Münchringen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Münchringen
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 Münchringen
Location in Switzerland
Münchringen
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Bern-Mittelland | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.4 km2 (0.9 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 522 m (1,713 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2011)
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| • Total | 596 | |
| • Density | 248/km2 (643/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3303
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| Surrounded by | Hindelbank, Jegenstorf, Kernenried, Mattstetten, Zauggenried | |
Münchringen was once a municipality (a type of town or local government area) in the Bern-Mittelland area of the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On January 1, 2014, Münchringen joined with another municipality called Scheunen to form the new municipality of Jegenstorf.
Contents
History of Münchringen
Münchringen was first mentioned in old writings around the years 1261–63. It was called Munderchingen back then. Another small settlement nearby, called Holzmühle, was first mentioned in 1271.
The oldest signs of people living in this area are some ancient burial mounds. These mounds date back to the Hallstatt culture, which was an important time in European history. In the 1200s, both Münchringen and Holzmühle were owned by the Counts of Kyburg, who were powerful rulers. These villages were part of their local court system in Alchenflüh.
After the Kyburg family line ended, the villages came under the control of Bern. In 1518, the people of the villages asked to be managed from Kernenried instead, and their request was granted. Later, in 1844–45, Holzmühle, which used to be a separate small village, became part of Münchringen. However, Holzmühle remained part of the parish (church area) of Jegenstorf.
In the mid-1940s, engineers built special walls and channels to control the Urtenen river. This helped stop the area from flooding often. In 1965, a new highway was built near the town. This helped Münchringen grow, bringing in more people and businesses. The village used to be mostly farms. Now, many people who live in Münchringen travel to work in the larger Bern area.
Geography of Münchringen
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Before it merged, Münchringen covered an area of about 2.4 square kilometers (0.93 square miles). A large part of this land, about 76.7%, was used for farming. About 10% of the land was covered by forests. Another 10% was built-up areas, like buildings and roads. A small part, about 2.5%, was rivers or lakes. The rest, about 0.4%, was unproductive land.
Most of the built-up area was for houses and other buildings (6.7%). Roads and other transport areas made up 2.9%. All the forested land was covered with thick forests. For farming, 66.3% of the land was used for growing crops, and 10.4% was used for pastures for animals. All the water in the area was from flowing rivers.
The former municipality of Münchringen is located in the Urtenen valley. It included the main village of Münchringen and a smaller settlement called Holzmühle.
On December 31, 2009, the old district of Fraubrunnen, where Münchringen was located, was closed down. The next day, Münchringen became part of the new Bern-Mittelland administrative district.
Coat of Arms
The blazon (official description) of Münchringen's coat of arms is quite detailed. It means the shield is split down the middle into red and white sections. On top of both colors, there is a plowshare (the blade of a plow) connected to a special cross called a Patriarchal Cross. In the upper part of the shield, there are two stars. The colors of these symbols are "counterchanged," meaning they are white on the red side and red on the white side.
People of Münchringen (Demographics)
In 2011, Münchringen had a population of 596 people. In 2010, about 2.9% of the people living there were foreign nationals. Over the ten years from 2000 to 2010, the population grew by 8.5%. Most of this growth (7.7%) was from people moving into the area, while births and deaths accounted for 1.3%.
Most people in Münchringen (96.2% in 2000) spoke German as their main language. A small number spoke French (0.8%) or Romansh (0.8%). There were also a couple of people who spoke Italian.
In 2008, about 49.1% of the population were male and 50.9% were female. Most people were Swiss citizens.
In 2010, young people (ages 0–19) made up 23.1% of the population. Adults (ages 20–64) made up 59%, and seniors (over 64) made up 17.9%.
In 2000, there were 200 single people in the municipality. There were 293 married people, 22 widows or widowers, and 18 divorced people.
The chart below shows how the population of Münchringen has changed over many years:
Economy
In 2011, the unemployment rate in Münchringen was low, at 1.33%. In 2008, there were 59 people working in the municipality.
Jobs are often divided into three main types:
- Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming, fishing, and mining. In Münchringen, 26 people worked in this sector, mostly in agriculture.
- Secondary sector: This includes jobs in manufacturing and construction. There were 8 people working in this sector.
- Tertiary sector: This includes jobs in services, like shops, restaurants, and healthcare. There were 25 people working in this sector.
In 2008, there were 42 full-time equivalent jobs. This means if you add up all the hours worked by part-time and full-time employees, it equals 42 full-time jobs. Most of these jobs were in agriculture (17 jobs). In the service sector, jobs included sales, hotels, information technology, and healthcare.
In 2000, 35 workers traveled into Münchringen for work, but 262 workers traveled out of Münchringen to work elsewhere. This means many people living in Münchringen worked in other towns. About 24.9% of the working population used public transport to get to work, and 55% used a private car.
Religion
Based on the 2000 census, most people in Münchringen belonged to Christian churches. About 11.8% were Roman Catholic, and 77.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a type of Protestant church).
A small number of people belonged to other Christian churches, including the Orthodox church and the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland. There was also one person who was Islamic and four people who were Hindu. About 2.25% of the population said they didn't belong to any church, or were agnostic (meaning they don't know if God exists) or atheist (meaning they don't believe in God).
Education
In Münchringen, about 46.2% of the population had finished non-mandatory upper secondary education (like high school). About 15.6% had gone on to higher education, either at a university or a Fachhochschule (a type of professional university).
The school system in the Canton of Bern starts with one year of non-required Kindergarten. After that, students go to six years of Primary school. Then, they have three years of required lower Secondary school. In secondary school, students are grouped based on their abilities. After lower Secondary, students can continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).
During the 2010–11 school year, 12 students attended kindergarten classes in Münchringen. Some of these students were not Swiss citizens, and some spoke a different language at home than the one used in the classroom.
In 2000, 72 students from Münchringen went to schools outside the municipality.
See also
In Spanish: Münchringen para niños
