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Lotzwil

Lotzwil village main street

Coat of arms

Lotzwil

Location in Switzerland

Lotzwil

Location in Canton of Bern

Switzerland

Area

• Total

6.22 km² (2.40 sq mi)

Elevation

504 m (1,654 ft)

Population

(Dec 2020 )

• Total

2,663

• Density

428.1/km² (1,108.9/sq mi)

Postal code

4932

Surrounded by

Bleienbach, Busswil bei Melchnau, Langenthal, Madiswil, Obersteckholz, Rütschelen

Twin towns

Větřní (Czech Republic)

Lotzwil is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Oberaargau district. It is part of the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

History of Lotzwil
- The Village Church
- Economic Growth
Geography of Lotzwil
- Transportation in Lotzwil
Lotzwil's Coat of Arms
Population and People of Lotzwil
Important Heritage Sites
Economy and Jobs
Religion in Lotzwil
Education in Lotzwil
Images for kids
See also

History of Lotzwil

Lotzwil from above (1970)

Lotzwil was first mentioned in old records in 1194. Back then, its name was Locewillare.

In the Middle Ages, important landowners in Lotzwil included St. Urban's Abbey and the Thunstetten Commandery. Different noble families, like the Barons of Langenstein, ruled the area over time.

In 1431, the village was sold to Burgdorf. Burgdorf then grouped Lotzwil with other villages into a larger area called a bailiwick. A bailiwick was like a district ruled by a special official called a bailiff. This bailiff was part of Burgdorf's town council.

After the French invasion in 1798, the bailiwick system ended. Lotzwil became part of the Langenthal District. Later, in 1803, it joined the Aarwangen District.

The Village Church

The village church was first mentioned in 1194. The church building you see today was built in 1682–83. It stands on the foundations of even older churches from the Early and Late Middle Ages.

In 1259, the Barons of Balm and Grünenberg gave the church to the Thunstetten Commandery. After the Protestant Reformation in 1528, the church came under the authority of Bern.

Economic Growth

During the 1700s, the nearby town of Langenthal grew a lot, and this growth helped Lotzwil too. People in Lotzwil started spinning and weaving Linen at home as a cottage industry.

By the 1800s, small linen factories and other businesses opened. The village continued to grow after a railway line opened in 1889. Several factories started, including one for wooden shoes in 1875 and another for weaving machines in 1889. Later, a leather processing factory opened in 1930, followed by a kitchen appliance factory.

Today, the only old factory still working makes bricks. Starting in the 1960s, Lotzwil became a commuter town for Langenthal. Many new homes were built for the growing population. In 1988, a nursing home for ten nearby towns opened here.

In the 1800s, the community built a spa hotel. It was later abandoned between World War I and World War II. Today, a famous country inn stands in its place.

Geography of Lotzwil

Lotzwil village

Lotzwil covers an area of about 6.20 square kilometers (2.39 square miles). Almost half of this land, about 47.5%, is used for farming. Forests cover a large part too, about 37.2% of the area.

Buildings and roads make up about 15.5% of the land. A very small part, about 0.2%, is made up of rivers or lakes. Most of the water in the municipality is flowing water.

The town is located in the Amtsbez Aarwangen area. It includes the main village of Lotzwil, which is a haufendorf village. This means it's an irregular, unplanned, and closely packed village built around a central square. It also includes small hamlets nearby.

Lotzwil is about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) south of Langenthal, a larger city. It is located about 504 meters (1,654 feet) above sea level.

In 2010, Lotzwil joined a new administrative district called Verwaltungskreis Oberaargau.

Transportation in Lotzwil

Lotzwil has its own railway station. You can catch lines S6 and S7 of the Lucerne S-Bahn from here, which connect to Lucerne. The closest motorway exits are in Wangen an der Aare (for the A1 motorway) and Reiden (for the A2 motorway).

Lotzwil's Coat of Arms

The blazon (description) of Lotzwil's municipal coat of arms is simple: it shows a blue lion standing on its hind legs on a silver background. The lion has a red tongue and red claws.

Population and People of Lotzwil

Market in Lotzwil

A traditional Half timbered house in Lotzwil

Lotzwil has a population of about 2,678 people (as of 2022). In 2010, about 16.9% of the people living in Lotzwil were foreign nationals. Over the past 10 years (2000-2010), the population grew by about 6%. Most of this growth was due to people moving into the town.

Most people in Lotzwil speak German as their first language. In 2000, about 90.4% of the population spoke German. Albanian was the second most common language, and Italian was third.

In 2008, about 50.9% of the population was male and 49.1% was female. Many people living in Lotzwil were born there or in the same canton (Bern). About 14.4% of the population in 2000 was born outside of Switzerland.

As of 2010, children and teenagers (ages 0–19) make up about 22.9% of the population. Adults (ages 20–64) make up 60.5%, and seniors (over 64) make up 16.6%.

In 2000, there were 943 apartments that were lived in all the time. A small number of apartments were empty or used only for holidays.

The chart below shows how Lotzwil's population has changed over many years:

Important Heritage Sites

Two buildings in Lotzwil are listed as important heritage sites in Switzerland. These are the Farm House Ingold-Hof and the village church's rectory (the house where the church leader lives).

Farm House Ingold-Hof
Rectory of Lotzwil

Economy and Jobs

In 2011, Lotzwil had a low unemployment rate of 2.29%. In 2008, there were 873 people working in the municipality.

Jobs are divided into three main types:

Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming and forestry. In 2008, about 39 people worked in this sector.
Secondary sector: This includes jobs in manufacturing (making things) and construction. About 510 people worked in this sector, with many in manufacturing.
Tertiary sector: This includes jobs in services, like sales, transportation, hotels, healthcare, and technical professions. About 324 people worked in this sector.

In 2000, many people who lived in Lotzwil traveled to other towns for work (866 workers). Fewer people traveled into Lotzwil for work (490 workers). This means more people leave Lotzwil for work than come in. About 10.5% of working people used public transportation, and 53.3% used a private car to get to work.

Religion in Lotzwil

Reformed church of Lotzwil

According to the 2000 census, most people in Lotzwil belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (about 67.3%). About 12.2% were Roman Catholic.

Other groups included those belonging to other Christian churches (about 7.16%) and Islamic people (about 8.01%). A small number of people were Buddhist or Hindu. About 5.01% of the population said they did not belong to any church.

Education in Lotzwil

In Lotzwil, about 41.2% of the population has finished upper secondary education (like high school). About 9.3% have gone on to higher education, such as university.

The school system in the Canton of Bern starts with one year of non-mandatory Kindergarten. After that, students attend six years of Primary school. Then, there are three years of lower Secondary school. In secondary school, students are grouped based on their abilities. After lower Secondary, students can continue their schooling or start an apprenticeship (on-the-job training).

During the 2009–10 school year, 263 students attended classes in Lotzwil. There were 42 students in kindergarten and 161 students in primary school. There were also 60 students in lower secondary school. Some students in all levels were foreign residents or had a different first language than the classroom language.

In 2000, 10 students from Lotzwil went to school in other towns. Also, 102 students from other towns came to Lotzwil for school.