Dübendorf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dübendorf
Coat of arms
Dübendorf Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Dübendorf Location in Canton of Zürich Show map of Canton of Zürich
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Zürich
District	Uster
Area
• Total	13.62 km2 (5.26 sq mi)
Elevation	440 m (1,440 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	29,907
• Density	2,195.8/km2 (5,687.1/sq mi)
Postal code	8600
Localities	Dübendorf, Dübelstein, Geeren, Gfenn, Gockhausen, Hermikon, Stettbach
Surrounded by	Dietlikon, Fällanden, Schwerzenbach, Volketswil, Wallisellen, Wangen-Brüttisellen, Zürich

Dübendorf is a cool city in Switzerland, located in the canton of Zürich. It's like a neighbor to the big city of Zürich. About 30,000 people live there (as of 2021). It's the fourth biggest city in the Zürich canton, after Zürich, Winterthur, and Uster.

A Look at Dübendorf's Past

Dübelstein castle, also known as Waldmannsburg (1489)

An aerial view from 500 meters up, taken in 1923

People have lived in the Dübendorf area for a very long time. Scientists have found old items from the Stone Age and Bronze Age. These items are from about 1400 to 700 BCE.

The name Tuobilindorf was first written down in 946. A long time ago, in the 8th century, a powerful monastery called Reichenau Abbey owned much of the village. They were the main landowners and even had legal power. There was also a forgotten castle called "Schyterburg." It was probably built around the 10th or 11th century.

On the side of the Adlisberg hill, you can find the ruins of Dübelstein castle. From 1487 to 1489, this castle was home to Hans Waldmann. He was a famous mayor of Zürich. After some events in 1489, his belongings went to the city of Zürich. Dübelstein Castle was destroyed by fire in 1615. Today, you can visit the ruins. They were fixed up in 1942/43. In 1998, the ruins were sold for a very small price to a group that wanted to protect them.

Exploring Dübendorf's Geography

The Glatt river flowing through Dübendorf

Dübendorf covers an area of about 13.6 square kilometers (5.25 square miles). A big part of this land, about 37.6%, is used for farming. Forests cover 19.5% of the area. The rest of the land, 41.9%, has buildings and roads. A small part, about 1%, is made up of rivers or other natural areas.

The city is located about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northeast of Zürich. The Glatt river flows right through the middle of Dübendorf. This river starts from Lake Greifen, which is to the southeast. Dübendorf is in a valley called the Glatt Valley. You can also find the small villages of Gockhausen and Geeren on a hill called the Adlisberg, just north of Zürich.

Who Lives in Dübendorf?

The Stadthaus, where the city administration and town hall are located

Dübendorf has a population of about 30,000 people. As of 2007, about 28.2% of the people living there were from other countries. In 2008, the population was almost equally split between males (49.2%) and females (50.8%). Over the last 10 years, the number of people living in Dübendorf has grown by about 10.5%.

Most people in Dübendorf (81.8%) speak German. Italian is the second most common language (4.5%), followed by Serbo-Croatian (2.1%).

When it comes to age, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 19.1% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) are the largest group at 67.6%. Seniors (over 64 years old) make up 13.3%. Many adults in Dübendorf (about 73.6%) have finished higher education.

In 2008, there were about 7,733 Catholics and 7,553 Protestants in Dübendorf. The 2000 census showed that 39.2% of people were Protestant, and 33.6% were Catholic. Other religions, no religion, or unknown made up the rest.

Here's how the population has grown over time:

Science and Work in Dübendorf

The Helsana administration building in the Stettbach area

Dübendorf is home to two important research centers. They are part of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology:

• Empa: This place studies materials science and technology. They work on things like tiny nanotechnology, smart materials, and materials for energy.
• Eawag: This is the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. They research all about water, like water pollution, how fish live, and how to manage water in cities.

Givaudan, a company that makes flavors and fragrances, also has a research department here. Hewlett-Packard, a big technology company, has its main Switzerland office in Dübendorf. The Aeromedical Center of the Swiss Air Force is also located here. This center helps keep pilots healthy and safe.

Dübendorf has a low unemployment rate of 3.09%. Many people work in the service industry, like in offices or shops. There are also businesses in farming and manufacturing. Most people (76.1%) work full-time.

Learning in Dübendorf

Dübendorf has schools for all ages. The Primarschulverwaltung Dübendorf handles primary school students. The Sekundarschule Dübendorf-Schwerzenbach is for secondary school students. For higher education, students can go to the Kantonsschule Uster in Uster.

The Lycée Français Marie Curie de Zürich (LFZ), which is a French international school, has four campuses in Dübendorf.

The "Bildungslandschaft Dübendorf" is a program that supports education from a very young age. It helps families find information and learning opportunities. It also helps connect different groups that work with young children. The goal is to give all children a fair chance at a good education.

Fun Places to Visit

The Obere Mühle, a cultural center in Dübendorf

Dübendorf is a small city, so it's easy to walk around. You can cross the whole city in about half an hour. Besides the city center and the river, a cool place to visit is the museum of military aviation. Here, you can see different military planes. They also have displays that show how things like helicopter control systems work. You can even see two of the last original Junkers Ju 52 vintage aircraft that can still fly! Sometimes, you can even take a sightseeing trip in one of them.

Getting Around Dübendorf

Dübendorf has good train and bus connections. You can get to Zürich in about 10 minutes by train. You can also reach Winterthur and other places in the canton of Zürich. Dübendorf railway station is a stop for the Zürich S-Bahn lines S9 and S14. It's a 13-minute ride from Zürich Hauptbahnhof, the main train station in Zürich. Stettbach railway station is another S-Bahn stop for lines S3, S9, S11, and S12.

The military airport here is also home to one of the Rega bases. Rega is a Swiss air rescue service. The airport is no longer used for military jets.

Gallery

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  Bahnhofstrasse and the inner city from the train station

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  Technical solutions of the Glatt floodgates

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  A Swiss Air Force P-51 Mustang at the Dübendorf museum

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  A Junkers Ju 52 plane from the JU-AIR airline

Famous People from Dübendorf

Hans Waldmann in 1513

• Hans Waldmann (1435–1489), a mayor of Zürich and a military leader.
• Wilhelm Meyer-Lubke (1861–1936), a language expert who studied how languages change.
• Oskar Bider (1891–1919 in Dübendorf), an early aviation pioneer.
• Ruedi Walter (1916–1990), a well-known comedian and actor.
• Peter von Matt (born 1937), a language expert and writer who lives in Dübendorf.
• Guerino Mazzola (born 1947), a mathematician, music expert, and jazz pianist.
• Michael Lammer (born 1982), a retired professional tennis player who lives in Dübendorf.
• Leandra Columberg (born 1999), a Swiss politician.

See also

In Spanish: Dübendorf para niños