Niederstocken facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Niederstocken
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 Niederstocken
Location in Switzerland
Niederstocken
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Thun | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5.5 km2 (2.1 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 634 m (2,080 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2011)
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| • Total | 258 | |
| • Density | 46.9/km2 (121.5/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3632
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| Surrounded by | Erlenbach im Simmental, Höfen, Oberstocken, Reutigen | |
Niederstocken was once a small town, or municipality, in Switzerland. It was located in the Canton of Bern, within the Thun district. On January 1, 2014, Niederstocken joined with two other towns, Oberstocken and Höfen, to form a new, larger municipality called Stocken-Höfen.
Contents
History of Niederstocken
Niederstocken was first mentioned in old records in 1351. Back then, it was simply called Stogken.
Scientists have found very old tools from the Stone Age on Stockenfluh mountain, showing that people lived in this area a long, long time ago. During the Middle Ages, Niederstocken was part of the lands belonging to a group of priests, or canons, at Amsoldingen Castle. In 1485, the land was taken over by Bern, a powerful Swiss state. By 1505, Niederstocken became part of Bern's Thun district.
Later, between 1898 and 1926, a company tried to build a train line through the Stockental valley, which included Niederstocken, but it didn't work out. A road was finally built to the town in 1921. People tried to combine Niederstocken and Oberstocken several times, but it didn't happen until 2014. Even today, the area is still quite quiet and mostly known for farming.
The village had its own chapel built in 1481. However, after 1556, when the area adopted the Protestant Reformation (a big change in Christianity), the chapel was taken down.
Geography and Nature
Before it merged, Niederstocken covered about 5.5 square kilometers (about 2.1 square miles). A big part of this land, about 54.7%, is covered in forests. About 24.8% is used for farming, like growing crops or for pastures where animals graze. A small part, about 3.6%, has buildings and roads.
The town is located in a beautiful area called the Stockental, which means Stock Valley. It stretches from the valley floor up into the mountains, even including part of the famous Stockhorn mountain.
Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Niederstocken has a special design. It shows a red top half with a white rose. The bottom half is white with a black tree stump. This design is a type of "canting arms", which means the picture on the shield gives a hint about the name. In German, "Stock" means stump, and "Nieder" means lower. So, the stump is in the lower part of the shield. Interestingly, the nearby town of Oberstocken (where "Ober" means upper) has a similar stump, but it's in the upper part of their shield!
People of Niederstocken
In 2011, Niederstocken had a population of 258 people. Most people living there speak German. A small number of people also speak Serbo-Croatian or French.
In 2008, about 45.7% of the people were boys and men, and 54.3% were girls and women. Most of the people were Swiss citizens. About one-third of the people living in Niederstocken in 2000 were actually born there. More than half were born in the same canton (Bern).
The population is made up of different age groups:
- Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up about 20.2%.
- Adults (20–64 years old) make up about 60.5%.
- Seniors (over 64 years old) make up about 19.4%.
Many people in Niederstocken are married, but there are also single people, widows, and divorced individuals. Most homes are permanently lived in.
The chart below shows how the population of Niederstocken has changed over many years:
Economy and Jobs
In 2011, Niederstocken had a very low unemployment rate, meaning almost everyone who wanted a job had one. In 2008, there were 74 people working in the town.
- About 30 people worked in the primary sector, which means jobs like farming.
- About 7 people worked in the secondary sector, which includes jobs like manufacturing or construction.
- About 37 people worked in the tertiary sector, which includes jobs like transportation, hotels, restaurants, and education.
Many people who live in Niederstocken travel to other towns for work. In 2000, about 6.5% of workers used public transportation, and 57.8% used a private car to get to their jobs.
Religion
Based on a survey from 2000, most people in Niederstocken, about 80.8%, belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, which is a type of Protestant church. About 8.2% were Roman Catholic. A small number of people belonged to other Christian churches, or were Islamic. Some people said they didn't belong to any church, or were agnostic (meaning they aren't sure if God exists) or atheist (meaning they don't believe in God).
Education
In Niederstocken, many adults have completed their upper secondary education, which is like high school. Some have also gone on to higher education, like 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 have three years of lower secondary school, where students are grouped by their abilities. After lower secondary, students can continue their schooling or start an apprenticeship to learn a trade.
During the 2011-2012 school year, there were 36 students in Niederstocken. There was one kindergarten class and two primary classes.
Niederstocken also has a local library called the Schul- und Gemeindebibliothek Niederstocken. In 2008, it had over 4,300 books and other items, and people borrowed over 4,500 items that year.
See also
In Spanish: Niederstocken para niños
