Lengnau, Bern facts for kids

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Lengnau

Lengnau parish hall

Coat of arms

Lengnau

Location in Switzerland

Lengnau

Location in Canton of Bern

Switzerland

Area

• Total

7.41 km² (2.86 sq mi)

Elevation

445 m (1,460 ft)

Population

(Dec 2020 )

• Total

5,316

• Density

717.4/km² (1,858.1/sq mi)

Postal code

2543

Surrounded by

Büren an der Aare, Grenchen (SO), Meinisberg, Pieterlen, Romont

Twin towns

Lengnau, Aargau (Switzerland), Monteroni (Italy), Strakonice (Czech Republic)

Lengnau is a town in Switzerland. It is located in the Biel/Bienne area of the canton of Bern. Lengnau is a municipality, which means it is a local government area.

History of Lengnau

Lengnau was first mentioned in old writings between 983 and 1002. Back then, it was called Lengenach. Later, in 1228, it was known as Longieuva. For a while, it also had a French name, Longeau, but that name is not used anymore.

Early Settlements

The very first signs of people living here are tools made from flint. These tools date back to the late paleolithic (Old Stone Age) and neolithic (New Stone Age) periods. They were found near the Aare river. Later, during the Bronze Age, the La Tene era, and the Roman era, people continued to live in the area.

Middle Ages and Later

In the Middle Ages, Lengnau was part of a territory called Herrschaft of Strassberg. This land was taken over by Bern between 1388 and 1393. Lengnau then became part of the bailiwick (an area controlled by a local official) of Büren.

In 1318, during a fight between Solothurn and Habsburg Austria, the village and its church were burned down. The church was rebuilt and named St. Germanus Church in 1323. It was rebuilt again in 1630-40 and fixed up in 1959-60.

Growth and Industry

In the 1800s, big projects called the Jura water correction helped drain wet lands near the Aare river. This created lots of new farmland in Lengnau. Around the same time, Lengnau started to change from a farming village into a town known for making watches.

Between 1889 and 1927, about twelve companies that made watches or watch parts opened factories here. Other businesses, like timber cutting and engineering, also started up. Clay with a lot of quartz was mined in the Lengnauwald during the 19th century.

In the 1970s, the watch industry faced problems, and many factories closed. However, new industries came to Lengnau in 1983. These included companies making precision machines, electronics, and small metal parts. Even so, many people from Lengnau now travel to other towns for work. By 2000, more than two-thirds of workers commuted to places like Biel/Bienne, Solothurn, and Bern.

Lengnau has good transport links. A train station opened in 1857 on the Olten-Biel line. Another train line to Moutier was added in 1915. Many new buildings were built between 1950 and 1990. These include a Catholic church in 1975 and a nursing home in 1988. Lengnau also has three schools, including a secondary school that started in 1899.

Geography of Lengnau

Lengnau covers an area of about 7.3 square kilometers (2.8 square miles). A large part of this land is used for farming, about 39.3%. Forests cover another 36.0% of the area.

About 21.7% of the land is built up with buildings and roads. A small part, 1.6%, is rivers or lakes. The remaining 0.5% is land that cannot be used for anything.

Land Use Details

Looking closer at the built-up areas:

Industrial buildings make up 2.6% of the total area.
Houses and other buildings are 11.1%.
Roads and transport areas are 5.6%.
Power and water facilities, plus other special areas, are 1.2%.
Parks, green spaces, and sports fields also make up 1.2%.

For the forested land, 34.6% is dense forest. Another 1.5% has orchards or small groups of trees. Of the farmland, 32.0% is used for growing crops. Pastures (for animals) are 5.7%, and 1.4% is for orchards or vineyards. All the water in Lengnau is from flowing rivers.

Location

Lengnau is located at the bottom of the Jura Mountains. It is in the flat areas near the Aare river. The old path of the Aare river forms one of the town's borders.

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Lengnau shows a green fir tree with a red trunk. It stands on three green hills on a silver background.

People of Lengnau (Demographics)

Lengnau has a population of about 5,600 people. As of 2010, about 18.9% of the people living in Lengnau were from other countries. Over the past 10 years (2000-2010), the population grew by 2.3%. More people moved into Lengnau than moved out.

Languages Spoken

Most people in Lengnau speak German. In 2000, about 87.8% of the population spoke German as their main language. French was the second most common language (2.6%), followed by Italian (2.3%). A very small number of people spoke Romansh.

Population Breakdown

As of 2008, about 48.8% of the population were men and 51.2% were women.

1,778 Swiss men (38.6% of the population)
467 non-Swiss men (10.1%)
1,953 Swiss women (42.4%)
40 non-Swiss women (0.9%)

In 2010, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 18.9% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) were 59.7%, and seniors (over 64 years old) were 21.4%.

Living Arrangements

In 2000, there were 612 homes where only one person lived. There were 97 homes with five or more people. Most apartments (89.6%) were lived in all the time.

The historical population of Lengnau is shown in the chart below:

Economy of Lengnau

In 2011, Lengnau had an unemployment rate of 2.74%. This means a small percentage of people who wanted to work could not find jobs. In 2008, there were 1,459 people working in Lengnau.

Economic Sectors

Jobs in Lengnau are divided into three main types:

Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming and forestry. In 2008, 31 people worked in this sector.
Secondary sector: This includes jobs in manufacturing (making things) and construction. In 2008, 861 people worked here. Most of these jobs (88.6%) were in manufacturing.
Tertiary sector: This includes jobs that provide services. In 2008, 567 people worked in this sector. These jobs include sales, restaurants, education, and healthcare.

Commuting and Transport to Work

In 2000, 841 workers came into Lengnau for their jobs. However, 1,592 workers left Lengnau to work in other towns. This means more people leave Lengnau for work than come in. About 15.6% of working people used public transport to get to work. Most people, 57.5%, used a private car.

Religion in Lengnau

Based on the 2000 census, people in Lengnau follow different religions:

732 people (16.4%) were Roman Catholic.
2,711 people (60.8%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a type of Protestant church).
61 people (1.37%) were Orthodox Christian.
266 people (5.97%) belonged to other Christian churches.
216 people (4.84%) were Islamic.
31 people were Buddhist.
42 people were Hindu.
364 people (8.16%) did not belong to any church. They might be agnostic (unsure about God) or atheist (do not believe in God).

Transport

Lengnau is an important place for train lines. It is where the Basel–Biel/Bienne and Jura Foot train lines meet. Regional trains stop at the Lengnau station.

Education in Lengnau

In Lengnau, many people have completed higher levels of education. About 41.8% of the population finished non-mandatory upper secondary education. Also, 8.7% completed even higher education, like university or a specialized college (Fachhochschule).

Swiss School System

The Canton of Bern school system works like this:

One year of optional Kindergarten.
Six years of Primary school.
Three years of required lower Secondary school. Students are grouped by their abilities.
After lower Secondary, students can continue their schooling or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).

Student Numbers (2009-2010)

During the 2009-10 school year, 434 students attended schools in Lengnau.

Kindergarten: 4 classes with 69 students. About 44.9% of these students were not Swiss citizens. Also, 43.5% spoke a different main language than the classroom language.
Primary School: 13 classes with 245 students. About 25.3% were not Swiss citizens, and 35.5% spoke a different main language.
Lower Secondary School: 6 classes with 120 students. About 21.7% were not Swiss citizens, and 27.5% spoke a different main language.

In 2000, 10 students came to Lengnau schools from other towns. At the same time, 136 students from Lengnau went to schools outside the town.