Oftringen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oftringen
Coat of arms
Oftringen Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Oftringen Location in Canton of Aargau Show map of Canton of Aargau
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Aargau
District	Zofingen
Area
• Total	12.85 km2 (4.96 sq mi)
Elevation	419 m (1,375 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	14,455
• Density	1,124.9/km2 (2,913.5/sq mi)
Postal code	4665
Surrounded by	Aarburg, Dulliken (SO), Rothrist, Safenwil, Starrkirch-Wil (SO), Strengelbach, Walterswil (SO), Zofingen
Twin towns	Filet (Switzerland)

Oftringen is a town in Switzerland. It is located in the Aargau area, within the Zofingen district. Oftringen is known as a municipality, which is like a local government area.

History of Oftringen

Early Settlements and Beginnings

People have lived near Oftringen for a very long time. The first signs of humans here date back to the mesolithic era, which was a period in the Stone Age. Later, during the Roman era, a farm was built where two roads crossed. There were also settlements by the Alamanni people.

The name Oftringen was first written down in the year 924. For many years, the village was controlled by the Counts of Frohburg. In 1299, it came under the rule of the Habsburg family.

Bernese Rule and Changes

In 1415, the area became part of Bern. Oftringen was then part of the township of Aarburg. It stayed with Bern until 1798.

In 1528, the Protestant Reformation came to Oftringen. This changed the religion of the village. A special church court was set up in 1667. The first schoolhouse was built in 1663, and another one was added in 1740 in a small village called Küngoldingen. A bigger district school was built much later, in 1969–70.

Oftringen was part of the parish of Zofingen until 1920. That year, Oftringen got its own church parish. The main church for the parish was built in 1933–34.

Roads, Railways, and Growth

In the 1700s, Bern improved its road network. This meant that important roads connecting Bern to Zurich and Basel to Lucerne crossed in Oftringen. This made the town a busy place.

Later, in 1856, a railway line from Olten to Lucerne was built. Even though the station was in Aarburg, it helped Oftringen. Another railway line, the Aarau-Zofingen line, was built in 1875-77. In 1914, a train station was added in Küngoldingen.

Because of all the traffic and transport, the town center shifted. Many businesses opened near the main road crossing. In 1825, a paper mill started, marking the beginning of industry in Oftringen. Textile factories also opened along the river. In the 1900s, chemical and metal industries also came to the village. By 1920, about 65% of people worked in factories.

Modern Development

Major changes happened when national motorways (A1 and A2) were built in Oftringen in 1967 and 1980. These motorways created a big junction. This led to many shopping centers and service businesses moving to the area. The number of jobs grew a lot between 1950 and 1990.

By the early 2000s, farming provided only a small number of jobs (4%). Most jobs (over 60%) were in the service industry. Oftringen's population grew very fast between 1945 and 1970. In the 1970s, it had the largest population in the Zofingen area.

Geography of Oftringen

Oftringen covers an area of about 12.85 square kilometers (about 5 square miles).

• About 35.6% of the land is used for farming.
• About 33.9% is covered by forests.
• About 30.7% has buildings or roads.

The town is located in the Zofingen district. It sits on the eastern side of the Wigger river valley. Oftringen includes the main village and several smaller communities called hamlets. You can also find the ruins of Alt-Wartburg castle in the northern part of the area.

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Oftringen is blue. It shows three silver crescent moons.

Population and People

Oftringen has a population of about 10,965 people (as of December 2006).

• About 30.9% of the people living in Oftringen are from other countries (as of June 2009).
• Most people (81.4%) speak German.
• The second most common language is Italian (5.4%).
• The third most common is Serbo-Croatian (3.7%).

Age Groups

Here's a look at the age groups in Oftringen (as of 2008):

• Children aged 0-9: 9.7%
• Teenagers aged 10-19: 11.0%
• Young adults aged 20-29: 14.9%
• Adults aged 30-39: 14.6%
• Adults aged 40-49: 16.5%
• Adults aged 50-59: 13.3%
• Seniors aged 60-69: 9.7%
• Seniors aged 70-79: 6.6%
• Seniors aged 80-89: 3.2%
• Seniors aged 90 and older: 0.5%

Homes and Households

In 2000, there were about 4,364 homes and apartments in Oftringen. The average household had 2.3 people.

• About 36.3% of homes were owned by the people living in them.
• In 2008, there were 1,438 single-family homes.
• About 2.9% of apartments were empty.
• In 2007, 18.1 new homes were built for every 1000 residents.

Voting Habits

In the 2007 national election, the most popular political party was the SVP. They received 37.49% of the votes. The next two popular parties were the SP (20.01%) and the FDP (12.9%). About 37.2% of people who could vote did vote in this election.

Population Over Time

Here's how Oftringen's population has changed over the years:

Important Heritage Sites

The old Alt-Wartburg castle ruins are a very important historical site in Switzerland. They are listed as a national heritage site.

Economy and Jobs

In 2007, Oftringen had a low unemployment rate of 3.52%.

• In 2005, about 139 people worked in the primary economic sector. This means jobs like farming and forestry. There were 39 businesses in this area.
• About 1,529 people worked in the secondary sector. These are jobs like manufacturing and building things. There were 97 businesses in this area.
• About 2,336 people worked in the tertiary sector. These are service jobs, like working in shops, offices, or healthcare. There were 297 businesses in this area.

Many people who live in Oftringen also travel to other towns for work. In 2000, about 75.9% of residents worked outside Oftringen. However, many people also came into Oftringen for work.

• About 10.5% of workers used public transport to get to work.
• About 52.2% used a private car.

Religion

Based on the 2000 census:

• About 29.0% of the people were Roman Catholic.
• About 45.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a Protestant church).
• A small number (0.18%) belonged to the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland.

Education

Many adults in Oftringen have a good education. About 61.8% of people aged 25 to 64 have finished high school or gone on to higher education, like university.

In the 2008/2009 school year:

• 790 students attended primary school.
• 358 students attended secondary school.
• 137 students were studying at university level.

Oftringen also has a public library called the Gemeindebibliothek. In 2008, it had over 12,000 books and other items. It loaned out more than 37,000 items that year.

Notable People

• Arnold Lang (1855–1914): He was born in Oftringen and became a famous Swiss scientist who studied animals.
• Sandro Burki (born 1985): He was born in Oftringen and became a professional football player. He played in about 400 club games, mostly for FC Aarau.

Images for kids

• 

  Aerial view of Oftringen (1967)

• 

  The ruins of Alt-Wartburg castle

See also

In Spanish: Oftringen para niños