Meilen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Meilen
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 Meilen
Location in Switzerland
Meilen
Location in Canton of Zürich
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Zürich | |
| District | Meilen | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 11.94 km2 (4.61 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 420 m (1,380 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 14,539 | |
| • Density | 1,217.7/km2 (3,153.8/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
8706
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| Localities | Bergmeilen, Dorfmeilen, Feldmeilen, Obermeilen | |
| Surrounded by | Egg, Herrliberg, Horgen, Oberrieden, Uetikon am See, Wädenswil | |
| Twin towns | Ebes (Hungary), Policka (Czech Republic) | |
Meilen is a lovely town in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland. It's located right on the north bank of the beautiful Lake Zurich. Meilen is a municipality in the Meilen district. It's about halfway between the cities of Zürich and Rapperswil.
Contents
A Look Back: Meilen's History
People have lived in Meilen for a very long time! We know this because of amazing discoveries made over 4,000 years ago. In 1854, the water level of Lake Zurich was super low. Locals used this chance to get more land. While working, they found ancient objects from the Stone Age and early Bronze Age. This showed that people lived here even then.
They also found old Roman coins from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. A Roman road that connected Turicum (which is now Zürich) to Chur passed right by Meilen. Many more Roman items have been found during recent road building.
Parts of Meilen used to belong to different monasteries, like St. Gallen and Einsiedeln. The town of Meilen was first mentioned in writings between the years 820 and 880. It was called Meilana back then.
The town's special symbol, its coat of arms, shows two castle towers. These towers represent the old Friedberg castle. This castle was built around the year 1200 and made bigger in the 1300s. You can still see some parts of it today, including a well that goes down 29 meters! People have been making wine in Meilen for hundreds of years.
In 1384, Meilen became a special area ruled by Zürich, called a bailiwick. This meant Meilen had a lot of freedom until 1798. For a long time, Meilen was known for its local shops and crafts. There were at least four mills that helped with farming. In the late 1700s, factories started to appear, especially for making textiles. But this kind of work stopped in the 1800s. When the railway arrived in 1894, local businesses and factories really grew. A ferry service to Horgen across the lake started in 1933.
Meilen's Geography
Meilen covers an area of about 11.9 square kilometers (4.6 square miles). A large part of this land, almost half (46.9%), is used for farming. About a quarter (24.4%) is covered by forests. The rest (27.2%) has buildings and roads.
Meilen is located on the north side of Lake Zurich. It's a beautiful spot! The town is connected to Horgen on the other side of the lake by a car ferry. In the local language, people call it Meile.
The town is split into four main areas or districts called Wachten. These are Feldmeilen, Dorfmeilen, and Obermeilen, which are all along the lake. The fourth area is Bergmeilen, which is closer to Mt. Pfannenstiel. These districts used to be more separate, but today they are mainly used for organizing schools.
People of Meilen
Meilen is home to many people. As of 2022, it has a population of about 14,700 residents. About 16.5% of the people living in Meilen are from other countries. The population has been growing steadily over the last 10 years.
Most people in Meilen (about 87.6%) speak German. Italian is the second most common language, and English is third.
In 2007, the most popular political party in elections was the SVP. Other popular parties included the FDP and the SPS.
When looking at age groups, about 18.9% of the population are children and teenagers (0–19 years old). Adults (20–64 years old) make up 63% of the population, and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18.1%. Many adults in Meilen (about 83.9%) have finished high school or gone on to higher education like university.
Meilen has a low unemployment rate, meaning most people who want to work can find jobs. Many people work in different areas, like farming, factories, and services (like shops and offices).
In terms of religion, about half of the people in Meilen are Protestant, and about a quarter are Catholic. There are also people of other religions, and some who do not follow any religion.
Interesting Places to See
The Protestant church in Meilen is a very old and important building. It sits right by the lake and is a main feature of the town when you see it from the water. The church's history goes back to a small chapel from the 600s! The church you see today was built in 1493.
The oldest restaurant in Meilen is called the Löwen (Lion). It's still open today! Since 1958, the town has owned it. Its main hall is now used for town meetings and cultural events.
Another interesting old building is the inn zur Burg, located near the old Friedberg castle. It was built in 1676 and has beautiful carved decorations.
Meilen also has several grand old houses, called mansions. These include the Seehof, Seehalde, and Grüene Hof. The Seehof mansion was built between 1767 and 1769. It was once home to a very successful textile maker. The Seehalde mansion was built in the 1500s, when wine trading was very popular. The Grüene Hof mansion is in the Feldmeilen area and was built between 1682 and 1684.
Cultural Heritage
Meilen is home to a very special place called Meilen–Rorenhaab. It's located on the shore of Lake Zurich. This site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site called Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps. These are ancient villages built on stilts over water! The settlement is also listed as an important cultural site in Switzerland. Because the lake has grown over time, the original wooden stilts are now about 4 to 7 meters (13 to 23 feet) under the water.
Getting Around Meilen
Meilen has good transportation options. There are two railway stations in the town: Meilen railway station and Herrliberg-Feldmeilen station. These stations are served by different train lines of the Zürich S-Bahn, connecting Meilen to Zürich and other nearby towns.
Meilen also has local bus routes that help people get around town and to nearby places like Uetikon, Männedorf, and Stäfa.
In the summer, you can enjoy boat trips along Lake Zurich to Zürich and Rapperswil. These are run by the Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft. There's also a special car ferry that connects Meilen with Horgen on the opposite side of the lake. One of the ferry boats is even named Meilen!
Famous People from Meilen
Meilen has been home to some notable people:
- Ulrich Wille (1848 – 1925 in Meilen) was a very important military leader. He was the General of the Swiss Army during the First World War.
- Rolf Larcher (born 1934 in Meilen) is a Swiss rower who won a bronze medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
- Werner Hug (born 1952 in Feldmeilen) is a Swiss chess player.
- Magdalena Martullo-Blocher (born 1969) is a Swiss businesswoman and politician. She is the CEO of Ems-Chemie and lives in Feldmeilen.
See also
In Spanish: Meilen para niños
