Köniz facts for kids

{{Infobox Swiss town | subject_name = Köniz | image_photo = Koeniz Schloss.jpg | municipality_type = municipality | imagepath_coa = CHE Köniz COA.svg|pixel_coa=100px | canton = Bern | iso-code-region = CH-BE | district = Bern-Mittelland |coordinates = 46°56′N 7°24′E / 46.933°N 7.400°E / 46.933; 7.400 | postal_code = 3098 | municipality_code = 0355 | area = 51.2 | elevation = 572 |elevation_description= | population = 42388 | populationof = December 2020 | popofyear = 2020 | website = www.koeniz.ch | mayor = Tanja Bauer|mayor_party=SP | mayor_title = Gemeindepräsidentin |list_of_mayors = List of mayors of Köniz | executive_name = Gemeinderat | executive_number_of_members = 5 | parliament_name = Gemeindeparlament | parliament_number_of_members = 40 | places = Köniz, Gasel, Halen, Herzwil, Liebefeld, Liebewil, Mengestorf, Mittelhäusern, Moos, Niederscherli, Niederwangen, Oberried, Oberscherli, Oberwangen, Ried, Schlatt, Schliern, Schwanden, Spiegel, Thörishaus, Ulmiz, Wabern | demonym = | neighboring_municipalities= Bern, Kehrsatz, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Oberbalm, Ueberstorf (FR), Wahlern, Wald | twintowns = Blatten (Switzerland), Prijepolje (Serbia) |} Köniz is a town and a municipality in Switzerland. It is located in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district. Köniz is right on the southern border of Bern, in the canton of Bern. Even though it's a large settlement, many locals still think of it as a village.

Köniz is one of the most populated towns in Switzerland. It is also part of the bigger area around Bern, which has about 400,000 people. The official language in Köniz is German. However, most people speak a local Swiss German dialect.

History of Köniz

An aerial view of Köniz from 800 meters high in 1922.

People have lived in the area of Köniz for a very long time. Scientists have found items from the Bronze Age (when people used bronze tools) and the Iron Age (when people used iron tools). They also found old Roman farmhouses, called villae rusticae, and graveyards from the Early Middle Ages.

The oldest parts of the main church in Köniz, which is now a Reformed Church, were built around the year 1100. It used to be called SS. Peter and Paul. Köniz was first mentioned in official papers in 1011 as Chunicis.

A story says that a king named Rudolph II and his wife Bertha started the church. The church's area, called a parish, was very large. It included the area where the city of Bern is today. In 1191, the Köniz church became the main church for the newly founded town of Bern. Later, in 1276, Bern got its own church.

There was once a monastery (a place where monks lived) next to the church. It belonged to the Augustinians, a group of monks. In 1226, the king gave this monastery to the Teutonic Knights. This was a special group of knights who were also monks. They set up a commendam (a type of local branch) at the church. One of their friars (a type of monk) became the local priest.

In 1528, during the Protestant Reformation (a big change in Christianity), the Köniz commendam was taken away from the Teutonic Knights. This process is called secularisation. But in 1552, it was given back to them. In 1729, the Knights sold the commendam to Bern. Bern then set up a bailiwick (an area ruled by a local official). This lasted until 1798. The municipality of Köniz, as we know it today, was formed in 1846.

Geography of Köniz

Köniz covers an area of about 51.2 square kilometers (about 19.8 square miles). A large part of this land, about 50.5%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 30.8% of the area. Buildings and roads make up about 18.4% of the land. A small part, 0.3%, is rivers or lakes.

Köniz is part of the larger city area, or urban agglomeration, of Bern. It stretches from the Aare river in the northeast to the Schwarzwasser and Sense rivers in the southeast.

The municipality includes the main village of Köniz and Wabern in the center. It also has garden towns like Liebefeld and Spiegel. Many other smaller settlements are part of Köniz. These include Niederwangen, Oberwangen, Thörishaus, Schliern, Schwanden, Niederscherli, Oberscherli, Mittelhäusern, and Gasel.

Köniz Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Köniz is simple. It shows a black cross on a silver (or white) background.

