Thalwil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thalwil
Coat of arms
Thalwil Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Thalwil Location in Canton of Zurich Show map of Canton of Zurich
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Zurich
District	Horgen
Area
• Total	5.5 km2 (2.1 sq mi)
Elevation	486 m (1,594 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	18,278
• Density	3,323/km2 (8,610/sq mi)
Postal code	8800
Surrounded by	Erlenbach, Herrliberg, Horgen, Küsnacht, Langnau am Albis, Oberrieden, Rüschlikon
Twin towns	La Tour-de-Peilz (Switzerland)

Thalwil is a town and a municipality in Switzerland. It is located in the Horgen district of the Zürich canton. The municipality includes two main parts: Thalwil itself and the village of Gattikon.

History of Thalwil

Thalwil was first mentioned around the year 1030. Its name, Talwile villam, comes from Tellewilare, which means "Tello's Farm." This shows that Thalwil started as a farm settlement built by the Alamanni people a very long time ago. Only a few old graves from that time have been found. In 1133, it was called Telwil.

The area of Thalwil was originally made up of four smaller settlements, called Wachten:

• Ludretikon: This is the oldest settlement, first mentioned in 915. It is next to Rüschlikon.
• Oberdorf (Upper Village): This area is around the church.
• Unterdorf (Lower Village): This area is south of the railway station.
• Langnau: This part separated from Thalwil around 1713.

In the Middle Ages, people in Thalwil mostly worked on farms. They also grew grapes for wine, fished in the lake, did crafts, and transported goods by boat. The land was once owned by the Dukes of Habsburg and later by the Barons of Eschenbach. Two important monasteries, Muri and Wettingen, also owned many farms here.

Thalwil has the oldest wood company in the Canton of Zurich, called the Bannegg-Waldung. It was first mentioned in 1483. Today, 16 members and the Thalwil municipality own this company.

Geography and Nature

Thalwil and Lake Zurich

Thalwil seen from Lake Zurich

Aerial view of Thalwil (1963)

The municipality of Thalwil is located on the Zimmerberg ridge. This ridge is between the western shore of Lake Zurich and the Sihl river. The town of Thalwil is on the eastern side of the ridge, by the lake. The village of Gattikon is on the western side, near the Sihl river. Thalwil shares borders with other towns like Rüschlikon, Langnau am Albis, Oberrieden, Horgen, and Erlenbach (across the lake).

Thalwil covers an area of about 5.5 square kilometers (2.1 square miles).

• About 18% of the land is used for farming.
• Nearly 24% is covered by forests.
• More than half (56%) of the land has buildings or roads.
• A small part (2.2%) is non-productive, like rivers or mountains.

In 1996, buildings and houses made up 42.3% of the total area. Roads and other transport areas made up 13.7%. Water, like streams and lakes, made up 1.4% of the non-productive area. In 2007, about 51.3% of the municipality's land was being developed or built on.

Coat of Arms

The Gemeindewappen, which is the town's flag or coat of arms, has a simple design. It shows two black bulrushes (a type of plant) with green stems and leaves. They are crossed diagonally on a white background.

People and Population

Thalwil has a population of 18,066 people as of 2019. In 2007, about 21.4% of the people living there were from other countries. In 2008, about 48.5% of the population was male and 51.5% was female. Over the last 10 years, the population has grown by 6%.

Most people in Thalwil speak German (84%). Italian is the second most common language (4.5%), followed by English (2.3%).

Looking at the age groups in 2000:

• Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 18.8% of the population.
• Adults (20–64 years old) made up 65.6%.
• Seniors (over 64 years old) made up 15.6%.

Many adults in Thalwil have a good education. About 81.5% of people aged 25–64 have finished high school or gone on to higher education, like university. There are 7,680 households in Thalwil.

Here is how Thalwil's population has changed over time:

Local Government

Thalwil has a municipal council that manages the town. It has nine members, including the president. The municipal clerk helps the council with important tasks and manages their office.

Here are the members of the municipal council elected for 2022-2026:

Election Results

In the 2023 National Council elections, people in Thalwil voted for different political parties. The SVP party received 23.72% of the votes, the FDP received 18.55%, and the SP received 17.95%. Other parties also received votes, showing a mix of political views in the town.

