Heimiswil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heimiswil
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Heimiswil village rectory and prebendary barn
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 Heimiswil
Location in Switzerland
Heimiswil
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Emmental | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 23.36 km2 (9.02 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 615 m (2,018 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 1,632 | |
| • Density | 69.86/km2 (180.94/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3412
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| Surrounded by | Affoltern im Emmental, Burgdorf, Hasle bei Burgdorf, Rüegsau, Wynigen | |
Heimiswil is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Emmental area of Switzerland. It's part of the Bern canton, which is like a state or region in Switzerland.
Contents
Heimiswil's Past: A Look at History
Early Beginnings and Old Castles
Heimiswil was first written about in the year 1250. Back then, it was called Heimoltswiler.
Long ago, during the High Middle Ages, there was a simple fort made of earth at a place called Tschoggen. Powerful families, like the Counts of Kyburg, owned land in Heimiswil during the 1200s and 1300s.
In 1402, the Kyburg family sold their right to hold a "low court" to the city of Burgdorf. A low court was where smaller legal problems were handled. Later, this court was held at a local inn called Gasthof Löwen.
Churches and Community Life
A family church was built in Heimiswil before 1275 by the Zähringen or Kyburg family. In the 1340s, the town of Burgdorf took over the church. They used its income to help support a hospital.
For a long time, the hospital's priest also served Heimiswil. But in 1703-1704, the Bern government allowed the people of Heimiswil to build their own church. This let them form their own parish, which is a church community.
Keeping it Rural
During the 1700s, Burgdorf wanted Heimiswil to stay a farming village. For example, in 1705, they even banned metalworkers from setting up shops there. Even today, Heimiswil is mostly a farming area with only a few small businesses.
Exploring Heimiswil's Geography
Heimiswil covers an area of about 23.4 square kilometers (9 square miles). A large part of this land, about 61.1%, is used for farming. Forests cover another 33.7% of the area. The rest, about 5.1%, is used for buildings and roads. A tiny bit, 0.2%, is made up of rivers or lakes.
Most of the built-up areas are houses and other buildings (3.0%). Roads and other transport paths make up 1.7%. In the forested areas, 32.6% is dense forest, and 1.2% has orchards or small groups of trees. For farming, 18.3% is used for crops, and 40.7% is for pastures where animals graze. About 2.1% is used for fruit trees or grapevines. All the water in Heimiswil is flowing water, like streams.
The municipality is spread out over hilly land. It sits between the Heimiswilgraben, which is near the Emme river, and the Wynigen and Känerich valleys. Heimiswil includes the main villages of Heimiswil, Busswil, and Berg (which has Kaltacker). It also includes Rotenbaum (with Lueg and Rinderbach) and many scattered small hamlets and farmhouses. There's even a separate piece of land called Hirsegg, which is an exclave (a part of the municipality that is separated from the main area).
In 2010, Heimiswil became part of a new administrative area called Verwaltungskreis Emmental.
Heimiswil's Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Heimiswil is a special design. It shows a green yew tree with red fruits. This tree stands on three green hills. The background of the shield is gold.
Who Lives in Heimiswil?
Heimiswil has a population of about 1,636 people (as of 2022). In 2010, about 4.3% of the people living there were from other countries. Over the past 10 years (from 2000 to 2010), the number of people living in Heimiswil grew by about 3.2%. Most of this growth came from people moving into the area.
Languages Spoken
Most people in Heimiswil (about 98.8%) speak German as their main language. A small number of people speak French (0.3%) or Dutch (0.2%). There is also 1 person who speaks Italian.
Where People Come From
In 2008, about 50.7% of the population was male and 49.3% was female. Most people (about 48.5%) were born in Heimiswil and still lived there in 2000. Another 36.5% were born in the same canton (Bern). About 8.9% were born elsewhere in Switzerland, and 2.2% were born outside of Switzerland.
Age Groups
As of 2010, children and teenagers (up to 19 years old) make up 22.2% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) make up 59%, and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18.8%.
Households and Homes
In 2000, there were 159 homes where only one person lived. There were also 63 homes with five or more people. Most apartments (85.1%) were lived in all year round. Some (11.0%) were used only at certain times of the year, and a few (3.8%) were empty. In 2010, new homes were being built at a rate of 2.4 new homes for every 1000 residents.
Important Heritage Sites
Heimiswil has some important historical places. The Federal Microfilm Archive (Eidgenössisches Mikrofilmarchiv) is one of them. The church and its rectory (the priest's house) are also considered important Swiss heritage sites. The entire small hamlet of Guetisbergand is also recognized as an important heritage site.
Heimiswil's Economy: How People Work
In 2011, the unemployment rate in Heimiswil was low, at 1.67%. In 2008, there were 521 people working in the municipality.
Main Job Areas
- Farming (Primary Sector): About 314 people worked in farming, which includes agriculture. There were about 110 businesses in this area.
- Industry (Secondary Sector): About 61 people worked in industries like manufacturing and construction. There were 15 businesses in this sector.
- Services (Tertiary Sector): About 146 people worked in service jobs, like shops, restaurants, and education. There were 22 businesses in this sector.
In 2008, there were 345 full-time jobs. Most of these were in agriculture (199 jobs). In the industry sector, about half the jobs were in manufacturing and half in construction. In the service sector, many jobs were in hotels or restaurants (51.6%), and some were in education (14.0%) or healthcare (7.5%).
Commuting to Work
In 2000, 88 workers came into Heimiswil for their jobs, while 516 workers left Heimiswil to work elsewhere. This means more people leave Heimiswil for work than come in. About 8% of workers used public transportation, and 52.5% used a private car to get to work.
Religion in Heimiswil
Based on a 2000 survey, most people in Heimiswil (84.6%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, which is a Protestant church. About 3.3% were Roman Catholic.
A small number of people belonged to other Christian churches (4.34%) or were Islamic (0.32%). There were also a few people who were Buddhist or Hindu. About 5.96% of the population said they didn't belong to any church or were agnostic or atheist.
Learning and Education
In Heimiswil, about 38.8% of the population has finished non-mandatory upper secondary education. This is like high school. About 10.4% have gone on to higher education, like a university or a specialized college.
School System in Bern
The Canton of Bern has a specific school system:
- One year of non-required Kindergarten.
- Six years of Primary school.
- Three years of required lower Secondary school. In this stage, 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).
During the 2010-2011 school year, 170 students attended schools in Heimiswil. There were 36 kindergarten students, 116 primary students, and 18 lower secondary students.
In 2000, 26 students came to Heimiswil from other towns to go to school. At the same time, 82 students from Heimiswil went to schools outside the municipality.
See also
In Spanish: Heimiswil para niños
