Schwadernau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Schwadernau
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 Schwadernau
Location in Switzerland
Schwadernau
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Biel/Bienne | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4.15 km2 (1.60 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 437 m (1,434 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 692 | |
| • Density | 166.7/km2 (431.9/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
2556
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| Surrounded by | Aegerten, Brügg, Büetigen, Dotzigen, Orpund, Scheuren, Studen | |
Schwadernau is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It's part of the Biel/Bienne area. This charming place has a long history and is known for its beautiful natural surroundings.
Contents
Schwadernau's Past: A Look at Its History
When Was Schwadernau First Mentioned?
Schwadernau was first written about in official records in the year 1269. Back then, its name was Swadernouwa.
Early Settlements and Discoveries
People have lived in the Schwadernau area for a very long time. Scientists have found old tools and items from the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) period. They also found things from the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Bronze Age. Even objects from the Roman era and the early Middle Ages show that many groups of people lived here throughout history.
Near places called Räbhubel or Scheurenhubel, there might have been an old workshop or a small village. This is suggested by discoveries like iron bars and parts of a Roman wall.
Who Owned Schwadernau in the Middle Ages?
During the Middle Ages, the village of Schwadernau belonged to the Counts of Neuchâtel-Nidau. In 1281, the Count gave about half of the village to the Prince-Bishop of Basel. A Prince-Bishop was a religious leader who also ruled over land.
Later, in 1376, the Counts of Kyburg and Thierstein fought and won against the Bishop of Basel near Schwadernau. By 1398, the city of Bern took control of the entire Inselgau region, which included Schwadernau. Under Bern's rule, Schwadernau became part of the bailiwick (an area ruled by a bailiff) of Nidau and the parish (a church district) of Bürglen.
How Water Changed the Land
Between 1868 and 1875, a big project called the Jura water correction took place. This project, along with building the Nidau-Büren Canal, helped drain the wet, marshy lands around the village. It also stopped floods. This made the land much better for farming. Today, about a quarter of all jobs in Schwadernau are still in agriculture, which means farming.
Exploring Schwadernau's Geography
Where is Schwadernau Located?
Schwadernau covers an area of about 4.1 square kilometers (1.6 square miles). It is located between the Nidau-Büren Canal and the old path of the Aare river.
How is the Land Used?
Most of Schwadernau's land is used for farming. About 73.9% of the area is agricultural land. This means it's used for growing crops or for pastures where animals graze.
About 14.5% of Schwadernau is covered by forests. The rest of the land, about 10.1%, has buildings or roads. A small part, 1.0%, is made up of rivers or lakes.
In recent years, the way land is used has stayed similar. For example, housing and buildings take up about 5.6% of the land. Roads and other transportation areas make up 3.6%. Most of the forested land is dense forest, and a small part has orchards or groups of trees. All the water in the municipality is flowing water, like rivers and streams.
Changes in Administrative Areas
On January 1, 2010, Schwadernau joined a new administrative area called Verwaltungskreis Biel/Bienne. Before that, it was part of a district called Amtsbezirk Nidau.
Schwadernau's Coat of Arms
The blazon (a special description) of Schwadernau's municipal coat of arms tells us what it looks like. It is described as Gules two Tournament Lances Argent in saltire and a Mullet of the same in chief. This means it has a red background with two silver lances crossed over each other, and a silver star at the top.
Who Lives in Schwadernau? (Demographics)
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Population Numbers
Schwadernau has a population of about 649 people as of December 2011. A small part of the population, about 6.8% as of 2010, are people from other countries living in Schwadernau. Over the last ten years (2001-2011), the population has slightly decreased.
What Languages Do People Speak?
Most people in Schwadernau speak German. About 91.8% of the population speaks German as their main language. French is the second most common language, spoken by about 2.5% of the people. Serbo-Croatian is the third most common, spoken by 1.2%. A few people also speak Italian.
Gender and Origin of Residents
As of 2008, the population was almost evenly split between males and females. About 49.5% were male and 50.5% were female. Most residents are Swiss citizens.
Many people living in Schwadernau were born there (about 23.9%). Others were born in the same canton (46.0%), somewhere else in Switzerland (17.8%), or outside of Switzerland (11.2%).
Age Groups in Schwadernau
In 2011, children and teenagers (ages 0-19) made up about 22.3% of the population. Adults (ages 20-64) made up 59.3%, and seniors (over 64 years old) made up 18.3%.
Households and Homes
As of 2010, there were 76 households with only one person living in them. There were also 17 households with five or more people. Most apartments in Schwadernau are lived in all the time. In 2011, single-family homes made up most of the housing in the municipality.
How Has the Population Changed Over Time?
The chart below shows how Schwadernau's population has changed through the years:
Schwadernau's Economy: How People Work
Jobs and Employment
In 2011, Schwadernau had a low unemployment rate of 1.17%. This means most people who wanted to work had a job. As of 2008, there were 162 people working in the municipality.
Jobs are often grouped into three main types:
- The primary economic sector includes jobs that get raw materials from nature. In Schwadernau, 60 people worked in this sector, mostly in agriculture (farming).
- The secondary sector involves making things. About 21 people worked in this sector, mainly in manufacturing (making goods) and construction (building things).
- The tertiary sector includes jobs that provide services. About 81 people worked in this sector. These jobs include sales, transportation, hotels, restaurants, and education.
Commuting to Work
Many people who live in Schwadernau travel to other places for work. In 2000, 278 workers left the municipality for their jobs, while 146 workers came into Schwadernau for work. About 72 people both lived and worked in Schwadernau.
Most people (61.7%) used a private car to get to work. About 12.6% used public transportation.
Religion in Schwadernau
Based on a 2000 survey, most people in Schwadernau belong to the Swiss Reformed Church (66.7%). About 12.9% were Roman Catholic.
Other groups included members of an Orthodox church and the Christian Catholic Church. Some people belonged to other Christian churches. There were also people who followed Islam and Buddhism.
About 10% of the population said they did not belong to any church, or were agnostic or atheist.
Learning and Education in Schwadernau
Education Levels
In Schwadernau, about 60.6% of the population has completed education beyond basic schooling, like upper secondary education. Also, 17.2% have gone on to higher education, such as a university or a specialized college.
The School System in Bern
The school system in the Canton of Bern, where Schwadernau is located, starts with one year of optional Kindergarten. After that, children attend six years of Primary school. Then, they go to three years of required lower Secondary school. In lower Secondary, students are grouped based on their abilities. After this, students can choose to continue their schooling or start an apprenticeship, which is like learning a job while working.
Students in Schwadernau Schools
During the 2011-2012 school year, 61 students attended classes in Schwadernau. There was one kindergarten class with 20 students. The municipality also had two primary classes with 41 students. A small number of these primary students were not Swiss citizens or spoke a different language at home.
In 2000, 52 students attended school in Schwadernau. Most of them (33) lived and went to school in the municipality. The rest (19) came from other towns. In the same year, 68 residents of Schwadernau went to schools outside the municipality.
Images for kids
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A general view of Schwadernau.
See also
In Spanish: Schwadernau para niños
