Eriz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eriz
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 Eriz
Location in Switzerland
Eriz
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Thun | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 21.78 km2 (8.41 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 1,005 m (3,297 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 485 | |
| • Density | 22.268/km2 (57.67/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3619
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| Surrounded by | Beatenberg, Habkern, Horrenbach-Buchen, Oberlangenegg, Röthenbach im Emmental, Schangnau, Teuffenthal | |
Eriz is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It is located in the canton of Bern, within the Thun area.
Contents
History of Eriz
Eriz was first mentioned in official papers in the year 1320. Back then, it was called Erarze.
Eriz in the Middle Ages
This small mountain village was once part of the Herrschaft of Heimberg. A Herrschaft was like a small territory ruled by a lord. In the 1300s, the large forests around Eriz were split between the Counts of Kyburg and the city of Bern. By 1344, the Kyburg family's high forests in the Zulgtal area had been cleared without permission. The first records of mountain meadows used for herding animals date back to 1335.
In 1384, Bern took over the village and the Kyburg lands. Eriz then became part of the Steffisburg court, which was in the Thun District. Later, in 1834, a part of Eriz, located on the left side of the Eriz river, separated and joined the Horrenbach-Buchen municipality.
Religious Life in Eriz
Originally, Eriz was part of the Steffisburg parish. A parish is a church district. In 1693, a parish church was built in Schwarzenegg. Eriz then became part of this new Schwarzenegg parish.
Eriz's Economy Over Time
For a long time, people in Eriz were farmers. They raised cattle in seasonal alpine camps during summer. This means they moved their animals to high mountain pastures. In winter, they brought them down to the valley.
In the 1600s and 1700s, many of the high meadows and cattle herds were bought by wealthy families from Bern. These families were called patricians. But by 1800, local farmers had mostly gotten back the rights to their herds and pastures.
In 1848, an important road was built. This road connected Eriz to Schwarzenegg. In 1864, the government replanted many trees on the hillside and meadows of Honegg mountain.
Today, dairy farming and making cheese are still important for Eriz's economy. But other jobs have grown too. These include logging (cutting down trees), small businesses, and tourism.
Schools in Eriz
Eriz has two primary schools, one in Bieten and one in Bühl. However, the school in Bühl has been closed for many years. For secondary school, students from Eriz go to classes in the nearby community of Unterlangenegg.
Geography of Eriz
Eriz covers an area of about 21.80 square kilometers (8.42 square miles). In 2012, almost half of the land (45.3%) was used for farming. Another large part (44.9%) was covered by forests.
A small portion (2.8%) of the municipality has buildings or roads. A tiny bit (0.6%) is rivers or lakes. The remaining part (6.5%) is land that cannot be used for farming or building. This includes rocky areas or places with unproductive plants.
Land Use Details
In 2012, about 1.5% of the land was used for homes and buildings. Roads and other transport areas made up 1.2%. A big part of the forest (39.3%) was dense woodland. Another 4.6% had orchards or small groups of trees.
For farming land, 14.8% was used for pastures. Another 30.3% was used for alpine pastures, which are high mountain grazing areas. All the water in Eriz is flowing water, like rivers and streams.
Where is Eriz Located?
Eriz is spread out among the hills and valleys of the Alps. It is located north of the Zulg river. It sits on the south side of Honegg mountain and the west side of Hohgant mountain.
The municipality is divided into two main parts: Ausser-Eriz and Inner-Eriz.
- Ausser-Eriz (Outer Eriz) includes smaller areas like Äppenschwendi, Bühl, Kapfern, and Losenegg.
- Inner-Eriz (Inner Eriz) includes Halten, Niedermatt, Linden (also known as Dörfli), Bieten, and Scheidzaun.
Eriz is also part of the Schwarzenegg parish.
Administrative Changes
On December 31, 2009, the old administrative district of Amtsbezirk Thun was closed down. The very next day, on January 1, 2010, Eriz joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Thun. This was a change in how the local government was organized.
Eriz's Coat of Arms
A blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms. The coat of arms for Eriz is described as: Gules a Bend wavy Argent and overall a Fir Tree Vert trunked and eradicated or.
In simpler terms, this means the shield is red (Gules). It has a wavy silver (Argent) stripe going across it. On top of this, there is a green (Vert) fir tree. The tree's trunk and roots are golden (or).
Population of Eriz
Eriz has a population of 485 people (as of 2012). About 2.9% of the people living in Eriz are foreign nationals. Between 2010 and 2012, the population of Eriz decreased by 2.0%. This was partly because more people moved away than moved in (-1.2%). Also, there were more deaths than births (-0.8%).
