Mötschwil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mötschwil
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 Mötschwil
Location in Switzerland
Mötschwil
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Emmental | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.9 km2 (1.1 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 530 m (1,740 ft) | |
| Population
(December 2019)
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| • Total | 121 | |
| • Density | 41.7/km2 (108.1/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3324
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| Surrounded by | Burgdorf, Hindelbank, Krauchthal, Lyssach, Oberburg, Rüti bei Lyssach | |
Mötschwil was a small town, or municipality, in Switzerland. It was located in the Emmental area of the canton of Bern. On January 1, 2021, Mötschwil joined with the nearby town of Hindelbank.
Contents
History of Mötschwil
Mötschwil was first written about in the year 1328. Back then, it was called Mötschwile. Until 1910, the town was known as Mötschwil-Schleumen.
Early Settlements
The oldest sign of people living in this area is a La Tène cemetery. The La Tène culture was an ancient group of people who lived in Europe. The villages of Mötschwil, Schleumen, and Grüt were once part of a larger village called Rüdtligen-Alchenflüh. However, they were also connected to the church area of Hindelbank. They were also part of the military area of Zollikofen. In 1331, a religious group called Fraubrunnen Abbey became a major landowner in these villages. An abbey is like a monastery where monks or nuns live.
Schools and Development
In 1804, Mötschwil, along with Lyssach and Rohrmoos (part of Oberburg), created a school district. This meant they worked together to provide schooling. They built a school in the area called Kreuzweg in 1806. Even though Mötschwil was near train stations in Hindelbank and Lyssach, it mostly stayed a farming community.
Geography of Mötschwil
Mötschwil covered an area of about 2.9 square kilometers (1.1 square miles). Most of this land, about 63.4%, was used for farming. About 30.2% of the area was covered by forests. The remaining 5.4% was used for buildings and roads.
Land Use
- Farming Land: Over half of the farming land (53.2%) was used for growing crops. About 8.8% was used for pastures where animals graze. A small part (1.4%) was used for orchards or vineyards.
- Forests: All the forested land in Mötschwil was made up of dense forests.
- Built-up Areas: Buildings and houses made up 2.7% of the built-up area. Roads and other transportation areas also made up 2.7%.
Mötschwil included the main villages of Mötschwil and Schleumen. It also had smaller areas called hamlets, like Kreuzweg.
Mötschwil's Coat of Arms
The blazon (description) of Mötschwil's coat of arms is: Gules a Sickle Argent handled Or within a corn wreath of the same with five Cornflowers Azure. This means it shows a silver sickle with a gold handle. It is placed inside a gold corn wreath with five blue cornflowers. All of this is on a red background.
People of Mötschwil
In 2019, Mötschwil had a population of 121 people. In 2010, about 10.2% of the people living there were not Swiss citizens. Over ten years (from 2000 to 2010), the population grew by 12.2%. Most of this growth (11.4%) was from people moving into the town. Births and deaths accounted for 3.3% of the change.
Languages Spoken
In 2000, most people in Mötschwil (99.1%) spoke German as their main language. A very small number of people spoke English.
Population Makeup
In 2008, 56.2% of the population was male, and 43.8% was female.
- 70 Swiss men (51.1% of the total population)
- 7 non-Swiss men (5.1%)
- 53 Swiss women (38.7%)
- 7 non-Swiss women (5.1%)
In 2000, about 33.9% of the people were born in Mötschwil. About 53.6% were born in the same canton (Bern). A small number (4.5%) were born elsewhere in Switzerland. About 3.6% were born outside Switzerland.
Age Groups
In 2010, the population of Mötschwil was divided into these age groups:
- Children and teenagers (0–19 years old): 21.9%
- Adults (20–64 years old): 59.9%
- Seniors (over 64 years old): 18.2%
Marital Status and Households
In 2000, there were 47 single people who had never been married. There were 52 married people, 6 widows or widowers, and 7 divorced people.
Also in 2000, there were 19 households with only one person. There were 4 households with five or more people. Most apartments (80%) were lived in all the time. Some (13.3%) were used only at certain times of the year, and a few (6.7%) were empty.
The chart below shows how Mötschwil's population has changed over time:
Economy and Jobs
In 2011, Mötschwil had an unemployment rate of 5.82%. In 2008, there were 40 people working in the town.
Types of Jobs
- Primary Sector: 24 people worked in the primary sector, which mostly means farming. There were 9 businesses in this area.
- Secondary Sector: 1 person worked in the secondary sector, which includes things like manufacturing or construction. There was 1 business in this area.
- Tertiary Sector: 15 people worked in the tertiary sector, which includes services. There were 6 businesses in this area.
In 2008, there were 27 full-time jobs. Most primary sector jobs (15) were in agriculture. The one secondary sector job was in construction. In the tertiary sector, 7 out of 11 jobs were in hotels or restaurants. One job was in education.
Commuting to Work
In 2000, 6 workers came into Mötschwil for their jobs. However, 53 workers left Mötschwil to work elsewhere. This means many more people left the town for work than came into it. About 4.1% of working people used public transportation. Most (67.1%) used a private car to get to work.
Religion in Mötschwil
Based on the 2000 census:
- 5 people (4.5%) were Roman Catholic.
- 84 people (75.0%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.
- 25 people (22.32%) belonged to other Christian churches.
- 10 people (8.93%) did not belong to any church. These people might be agnostic (not sure if God exists) or atheist (do not believe in God).
Education in Mötschwil
In Mötschwil, about 50.9% of the people (57 individuals) had finished upper secondary education. This is schooling after middle school. About 15.2% (17 individuals) had gone on to higher education, like university or a specialized college (Fachhochschule). Of those with higher education, 64.7% were Swiss men and 35.3% were Swiss women.
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. Students are grouped by their abilities.
- After lower Secondary, students can continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).
During the 2010-2011 school year, 21 students attended primary school classes in Mötschwil. In 2000, 8 students from Mötschwil went to schools outside the town.
Images for kids
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Mötschwil's coat of arms
See also
In Spanish: Mötschwil para niños
