Moosseedorf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Moosseedorf
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Memorial to the Battle of Grauholz
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 Moosseedorf
Location in Switzerland
Moosseedorf
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Bern-Mittelland | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 6.38 km2 (2.46 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 532 m (1,745 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 4,092 | |
| • Density | 641.4/km2 (1,661.2/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3302
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| Surrounded by | Bolligen, Ittigen, Münchenbuchsee, Urtenen-Schönbühl, Wiggiswil | |
Moosseedorf is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It's located in the canton of Bern, specifically in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district. The town gets its name from the nearby Moossee lake, which lies just south of the village.
Contents
History of Moosseedorf
Moosseedorf has a long and interesting history, going back thousands of years!
How Moosseedorf Got Its Name
The town was first mentioned in old records in 1242 as Sedorf. Later, in 1389, it was called Mossedorf. In the 1700s and early 1800s, it officially became Moosseedorf. This was to avoid confusion with another town named Seedorf in the same canton.
Ancient Discoveries in Moosseedorf
Near Moossee Lake, archaeologists found two of the biggest paleolithic (Stone Age) sites in Switzerland. These sites, called Moosbühl I and II, date back to the last Ice Age, around 13,500 BC. Imagine, people lived here that long ago!
They found over 70,000 flint tools, which are sharp stones used for cutting and hunting. Other cool finds included a bone needle, beads made of ochre (a natural dye), and even tiny pearls made from lignite (a type of coal). One amazing discovery was a small statuette of a woman, only about 2.2 cm (less than an inch) tall, made from jet, a shiny black stone. They also found pieces of amber, which must have come all the way from the Baltic Sea region!
Scientists also found old fire pits and what looked like places where tents once stood. Animal bones showed that these early people mostly hunted reindeer.
Later, in 1856, more ancient settlements were found along the lake's edges. These were from the neolithic period (New Stone Age), around 4,000 BC. In 1886, workers building a monument for the Battle of Grauholz reportedly found a grave from the late Bronze Age (around 1300 BC). It was said to contain small tools and jewelry, but sadly, the site was destroyed during construction, and the artifacts were lost.
In 2011, something very special was found during construction at the public swimming pool near Moossee. It was the remains of a prehistoric dugout canoe! This canoe is about 6,500 years old (from around 4500 BC). Today, you can see it displayed in a special case near where it was found.
Moosseedorf in the Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, Moosseedorf was controlled by a family of knights called Seedorf or Moser. They were not completely free but served powerful lords called the Counts of Kyburg. We don't know much about them, but in 1242, they had an argument with a religious group called the Priory of St. Peter's Island over who had the right to choose the priest for Moosseedorf's church.
The Seedorf family lived in a water castle about 100 meters (330 feet) northeast of the village church. But in 1256-57, two brothers from the Seedorf family traded their lands in Moosseedorf to the Knights Hospitaller (a religious and military order) of Münchenbuchsee Commandery. This meant the Knights Hospitaller took control of the castle, church, land, and people in the village.
In 1528, the city of Bern became Protestant during the Reformation. This meant they took control of all monasteries, including the Münchenbuchsee Commandery. Moosseedorf then became part of the area ruled by Bern, under a local court called a bailiwick. Later, in 1721, Bern traded the village to a man named Hieronymus von Erlach, who then combined Moosseedorf with another area called Hofwil.
The village church, built in the Romanesque style, stands on top of even older churches. Its choir (the part where the singers sit) was rebuilt around 1520–25.
Moosseedorf in Recent Times
After the French invaded Switzerland in 1798, the Erlach family lost their power in Moosseedorf. In 1803, Moosseedorf became part of the Fraubrunnen district.
For a long time, the land around Moossee Lake was very marshy (swampy). People tried to drain it to create more farmland. The first attempt was in the 1770s. Around 1780, the Urtenen river was changed, which lowered the water level and opened up new farming areas. More projects in 1855-56 and 1917-20 finally drained most of the marshes.
The village was on an important road to Bern, which was rebuilt in 1846. In 1916, a railway station was built in the village, connecting it to other towns. Even with good transportation, Moosseedorf remained mostly a farming village for many years.
Things really started to change after 1962, when the A6 and A1 motorways (major highways) were built nearby. This made it easy for large shopping centers, factories, and small businesses to move to Moosseedorf. More jobs meant more people moved there, and the town grew quickly.
