Gelterfingen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gelterfingen
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 Gelterfingen
Location in Switzerland
Gelterfingen
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Bern-Mittelland | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 3.5 km2 (1.4 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 552 m (1,811 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2011)
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| • Total | 243 | |
| • Density | 69.4/km2 (179.8/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3126
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| Surrounded by | Belpberg, Gerzensee, Kaufdorf, Kirchenthurnen, Mühledorf, Rümligen, Toffen | |
Gelterfingen was a small town, or municipality, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It was part of the Bern-Mittelland administrative district. On January 1, 2018, Gelterfingen joined with two other towns, Mühledorf and Noflen, to form the new municipality of Kirchdorf.
Contents
Gelterfingen's Past: A Look at History
Gelterfingen was first mentioned in old records in the year 1345. Back then, its name was Geltolfingen.
Early Settlements and Land Ownership
The very first signs of people living in this area come from ancient graves found at a place called Hole. These graves belong to the Hallstatt culture, an important group of people from the early Iron Age.
During the Middle Ages, Gelterfingen was owned by a noble family called the Freiherr von Kramburg. A "Freiherr" was like a baron, a lord who owned land. Later, in 1373, the town was bought by the Knights Hospitaller. These were a group of knights who helped sick people and travelers, and they also owned land. They were based at the Münchenbuchsee Commandery nearby.
Becoming Part of Bern
In 1528, the city of Bern changed its religion to the Protestant Reformation. This meant they took over the lands of the Knights Hospitaller, including Gelterfingen. Under Bern's control, Gelterfingen was combined with another area called Kramburg and became part of the Seftigen district.
Farming and Modern Changes
The valley floor in Gelterfingen, called the Gürbetal, used to be very swampy. Because of this, farmers had to grow their crops on the hills around the village. The valley floor was mostly used for grazing animals.
However, big projects to fix the Gürbe and Müsche rivers between 1855 and 1911, and a drainage project from 1942 to 1951, made the valley floor much better for farming. This opened up rich new land. The building of a train station on the Gürbetal Railroad also helped the village grow. Today, about half of the people who live in Gelterfingen travel to other towns for work. The main jobs in the area are still farming, especially growing cabbage.
Gelterfingen's Location and Landscape
Gelterfingen covers an area of about 3.5 square kilometers (1.35 square miles).
Land Use in the Municipality
Most of the land in Gelterfingen is used for farming. About 69.3% of the area is farmland. Forests cover a good portion too, about 24.1%. The rest of the land, about 5.4%, is used for buildings and roads where people live and travel. A very small part, 0.6%, is made up of rivers or lakes.
The municipality is located in the Gürbetal valley, on the southwest side of the Belpberg mountain. Gelterfingen includes the main village and two smaller settlements, or hamlets, called Kramburg and Eggenhorn.
Administrative Changes
On December 31, 2009, the old district of Amtsbezirk Seftigen was closed. The very next day, January 1, 2010, Gelterfingen became part of the new Verwaltungskreis Bern-Mittelland district.
Gelterfingen's Coat of Arms
The blazon (official description) of Gelterfingen's coat of arms is: "Per pale Gules and Argent a Mount of ten Coupeaux floatant counterchanged." This means it's split down the middle, with one side red and the other silver. On top of this, there's a hill with ten rounded peaks, and its colors are swapped (red on the silver side, silver on the red side).
Who Lives in Gelterfingen?
As of 2011, Gelterfingen had a population of 243 people. About 2.9% of these people were foreign nationals living there. Between 2010 and 2011, the population slightly decreased.
Languages Spoken
Most people in Gelterfingen speak German as their main language. In 2000, about 98.8% of the population spoke German. A very small number of people also spoke Italian or Portuguese.
Population Details
In 2008, the population was almost evenly split between males (51.2%) and females (48.8%). Most residents were Swiss citizens.
Many people living in Gelterfingen were born there. In 2000, about 40.4% of the population were born in Gelterfingen. Another 48.8% were born in the same canton (Bern).
Age Groups and Households
In 2011, children and teenagers (up to 19 years old) made up 12.3% of the population. Adults (20-64 years old) were the largest group at 63.8%, and seniors (over 64 years old) made up 23.9%.
In 2010, there were 45 households with only one person living in them. There were also 4 households with five or more people. Most apartments in Gelterfingen are lived in all the time.
The chart below shows how Gelterfingen's population has changed over many years:
Gelterfingen's Economy
In 2011, the unemployment rate in Gelterfingen was very low, at 1.21%. This means almost everyone who wanted a job had one.
Jobs and Industries
In 2008, there were 78 people working in Gelterfingen.
- The primary sector (like farming) had 43 people working in 16 businesses.
- The secondary sector (like manufacturing and construction) had 20 people working in 3 businesses.
- The tertiary sector (like services, shops, and healthcare) had 15 people working in 7 businesses.
Many people who live in Gelterfingen also work there. In 2000, 51 workers (about 67%) both lived and worked in the municipality. However, more people traveled out of Gelterfingen for work than came in. About 16.8% of working people used public transportation, and 45.3% used a private car to get to work.
Taxes and Income
In 2011, a married person with two children in Gelterfingen, earning 150,000 CHF, paid about 12% in local and canton taxes. An unmarried person paid about 17.6%. These rates were a bit lower than the average for the whole canton of Bern.
In 2011, a small part of the population, about 1.2%, received financial help from the government.
Religion in Gelterfingen
Based on the 2000 census, most people in Gelterfingen belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, about 78.4%. A smaller number, 4.4%, were Roman Catholic. Some people belonged to other Christian churches, and about 5.6% said they had no religion or were agnostic or atheist.
Education in Gelterfingen
Many adults in Gelterfingen have a good education. About 57.6% of the population have finished non-mandatory upper secondary education. This is like high school or vocational training. Also, 10.8% have completed higher education, such as university or a specialized college.
In 2000, 25 students attended school within Gelterfingen itself. Most of these students also lived in the municipality. At the same time, 15 residents of Gelterfingen went to schools in other towns.
See also
In Spanish: Gelterfingen para niños