Languages Spoken
Most people in Eriz (98.0%) speak German as their main language (as of 2000). English is the second most common language (1.0%), and Albanian is third (0.4%). There is also one person who speaks Italian.
Who Lives in Eriz?
As of 2008, about 50.4% of the population was male and 49.6% was female. Most people in Eriz are Swiss citizens. In 2000, about 60.8% of the people living in Eriz were also born there. Another 29.1% were born in the same canton (Bern). A smaller number (4.2%) were born elsewhere in Switzerland, and 3.0% were born outside of Switzerland.
Age Groups
In 2012, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 21.6% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) made up 54.9%. Seniors (over 64 years old) made up 23.5%.
Family Life
In 2000, there were 207 single people in Eriz who had never been married. There were 247 married people, 39 widows or widowers, and 9 divorced individuals.
As of 2010, there were 61 households with only one person. There were 18 households with five or more people. In 2000, most apartments (68.0%) were lived in all year round. Some (25.1%) were used only during certain seasons, and a few (6.9%) were empty. In 2012, new homes were being built at a rate of 4.1 new units for every 1000 residents. In 2013, about 1.0% of homes were empty. In 2012, single-family homes made up 36.2% of all housing in Eriz.
Population Changes Over Time
The chart below shows how the population of Eriz has changed throughout history:
Economy of Eriz
In 2011, the unemployment rate in Eriz was very low, at 0.23%. This means almost everyone who wanted a job had one. In the same year, 184 people worked in Eriz.
Main Job Sectors
Jobs are often divided into three main sectors:
- Primary sector: This includes jobs that get raw materials from nature. In Eriz, 110 people worked in this sector, mostly in agriculture (farming). There were 39 businesses in this area.
- Secondary sector: This involves making things. 12 people worked in this sector, with 6 businesses. Half of these jobs were in manufacturing (making goods), and half were in construction (building things).
- Tertiary sector: This includes jobs that provide services. 62 people worked in this sector, with 21 businesses. Examples include sales, transportation, hotels, restaurants, and education.
In 2008, there were 122 full-time equivalent jobs in Eriz. This means if you add up all the hours worked, it would be like 122 people working full-time.
Commuting and Work
In 2000, 14 workers came into Eriz for their jobs, while 126 workers left Eriz to work elsewhere. This means more people from Eriz work outside the municipality than people from outside work in Eriz. Most workers (90.1%) lived and worked in Eriz.
To get to work, 5.5% of workers used public transportation. A larger number, 55.3%, used a private car.
Taxes and Income
Eriz has one of the lowest local and canton (state) tax rates in Bern. In 2012, a married person with two children earning 150,000 CHF (Swiss Francs) paid about 12.5% in taxes. An unmarried person paid 18.8%. This was lower than the average for the whole canton.
In 2010, 177 people paid taxes in Eriz. 28 of them earned over 75,000 CHF per year. The largest group of workers (49 people) earned between 50,000 and 75,000 CHF per year.
A small percentage of the population (1.1% in 2011) received financial help from the government.
Religion in Eriz
Based on the 2000 census:
- Most people (87.3%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.
- A smaller group (1.4%) were Roman Catholic.
- About 1.59% belonged to other Christian churches.
- About 1.20% were Muslim.
- There were 4 people who were Hindu.
- 15 people (2.99%) said they had no religion, or were agnostic (not sure if God exists) or atheist (do not believe in God).
- 23 people (4.58%) did not answer the question about their religion.
Education in Eriz
In Eriz, about 49.8% of the population has finished non-mandatory upper secondary education. This is schooling after the required lower secondary level. Also, 6% have completed higher education, like university or a Fachhochschule (a type of professional university).
The Bern School System
The school system in the Canton of Bern works like this:
- One year of non-obligatory Kindergarten (not required).
- Six years of Primary school (required).
- Three years of obligatory lower Secondary school (required). Students are placed into different classes based on their abilities.
- After lower Secondary, students can choose to continue schooling or start an apprenticeship. An apprenticeship is a program where you learn a trade or skill while working.
Students in Eriz
During the 2012-2013 school year, 48 students attended classes in Eriz.
- 11 students were in German language kindergarten classes.
- 37 students were in primary school classes.
In 2000, 70 students attended school in Eriz. Of these, 66 lived and went to school in Eriz. Four students came from other towns to attend school in Eriz. In the same year, 10 residents of Eriz went to schools outside the municipality.
See also
In Spanish: Eriz para niños
