Mirchel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mirchel
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 Mirchel
Location in Switzerland
Mirchel
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Bern-Mittelland | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.34 km2 (0.90 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 669 m (2,195 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 616 | |
| • Density | 263.2/km2 (681.8/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3532
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| Surrounded by | Grosshöchstetten, Konolfingen, Niederhünigen, Oberhünigen, Zäziwil | |
Mirchel is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Bern-Mittelland area of Switzerland. It's part of the Canton of Bern, which is like a state or region in Switzerland.
Contents
Mirchel's Past: A Look at Its History
Mirchel was first written about in the year 1320. Back then, its name was Mirchlon.
Early Settlements and Medieval Times
The oldest signs of people living in this area are from a long time ago. Archaeologists found a grave from the La Tene culture, which was an ancient European civilization. They also found old iron tools.
During the Middle Ages, Mirchel was part of a larger territory called the Herrschaft of Signau. This was like a small kingdom or lordship.
Becoming Part of Bern
In 1529, the Herrschaft of Signau came under the control of Bern. This meant Mirchel became part of Bern's bailiwick of Signau. A bailiwick was an area managed by an official called a bailiff.
Mirchel has always been part of the church area, or parish, of Möschberg. Starting in the 1970s, many people who work in nearby cities began to live in Mirchel. Today, about two-thirds of the people who work in Mirchel travel to jobs in other towns.
Where is Mirchel? Its Geography
Mirchel covers an area of about 2.4 square kilometers (or 0.9 square miles).
Land Use in Mirchel
Most of Mirchel's land, about 76.6%, is used for farming. This includes fields for crops and areas for animals to graze. About 10.6% of the land is covered by forests. The remaining 13.2% of the land has buildings or roads.
- About 5.5% of the land is used for houses and other buildings.
- Roads and other ways to travel make up about 6.0% of the land.
- A small part, 1.3%, is used for things like power and water systems.
The forests in Mirchel are mostly dense, thick woods. For farming, over half of the land is used for growing crops. Other parts are used for pastures for animals or for growing fruit trees.
Mirchel's Location and Parts
Mirchel is located in the upper part of a valley called the Kiesental (Kiesen Valley). The municipality includes the main village of Mirchel. It also has a smaller settlement called Gmeis, which is a hamlet, and many scattered farmhouses.
On January 1, 2010, Mirchel became part of a new administrative area. This new area is called Verwaltungskreis Bern-Mittelland.
Mirchel's Coat of Arms
The official blazon (description) of Mirchel's coat of arms is: Per pale Or and Vert an Oak Branch palewise counterchanged. This means the shield is split down the middle. One side is gold (Or) and the other is green (Vert). In the middle, there's an oak branch standing upright. The colors of the oak branch are swapped: the part on the gold side is green, and the part on the green side is gold.
Who Lives in Mirchel? Population Facts
Mirchel has a population of about 595 people as of December 2011.
Population Changes
Over ten years, from 2001 to 2011, the number of people living in Mirchel grew by about 4.2%. Most of this growth came from people moving into the area.
Languages Spoken
Most people in Mirchel speak German as their main language. In 2000, about 99.2% of the population spoke German. A small number of people also spoke English or French.
Age Groups
As of 2011, here's how the population was divided by age:
- Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up about 25.9% of the population.
- Adults (20–64 years old) made up about 58.3%.
- Seniors (over 64 years old) made up about 15.8%.
Housing in Mirchel
In 2000, there were 184 apartments that people lived in all the time. A few apartments were used only at certain times of the year, and a small number were empty. In 2010, new houses were being built at a rate of 14 new homes for every 1000 residents.
Historical Population Chart
The chart below shows how Mirchel's population has changed over many years:
What People Do: Mirchel's Economy
In 2011, Mirchel had a very low unemployment rate of 0.66%. This means almost everyone who wanted a job had one.
Jobs in Mirchel
As of 2008, there were 131 people working in Mirchel. These jobs were in different areas:
- Primary Sector: This includes jobs like farming. There were 54 people working in this area, with 23 businesses.
- Secondary Sector: This includes jobs like manufacturing (making things). There were 3 people working in this area, with 1 business.
- Tertiary Sector: This includes jobs in services, like shops, restaurants, or education. There were 74 people working in this area, with 13 businesses.
Many people who live in Mirchel travel to other towns for work. In 2000, 217 residents commuted out of Mirchel for their jobs. About 13.2% of working people used public transportation, and 56.4% drove their own cars.
Beliefs: Religion in Mirchel
Based on information from 2000, most people in Mirchel belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 88% of the population were part of this church.
A smaller number, about 3.9%, were Roman Catholic. Some people belonged to other Christian churches. About 3% of the population did not belong to any church.
Learning and Schools: Education in Mirchel
Many adults in Mirchel have completed a good level of education. About 45.8% of the population finished non-mandatory upper secondary education. This is like high school. About 7.5% went on to higher education, like a university.
The School System in Bern
The school system in the Canton of Bern works like this:
- Kids usually start with one year of optional Kindergarten.
- Then, they go to six years of Primary school.
- After that, there are three years of mandatory lower Secondary school. In this stage, students are grouped based on their abilities.
- After lower Secondary, students can choose to continue their schooling or start an apprenticeship to learn a trade.
Students in Mirchel
During the 2010–2011 school year, there were 63 students attending classes in Mirchel.
- There was one kindergarten class with 11 students.
- The municipality had two primary classes with 42 students.
- There was one lower secondary class with 10 students.
In 2000, only 2 students came to Mirchel's schools from other towns. However, 21 students from Mirchel went to schools outside the municipality.
Famous People from Mirchel
- Friedrich Traugott Wahlen (1899–1985) was born in the hamlet of Gmeis, which is part of Mirchel. He was a Swiss professor of agriculture. He also became a member of the Federal Council, which is like the government cabinet of Switzerland.
See also
In Spanish: Mirchel para niños
