Kirchdorf, Bern facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kirchdorf
Richly decorated farm house and village church in Kirchdorf village
Coat of arms
Kirchdorf Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Kirchdorf Location in Canton of Bern Show map of Canton of Bern
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Bern-Mittelland
Area
• Total	6.12 km2 (2.36 sq mi)
Elevation	611 m (2,005 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	1,796
• Density	293.5/km2 (760.1/sq mi)
Postal code	3116
Surrounded by	Burgistein, Gerzensee, Jaberg, Kienersrüti, Lohnstorf, Mühledorf, Mühlethurnen, Noflen, Uttigen, Wichtrach

Kirchdorf is a small town, also called a municipality, in the Bern-Mittelland area of Bern canton in Switzerland. On January 1, 2018, some nearby towns like Gelterfingen, Mühledorf, and Noflen joined with Kirchdorf to become one bigger municipality.

History of Kirchdorf

Kirchdorf was first mentioned in old writings in the year 1228. Back then, it was called Chilthorf.

Early Settlements and Land Ownership

The oldest signs of people living here are some graves from the La Tène culture, which was a time in ancient Europe. These graves are near the cemetery today. There might have been a village near an old earthwork (a large mound of earth built by people) in the Gestelenwald forest.

During the Middle Ages (a long time ago, from about 500 to 1500 AD), many rich families and important people owned parts of the village. From the 1200s to the 1400s, several monasteries (places where monks or nuns live) bought or were given much of the land in Kirchdorf.

In 1507-1508, a person named Jakob von Wattenwyl bought all the different pieces of land and rights in Kirchdorf. He put them all together into one large area called a Herrschaft, which means a territory ruled by a lord. After that, Kirchdorf was sold to different owners many times. In 1645, the village council (like a local government) bought the court of Kirchdorf. They then sold it to the city of Bern for 1,000 pounds.

The Village Church

The village church, named St. Ursus, was built during the Middle Ages. It was first mentioned in 1228 as the main church for a large parish (an area served by one church). Even today, it is still the main church for several towns nearby. The church you see now was built between 1872 and 1874, after the old medieval church was destroyed in a fire.

Growth and Economy

Kirchdorf is located between the Emmental and Schwarzburg regions. It has always earned some money from being on a trade route. In the 1970s, more people started moving to Kirchdorf because they could live there and travel to jobs in other towns and cities. Today, about two-thirds of the people who live in Kirchdorf travel to work somewhere else.

The local economy (how people make money) is based on:

• Farming
• Small businesses
• Mining for gravel
• A regional landfill (a place where trash is buried)

The Tannacker home and workshop, which helps people with disabilities, also provides some jobs in the area.

Geography of Kirchdorf

Kirchdorf covers an area of about 6.1 square kilometers (2.4 square miles). A big part of this land, about 67.9%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 17.8% of the area. The rest of the land is used for buildings, roads, rivers, or lakes. A very small part, less than 1%, is unproductive land.

The municipality includes the main village of Kirchdorf, along with smaller hamlets (tiny villages) and individual houses. It sits on a raised area between the Aare valley and the Gürbetal (Gürbe valley). It is also next to Gerzensee Lake. The church area of Kirchdorf includes the towns of Gelterfingen, Jaberg, Kienersrüti, Mühledorf, Noflen, and Uttigen.

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  The lake "Gerzensee", seen from Kirchdorf.

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  The lake in winter.

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  Great view from Kirchdorf: Alps of the Bernese Oberland.

Kirchdorf's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Kirchdorf shows a red shield with a silver butcher's axe in the middle. On each side of the axe, there are two black ox heads. These ox heads have horns, rings, and tongues that are red.

People of Kirchdorf (Demographics)

Kirchdorf has a population of about 881 people (as of December 2012). A small number of these people, about 3.7%, are foreign nationals who live there. Between 2010 and 2012, the population grew by about 8.2%. Most of this growth came from people moving into Kirchdorf.

Languages Spoken

Most people in Kirchdorf (about 96.7%) speak German as their main language. A smaller number speak French (1.2%) or Romansh (0.4%). There are also a few people who speak Italian.

Where People Come From

In 2000, about 33% of the people living in Kirchdorf were born there. About 49.8% were born in the same canton (Bern). Around 9.8% were born in other parts of Switzerland, and 6% were born outside of Switzerland.

Age Groups

As of 2012, the population of Kirchdorf is made up of:

• Children and teenagers (0–19 years old): 23.5%
• Adults (20–64 years old): 60.5%
• Seniors (over 64 years old): 16.0%

Housing

In 2011, about 51.8% of the homes in Kirchdorf were single-family houses.

The chart below shows how the population of Kirchdorf has changed over time:

Important Heritage Sites

The old granary (a building for storing grain) at Filgesse 31 in Mühledorf is a very important heritage site in Switzerland. The entire village of Kirchdorf is also recognized as an important heritage site.

Economy of Kirchdorf

In 2011, the unemployment rate in Kirchdorf was very low, at 1.18%. This means almost everyone who wanted a job had one. In the same year, 337 people worked in the municipality.

Jobs in Different Sectors

Jobs are often grouped into three main types:

• Primary sector: This includes jobs that get raw materials from nature, like farming. In Kirchdorf, 103 people worked in this sector, mostly in agriculture.
• Secondary sector: This includes jobs that make things, like factories or construction. In Kirchdorf, 86 people worked in this sector, with some in manufacturing and others in construction.
• Tertiary sector: This includes jobs that provide services, like shops, hospitals, or schools. In Kirchdorf, 148 people worked in this sector. This included jobs in sales, transport, hotels, restaurants, information technology, science, education, and healthcare.

Commuting to Work

In 2000, 88 people traveled into Kirchdorf for work, while 293 people traveled out of Kirchdorf to work in other places. This shows that many people who live in Kirchdorf work in nearby towns or cities. About 137 workers (60.9%) both lived and worked in Kirchdorf. To get to work, 13.3% of people used public transportation, and 56% used a private car.

Religion in Kirchdorf

Based on a survey in 2000:

• Most people (79.9%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.
• About 5.3% were Roman Catholic.
• A smaller number belonged to other Christian churches (like Orthodox or Christian Catholic).
• About 0.24% were Muslim.
• Around 6.47% said they didn't belong to any church, or were agnostic (not sure if God exists) or atheist (don't believe in God).

Education in Kirchdorf

In Kirchdorf, about 61.4% of adults have finished upper secondary education (like high school). About 23.3% have gone on to higher education, such as a university or a special college.

School System in Bern

The school system in the Canton of Bern works like this:

• One year of optional Kindergarten.
• Six years of Primary school.
• Three years of required lower Secondary school. In this stage, students are grouped based on their abilities.
• After lower Secondary, students can choose to continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a job while working).

Students in Kirchdorf

During the 2011-2012 school year, 98 students attended classes in Kirchdorf.

• There were no kindergarten classes in the town.
• There were 4 primary classes with 82 students. A small number of these students (2.4%) were not Swiss citizens or had a different first language than the classroom language.
• There was one lower secondary class with 16 students. A few of these students (6.3%) had a different first language than the classroom language.

In 2000, 72 students went to school in Kirchdorf. Most of them (69) lived and went to school in the municipality. At the same time, 58 residents of Kirchdorf went to schools outside the municipality.

Images for kids

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  Aerial view of Kirchdorf (1952).

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  The Lehnerhaus farmhouse in Kirchdorf.

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  An old granary in Mühledorf, near Kirchdorf.

See also

In Spanish: Kirchdorf (Suiza) para niños