Küsnacht facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Küsnacht
Küsnacht and Küsnachter Tobel, as seen from ZSG ship MS Helvetia on Lake Zurich in Switzerland
Coat of arms
Küsnacht Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Küsnacht Location in Canton of Zürich Show map of Canton of Zürich
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Zürich
District	Meilen
Area
• Total	12.37 km2 (4.78 sq mi)
Elevation	413 m (1,355 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	14,811
• Density	1,197.3/km2 (3,101.1/sq mi)
Postal code	8700
Localities	Goldbach, Heslibach, Itschnach, Küsnachter Berg, Schmalzgrueb, Limberg, Wiserholz, Hohrüti, Wangen, Chaltenstein (Kaltenstein), and Forch
Surrounded by	Erlenbach, Herrliberg, Kilchberg, Maur, Rüschlikon, Thalwil, Zollikon, Zumikon

Küsnacht is a town in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland. It's located in the Meilen district.

History of Küsnacht

Bank in Bellevue

Küsnacht was first mentioned way back in 1188. But people lived here much earlier! We have found signs of settlements from the Stone Age and the Bronze Age.

During the time of the Roman Empire, there was a large house or estate here called fundus Cossiniacus. This Roman name is probably where "Küsnacht" comes from. The town's coat of arms shows a golden cushion on a red background. This might be linked to an old noble family from a different town called Küssnacht am Rigi.

In the Middle Ages, a powerful family called the House of Regensberg ruled this area. They lived in Wulp Castle in Küsnacht. Later, after 1531, the city of Zürich took over the rule of Küsnacht.

Just like many other towns along Lake Zurich, Küsnacht started to grow and become a suburb of Zürich when the railway line was built in 1896. This made it much easier for people to travel between the two places.

Many famous people have lived in Küsnacht. The well-known psychiatrist Carl Jung had his clinic here, attracting patients from all over the world. The famous writer Thomas Mann lived in Küsnacht from 1933 to 1939, after he had to leave Germany because of the Nazis. More recently, the legendary singer Tina Turner made Küsnacht her home until she passed away in 2023.

Exploring Küsnacht's Geography

Aerial view from 200 metres (600') by Walter Mittelholzer (1919)

Küsnacht on Zürichsee lakeshore (Switzerland) as seen from Zürichhorn in Zürich-Seefeld, Zürichsee-Schiffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG) landing gate to the left, Glarus Alps in the background.

Küsnacht covers an area of about 12.3 square kilometers (4.7 square miles). A big part of this land, about 34.5%, is used for farming. Forests cover another 32.1% of the area. The rest of the land, about 32.8%, is where buildings and roads are located.

The town is located on the north-east side of Lake Zurich. This side of the lake is often called the Goldküste, which means "Gold Coast," because it's a very sunny and desirable area. The local language spoken here is a Swiss German dialect called Züridütsch.

People and Population

Church and seminary in Küsnacht, by Rudolf Ringger (about 1865)

Church and seminary

Küsnacht has a population of over 14,000 people. About one-fifth of the people living here are from other countries. Most people in Küsnacht speak German, but English and Italian are also commonly spoken.

The population has been growing steadily over the past 10 years. When it comes to age, about 17.7% of the people are children and teenagers (under 19 years old). Most adults (between 25 and 64 years old) in Küsnacht have finished high school or gone on to higher education like university.

Many people in Küsnacht work in different jobs. Some work in farming, others in manufacturing, but most work in the service industry, which includes jobs like retail, healthcare, and finance.

When it comes to religion, about half of the people in Küsnacht are Protestant, and about a quarter are Catholic. There are also people of other religions, and some who do not follow any religion.

Here's how the population has changed over time:

Weather in Küsnacht

Küsnacht usually has about 136 days of rain each year. On average, it gets about 1171 millimeters (46 inches) of rain annually. The wettest month is August, with the most rain. June has the most rainy days, but slightly less total rain than August.

Getting Around Küsnacht

ZSG landing gate on Lake Zürich

Küsnacht has good transport links. There are four train stations in the town: Küsnacht ZH and Küsnacht Goldbach are on the line that runs along Lake Zurich. Neue Forch and Forch stations are on the inland Forchbahn line. These train lines connect Küsnacht to Zürich and other nearby towns.

During the summer, you can also take boats from Küsnacht across Lake Zurich to the city of Zürich and other towns like Rapperswil. These boat trips are run by the Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG).

Sports in Küsnacht

If you're into ice hockey, the GCK Lions team plays in Küsnacht. They are connected to the famous ZSC Lions team and play in the Swiss League. Their home ice rink is the Eishalle Küsnacht.

Cool Places to Visit in Küsnacht

Besides the beautiful Lake Zurich, there are many interesting places to explore in Küsnacht:

• The C. G. Jung Institute is a famous center for studying psychology.
• The Cistercian abbey of Kappel am Albis is a historic monastery.
• The Küsnachter Tobel is a wonderful place for hiking. It has trails that go through a valley formed by glaciers, with unique plants and animals.
• The Johanniterkomturei building is a historic site that now houses a high school (Kantonsschule).
• The Oberen Mühle is an old mill that has been turned into the local museum.
• The Seeclub Küsnacht boathouse is very old, dating back to at least 1290.
• The Church of St Georg (Küsnacht)|de|3=St. Georg (Küsnacht) is a church that dates back to the 12th century.
• You can visit the ruins of Wulp Castle, an old castle that once stood proudly.
• The Küsnachter Horn is a lovely park right by the lake, near the boat stop.

Famous People from Küsnacht

Carl Jung

Tina Turner, 1985

Many interesting people have lived in or had connections to Küsnacht:

19th Century

• Eugen Sutermeister (1862–1931), a writer and engraver.
• Paul Sutermeister (1864–1905), a theologian and editor.
• Meinrad Lienert (1865-1933), a writer, poet, and journalist who passed away here.
• Thomas Mann (1875–1955), a famous writer who lived here from 1933 to 1939.
• Carl Jung (1875-1961), a very important psychiatrist who lived and died here.
• Emma Jung (1882-1955), a psychoanalyst and writer, wife of Carl Jung, who also lived and died here.
• Albin Zollinger (1895–1941), a writer who went to school here.

20th Century

• Albert Frey-Wyssling (1900–1988), a botanist.
• Bernard von Brentano (1901–1964), a German writer who lived here for many years.
• Hermann Haller (1914–2002), a composer who taught in Küsnacht.
• Marie-Louise von Franz (1915–1998), a Jungian psychologist who lived and died here.
• Tina Turner (1939–2023), the amazing American-born singer, lived here from 1994 until her death.
• Ursula Biemann (born 1955), a video artist and curator.
• Rolf Dörig (born 1957), an entrepreneur who lives here.
• Monisha Kaltenborn (born 1971), a former team principal for a Formula One racing team, lives here.

Sports Figures

• Severino Minelli (1909–1994), a footballer.
• Martin Studach (1944–2007), a rower.
• Karl Grob (born 1946), a footballer.

See also

In Spanish: Küsnacht para niños