To keep up with the growth, Moosseedorf built new schools and other services. Between 1966 and 1985, three new schools were built, and a secondary school opened in 1985. In 1987, a special center called the Tannacker Foundation was built to help people with disabilities by providing support, jobs, and housing.
The Small and Large Moossee Lakes became protected areas in 1954 and 1963 to preserve their natural beauty. The town also includes part of a military training base called Im Sand, which was set up between 1901 and 1912.
Geography of Moosseedorf
Moosseedorf covers an area of about 6.3 square kilometers (2.4 square miles). A good portion of this land is used for farming (about 30%), and another large part is covered by forests (about 35%). About 30% of the land has buildings or roads, and a small part (1.7%) is covered by lakes and rivers.
The town of Moosseedorf is located in the Moossee valley, south of the lake. Besides the main village, the municipality also includes smaller areas called hamlets, such as Sand, Tannacker, and a part of the lake itself. Even though it has its own preacher and cemetery, Moosseedorf belongs to the main church in Münchenbuchsee.
In 2010, Moosseedorf became part of a new administrative area called Verwaltungskreis Bern-Mittelland.
Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Moosseedorf shows a golden boat with an oar floating on blue water with three wavy silver lines. This design likely represents the town's connection to the lake.
People of Moosseedorf (Demographics)
Moosseedorf has a population of about 4,000 people. As of 2010, about 17% of the people living there were foreign nationals. Over the past decade, the population has grown slightly.
Most people in Moosseedorf (around 90%) speak German as their main language. Other languages spoken include French (2%) and Albanian (1.5%).
In 2008, the population was almost evenly split between men (49.6%) and women (50.4%). About 20% of the people living in Moosseedorf in 2000 were born there. Many others were born in the same canton (Bern) or elsewhere in Switzerland.
Young people (ages 0–19) make up about 20% of the population, while adults (20–64) are the largest group at 64%. Seniors (over 64) make up about 15%.
The number of people living in Moosseedorf has changed a lot over time, especially growing quickly in the late 1900s:
Important Heritage Sites
The ancient paleolithic settlement at Moosbühl is a very important historical site in Switzerland. It's listed as a heritage site of national significance. The Im Sand area is also recognized as an important Swiss heritage site.
Economy and Jobs
In 2011, Moosseedorf had a low unemployment rate of about 3%. In 2008, there were over 4,100 jobs in the town.
Jobs in Moosseedorf can be divided into three main types:
- Primary sector: These are jobs related to farming. In 2008, about 35 people worked in this area.
- Secondary sector: These jobs involve making things, like in factories or construction. About 924 people worked in this sector, with many in construction.
- Tertiary sector: These are service jobs, like in shops, offices, or healthcare. This was the largest sector, with over 3,200 people working in areas like sales, transportation, and technical professions.
Many people who live in Moosseedorf also work there. In 2000, about 3,000 workers came into Moosseedorf for their jobs, while about 1,500 residents traveled outside the town for work. This means Moosseedorf is a place where many people come to work. About 36% of workers used public transportation, and 41% used a private car to get to work.
Religion
According to the 2000 census, most people in Moosseedorf belonged to Christian churches. About 63% were part of the Swiss Reformed Church, and about 17% were Roman Catholic. There were also smaller groups of Orthodox Christians and other Christian churches. About 3.3% of the population was Islamic. There were also people who followed Buddhism and Hinduism. About 7% of the population said they didn't belong to any church or were agnostic or atheist.
Education
Education is important in Moosseedorf. About 43% of the population has completed non-mandatory upper secondary education (like high school), and about 11% have gone on to higher education, such as university.
The school system in the Canton of Bern starts with one year of optional Kindergarten. After that, students go to six years of Primary school. Then, they attend three years of mandatory lower Secondary school, where students are grouped by their abilities. After lower Secondary, students can choose to continue their schooling or start an apprenticeship (on-the-job training).
During the 2010–11 school year, Moosseedorf had 355 students. There were 4 kindergarten classes with 70 students, 9 primary classes with 188 students, and 6 lower secondary classes with 97 students. Many students in Moosseedorf schools were either not Swiss citizens or spoke a different language at home than the classroom language.
In 2000, 148 students came to Moosseedorf schools from other towns, and 142 students from Moosseedorf went to schools outside the municipality.
See also
In Spanish: Moosseedorf para niños
