Jonschwil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jonschwil
Coat of arms
Jonschwil Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Jonschwil Location in Canton of St. Gallen Show map of Canton of St. Gallen
Country	Switzerland
Canton	St. Gallen
District	Wil
Area
• Total	10.99 km2 (4.24 sq mi)
Elevation	600 m (2,000 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	3,873
• Density	352.41/km2 (912.7/sq mi)
Postal code	9243
Localities	Schwarzenbach
Surrounded by	Kirchberg, Lütisburg, Oberuzwil, Rickenbach (TG), Uzwil, Wil

Jonschwil is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It is located in the canton of St. Gallen. Jonschwil is part of the Wil area, which is known as a Wahlkreis (constituency).

History of Jonschwil

Jonschwil has a long history! It was first mentioned way back in the year 796. Back then, it was called Johannisvilare. Later, in 1282, its name changed to Jonswiler.

The nearby village of Schwarzenbach is even older. It was first written about in 779. A small group of houses, called a hamlet, named Bettenau, was mentioned in 772. It was known as Betinauvia at that time.

Geography of Jonschwil

Jonschwil covers an area of about 11.1 square kilometers (which is about 4.3 square miles). A big part of this land, about 58.6%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 24.5% of the area.

Around 15% of Jonschwil is built up with buildings and roads. The remaining small part, about 1.9%, includes natural features like rivers or lakes.

The municipality includes the main villages of Jonschwil and Schwarzenbach. It also has the hamlets of Bettenau and Oberrindal. You can also find scattered farmhouses across the area.

A small lake called Bettenauer Weiher is located near Jonschwil. It is actually in Oberuzwil, right on the border with Jonschwil.

Jonschwil's Coat of Arms

The blazon (official description) of Jonschwil's coat of arms is quite interesting. It shows St. Martin dressed in blue armor. He is holding a silver sword and cutting his red cloak. St. Martin is riding a black horse. This image is set against a gold background.

People and Population in Jonschwil

Jonschwil has a population of around 3,950 people (as of 2023). About 9.4% of the people living here are from other countries. Most people in Jonschwil, about 94.9%, speak German. Albanian is the second most common language, spoken by about 1.7% of the population. Serbo-Croatian is third, spoken by about 1.1%.

In 2000, about 14.7% of the population were children aged 0-9. Teenagers aged 10-19 made up about 17.1%. Most adults were between 20 and 59 years old.

The people of Jonschwil are generally well educated. About 74.1% of adults (aged 25-64) have finished high school or gone on to higher education. This includes university or a Fachhochschule (a type of professional university).

Here is how the population of Jonschwil has changed over time:

Economy and Jobs in Jonschwil

Jonschwil has a low unemployment rate, which means most people who want to work can find jobs. In 2007, the unemployment rate was only 1.15%.

The economy of Jonschwil is made up of different types of jobs:

• Primary sector: This includes jobs related to farming and natural resources. In 2005, about 119 people worked in this sector.
• Secondary sector: This involves manufacturing and construction. About 581 people worked in this sector.
• Tertiary sector: This covers services like shops, offices, and healthcare. About 692 people worked in this sector.

Many people who live in Jonschwil also travel to other towns for work. In 2000, about 1,184 residents worked outside Jonschwil. At the same time, 646 people came into Jonschwil to work.

Culture and Festivals in Jonschwil

Jonschwil became famous as a "concert village" in the 2000s. This was thanks to a special outdoor venue called Degenau.

The first big open-air concert happened in 1996. It was part of the "1200 Years of Jonschwil" anniversary festival. In 2003, the "Talentair" event took place, which was a mix of a talent show and an open-air concert.

In 2006, the OpenAir Tufertschwil festival was held here. Big bands like Status Quo, Jamiroquai, and Tokio Hotel played. DJ Bobo also performed. Another festival happened the next year.

Later, a new festival called SummerDays Festival took place. About 16,000 people visited this festival. Famous bands like Gary Moore, Jethro Tull, and Nena performed. After this festival, the organizers decided not to hold it in Jonschwil anymore. Since 2009, the SummerDays Festival has been held in Arbon, by Lake Constance.

In August 2008, the famous US band Metallica played their only concert in Switzerland that year in Jonschwil. More than 35,000 fans came to watch! After this concert, Metallica's old song "Nothing Else Matters" became popular again and reached number 10 on the Swiss music charts. Another band, Toten Hosen, also played a concert here.

In 2010, the Sonisphere Festival brought 45,000 visitors to Jonschwil. Four very famous metal bands – Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax – all played on stage. These bands are known for creating the "thrash metal" music style. However, no more big open-air festivals were held in Jonschwil after this. Heavy rain during the festival caused a lot of problems and made conditions chaotic.

In 2014, the Sonnentanz festival took place in Jonschwil. Some bands had to cancel at the last minute because of money problems. The festival ended up losing money for the organizers. Because of these issues, the local government of Jonschwil decided that large events would no longer be held at the Degenau grounds. The main reasons were the condition of the ground and the noise for local residents.

Religion in Jonschwil

According to a census in 2000, most people in Jonschwil are Christian. About 62.0% of the population are Roman Catholic. Another 24.2% belong to the Swiss Reformed Church (a type of Protestant church).

There are also smaller groups of people who belong to the Orthodox Church or other Christian churches. About 3.57% of the population are Islamic. Some people also said they did not belong to any church, or they were agnostic or atheist.

Transportation in Jonschwil

Jonschwil is connected by bus routes. These buses are run by PostBus Switzerland and RegioBus.

There used to be a train station in Schwarzenbach. It was on the train line that goes between St. Gallen and Winterthur. However, this train station closed in December 2013.

See also

• In Spanish: Jonschwil para niños