Herrliberg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Herrliberg
Coat of arms
Herrliberg Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Herrliberg Location in Canton of Zurich Show map of Canton of Zurich
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Zurich
District	Meilen
Area
• Total	8.99 km2 (3.47 sq mi)
Elevation	464 m (1,522 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	6,567
• Density	730.5/km2 (1,891.9/sq mi)
Postal code	8704
Surrounded by	Egg, Erlenbach, Küsnacht, Maur, Meilen, Oberrieden, Thalwil

Herrliberg is a lovely town (called a municipality) in Switzerland. It is located in the Meilen district, within the canton of Zürich. Herrliberg sits on the beautiful north bank of Lake Zürich, in a region known as Pfannenstiel. It's a place with a long history, going back to ancient times, and it's known for its vineyards and pretty views.

History of Herrliberg

Early Settlements and Names

Long, long ago, even in the Bronze Age (a time when people used bronze tools), there were signs of people living in Herrliberg. Around the 8th century, a village called Tächliswil was founded. A small village (a hamlet) named Wezzo (which is now Wetzwil) was given to the St. Gallen Abbey in the year 797. Other hamlets like Breitwil and Intwil also existed.

Herrliberg was first mentioned in old writings between 1153 and 1155 as Hardiperc. Later, in 1273, it was called Herdiperch, and by the mid-1400s, it was known as Härliberg.

Wine Growing and Connection to Zürich

For many centuries, growing grapes for wine was very important to Herrliberg. During the Middle Ages, most of the land belonged to the churches in Zürich, like Grossmünster and Fraumünster. However, in 1412, Herrliberg became the home of a "reeve," which was like a local official. This made Herrliberg closely connected to the city of Zürich. Since 1815, the town has been part of the Meilen district.

Development of Herrliberg

The chapel in Wetzwil is very old, built before 1370. The first school in Herrliberg opened in 1639. Later, in 1687, the local church was built.

In 1886, wine growing was at its peak. Herrliberg had 174 wine growers who looked after about 1.3 square kilometers (0.5 square miles) of vineyards.

When the railway line to Zürich opened in 1896, Herrliberg began to grow as a suburb of Zürich. This made it easier for people to travel between the two places.

Geography of Herrliberg

Herrliberg covers an area of about 9 square kilometers (3.5 square miles). A large part of this land, about 56.5%, is used for farming. Forests cover 24.2% of the area. The rest of the land, 19.2%, is used for buildings and roads. Only a tiny part (0.1%) is non-productive, like rivers or mountains.

In 1996, buildings and houses made up 15.1% of the total area, and roads took up 4.2%. Water, like streams and lakes, made up 0.1% of the non-productive area. As of 2007, about 18.2% of the town's area was being developed with new construction.

Herrliberg is located on the north bank of Lake Zürich in the Pfannenstiel region. In the local dialect, people call it Herrlibärg. The main square of Herrliberg is about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Zürich Hauptbahnhof, which is Zürich's main train station. The town is built on five different levels or "tiers" going up from the lake.

The municipality has three main settlements along Lake Zurich. There's a settlement right by the shore, a double village on the terraced slopes, and another settlement on top of the hill. It also includes small villages (hamlets) like Wetzwil and Breitwil (now called Kittenmühle), along with scattered farmhouses.

Population and People of Herrliberg

Demographics and Education

Herrliberg has a population of 6,567 people (as of 31 December 2020). In 2007, about 14.6% of the people living in Herrliberg were from other countries. In 2008, about 48.5% of the population were male and 51.5% were female. Over the past 10 years, the population has grown by about 13.8%.

Most people in Herrliberg (89.2% in 2000) speak German. English is the second most common language (2.9%), followed by French (2.2%).

The age groups in Herrliberg (as of 2000) are:

• Children and teenagers (0–19 years old): 21.4%
• Adults (20–64 years old): 62.6%
• Seniors (over 64 years old): 16%

Most people in Switzerland are well-educated. In Herrliberg, about 88.5% of adults aged 25–64 have finished high school or gone on to higher education, like university. There are 2422 households in Herrliberg.

Work and Economy

Herrliberg has a low unemployment rate of 1.48%. In 2005, there were 94 people working in the primary economic sector (like farming), with 25 businesses in this area. The secondary sector (like manufacturing) employed 122 people in 29 businesses. The tertiary sector (like services and offices) employed 785 people in 194 businesses. As of 2007, 55.6% of working people had full-time jobs, and 44.4% worked part-time.

Religion in Herrliberg

In 2008, there were 1571 Catholics and 2564 Protestants in Herrliberg. According to the 2000 census:

• 52.3% were Protestant, with 50.8% belonging to the Swiss Reformed Church.
• 26.6% of the population were Catholic.
• 14.5% said they were atheist or agnostic (meaning they don't believe in God or are unsure).
• A small number belonged to other religions or did not state their religion.

Historical Population Growth

The table below shows how Herrliberg's population has changed over time:

Sights in Herrliberg

There are three churches in Herrliberg. The Protestant churches are located in Wetzwil and Tal. The Catholic Church called St. Marien is quite special because it was built recently and has a very unique design.

Transportation in Herrliberg

The Herrliberg-Feldmeilen railway station is a stop on the S-Bahn Zürich train system. It is on line S6 and is the last stop for line S16.

During the summer, you can take regular boats from Herrliberg to Zürich. You can also take boats along the lake to Rapperswil. These boat services are run by the Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG).

Famous People Connected to Herrliberg

Herrliberg has been home to several well-known people:

• Christoph Blocher is a Swiss politician and industrialist. He was also a member of the Swiss Federal Council, which is like the government's cabinet.
• Jürg Marquard is a Swiss publisher.
• Karl Richter, a famous organist, harpsichordist, and conductor who was known for his work with Bach's music, lived in Wetzwil when he wasn't working in Munich.
• Willem Sandberg, a Dutch typographer (someone who designs how text looks), learned his trade here.
• In December 2011, tennis star Roger Federer and his wife Mirka bought land in Herrliberg. Many people thought they planned to build a home there.
• On November 2, 2014, Nikolaus Senn, who used to be a co-director of a big bank called Schweizerische Bankgesellschaft, passed away in Herrliberg.

Images for kids

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  Postcard from 1794 showing the vineyards above Herrliberg

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  Aerial view from 150 m by Walter Mittelholzer (1919)

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  Herrliberg from across Lake Zurich

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  Herrliberg on 21 May 1786, watercolor by Hans C. Escher of the Linth

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  The "cup marks" of the Nordic Bronze Age

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  Herrliberg church (2009)

See also

In Spanish: Herrliberg para niños