Heiden, Switzerland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heiden
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 Heiden
Location in Switzerland
Heiden
Location in Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Appenzell Ausserrhoden | |
| District | n.a. | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 7.48 km2 (2.89 sq mi) | |
| Elevation
(Protestant Church)
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793 m (2,602 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 4,188 | |
| • Density | 559.9/km2 (1,450.1/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
9410
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| Surrounded by | Eggersriet (SG), Grub, Lutzenberg, Oberegg (AI), Rehetobel, Reute, Thal (SG), Wald, Wolfhalden | |
| Twin towns | Bezau (Austria) | |
Heiden is a charming village and a municipality located in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. It's known for its beautiful village center, which has a special old-fashioned style called Biedermeier. This area around the church square is so important that it's listed as a heritage site of national significance, meaning it's a protected historical treasure.
Contents
Heiden's Past: A Look at Its History
Heiden was first mentioned in official records way back in 1461. Back then, it was called guot genant Haiden.
How Heiden Became Its Own Village
Heiden, along with two other villages, Lutzenberg and Wolfhalden, used to be part of one bigger area called Kurzenberg. Around 1650, Heiden and Wolfhalden had a disagreement about who should control the local church.
This led to each village building its own church in 1652, which made them separate. By 1658, the Kurzenberg area officially split into three different municipalities, even though the canton government didn't want them to. Their exact borders were finally set in 1666–67.
Famous People Connected to Heiden
Heiden is also famous for its connection to Henry Dunant, who helped start the Red Cross. He spent his last years living in Heiden. Another important person, Jakob Kellenberger, who used to be the president of the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), was also born in Heiden.
Heiden's Location and Landscape
Heiden covers an area of about 7.5 square kilometers (about 2.9 square miles). A big part of this land, about 52.4%, is used for farming. Forests cover 30.6% of the area. The rest of the land, 16.8%, has buildings or roads, and a tiny bit (0.3%) is made up of rivers or mountains.
The municipality is located in the area that used to be called the District of Vorderland, on the Kurzenberg. It includes the main village of Heiden and several smaller groups of houses, called hamlets, nearby.
Heiden's People: Population and Languages
Heiden had a population of 4,052 people in 2013. About 18.3% of these people were from other countries. Over the past 10 years, the number of people living in Heiden has gone down slightly.
Most people in Heiden speak German, about 88.7% of the population. Croatian is the second most common language, spoken by 5.9% of the people, and Italian is third, spoken by 1.1%.
In 2000, about 48.5% of the population was male, and 51.5% was female.
Age Groups in Heiden (2000)
- 0–6 years old: 7.7% of the population (311 people)
- 6–15 years old: 12.6% of the population (512 people)
- 16–19 years old: 5.4% of the population (219 people)
- 20–24 years old: 4.1% of the population (168 people)
- 25–44 years old: 29.0% of the population (1,179 people)
- 45–64 years old: 23.8% of the population (966 people)
- 65–79 years old: 12.1% of the population (491 people)
- Over 80 years old: 5.3% of the population (217 people)
Education and Jobs in Heiden
About 68.3% of the people in Heiden aged 25–64 have finished either high school or gone on to higher education, like university.
Heiden has a low unemployment rate of 1.61%. In 2005, there were 93 people working in farming and related businesses. The manufacturing sector employed 708 people. The service sector, which includes jobs like retail, healthcare, and tourism, employed 1,428 people.
Getting Around Heiden: Transportation
Heiden has a special train called a rack railway, the S25 service. This train runs every hour and is operated by Appenzell Railways. It connects Heiden to the port of Rorschach on Lake Constance, which is about 400 meters (1,300 feet) lower than Heiden. There are two train stations in the municipality: Heiden and Schwendi bei Heiden.
Heiden is also connected by several frequent Swiss PostAuto bus lines, making it easy to travel to nearby areas.
Well-Known People from Heiden
- Henry Dunant (1828–1910): He helped create the Red Cross and won the first Nobel Peace Prize.
- Heinrich Frenkel (1860–1931): A famous doctor who studied the brain and nerves.
- Sonja Nef (born 1972): An Olympic skier.
- Carlo Schmid-Sutter (born 1950): A politician.
- Hugo Thiemann (1917–2012): A manager known for his work in research and development.
- Ruth Westheimer (born 1928): A well-known media personality and therapist.
See also
In Spanish: Heiden para niños
Images for kids
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Ruth Westheimer
