Messen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Messen
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Messen village
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 Messen
Location in Switzerland
Messen
Location in Canton of Solothurn
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Solothurn | |
| District | Bucheggberg | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 11.89 km2 (4.59 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 505 m (1,657 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 1,471 | |
| • Density | 123.72/km2 (320.43/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3254
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| Surrounded by | Balm bei Messen, Brunnenthal, Etzelkofen (BE), Mülchi (BE), Oberramsern, Rapperswil (BE), Ruppoldsried (BE), Scheunen (BE) | |
Messen is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It's part of the Bucheggberg district. On January 1, 2010, Messen grew bigger when three nearby towns – Balm bei Messen, Brunnenthal, and Oberramsern – joined with it.
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Contents
History of Messen and its Villages
Messen was first mentioned in old records way back in 1223. It was called Messon then. The village of Balm bei Messen was first written about in 1254 as de Balmo. Brunnenthal appeared in records in 1387, and Oberramsern in 1276. These mentions help us understand how old these places are.
Geography and Landscape
Messen covers an area of about 7.08 square kilometers (about 2.73 square miles). A large part of this land, about 63%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 29% of the area. The rest of the land, about 6.9%, is where buildings and roads are. A tiny part, 0.4%, is made up of rivers or lakes.
The town is in a hilly area south of the Limpach river valley. Messen itself is a haufendorf village, which means it grew without a strict plan, with buildings close together around a central area. It also includes smaller areas called hamlets, like Eichholz and Niderwol. Now, it also includes the former independent villages of Balm bei Messen, Brunnenthal, and Oberramsern.
Messen's Coat of Arms
The blazon (description) of Messen's coat of arms is: Azure a House with two Towers embattled all Argent. This means it shows a silver (argent) house with two towers that have battlements (like a castle wall) on a blue (azure) background. This symbol represents the town.
Population and People
Messen has a population of about 1,052 people. Most people in Messen speak German, which is about 97.6% of the population. A smaller number speak French (1.0%) or Portuguese (0.3%).
In 2008, about 52.4% of the people living in Messen were male, and 47.6% were female. Most of the people in Messen were born in Switzerland. About 36.2% were born right in Messen, and 45.7% were born in other parts of Switzerland.
When looking at age groups in 2000:
- About 10.1% of the population were children aged 0 to 6 years old.
- About 16.3% were teenagers aged 7 to 19 years old.
- Adults aged 25 to 44 made up the largest group, at 35.4%.
- Seniors, people over 65, made up about 12.9% of the population.
Most households in Messen have about 2.6 people living in them. There are also some households where only one person lives, and some with five or more people.
Historical Population Changes
The chart below shows how the population of Messen and the villages that joined it has changed over many years. You can see how each area grew or shrank over time.
Economy and Jobs
In 2010, Messen had a very low unemployment rate, meaning almost everyone who wanted a job had one. Many people in Messen work in different types of jobs:
- Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming. About 116 people worked in this area in 2008.
- Secondary sector: This includes jobs in manufacturing (making things) and construction (building things). About 55 people worked here.
- Tertiary sector: This is the service sector, including jobs in sales, transportation, hotels, restaurants, education, and healthcare. About 224 people worked in this sector.
Many people who live in Messen travel to other towns for work. In 2000, about 335 people left Messen to work elsewhere, while 116 people came into Messen for their jobs. Most people (56.1%) used a private car to get to work, while 9.8% used public transportation.
Religion in Messen
Based on a census from 2000, most people in Messen belong to the Swiss Reformed Church (about 82.1%). A smaller number (9.5%) are Roman Catholic. There are also a few people who belong to other Christian churches or have no religious affiliation.
Education in Messen
Education is important in Messen. About 39.8% of the population has finished high school (called non-mandatory upper secondary education in Switzerland). Also, about 16.7% have gone on to higher education, like a university or a specialized college.
In 2000, 90 students came to Messen from other towns to go to school. At the same time, 33 students from Messen went to schools outside the town.
See also
In Spanish: Messen para niños
