Erlen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erlen
Coat of arms
Erlen Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Erlen Location in Canton of Thurgau Show map of Canton of Thurgau
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Thurgau
District	Weinfelden
Area
• Total	12.19 km2 (4.71 sq mi)
Elevation	455 m (1,493 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	3,802
• Density	311.89/km2 (807.8/sq mi)
Postal code	8586
Surrounded by	Amriswil, Birwinken, Hohentannen, Langrickenbach, Sommeri, Sulgen, Zihlschlacht-Sitterdorf

Erlen is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It's found in the canton of Thurgau, within the Weinfelden District. Erlen is a lovely place with a mix of history and modern life.

History of Erlen

How Erlen Grew

The Erlen you see today was formed in 1995. It was created by joining several smaller communities. These included Erlen itself, Engishofen, Ennetaach, Kümmertshausen, and Riedt. One part of Erlen, called Ehstegen, was first mentioned way back in the year 838!

Old Rules and Churches

Before 1798, Erlen was part of an area known as the Hohen Gerichte. This meant it was directly controlled by the governor of Thurgau. This governor worked for the Confederation.

In 1764, a Reformed Church was built in Erlen. For a long time, it was part of the larger church area of Sulgen. The church got its own cemetery in 1819. It finally became its own independent church area in 1992. People who were Catholic in Erlen continued to be part of the Catholic church in Sulgen.

Industry and Jobs

In 1652, the Brunschweiler family moved to Erlen. They helped start a new way of making money: spinning and weaving at home. This was called a "cottage industry."

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Erlen became important for trading and dyeing linen. Later, in the 19th century, mechanical embroidery also became a big industry here. A major change happened in 1951 when Lista AG, a steel company, built a factory in Erlen. This factory provided many jobs for the people living there.

Geography of Erlen

Land Use

Erlen covers an area of about 12.19 square kilometers (about 4.7 square miles). Most of this land, about 71.3%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 14.8% of the area.

About 13.4% of Erlen is covered by buildings and roads. A small part, 0.5%, is rivers or lakes. The rest, about 0.3%, is land that can't be used for anything.

Parts of Erlen

The municipality of Erlen is made up of several smaller areas. These include the main village of Erlen, and the former communities of Buchackern, Engishofen, Ennetaach, and Kümmertshausen. Riedt, which used to be part of Sulgen, is also now part of Erlen. The village of Erlen itself has sections called Erlen-Dorf, Ehstegen, and Eppishausen.

People of Erlen (Demographics)

Population and Languages

Erlen has a population of about 3,078 people. About 19.5% of the people living here are from other countries. Over the last ten years, the population has grown a little bit.

Most people in Erlen speak German, about 90.2% of the population. The second most common language is Albanian, spoken by about 3.7% of the people. After that, about 2.3% of the people speak Italian.

Age Groups

In Erlen, the population is made up of different age groups:

• About 10.3% of the people are children aged 0 to 9 years old.
• About 14.3% are teenagers aged 10 to 19 years old.
• About 13.9% are young adults aged 20 to 29 years old.
• About 11.6% are adults aged 30 to 39 years old.
• About 18.3% are adults aged 40 to 49 years old.
• About 14.1% are adults aged 50 to 59 years old.
• About 9.1% are seniors aged 60 to 69 years old.
• About 5.3% are seniors aged 70 to 79 years old.
• About 2.7% are seniors aged 80 to 89 years old.
• About 0.4% are seniors aged 90 and older.

Homes in Erlen

In 2000, there were 1,120 homes in Erlen. On average, about 2.7 people lived in each home. Most of the buildings were single-family homes. Many people lived in families with children.

Population Changes Over Time

Here's how the population of Erlen has changed over the years:

This table shows the population for the entire, combined municipality of Erlen.

Sights in Erlen

The whole village of Erlen-Eppishausen is considered a special place. It's part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites, which means it has important historical or cultural value.

Economy of Erlen

Jobs and Businesses

In 2007, Erlen had a low unemployment rate, meaning most people who wanted jobs had them. There are different types of jobs in Erlen:

• Primary sector: About 208 people work in farming and related businesses. There are about 56 businesses in this area.
• Secondary sector: About 571 people work in factories and manufacturing. There are about 41 businesses in this area.
• Tertiary sector: About 392 people work in services, like shops, offices, and healthcare. There are about 76 businesses in this area.

Commuting to Work

Many people who live in Erlen also work there. In 2000, about 2,167 people lived in the municipality. About 990 of them worked outside Erlen. However, 693 people came into Erlen for work from other places.

When people travel to work, about 7.1% use public transportation. A much larger number, about 50.9%, use a private car to get to their jobs.

Religion in Erlen

Based on a census from 2000, here's a look at the religious groups in Erlen:

• About 29.6% of the people are Roman Catholic.
• About 47.6% belong to the Swiss Reformed Church.
• A smaller number, about 1.27%, belong to the Orthodox Church.
• About 3.88% belong to other Christian churches.
• About 7.76% of the population are Islamic.
• Some people belong to other churches not listed, or they don't belong to any church. About 5.48% said they had no religion, or were agnostic or atheist.

Transport in Erlen

Erlen is located on the Winterthur–Romanshorn railway line. This line connects the towns of Wil and Romanshorn. You can catch a train at the Erlen railway station, which is part of the St. Gallen S-Bahn system.

Education in Erlen

School System

Switzerland is known for having a well-educated population. In Erlen, about 66.8% of adults (between 25 and 64 years old) have finished high school or gone on to higher education, like university.

Erlen has its own school district, which includes Erlen-Riedt-Ennetaach. In the 2008-2009 school year, there were 420 students in primary and secondary schools.

Kindergarten

There were 85 children in kindergarten. The average class size was 17 children.

Primary School

Primary school usually starts around age 5 or 6 and lasts for six years. There were 121 children in the lower primary level and 127 in the upper primary level. The average class size in primary school was about 20.67 students.

Secondary School

At the secondary level, students are grouped based on how well they perform in school. This level usually starts around age 12 and lasts for three years.

• There were 93 teenagers in the advanced school group.
• There were 79 teenagers in the standard school group.

The average class size for all secondary classes was about 19.11 students.

See also

In Spanish: Erlen para niños