Heiligenschwendi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heiligenschwendi
|
||
|---|---|---|
|
||
 Heiligenschwendi
Location in Switzerland
Heiligenschwendi
Location in Canton of Bern
|
||
| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Thun | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5.55 km2 (2.14 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 1,123 m (3,684 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
|
||
| • Total | 725 | |
| • Density | 130.63/km2 (338.3/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3625
|
|
| Surrounded by | Hilterfingen, Homberg, Oberhofen am Thunersee, Sigriswil, Teuffenthal, Thun | |
Heiligenschwendi is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It is located in the canton of Bern, near the city of Thun. It's known for its beautiful spot high above Lake Thun.
Contents
History of Heiligenschwendi
Heiligenschwendi was first written about in the year 1285. Back then, it was called Helgeswendi.
Early Days and Changes
Long ago, this area belonged to a powerful family called the Kyburgs. But after a battle in 1382, they lost most of their land to Bern. Heiligenschwendi then became part of Bern's rule. It was also part of the church area, or parish, of Hilterfingen.
Originally, Heiligenschwendi was made up of three smaller villages: Heiligenschwendi, Schwendihaus, and Hünibach. By 1782, these villages had a few dozen people each. Heiligenschwendi and Schwendihaus shared a school and grew closer. Hünibach, however, had its own school and started to become more separate.
In 1884, a new road called the Seestrasse (Lake road) opened. This road connected Hünibach and the rest of Heiligenschwendi to Thun. Later, in 1913, a tram station opened in Hünibach. This made Hünibach a popular place for people who worked in other towns but wanted to live in a quieter area. Hünibach grew much faster than the other two villages. In 1958, after a lot of discussion, Hünibach decided to leave Heiligenschwendi and join the nearby municipality of Hilterfingen.
Chapel and Clinic
In 1925, a special chapel was built near the Heiligenschwendi school. This chapel was used by both the Swiss Reformed Church and the local Methodist church. A cemetery was added four years later.
In 1895, a clinic for people with tuberculosis (a lung disease) opened in Heiligenschwendi. The clinic grew in 1912 as more patients came. Because of the clinic, hotels, restaurants, and rental homes also started to open for visitors. People came to the clinic or to enjoy the nearby Lake Thun and mountains.
Electricity came to the villages in 1904 from a hydroelectric dam. Boat tours on the lake started stopping at Heiligenschwendi in 1919. In the 1920s and 1930s, better health care meant fewer people got tuberculosis. This was good for health, but it made things harder for the local economy. To help, a tourist office opened in 1933 to bring more visitors. Today, there are four hotels in the area.
The clinic changed over time. By 1960, it focused on treating asthma. Later, it became a center for people recovering from heart disease and asthma. New buildings for the clinic were built in 1976.
Geography
Heiligenschwendi covers an area of about 6.57 square kilometers (2.54 square miles). Almost half of this land, about 48.8%, is used for farming. A large part, 43.6%, is covered by forests. The rest of the land has buildings and roads (7.4%), or is made up of rivers and lakes (0.2%). A very small part (0.4%) is land that cannot be used for anything.
The municipality is located on a flat area, or terrace, high above the right side of Lake Thun. It sits between 900 and 1125 meters (about 2,950 to 3,690 feet) above sea level. The area includes the small village of Heiligenschwendi and the village of Schwendi, which has the hospital. There are also many scattered farmhouses.
Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Heiligenschwendi shows a bright golden sun on top of three green hills, all on a blue background.
Population and People
Heiligenschwendi has a population of about 681 people (as of December 2012). A small part of the population, about 9.4%, are people from other countries.
Languages and Backgrounds
Most people in Heiligenschwendi speak German as their main language (about 90.5%). Other languages spoken include Serbo-Croatian and Italian.
In 2008, about 49.2% of the people were male and 50.8% were female. Most people living in Heiligenschwendi were born in Switzerland. About 27.2% were born right in Heiligenschwendi, and 37.8% were born in the same canton of Bern.
Age Groups
In 2012, the population was divided into age groups:
- Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 18.5% of the population.
- Adults (20–64 years old) made up 57.9%.
- Seniors (over 64 years old) made up 23.6%.
Population Over Time
The chart below shows how the population of Heiligenschwendi has changed over many years:
Economy and Jobs
In 2011, Heiligenschwendi had a low unemployment rate of 1.41%. This means most people who wanted a job had one.
Types of Jobs
In 2011, there were 509 people working in Heiligenschwendi. Jobs are often grouped into three main types:
- Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming. About 50 people worked in this area.
- Secondary sector: This includes jobs in manufacturing and construction. About 20 people worked here.
- Tertiary sector: This includes jobs that provide services, like health care, shops, and restaurants. About 439 people worked in this sector. A large number of these jobs were in health care, likely at the local clinic.
Many people who live in Heiligenschwendi also work there. In 2000, about 192 people both lived and worked in the municipality. Many people also travel into Heiligenschwendi for work, more than those who leave to work elsewhere.
Taxes
Heiligenschwendi has some of the lowest local and canton taxes in the area. This can make it an attractive place to live.
Religion
Based on information from 2000, most people in Heiligenschwendi (about 60.3%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 9.3% were Roman Catholic. Other Christian churches, including Orthodox and Methodist churches, also had members. A small number of people were Jewish, Muslim, or Hindu. About 14.14% of the population said they did not belong to any church.
Education
In Heiligenschwendi, about half of the adults have finished high school (called upper secondary education). About 22% have gone on to higher education, like a university or a specialized college.
School System
The school system in the Canton of Bern works like this:
- One year of optional Kindergarten.
- Six years of Primary school.
- Three years of required lower Secondary school. Students are grouped based on their abilities.
- After lower Secondary, students can continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).
In the 2012-2013 school year, 56 students attended classes in Heiligenschwendi. This included 12 students in kindergarten and 32 students in primary school. Some students (12 of them) from Heiligenschwendi went to lower secondary schools in nearby towns.
Images for kids
-
Aerial view of the tuberculosis clinic (1952)
See also
In Spanish: Heiligenschwendi para niños
