Gurzelen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gurzelen
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 Gurzelen
Location in Switzerland
Gurzelen
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Thun | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4.52 km2 (1.75 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 591 m (1,939 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 884 | |
| • Density | 195.6/km2 (506.5/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3663
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| Surrounded by | Burgistein, Forst, Längenbühl, Seftigen, Uetendorf, Wattenwil | |
Gurzelen is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It's located in the canton of Bern, within the Thun district.
Contents
Gurzelen's Past: A Look at History
Gurzelen was first mentioned in old writings around 1230. Back then, its name was Gurcellun.
Early Settlements and Medieval Times
People have lived in the Gurzelen area for a very long time. Scientists have found ancient tools from the Stone Age. There are also tombs from the Hallstatt culture and signs of a Roman settlement.
During the Middle Ages, a local noble family owned the village and its farms. In the 1200s, the land was split into two parts. Each part had its own village, church, and even a castle!
One part was called Obergurzelen. It had a church and a strong tower. The tower was mentioned in records from 1254 to 1353. The other part was Niedergurzelen. It had another church and a castle called the Gesäss, first mentioned in 1338.
Changing Hands and New Beginnings
Over time, these two parts were owned by different noble families. They were even reunited and then split again into three sections! In 1542, the ownership became more stable for about 250 years. The von Wattenwyl zu Burgistein family owned two-thirds of Gurzelen. The city of Bern owned the rest.
Eventually, both the old tower and castle became ruins and were left empty. In 1664, the nearby town of Seftigen joined Gurzelen's church area. A new church was built in 1710, and the old chapel in Obergurzelen was taken down.
After the French invaded Switzerland in 1798, the old way of doing things changed. The three parts of Gurzelen were finally united into one municipality.
Modern Gurzelen: Trains and Commuters
In 1902, the Gürbetal railroad built a train station in Gurzelen. This made it easier for people to travel. Even with the train, Gurzelen is still mostly a farming area. About two-thirds of the people who work here travel to jobs in bigger cities like Bern and Thun.
Gurzelen's Landscape: Geography and Nature
Gurzelen covers an area of about 4.5 square kilometers (1.7 square miles). It's located between the Aare river and the upper Gürbetal valley.
Land Use and Natural Features
Most of Gurzelen's land is used for farming. About 80% is farmland where crops grow or animals graze. Forests cover about 12% of the area. The rest, about 7%, has buildings and roads. There are no large lakes, but there are rivers flowing through the municipality.
The municipality includes the villages of Ober- and Niedergurzelen. You can also find scattered farmhouses and individual homes throughout the area.
Administrative Changes
On December 31, 2009, Gurzelen's old administrative district, Amtsbezirk Seftigen, was closed. The very next day, January 1, 2010, Gurzelen became part of the new Verwaltungskreis Thun district.
Gurzelen's Symbol: Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Gurzelen has a special design. It is split down the middle into red and black. A silver stripe goes diagonally across it.
Gurzelen's People: Demographics
Gurzelen has a population of about 822 people as of December 2011. A small number, about 2.2%, are people from other countries. The population has been growing slightly.
Languages and Origins
Most people in Gurzelen speak German as their main language. About 98% of the population speaks German. A small number of people also speak French or Albanian.
In 2008, the population was almost evenly split between men and women. About 39.7% of the people living in Gurzelen in 2000 were born there. Many others were born in the same canton of Bern.
Age Groups and Households
Children and teenagers (ages 0-19) make up about 26% of Gurzelen's population. Adults (20-64 years old) make up about 60%, and seniors (over 64) make up about 13%.
In 2010, there were 84 households with only one person. There were also 32 households with five or more people. Most apartments in Gurzelen are lived in all the time.
Gurzelen's Work: Economy
In 2011, Gurzelen had a very low unemployment rate, at just over 1%. This means most people who wanted to work had a job.
Jobs and Industries
In 2008, 159 people worked in Gurzelen.
- The primary sector (like farming) employed 89 people. There were 31 businesses in this area.
- The secondary sector (like manufacturing and construction) employed 36 people. There were 11 businesses.
- The tertiary sector (like services, shops, and education) employed 34 people. There were 9 businesses.
Many people who live in Gurzelen work outside the municipality. About 259 workers travel away from Gurzelen for their jobs, while only 45 workers come into Gurzelen to work. This means Gurzelen sends out more workers than it brings in.
Most people who work in Gurzelen also live there. About 11% of workers use public transportation, like trains or buses, to get to work. A much larger number, 59%, use a private car.
Gurzelen's Beliefs: Religion
Based on the 2000 census, most people in Gurzelen belong to the Swiss Reformed Church, which is a Protestant church. A smaller number are Roman Catholic. Some people belong to other Christian churches or are Muslim. About 6% of the population said they did not belong to any church.
Gurzelen's Schools: Education
In Gurzelen, about 65% of adults have finished high school, which is called upper secondary education in Switzerland. About 14% have gone on to higher education, like university.
School System in Bern
The Canton of Bern has a specific school system.
- Children start with one year of optional kindergarten.
- Then they go to primary school for six years.
- After that, they have three years of lower secondary school. Students are grouped based on their abilities.
- After lower secondary school, students can choose to continue their education or start an apprenticeship, which is like learning a job while working.
During the 2011-2012 school year, 87 students attended classes in Gurzelen. There were 2 kindergarten classes with 27 students and 3 primary classes with 60 students. Most students who live in Gurzelen also go to school there.
See also
In Spanish: Gurzelen para niños
