Büsingen am Hochrhein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Büsingen am Hochrhein
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| Country | Germany | |
| State | Baden-Württemberg | |
| Admin. region | Freiburg | |
| District | Konstanz | |
| Elevation | 385 m (1,263 ft) | |
| Population
(2022-12-31)
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| • Total | 1,585 | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
| Postal codes | ||
| Vehicle registration | BÜS | |
| Website | www.buesingen.de www.buesingen.ch |
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Büsingen am Hochrhein, often just called Büsingen, is a unique German village. It is part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. This village is special because it is completely surrounded by another country, Switzerland!
Büsingen is the only exclave of Germany. An exclave is a piece of land that belongs to one country but is completely separated from it by the land of another country. A strip of Swiss land, about 680 meters wide, separates Büsingen from the rest of Germany. The closest village to Büsingen is Dörflingen, which is in Switzerland.
There are no border controls between Büsingen and Switzerland. This is because Büsingen is part of a special customs union with Switzerland. This agreement was made in 1964 and became a law in 1967.
Because Büsingen is surrounded by Swiss land but is politically German, many things there exist twice. For example, Büsingen has two postal codes. Residents can also have phone numbers from both Germany and Switzerland. The official currency is the Euro. However, many services, like electricity and cable television, come from Switzerland. These services are usually paid for in Swiss francs. Büsingen relies a lot on Switzerland for its economy.
Büsingen has only one elementary school. Children can attend this school up to the fourth grade. After that, parents decide if their children will go to a German or a Swiss school.
A Swiss Postbus connects Büsingen to the Swiss city of Schaffhausen. It also connects to the Swiss villages of Dörflingen, Buch, and Ramsen. The bus also goes to the German village of Randegg.
Most people who live in Büsingen work in Switzerland. They usually earn their salaries in Swiss francs.
Büsingen has many retired people living there. Many of them are Swiss. This is because they pay very little or no tax on their pensions in Büsingen. About 30% of the people living in Büsingen have a Swiss passport.
History of Büsingen
The oldest things found in the Büsingen area are from the Bronze Age. This was a very long time ago! The village was first written about in history books in the year 1090. The land around Büsingen also has the sites of two old villages that no longer exist.
Images for kids
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Büsingen am Hochrhein, a unique German village.
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A close-up map of Büsingen, showing its borders and the nearby city of Schaffhausen.
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An example of the special BÜS license plate used in Büsingen.
See also
In Spanish: Büsingen am Hochrhein para niños
