Pieterlen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pieterlen
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 Pieterlen
Location in Switzerland
Pieterlen
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Biel/Bienne | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 8.35 km2 (3.22 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 436 m (1,430 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 4,784 | |
| • Density | 572.9/km2 (1,483.9/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
2542
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| Surrounded by | Lengnau, Meinisberg, Safnern, Biel/Bienne, Vauffelin, Romont | |
Pieterlen (called Perles in French) is a town in Switzerland. It is located in the Biel/Bienne area of the Bern canton. Pieterlen is a municipality, which means it is a local government area.
Contents
A Look Back: Pieterlen's History
How Old Is Pieterlen?
Pieterlen was first written about in the year 1228. Back then, it was called Perla. Later, in 1268, its name was recorded as Bieterlo.
Ancient Discoveries
Archaeologists have found signs of people living in Pieterlen a very long time ago. They found a settlement from the Bronze Age. This was a time when people used bronze to make tools and weapons.
They also discovered a Roman estate. This was like a large farm or villa from the time of the Roman Empire (between the 1st and 3rd centuries).
Medieval Times
During the Middle Ages, there were several small villages where Pieterlen is today. A medieval bath house was found at Thürliweg. People used these for washing and relaxing.
An old cemetery called Totenweg was used in the 7th and 8th centuries. It served two different settlements. A medieval fort was also found at Gräuschenhubel.
Later in the Middle Ages, Pieterlen was owned by a noble family, the Lords of Pieterlan. By the late 1200s, the village became part of the land ruled by the Prince-Bishop of Basel.
Changes Over Time
In 1797, French armies invaded the region and took control. Pieterlen became part of France for a while. After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, Pieterlen joined the Canton of Bern.
In 1833, the old church area was split into four new towns. These included Pieterlen, Meinisberg, and Romont.
The Village Church
The Church of St. Martin in Pieterlen was first mentioned in 1228. However, it was built on the site of an even older church, possibly from the 900s.
The main part of the church was built in 1615 and updated in 1858. The choir (the area near the altar) has old murals (wall paintings). It also has a grave plate from the 14th century.
The church became Protestant in 1529 during the Protestant Reformation. Today, the Protestant church of Pieterlen also includes the nearby town of Meinisberg.
From Farms to Factories
Around 1860, small businesses started making parts for watches and clocks in Pieterlen. The railway came to the village in 1857, making travel and trade easier.
By 1900, a watch factory and a brick factory opened. The watch factory employed 80 workers by 1904. These factories, along with good roads and the railway, changed Pieterlen. It went from being a farming village to an industrial town.
More people moved to Pieterlen for work. New neighborhoods were built to house them. In the 1970s and 1980s, the watch industry left. But Pieterlen found new types of industries. In 2005, almost half of the working people (49%) worked in industry. Another 47% worked in service jobs.
A major highway, the A5 motorway, was built through the town starting in 2002.
Important Buildings and Nature
The Schlössli is a country estate built in 1838. Today, it is a retirement home. A secondary school opened in Pieterlen in 1907. The Felsenheide nature reserve was created near the town in 1952. It helps protect local wildlife and plants.
Pieterlen's Location and Landscape
Where is Pieterlen Located?
Pieterlen is nestled between the Jura Mountains and the Büttenberg mountain. This area is known as the Bernese Seeland.
What is the Land Like?
Pieterlen covers an area of about 8.3 square kilometers.
- About 31% of the land is used for farming.
- Nearly half (47.1%) is covered by forests.
- About 19.6% has buildings or roads.
- A small part (1.6%) is rivers or lakes.
Pieterlen's Coat of Arms
What Does the Coat of Arms Mean?
The blazon (description) of Pieterlen's coat of arms is: Or a Lion rampant Gules overall a Bar Azure. This means it shows a red lion standing on its hind legs on a gold background. A blue bar goes across the lion.
Who Lives in Pieterlen?
Population Numbers
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Pieterlen has a population of about 3,800 people. As of 2010, about 21.4% of the people living there were from other countries. The population has grown by about 8.5% in the last ten years.
Languages Spoken
Most people in Pieterlen speak German. In 2000, about 86.3% of the population spoke German as their main language. French is the second most common language (3.5%), followed by Albanian (2.9%).
Age Groups
As of 2010, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 20.8% of the population. Adults (20-64 years old) make up 62.2%. Seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17%.
How Many People Live in Each Home?
In 2000, there were 444 homes where only one person lived. There were 88 homes with five or more people. Most apartments (83.9%) were lived in all the time.
Important Places: Heritage Sites
What are Heritage Sites?
The medieval graveyard called Totenweg and Bünden and the medieval church are very important. They are listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. This means they are protected because of their historical and cultural value.
Pieterlen's Economy
How Do People Work in Pieterlen?
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In 2011, Pieterlen had an unemployment rate of 3.14%. This means a small percentage of people looking for work could not find a job.
In 2008, about 1,217 people worked in Pieterlen.
- 36 people worked in the primary sector. This includes farming and forestry.
- 591 people worked in the secondary sector. This includes manufacturing (making things) and construction.
- 590 people worked in the tertiary sector. This includes services like sales, transportation, hotels, education, and healthcare.
Where Do People Work?
Many people who live in Pieterlen travel to other towns for work. In 2000, 1,141 workers left Pieterlen for their jobs, while 638 came into Pieterlen to work.
About 17.1% of working people used public transportation to get to work. Most (56.1%) used a private car.
Religion in Pieterlen
What Religions Do People Follow?
According to the 2000 census:
- 18.3% of people were Roman Catholic.
- 56.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a Protestant church).
- Smaller numbers of people belonged to other Christian churches, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, or Hinduism.
- About 6.58% of the population did not belong to any church.
Getting Around: Transport
Train Connections
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Pieterlen is on two important railway lines: the Basel–Biel/Bienne line and the Jura Foot line. You can catch regional trains at the Pieterlen railway station.
Learning in Pieterlen: Education
School System
In Pieterlen, about 38.4% of the population has finished upper secondary education. This is like high school. About 9.2% have gone on to higher education, like university.
The school system in Bern canton works like this:
- One year of optional Kindergarten.
- Six years of Primary school.
- Three years of required lower Secondary school. 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 Pieterlen
During the 2009–10 school year, 384 students attended classes in Pieterlen.
- There were 4 kindergarten classes with 72 students.
- There were 10 primary classes with 206 students.
- There were 6 lower secondary classes with 89 students.
Many students in Pieterlen's schools were not Swiss citizens or spoke a different language at home.
Images for kids
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Pieterlen's Protestant church
See also
In Spanish: Pieterlen para niños
