Benzenschwil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Benzenschwil
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Benzenschwil Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Benzenschwil Location in Canton of Aargau Show map of Canton of Aargau
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Aargau
District	Muri
Area
• Total	2.46 km2 (0.95 sq mi)
Elevation	459 m (1,506 ft)
Population  (December 2010)
• Total	548
• Density	222.8/km2 (577.0/sq mi)
Postal code	5636
Surrounded by	Beinwil (Freiamt), Geltwil, Merenschwand, Mühlau, Muri

Benzenschwil was a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It was located in the Muri district of the canton of Aargau. On January 1, 2012, Benzenschwil joined with the nearby town of Merenschwand. Now, it is part of the Merenschwand municipality.

History of Benzenschwil

Benzenschwil was first mentioned in old writings in 1189. Back in the Middle Ages, powerful families and monasteries owned most of the land. These groups had rights over the land and its people.

In 1394, the people of the Merenschwand area, which included Benzenschwil, bought their freedom. They then placed themselves under the protection of the city of Lucerne. Benzenschwil remained part of Lucerne until the Helvetic Republic ended.

In 1803, Benzenschwil became part of the new Aargau canton. Then, in 1813, Benzenschwil became its own independent town. Sadly, big fires destroyed many homes in the village in 1799 and again in 1803.

The people of Benzenschwil are part of the Merenschwand church community. Since 1972, they have had a small chapel built right into their village school.

For a long time, farming was the main way people earned money. In 1990, about 37% of workers in Benzenschwil worked in agriculture. From the mid-1800s until 1985, making things from straw also provided some jobs. Even though a train station opened in 1881, there were not many other jobs in the village. By 1990, most people (74%) traveled outside Benzenschwil for work.

Geography of Benzenschwil

Benzenschwil covered an area of about 2.46 square kilometers (0.95 square miles). A large part of this land, about 59.3%, was used for farming. Forests covered about 27.6% of the area. The remaining 11.0% was built-up with buildings and roads.

Most of the built-up area (6.5%) was for homes and other buildings. Roads and other transport areas made up 3.7%. The forests were mostly dense woods, with some small groups of trees. For farming, most land was used for growing crops. Some areas were pastures for animals, and a small part had fruit trees or grapevines.

The village of Benzenschwil is located in the Muri district. It sits at the eastern base of a hill called Lindenberg. As mentioned, Benzenschwil joined with the town of Merenschwand on January 1, 2012.

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Benzenschwil shows a blue shield. On the shield, there is an arm reaching out from the left side. The arm wears a white shirt and a gold overcoat. It holds a silver tool called an auger, which has a gold handle.

People of Benzenschwil (Demographics)

In 2010, Benzenschwil had a population of 548 people. About 10.7% of the people living there in June 2009 were from other countries. Over ten years (1997–2007), the population grew by about 4%. Most people in Benzenschwil (95.9%) speak German. A small number also speak French or Italian.

In 2008, the age groups in Benzenschwil were:

• Children (0-9 years old): 8.8%
• Teenagers (10-19 years old): 17.5%
• Young adults (20-29 years old): 12.3%
• Adults (30-59 years old): 47.5%
• Seniors (60 years and older): 13.8%

In 2000, about 67.8% of homes were owned by the people living in them. This means they did not pay rent. There were 185 homes and apartments in the town. On average, about 2.8 people lived in each home. In 2008, 129 homes were single-family houses. There were no empty apartments in 2008.

In the 2007 national election, the most popular political party was the SVP. They received 43.1% of the votes. Other popular parties included the CVP (22.9%), the SP (13.4%), and the Green Party (9.3%).

The table below shows how the population of Benzenschwil has changed over time:

Economy

In 2007, Benzenschwil had a low unemployment rate of 2.83%. In 2005, there were 38 people working in the primary sector. This includes jobs like farming. There were 13 businesses in this sector.

The secondary sector had 64 workers and 8 businesses. This sector includes jobs like manufacturing and construction. The tertiary sector had 19 workers and 10 businesses. This sector includes jobs in services, like shops or offices.

In 2000, 265 people lived in Benzenschwil and had jobs. Most of them (82.3%) traveled outside the town for work. Only 37 people came into Benzenschwil for their jobs. There were 84 jobs available in the town itself. About 10% of workers used public transportation to get to work. Most people (59.6%) used a private car.

Religion

Based on the 2000 census, most people in Benzenschwil were Roman Catholic (68.5%). About 18.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

Education

In Switzerland, most people are well educated. In Benzenschwil, about 77.8% of adults (aged 25-64) had finished upper secondary education or higher studies. This includes university or a Fachhochschule (a type of professional university). In the 2008/2009 school year, 53 students attended primary school in Benzenschwil.

See also

In Spanish: Benzenschwil para niños