first ruled by the Dukes of Zähringen. Later, it became a fiefdom, which is like land given by a lord, to the Counts of Thierstein. In the 1400s, Barberêche changed hands many times. In 1442, it became part of Fribourg's "Old Territory." After big changes in government in 1798, Barberêche eventually joined the "Lake District" in 1848.
Where is Barberêche?
Barberêche covered an area of about 9.2 square kilometers (3.5 square miles). Most of this land, almost 60%, was used for farming. About 20% was covered by forests. The rest included buildings, roads, and lakes.
Barberêche is located about 569 meters (1,867 feet) above sea level. It is about 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) north of Fribourg, the capital city of the canton. The area stretches along the northern shore of the Schiffenensee. This is a small lake where the Sarine River flows.
The land around Barberêche includes hills made of molasse, a type of rock. The Schiffenensee lake forms the southeastern border. Along the lake, there is a tree-covered bank, about 20 to 50 meters high. This bank is sometimes broken by sandstone cliffs. Several small valleys, called gullies, lead to the lake. These were partly flooded when the lake was created.
The former town area also reaches towards the Bois de la Corbaz, a wood that is about 650 meters (2,130 feet) high. The highest point in Barberêche is the Breilles Heights, at 668 meters (2,192 feet) above sea level.
Villages and Hamlets
Barberêche is made up of several smaller communities:
- The main village of Barberêche, at 569 meters (1,867 feet) above sea level.
- Pensier (also called Penzers), a village at 584 meters (1,916 feet).
- Hobelet (Hubel), a small hamlet on the hills above Pensier, at 655 meters (2,149 feet).
- Villaret, a hamlet at 610 meters (2,001 feet).
- Breilles (Brigels), a hamlet at 640 meters (2,100 feet).
- Petit Vivy (Klein-Vivers), a hamlet at 590 meters (1,936 feet).
- Grand Vivy (Gross-Vivers), a hamlet at 565 meters (1,854 feet).
- Grimoine (Courmoen), a hamlet at 565 meters (1,854 feet).
Barberêche shared borders with the towns of La Sonnaz, Misery-Courtion, Courtepin, Gurmels, and Düdingen.
Town Symbol
The official symbol, or coat of arms, of Barberêche shows a red background with a silver cross. Below that, it has a silver background with a red rose that has green leaves.
People of Barberêche
In 2015, Barberêche had a population of 527 people. About 13% of the people living there were foreign nationals. Pensier was the most populated place, with around 250 residents. The main village of Barberêche had about 100 people.
Between 2000 and 2010, the population of Barberêche decreased slightly. In 2008, about 51% of the population was male and 49% was female. Many residents were born in Barberêche or elsewhere in the Fribourg canton.
In 2000, about 21% of the population were children and teenagers (0–19 years old). Adults (20–64 years old) made up 65% of the population, and seniors (over 64 years old) were about 14%. Most households had about 2.6 people living in them.
The chart below shows how the population of Barberêche changed over time:
Important Historic Sites
Several buildings in Barberêche are considered very important national heritage sites. These include Grand-Vivy Castle, Barberêche Castle, and Petit-Vivy Castle. Also listed are a barn and stable at Chemin de la Fruiterie 5 A, and a granary at Route de Grimoine 20 B. The area around Petit and Grand-Vivy is also recognized as a special heritage site.
-
Grand-Vivy Castle
-
Barberêche Castle
-
Petit-Vivy Castle
-
Barn and Stable
Places to See
The local church, Saint Maurice, has parts that are very old, dating back to the 11th century. It was made bigger in 1785-86 and changed again in the 1800s. The church has old wall paintings, beautiful wood carvings, and stained glass windows with coats of arms. The house for the church leader next door was built in 1566.
Barberêche Castle stands on the edge of a plateau, overlooking the Schiffenensee lake. It was built between 1522 and 1528, probably on the site of an even older fort. It was built in a late Gothic style. From 1839 to 1844, the castle was greatly updated. It now looks like a mix of neo-Gothic and neoclassical styles. Today, the castle is privately owned.
Northeast of Barberêche, on the lake's edge, is Petit-Vivy Castle. It's one of the oldest castles still standing in the area. Its strong, square tower was built in the late 1200s. Its walls are 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) thick! You can still see parts of the old walls around the tower. The living areas were added in the 1500s.
Even further northeast is Grand-Vivy Castle. It sits on a narrow piece of land between the Schiffenensee and a small stream. This castle also replaced an older medieval one. The current building is in a late-Gothic style, with a round staircase tower and other towers. The small chapel next to the castle was built in the 1800s.
Sister City
Barberêche has a special connection with the town of Zeuthen in Germany. They are "twin towns," which means they have friendly ties and often share cultural exchanges.
Economy and Jobs
For a long time, Barberêche was mainly a farming village. Even today, farming, growing fruit, and raising animals are important for the local economy. There are also small businesses and service jobs. Many people who live in Barberêche now travel to Fribourg for work.
In 2010, the unemployment rate in Barberêche was 2%. In 2008, about 60 people worked in farming, and 8 people worked in manufacturing or construction. About 95 people worked in the service industry, like sales, hotels, or healthcare.
Religion
In 2000, most people in Barberêche were Roman Catholic (about 73%). About 18% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. A small number of people belonged to other Christian churches or were Muslim or Hindu. About 4.5% of the population did not belong to any church.
Education
In Barberêche, about 34.5% of adults have finished high school. About 17% have gone on to higher education, like university or a specialized college.
The Fribourg school system offers a year of optional kindergarten. Then, students go to six years of primary school. After that, there are three years of lower secondary school, where students are grouped by their abilities. Then, students can choose to go to an upper secondary school for three or four years. This can be a university-prep school or a vocational program. After that, they can go to college or start an apprenticeship.
During the 2010-11 school year, 48 students attended classes in Barberêche. Some students from Barberêche went to schools in nearby towns for kindergarten or secondary school.
Languages Spoken
In 2000, most people in Barberêche (about 74%) spoke French as their main language. German was the second most common language (about 22%). A small number of people also spoke Portuguese or Italian.
Until the 1400s, German was almost the only language spoken here. Then, more and more French speakers moved in. By the 1700s and 1800s, the village was bilingual, meaning both French and German were common. Since about 1860, French has been the main language in Barberêche.
Getting Around
Barberêche is well-connected, even though it's not right next to major highways. The closest highway exit (A12, which goes from Bern to Vevey) is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) away. A train line opened in 1898, connecting Fribourg to Murten, with a station in Pensier. However, the main village of Barberêche itself does not have public transport connections.
Famous People
- Joseph Deiss: A politician who was once a Federal Councillor and even the President of Switzerland in 2004. He was also a former mayor of Barberêche.
See also
In Spanish: Barberêche para niños
