Niederhünigen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Niederhünigen
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 Niederhünigen
Location in Switzerland
Niederhünigen
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Bern-Mittelland | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5.42 km2 (2.09 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 685 m (2,247 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 657 | |
| • Density | 121.22/km2 (314.0/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3504
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| Surrounded by | Freimettigen, Konolfingen, Linden, Mirchel, Oberhünigen | |
Niederhünigen is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Bern-Mittelland area of Bern canton in Switzerland.
Contents
History of Niederhünigen
Niederhünigen was first written about in the year 1148. Back then, it was known as Huningen inferior.
Early Rulers and Castles
During the Middle Ages, Niederhünigen was part of an area called Herrschaft (meaning "lordship" or "territory ruled by a lord") of Hünigen. At first, it was controlled by knights known as Senn von Münsingen. These knights served a powerful lord.
Around 1380 or 1393, the Bokess family from Thun owned the village. They sold it in 1421, and after that, many different owners took over. In the 1500s, the old Hünigen water castle near the village burned down.
In 1554, a new Hünigen Castle was built by Niklaus von Scharnachtal. In 1588, the von May family, who were powerful families from Bern, bought the village and the castle. They lived there and ruled the village until 1922. Their rule ended in 1798 when the French army invaded Switzerland and created a new government called the Helvetic Republic.
Modern Times
In 1933, the village of Stalden, where the castle was, joined with Gysenstein to form Konolfingen. Niederhünigen has mostly stayed a quiet, farming community even into the 21st century.
Niederhünigen was part of the church area of Münsingen until 1911. Then, the Stalden church area was created. The next year, this area was renamed Konolfingen, and Niederhünigen remained part of it.
Geography of Niederhünigen
Niederhünigen covers an area of about 5.4 square kilometers (2.1 square miles).
Land Use
A big part of Niederhünigen, about 51.2%, is used for farming. Forests cover 42.1% of the land. The remaining 6.1% is used for buildings and roads.
Most of the forested land is covered with thick forests. For farming, about 28.3% is used for growing crops, and 20.7% is for pastures where animals graze. A small part, 2.2%, is used for fruit trees or vineyards.
Location and Districts
The municipality is located on the Kurzenberg hill. It includes the main village of Niederhünigen, a spread-out group of homes called Holz, and part of the Kiesental (Kiesen Valley).
On December 31, 2009, the old district of Konolfingen was closed. The next day, January 1, 2010, Niederhünigen became part of the new Bern-Mittelland administrative district.
Niederhünigen's Coat of Arms
The town's coat of arms has a special design. It shows two white swan heads facing away from each other on a red background. At the top, there's a white stripe with a red star.
Population and People
Niederhünigen has a population of about 633 people (as of December 2011).
Population Changes
In 2010, about 3.3% of the people living here were foreign nationals. Over ten years (from 2001 to 2011), the population decreased by about 2%. This was mainly because more people moved away than moved in.
Languages Spoken
Most people in Niederhünigen (about 95.9%) speak German as their main language. Albanian is the second most common language (2.1%), followed by French (0.5%).
Where People Come From
In 2000, about 28.7% of the people living in Niederhünigen were born there. About 54.2% were born in the same canton (Bern). Another 8.3% were born elsewhere in Switzerland, and 6.4% were born outside of Switzerland.
Age Groups
As of 2011, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25.3% of the population. Adults (20–64 years old) are the largest group at 62.7%. Seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12% of the population.
Family Life
In 2000, about 300 people in Niederhünigen were single and had never been married. There were 277 married people, 23 widows or widowers, and 14 divorced individuals.
The historical population is shown in the chart below:
Economy and Jobs
In 2011, Niederhünigen had a very low unemployment rate of 0.94%. This means almost everyone who wanted a job had one.
What People Do for Work
As of 2008, there were 115 people working in the municipality.
- Farming and Natural Resources: 54 people worked in the primary sector, which includes farming. There were about 20 businesses in this area.
- Manufacturing and Building: 38 people worked in the secondary sector, which includes making things and construction. There were 8 businesses in this area.
- Services and Education: 23 people worked in the tertiary sector, which includes jobs like teaching, healthcare, and retail. There were 6 businesses in this area.
Overall, 332 residents of Niederhünigen had jobs, and about 43.1% of these workers were women.
Commuting to Work
In 2000, 25 workers came into Niederhünigen for their jobs, while 276 residents left the municipality to work elsewhere. This means many people who live in Niederhünigen work in other towns.
About 19.6% of working people used public transportation to get to work. A larger group, 55.1%, used a private car.
Religion in Niederhünigen
Based on the 2000 census, most people in Niederhünigen (80.3%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 4.4% were Roman Catholic.
Some people belonged to other Christian churches (13.68%), or were Islamic (2.12%). A small number were Buddhist or Hindu. About 3.42% of the population did not belong to any church, or were agnostic or atheist.
Education in Niederhünigen
In Niederhünigen, about 40.4% of the population has finished non-mandatory upper secondary education. This is like high school. About 10.1% have gone on to higher education, such as a university or a specialized college.
School System
The Canton of Bern has a specific school system:
- One year of non-mandatory Kindergarten.
- Six years of Primary school.
- Three years of mandatory lower Secondary school. In this stage, students are grouped by their abilities.
After lower Secondary, students can continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).
Students in Niederhünigen
During the 2010–11 school year, 79 students attended classes in Niederhünigen.
- There was one kindergarten class with 8 students.
- There were three primary classes with 57 students. A small number of these students were not Swiss citizens or spoke a different language at home.
- There was one lower secondary class with 14 students. Some of these students were also not Swiss citizens or spoke a different language at home.
In 2000, 13 students came to Niederhünigen from other towns for school. At the same time, 31 residents of Niederhünigen went to schools outside the municipality.
See also
In Spanish: Niederhünigen para niños
