Hermrigen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hermrigen
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 Hermrigen
Location in Switzerland
Hermrigen
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Seeland | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 3.42 km2 (1.32 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 513 m (1,683 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 307 | |
| • Density | 89.77/km2 (232.5/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3274
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| Surrounded by | Bellmund, Bühl, Epsach, Kappelen, Merzligen, Mörigen, Sutz-Lattrigen | |
Hermrigen is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It is located in the Seeland area of the canton of Bern.
Contents
History of Hermrigen
Hermrigen was first mentioned in official records in the year 1249. Back then, its name was Hermeringen.
The oldest signs of people living here are Stone Age tools found at Schönbrünnefeld. These tools are likely from the Middle Stone Age. A very old burial mound from the Hallstatt era (an early Iron Age culture) was also found. Some Roman artifacts have been discovered too.
During the Middle Ages, several knightly families and a monastery called Frienisberg Abbey owned land in the village. In 1335, a knight named Ulrich von Sutz sold his land in Hermrigen to the Count of Neuchâtel-Nidau. A "Count" was a powerful noble ruler.
In 1398, the city of Bern took control of these lands, including Hermrigen. Under Bern's rule, Hermrigen joined with another village, Merzligen-Niklaus, to form a local court. This arrangement lasted until the French invaded Switzerland in 1798.
The village is part of the Täuffelen "parish," which is a church district.
Between 1868 and 1891, big projects called the Jura water correction helped drain many swampy areas around the village. More drainage work in 1925-33 and 1977-89 created even more farmland. A primary school was built in 1971, which Hermrigen shares with the nearby town of Merzligen. Today, most people who live in Hermrigen travel to other towns for work.
Geography of Hermrigen
Hermrigen covers an area of about 3.5 square kilometers (1.4 square miles). A large part of this land, about 50.6%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 42.4% of the area. The remaining 7.6% is covered by buildings and roads, and a tiny bit (0.3%) is unproductive land.
Most of the forested land is covered with thick forests. For farming, about 39.5% of the land is used for growing crops. Another 9.1% is used for pastures where animals graze. A small part, 2.0%, is used for orchards or vineyards.
Hermrigen village is located on the main road that connects Bern, Aarberg, and Biel. It sits on the southern edge of the Oberholz woods, between Lake Biel and the Bernese Seeland region.
In 2010, Hermrigen joined a new administrative area called Verwaltungskreis Seeland. Before that, it was part of Amtsbezirk Nidau.
Hermrigen's Coat of Arms
The blazon (official description) of Hermrigen's coat of arms is: Gules a Sword in pale Argent hilted and pommed Or between two Oak Leaves of the last. This means it shows a red shield with a silver sword pointing up. The sword has a gold handle and pommel (the knob at the end of the handle). On either side of the sword are two gold oak leaves.
People and Population
As of December 2011, Hermrigen had a population of 256 people. In 2010, about 3.3% of the people living there were foreign nationals. Over ten years (2001-2011), the population grew by 4.1%. This growth was mostly due to people moving into the town.
Most people in Hermrigen (97.3%) speak German as their main language. A few people speak French (1.2%) or Italian (0.4%).
In 2008, the population was almost equally split between males (50.4%) and females (49.6%). Most residents were Swiss citizens. Many people (35%) were born in Hermrigen, and 40% were born in the same canton (Bern).
In 2011, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 15.2% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) were 61.3%, and seniors (over 64 years old) were 23.4%.
The chart below shows how the population of Hermrigen has changed over time:
Economy of Hermrigen
In 2011, Hermrigen had a very low unemployment rate of 0.68%. In 2008, 72 people worked in the municipality.
These jobs were in different economic sectors:
- Primary sector: 32 people worked in this sector, mainly in agriculture (farming). There were 14 businesses in this area.
- Secondary sector: 11 people worked in this sector, which includes manufacturing and construction. There were 4 businesses.
- Tertiary sector: 29 people worked in this sector, which includes services like sales, restaurants, and education. There were 9 businesses.
In 2008, there were 54 full-time equivalent jobs. This means if you add up all the hours worked, it's like 54 people working full-time. Most of these jobs were in agriculture (22 jobs) and services (22 jobs).
In 2000, 28 workers came into Hermrigen for work, while 102 workers left to work elsewhere. This means more people leave Hermrigen for work than come in. About 60% of the workers in Hermrigen also lived there. Most people (56.3%) used a private car to get to work, while 13.2% used public transportation.
Religion in Hermrigen
According to the 2000 census, most people in Hermrigen (80%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 6.5% were Roman Catholic. A small number of people belonged to an Orthodox church or were Jewish. About 7.7% of the population did not belong to any church, meaning they were agnostic (unsure about God) or atheist (do not believe in God).
Education in Hermrigen
In Hermrigen, about 61.5% of adults have finished non-mandatory upper secondary education. This is like high school. About 12.2% have gone on to higher education, like university.
The school system in the Canton of Bern starts with one year of non-required Kindergarten. After that, students go to Primary school for six years. Then, they attend three years of lower Secondary school. After lower Secondary, students can continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).
During the 2011-12 school year, 51 students attended classes in Hermrigen. There was one kindergarten class with 12 students. One primary class had 33 students. There was also one lower secondary class with 6 students. Some students in these classes had a different first language than the main language taught in the classroom.
See also
In Spanish: Hermrigen para niños
