Bolligen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bolligen
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 Bolligen
Location in Switzerland
Bolligen
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Bern-Mittelland | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 16.57 km2 (6.40 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 578 m (1,896 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 6,308 | |
| • Density | 380.69/km2 (986.0/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3065
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| Localities | Bantigen, Ferenberg bei Stettlen, Flugbrunnen, Geristein, Habstetten | |
| Surrounded by | Ittigen, Ostermundigen, Stettlen, Vechigen, Krauchthal, Mattstetten, Urtenen-Schönbühl, Moosseedorf, Münchenbuchsee | |
| Twin towns | Hluboká nad Vltavou (Czech Republic) | |
Bolligen is a town in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Bern-Mittelland administrative district.
In the heart of Bolligen, you'll find a church that dates back to the 1100s. Nearby are a barn and a parsonage (a house for a church leader) from the 1500s.
Contents
History
Bolligen was first mentioned in old writings in 1180. Back then, it was called Bollingin.
Scientists have found signs of a very old settlement from the Neolithic period (New Stone Age) in an area called Burech. There are also traces of ancient forts made of earth near Flugbrunnen, and medieval forts at Grauholz and on the Bantiger mountain.
Bolligen was one of the first villages to become part of Bern. Bern was growing into a powerful city-state, which was like a small country ruled by a city. During the 1200s and 1300s, leaders from Bern and the Kyburg family often met in Bolligen to talk and make agreements.
Over time, the city of Bern gained more control over the land around Bolligen. For example, in 1345, Bern bought Habstetten. After the Protestant Reformation in 1528, Bern took over many monasteries. From one monastery, they gained control over the local court in Bolligen. From another, they got rights over Bolligen's church.
The woods near Bolligen, called Grauholz-Sädelbach, became a popular summer spot for rich families from Bern. They built beautiful houses there, like the Wegmühle house in 1600 and the Hubelgut house in 1670.
The village church, St. Niklaus, was first mentioned in 1180. It was likely the church for the Gerenstein family. The church you see today was built in the 1100s or 1200s and made bigger in the 1400s. It was repaired in the late 1700s. In 1274, a man named Ulrich of Stein gave control of the church to Interlaken Monastery. After the monastery was taken over by Bern in 1528, the church became the main parish church for Habstetten. A parish is like a church district.
The parish grew to include 30 villages and farms. In 1764, about 1,771 people lived there. In 1834, the modern town (municipality) of Bolligen was created from this large parish. For many years, people discussed how the town should be organized. Finally, in 1978, the people of Bolligen decided to split the municipality into three separate towns: Bolligen, Ittigen, and Ostermundigen.
In the 1700s, farmers in Bolligen started growing hay. They sold it to feed animals on the many dairy and cattle farms nearby. Big businesses also started to open. There were stone quarries (places where stone is dug out) and a paper mill. The paper mill opened in 1787 and later became a grain mill in 1855.
Bolligen was mostly a farming town until the 1950s. Then, the city of Bern grew bigger, and Bolligen became part of its surrounding area. Farmland was replaced by shopping centers and new homes. Many people living in Bolligen now travel to Bern for work. By 1990, more than three-quarters of the workers were commuters. This growth also led to better roads and other services. Bolligen has primary schools, a secondary school, and a pre-Gymnasium (a type of high school).
The historical population is shown in the chart below:
Geography
Bolligen covers an area of about 16.57 square kilometers (6.4 square miles). A large part of this land, about 43.3%, is used for farming. Forests cover another 44.0% of the area. About 12.4% of the land has buildings or roads. A very small part is rivers or lakes, and some land is not productive.
Bolligen is located in the area surrounding Bern, called the agglomeration. It lies northeast of Bern and connects the Worblental valley to the Emmental region. The "Lutzere" mountains form a natural border between the Emme and Aare rivers.
As mentioned, in 1980 and 1983, the towns of Ittigen and Ostermundigen became separate municipalities from Bolligen. Bolligen itself includes the main village and smaller communities called hamlets. These hamlets are Bantigen, Ferenberg, Flugbrunnen, Geristein, and Habstetten.
The Bantiger mountain, which is about 947 meters (3,107 feet) high, is in Bolligen. A large tower on Bantiger mountain sends out radio and TV signals to the area. From the mountain, you can see amazing views of the Jura mountains, the Swiss plateau, and the Alps.
Coat of Arms
The blazon (description) of Bolligen's town coat of arms is: Gules a Chevron and Chevron inverted Argent frettee. This means it has a red background with a silver zigzag pattern.
Population and People
Bolligen has a population of about 6,000 people. About 7.2% of the people living in Bolligen are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years, the population has grown slightly.
Most people in Bolligen (about 93.2%) speak German as their main language. French is the second most common language, and Italian is the third.
In 2008, about 47.9% of the population was male and 52.1% was female. About 20.2% of the people living in Bolligen in 2000 were also born there. Many others were born in the same canton (state) of Bern.
Children and teenagers (up to 19 years old) make up about 19.1% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) are 55.4%, and seniors (over 64 years old) are 25.4%.
Important Historical Sites
Two buildings in Bolligen are listed as important Swiss heritage sites. These are the Kleingewerbler House and the Wegmühle. The whole Worbletal area is also part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites, meaning it's a special place with historical value.
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Kleingewerbler house
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The Wegmühle in Bolligen
Twin Town
Bolligen has a special friendship with another town. It is twinned with Hluboka in the Czech Republic.
Economy
In 2011, Bolligen had a low unemployment rate of 1.62%. In 2008, about 1,683 people worked in the town.
- The primary economic sector (like farming) employed 127 people. There were 43 businesses in this sector.
- The secondary sector (like manufacturing and construction) employed 362 people. There were 39 businesses in this sector.
- The tertiary sector (like services, shops, and offices) employed 1,194 people. There were 151 businesses in this sector.
Many people who live in Bolligen travel to other towns for work. In 2000, about 2,388 workers left Bolligen to work elsewhere, while 1,009 workers came into Bolligen for their jobs. About 35.9% of working people used public transportation to get to work, and 41.6% used a private car.
Religion
Based on a 2000 survey, about 16.5% of the people in Bolligen were Roman Catholic. A larger group, about 66.8%, belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a Protestant church). Other people belonged to different Christian churches, or other religions like Islam or Judaism. About 9.1% of the population did not belong to any church.
Education
In Bolligen, many adults have completed higher education. About 43.8% of the population has finished non-mandatory high school. About 22.0% have gone on to university or a similar higher education school.
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 attend three years of lower Secondary school. In secondary school, students are grouped based on their abilities. After lower Secondary, students can choose to continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a job while working).
During the 2009-2010 school year, 658 students attended schools in Bolligen. There were 4 kindergarten classes with 80 students. There were 17 primary classes with 346 students. And there were 12 lower secondary classes with 221 students.
Points of Interest
- Bantiger TV Tower
Images for kids
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The church in Bolligen.
See also
In Spanish: Bolligen para niños
