Oerlikon (Zürich) facts for kids
Oerlikon is a cool part of Zürich, a big city in Switzerland. It's in the northern area of the city.
Long ago, Oerlikon was its own small town. But in 1934, it joined Zürich. Now, it's part of a bigger area called District 11, along with Affoltern and Seebach.
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Oerlikon's Past
The name Oerlikon comes from a person named Orilo. He was an Alemannic settler who started a community here. People first wrote about Oerlikon around the year 946. Back then, it was called Orlinchowa. It was a tiny place with only about twelve houses.
For a while, Oerlikon was part of a nearby town called Schwamendingen. People from Oerlikon went to school and church there.
How Oerlikon Grew
In 1855, a train line was built from Oerlikon to Winterthur. This was done by a company called Schweizerische Nordostbahn. The next year, the line reached Zürich Hauptbahnhof through the Wipkingen Tunnel. More train lines followed, connecting Oerlikon to other towns.
These new train lines helped Oerlikon grow a lot. Many factories started to open, and more people moved to the area. A big factory called Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon was built near the train station. In 1872, Oerlikon became its own separate town, no longer part of Schwamendingen.
Trams and Merging with Zürich
In 1897, a tram line was built from Zürich to Oerlikon. It also had branches to Seebach and other places. In 1931, this tram line became part of Zürich's city tram system.
Then, in 1934, Oerlikon officially joined the larger city of Zürich.
Modern Connections
In the early 1950s, Zurich Airport opened. It's only about 5 kilometers north of Oerlikon. This made Oerlikon a great place for offices and hotels because it was so close to the airport.
More train tunnels and lines were built over the years. These new connections made it even faster to travel between Oerlikon, Zürich, and the airport. For example, the Glattalbahn tram system opened between 2006 and 2010. It provides a quick tram ride from Oerlikon to the airport and the surrounding Glattal region.
Cool Places to See
South of the train tracks, you'll find the main part of Oerlikon. This area has shopping centers like Neumarkt and züri 11 shopping. There's also a fancy hotel called Swissôtel and a market place.
You'll also find a busy intersection called Sternen Oerlikon. It's called "Star of Oerlikon" because the streets meet in a way that looks like a five-pointed star!
Neu-Oerlikon and Its Parks
North of the train station, a new area called Neu-Oerlikon (New Oerlikon) is being built. This used to be an industrial area with factories. Now, it's becoming a modern place with new homes and offices.
To make the area nice, several cool parks have been built. These include:
- The Oerliker Park, which has a tower you can climb for great views.
- The MFO-Park, built on the land where the old Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon factory used to be.
- The Traugott Wahlen-Park.
- The Louis-Häfliger-Park.
There's also an older park called Gustav-Ammann-Park. It was first made for factory workers, but now everyone can enjoy it.
Remembering History
In the 1930s, the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon factory made weapons. In 1995, a committee decided to name some streets in Neu-Oerlikon after people who helped others during World War II. These names honor humanitarians and those who stood against bad things happening in the world.
What Oerlikon Makes and Does
Oerlikon is home to several important companies. The main office of Oerlikon Contraves is here. Also, the Messe Zürich exhibition center and the Hallenstadion stadium are located in Oerlikon.
Other big companies like OC Oerlikon and ABB also have businesses in Oerlikon. The Swissôtel Zürich, one of the city's biggest hotels, is right across from the train station.
Getting Around Oerlikon
Zürich Oerlikon railway station is a very important train hub. Many train lines, part of the Zürich S-Bahn network, meet here. It's also a key spot where the Stadtbahn Glattal trams and Zürich trams connect.
You can get to Oerlikon from Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich's main station) very easily. The train ride only takes about six minutes! The Oerlikon train station has been made bigger and more modern to handle all the people traveling through it.
Schools in Oerlikon
Oerlikon has several schools for different age groups:
- Schule Im Birch is located in Neu-Oerlikon.
- Schulhaus Kügelliloo is located in Oerlikon.
- Kantonsschule Zürich Nord is a large high school in Oerlikon. It opened in 2012 and is one of the biggest high schools in Switzerland.
Gallery
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MFO-Park
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Oerliker-Park
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Reformed church
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Dorflinde, district administration buildings at Schwamendingenstrasse
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Sunset in Zürich Nord (Regina-Kägi-Hof)
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Oerlikon and Zürich-Nord as seen from Seebach
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Tram station Sternen Oerlikon
