Horgen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Horgen
Coat of arms
Horgen Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Horgen Location in Canton of Zurich Show map of Canton of Zurich
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Zurich
District	Horgen
Area
• Total	30.75 km2 (11.87 sq mi)
Elevation	408 m (1,339 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	23,090
• Density	750.89/km2 (1,944.8/sq mi)
Postal code	8810
Localities	Horgenberg, Sihlbrugg Station, Sihlwald, Hirzel
Surrounded by	Wädenswil, Hausen am Albis, Langnau am Albis, Oberrieden, Thalwil

Horgen is a town in Switzerland, located in the canton of Zürich. It is part of the Horgen district.

Horgen is one of the bigger towns found on the south side of Lake Zurich. On January 1, 2018, the nearby town of Hirzel joined with Horgen to become one larger municipality.

Horgen's Past

Horgen is famous for being the place where a very old culture from the middle Neolithic period was first discovered in Switzerland. This culture, called the Horgner Kultur (or Horgen culture), made a special kind of simple pottery. This pottery looks similar to pottery found in northern France from the Seine-Oise-Marne culture.

The town of Horgen was first mentioned in old writings in the year 952. Back then, it was known as Horga.

Exploring Horgen's Geography

Horgen harbour

The Sust (old warehouse) and museum in Horgen

An aerial view of Horgen from 800 meters up, taken by Walter Mittelholzer in 1919

Horgen covers an area of about 21.1 square kilometers (8.1 square miles). A large part of this land, almost half, is covered by forests. About a quarter of the land is used for farming. The rest of the area has buildings, roads, or natural features like rivers.

This large town stretches from the shores of Lake Zurich, which is about 408 meters (1,339 feet) above sea level. It goes up to the Zimmerberg-Plateau, where you can find the village of Horgenberg, located at about 660 meters (2,165 feet) high. The town also extends through the Sihl Valley and reaches the top of the Albis mountains, which are about 915 meters (3,002 feet) high.

Horgen includes the smaller villages of Horgen, Arn, and Horgenberg. Before 1773, the towns of Oberrieden and Hirzel were also part of Horgen. The Sihl forest, known as Sihlwald, became part of the city of Zürich in 1803. However, Horgen's town council didn't agree to this until 1877.

People and Population

Horgen has a population of 23,090 people. About 27% of the people living in Horgen are from other countries. The population has been growing steadily over the last 10 years.

Most people in Horgen speak German, which is about 80% of the population. Italian is the second most common language, and Albanian is the third.

In 2007, the most popular political party in Horgen was the SVP. A political party is a group of people who share similar ideas about how the government should work. Other popular parties included the SPS and the FDP.

When it comes to age, about 20% of the population are children and teenagers (under 19 years old). Adults (20-64 years old) make up the largest group, at about 64%. People over 64 years old make up about 15% of the population.

Many adults in Horgen have completed higher education. About 73% of people aged 25-64 have finished advanced schooling, like university. There are 7,850 homes in Horgen.

Horgen has a low unemployment rate, meaning most people who want to work can find jobs. Many people work in the service industry, like shops, offices, and healthcare. Others work in manufacturing or farming.

In Horgen, there are many different religions. The two largest groups are Catholics and Protestants. There are also people who follow other religions, or who do not have a religion.

Here's how Horgen's population has grown over time:

Getting Around Horgen

The bus and railway stations at Horgen

Ferry ships «Meilen», «Schwan» and «Zürisee» at Horgen

The A3 motorway, a major highway, goes through Horgen. It has an exit in the southern part of the town.

Horgen has three train stations:

• Horgen station is right in the town center, next to the lake. It's on the train line that runs along the left side of Lake Zurich.
• Horgen Oberdorf station is about 0.9 kilometers (0.56 miles) uphill from Horgen station.
• Sihlwald station is in the Sihl Valley, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) north of Sihlbrugg station.

The Zimmerberg bus line, run by SZU, helps people travel around the Zimmerberg area and parts of the Sihl Valley.

During the summer, you can take regular boats from Horgen to Zürich-Bürkliplatz and to Rapperswil along the lake. These boats are operated by the Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft. There is also a car ferry that connects Horgen and Meilen across Lake Zurich. One of the ferry boats is even named Horgen!

Famous People from Horgen

• Adele Duttweiler (1892–1990), a kind person who gave money to help others, and the wife of Gottlieb Duttweiler.
• Ernst Sieber (1927–2018), a pastor and social worker who helped many people in need.
• Hoyte van Hoytema (born 1971), a well-known cinematographer who works on movies.
• Jacob Wipf, a politician.
• Steve Lee (1963–2010), a musician and the former lead singer of the band Gotthard.
• Andy Schmid, a professional handball player.

See also

In Spanish: Horgen para niños