People of Köniz (Demographics)

Köniz has a population of over 40,000 people. About 15.5% of the people living in Köniz are foreign nationals. This means they are not Swiss citizens. Over the last ten years, the population has grown by about 2.6%. Most of this growth comes from people moving into the area.

Most people in Köniz, about 87.3%, speak German as their main language. French is spoken by about 2.7% of the population, and Italian by about 2.2%.

In 2008, about 47.8% of the population were male and 52.2% were female. Many people living in Köniz were born there or in the same canton (state) of Switzerland. About 15.1% of the people were born outside of Switzerland.

Children and teenagers (ages 0-19) make up about 20.8% of the population. Adults (ages 20-64) make up 61.8%, and seniors (over 64) make up 17.4%.

Most households in Köniz have about 2.1 people. Many households, about 6,657, have only one person living in them.

Important Buildings and Sites

Köniz has several important historical sites. These are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. This means they are very important to the country's history and culture.

These sites include:

• A farm house at Herzwilstrasse 175.
• A Roman Era farmhouse at Chly-Wabere.
• The former commandry (a type of headquarters for the Teutonic Knights) which includes the castle, the church, and other buildings.
• The Herrenstock.
• Hof Burren at Mengestorfbergstrasse 191, 193.
• A noble's wooden house.
• Villa Morillon.

Also, several small villages, called hamlets, are part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. These include Gurtendörfli, Herzwil, Liebewil, and Mengestorf.

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  Farm House at Herzwilstrasse 175

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  Chly-Wabere (Roman Era Farmhouse)

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  Former Commandry with Castle, Church and Outbuildings

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  Herrenstock

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  Hof Burren at Mengestorfbergstrasse 191, 193

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  Noble's Wooden House

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  Villa Morillon

Economy of Köniz

In 2010, the unemployment rate in Köniz was 3.1%. This means 3.1% of people who wanted to work could not find a job.

Köniz has many different types of jobs:

• The primary sector (like farming) had 473 people working in it.
• The secondary sector (like manufacturing and construction) had 3,985 people.
• The tertiary sector (like services, shops, and offices) had 14,713 people.

Many people who live in Köniz travel to other places for work. Also, many people from other areas come to Köniz to work. About 43.4% of working people use public transportation to get to work. About 34.3% use a private car.

Religion in Köniz

Based on a 2000 survey, about 19.7% of people in Köniz were Roman Catholic. About 58.1% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a Protestant church).

Other religions included Orthodox Christians (0.98%), Christian Catholic Church (0.11%), and other Christian churches (6.18%). There were also people who were Jewish (0.12%), Islamic (2.59%), Buddhist, and Hindu. About 9.69% of the population said they had no religion.

Education in Köniz

Education is very important in Köniz. About 41.8% of the people have finished non-mandatory high school. About 17.0% have gone on to higher education, like a university or a Fachhochschule (a type of professional university).

The school system in Bern canton works like this:

• One year of optional Kindergarten.
• Six years of Primary school.
• Three years of mandatory lower Secondary school. Students are grouped by their abilities.
• After secondary school, students can continue their education or start an apprenticeship (on-the-job training).

In the 2009-2010 school year, there were over 4,000 students in Köniz. Many students in kindergarten and primary school were not Swiss citizens. Also, a good number of students spoke a different language at home than the one used in the classroom.

Köniz has a library called Verein Könizer Mediotheken VKM. In 2008, it had over 72,000 books and other media. It loaned out over 285,000 items that year.

Transportation in Köniz

Köniz has good public transportation. There are eleven railway stations within the municipality. These stations are on different railway lines, connecting Köniz to other towns and cities. All stations are served by the Bern S-Bahn, which is like a local train system. Trains run very often, usually every half hour or more.

Sport in Köniz

FC Köniz is the local football (soccer) club in the village.

Notable People from Köniz

• Linda Geiser (born 1935 in Köniz) is a Swiss actress. She is famous for her role as Johanna Blanc in the Swiss TV series Lüthi und Blanc.

Villages in Köniz Municipality

The municipality of Köniz is made up of several villages. Here are their populations from December 2003:

See also

In Spanish: Köniz para niños