Bassersdorf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bassersdorf
Coat of arms
Bassersdorf Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Bassersdorf Location in Canton of Zürich Show map of Canton of Zürich
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Zürich
District	Bülach
Area
• Total	9.03 km2 (3.49 sq mi)
Elevation	460 m (1,510 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	11,924
• Density	1,320.5/km2 (3,420.0/sq mi)
Postal code	8303
Surrounded by	Dietlikon, Kloten, Lindau, Nürensdorf, Wangen-Brüttisellen
Twin towns	Aigle (Switzerland)

Bassersdorf is a town in Switzerland, located in the canton of Zürich. It's part of the Bülach district and sits in the beautiful Glatt Valley. The town's name comes from old words, meaning something like "Bazzilo's village."

History of Bassersdorf

The name Bassersdorf was first written down in 1155 as Bazzelstorf. It means "village of Bazzilo," likely named after an old German person. The first people to settle here were the Alemanni around the 8th or 9th century.

Because Bassersdorf was located halfway between the cities of Zürich and Winterthur, it became an important stop. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was a place where travelers could rest and change horses.

For a short time, from 1798 to 1803, Bassersdorf was even the capital of its district. This happened during a period called the Helvetic Republic, when Switzerland was going through big changes.

In 2001, there was an airplane accident near Bassersdorf. A plane crashed while trying to land at Zurich Airport. Investigations showed that the accident was caused by mistakes made by the pilots. The plane went off course and crashed into a hill.

Geography of Bassersdorf

Bassersdorf covers an area of about 9 square kilometers (about 3.5 square miles). A large part of this land is used for farming, which is about 42.5%. Forests cover another 30.8% of the area. The rest of the land, about 26.3%, has buildings or roads. Only a tiny bit, 0.3%, is made up of rivers or other natural areas.

The town is located on the edge of the central Glatt Valley. Since 1931, a smaller village called Baltenswil has also been part of the Bassersdorf community.

People of Bassersdorf

Bassersdorf is a growing town. As of 2022, it has a population of over 12,000 people. Over the last 10 years, the number of people living here has grown quite a lot, by about 50%.

Most people in Bassersdorf speak German, which is about 85.8% of the population. Other languages spoken include Italian (3.8%) and Serbo-Croatian (1.7%).

When it comes to education, about 75.5% of adults aged 25 to 64 have finished higher education. This means they have either completed advanced schooling after high school or gone to a university or a Fachhochschule (a type of professional university).

Here's how the population has changed over time:

Economy of Bassersdorf

Bassersdorf has a varied economy. Some people work in the primary economic sector, which means jobs like farming. There are about 17 businesses in this area.

The secondary sector involves making things, like in factories. There are 67 businesses in this sector, employing 617 people.

The largest number of people work in the tertiary sector. This includes jobs that provide services, like shops, offices, and healthcare. There are 267 businesses in this sector, employing 2380 people.

At one point, the computer company Compaq had its Switzerland offices in Bassersdorf.

Getting Around Bassersdorf

Bassersdorf has good transportation links. The Bassersdorf railway station is a stop for the S-Bahn Zürich train lines S24 and S7. This makes it easy to travel to other towns and cities.

There are also several bus lines that serve Bassersdorf, including lines 765, 766, 769, and 660. These buses help people get around the town and to nearby areas.

Twin Towns

Bassersdorf is "twinned" with another town. This means they have a special friendship and often share cultural exchanges.

• Aigle, Switzerland

Notable People

Some well-known people have connections to Bassersdorf:

• Elsie Attenhofer (1909 - 1999) was a Swiss artist. She was a cabaret performer, actress, writer, and performed monologues. She passed away in Bassersdorf.
• Roy Gelmi (born 1995) is a Swiss footballer. He was born in Bassersdorf and plays for VVV-Venlo.

Images for kids

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  An aerial view of Bassersdorf from 1920 by Walter Mittelholzer.

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  The beautiful St. Johannis Church in Bassersdorf.

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  The old train station of Bassersdorf, which was moved in 1980 and later taken down in 2015.

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  A sawmill located in the Wisental area of Bassersdorf.