Steckborn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Steckborn
Coat of arms
Steckborn Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Steckborn Location in Canton of Thurgau Show map of Canton of Thurgau
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Thurgau
District	Frauenfeld
Area
• Total	8.78 km2 (3.39 sq mi)
Elevation	400 m (1,300 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	3,840
• Density	437.4/km2 (1,132.8/sq mi)
Postal code	8266
Surrounded by	Berlingen, Gaienhofen (Germany), Homburg, Mammern, Öhningen (Germany), Raperswilen

Steckborn is a town in Switzerland. It is located in the Frauenfeld District of the canton of Thurgau.

This town sits on the south-western part of Lake Constance. This section of the lake is known in German as the Untersee, which means "Lower Lake."

Steckborn's Past: A Look at Its History

The Bernina sewing machine company building in Steckborn

An aerial view of Steckborn from 1919, taken by Walter Mittelholzer

People have lived in the area around Steckborn since the second century. There are even old Roman wall remains and forts here. It is believed that the village became part of the Reichenau monastery's land in the ninth century. This is when Steckborn was first written about in official records.

In 1313, Steckborn was first given "municipal rights." This meant it could govern itself more. When the French invaded in 1798, the power of the Reichenau monastery ended. Since the canton of Thurgau was created in 1803, Steckborn has been the main town of its district.

In 1833, a young 17-year-old apprentice named Ferdinand Stadler got to design a new church tower. Later, in 1848, a Cistercian convent (a type of religious house) called Feldbach was closed.

In 1890, an embroidery workshop started in the old Feldbach convent buildings. This workshop grew into the famous Bernina Sewing Machine Factory. Today, it is known as BERNINA International, a well-known sewing machine company.

Steckborn's Location: Understanding Its Geography

Steckborn covers an area of about 8.76 square kilometers (3.38 square miles). A large part of this land, about 36.1%, is used for farming. Forests cover an even bigger part, about 46.5% of the area.

Buildings and roads make up about 17.4% of the land. A very small part, 0.2%, is covered by rivers or lakes. Most of the built-up areas are industrial buildings. Parks and sports fields also take up some space.

Steckborn, seen from the Eichhölzli picnic area. Across the Untersee (Lake Constance) is the German shore.

People of Steckborn: Demographics and Population

The skyline of Steckborn by Lake Constance

Steckborn village in 1999

Steckborn has a population of about 3,435 people. As of 2008, about 22.3% of the people living here were from other countries. Over the past ten years, the number of people living in Steckborn has stayed about the same.

Most people in Steckborn speak German, about 87.4%. The next most common language is Italian, spoken by 4.6% of the people. Albanian is the third most common language, spoken by 1.9%.

In 2008, there were slightly more men (50.3%) than women (49.7%) living in Steckborn. The population of Swiss citizens went down a little, while the number of foreign residents increased. Overall, the population grew by 1.6% in 2008.

The age groups in Steckborn in 2009 were:

• Children (0-9 years old): 8.8%
• Teenagers (10-19 years old): 11.9%
• Young adults (20-29 years old): 11.3%
• Adults (30-59 years old): 42.8%
• Seniors (60 years and older): 25.4%

The historical population of Steckborn is shown below:

Important Places: Heritage Sites in Steckborn

The Turmhof building in Steckborn

Steckborn has several places that are considered important national heritage sites in Switzerland. These include:

• The Reformed church and its churchyard on Kirchgasse.
• The Turmhof building at Seestrasse 84.
• Ancient lakeside settlements at Schanz and Turgi / Feldbach.

The entire village of Steckborn and the area called Glarisegg are also part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. This means they are protected for their historical and cultural value.

Working in Steckborn: The Local Economy

In 2007, the unemployment rate in Steckborn was low, at 2.04%. This means most people who wanted to work had jobs.

The economy of Steckborn is divided into three main parts:

• Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming. About 41 people work in this area.
• Secondary sector: This involves manufacturing and industry. About 580 people work in this sector, often in factories.
• Tertiary sector: This covers services, like shops, offices, and tourism. About 720 people work in service jobs.

Many people who live in Steckborn also work in the town. About 37% of residents travel outside Steckborn for work. However, many people also come into Steckborn for their jobs.

Beliefs and Faith: Religion in Steckborn

Based on a 2000 survey, the main religions in Steckborn are:

• Roman Catholic: 38.0% of the population.
• Swiss Reformed Church: 38.0% of the population.

Other groups include people who belong to the Orthodox Church (about 2.02%) and other Christian churches (about 3.86%). About 3.92% of the population is Islamic. Some people belong to other churches, or no church at all.

Getting Around: Transport in Steckborn

Steckborn is located on the Lake Line, which is a railway route between Schaffhausen and Rorschach. The town has its own train station, Steckborn railway station, which is part of the St. Gallen S-Bahn network. This makes it easy to travel to and from Steckborn by train.

Learning in Steckborn: Education

Many adults in Steckborn (aged 25–64) have completed higher education. This means they have gone beyond basic schooling, either to a university or a specialized college.

Steckborn has its own school districts for both primary and secondary education.

• In the 2008/2009 school year, there were 282 students in the primary school district.
• There were 73 children in kindergarten, with an average class size of about 24 students.
• Primary school starts around age 5-6 and lasts for six years. There were 109 children in lower primary and 100 in upper primary.
• Secondary school usually starts around age 12 and lasts for three years. In the secondary school district, there were 174 students in special or support classes.

Famous People from Steckborn

• Karl Friedrich Gegauf (1860–1926) – an entrepreneur (someone who starts businesses).
• Fritz Gegauf (1893–1980) – the inventor of a sewing machine and the founder of Bernina International.
• Susie Wolff MBE (born 1982) – a retired race car driver who lives nearby in Ermatingen.

See also

In Spanish: Steckborn para niños