Town Partnerships

In June 2023, the town decided to partner with the municipality of Albula / Alvra in the Grisons region. Thalwil supports Albula / Alvra with money each year, up to 100,000 Swiss Francs. Before this, Thalwil had a partnership with Val Müstair until 2023.

Churches in Thalwil

Roman Catholic church

Protestant church

Thalwil has a long history of churches. It is one of the oldest church communities along Lake Zurich. The church building is in a beautiful spot called the Platte, offering amazing views of the lake and the Alps.

The first church recorded here was dedicated to St. Martin in 1159. It was connected to Wettingen Abbey during the Middle Ages. Even though it was often hit by lightning and damaged during the Old Zürich War, the original building lasted for over 600 years.

In 1845, the old chapel was taken down and a much larger church was built. This new church was designed by Ferdinand Stadler. Almost 100 years later, in 1943, a fire during repairs burned down the new church. However, it was quickly rebuilt and still stands today.

In 2008, there were 5,382 Catholics and 5,881 Protestants in Thalwil. In the 2000 census, 41.5% of the population were Protestant, with most belonging to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 34.3% of the population were Catholic. Other religions included Muslim (3.8%) and various others (5.8%). Some people did not state a religion (2.6%), and 15% said they were atheist or agnostic.

Economic Growth

In the late 1830s, a new road along the lake, called Seestrasse, was opened. This road helped bring large factories to Thalwil, which used to be a farming village. These factories made silk, cotton, and other textiles. Local families like Schwarzenbach, Schmid, and Kölliker ran some of these businesses.

The growth of factories was further boosted by new railway lines. A line from Zurich to Pfäffikon opened in 1875, and another to Zug opened in 1897. This industrial growth brought many new workers to Thalwil. The population grew from 1,318 people in 1833 to 6,791 people in 1900.

As of 2020, Thalwil has a low unemployment rate of 3.1%. In 2018, only a few people worked in farming (5 people in 2 businesses). More people worked in manufacturing and construction (1,001 people in 106 businesses). The largest number of people worked in the service sector (5,576 people in 1,193 businesses). In 2007, about 28.6% of working people had full-time jobs, and 71.4% worked part-time.

Taxes

According to the Canton Zurich's statistics, Thalwil receives about 92 million Swiss Francs in tax money each year, as of 2020. About 11,022 people pay taxes to Thalwil.

Thalwil Today

Today, most of Thalwil's old factories are gone. The town's economy is now supported by many small and medium-sized businesses. Many of these are in the Böni commercial area, which opened in 1971. Unisys Switzerland, a large company, is located here and is Thalwil's biggest employer, with over 500 jobs. There are also many shops, mainly along Gotthardstrasse.

Thalwil's success today comes from the large number of people (around 7,000) who live there but travel to work in the bigger economic centers of Zurich. So, Thalwil has changed from a farming and industrial town to mostly a commuter town.

Transportation

Thalwil is located along the A3 motorway, which connects Zurich to Chur. It is also on the main railway lines that go from Zurich to Chur, Lucerne, and Italy.

In the summer, boats regularly travel from Thalwil to Zurich and along the lake to Rapperswil. These boats are run by the Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft. Thalwil railway station is served by the Zürich S-Bahn lines S2, S8, and S24. The Zimmerberg bus line (Zimmerbergbus) connects the Zimmerberg region and parts of the Sihl valley.

Places to See

• The Church: It offers amazing views over the lake.
• Pfisterhaus: This building houses the village museum.
• Etzliberg viewing point: A great spot for views, with old half-timbered houses nearby.
• Villa Diana: A beautiful 19th-century neo-baroque house that belonged to factory owner Julius Schwarzenbach.

Famous People from Thalwil

Tina Keller Jenny, 1912

Reto Saimbeni, 2017

• Tina Keller-Jenny (1887-1985): A Swiss doctor and psychotherapist. She grew up in the Jenny-Castle in Thalwil.
• Hans Johner (1889 – 1975): A Swiss chess player and musician who lived in Thalwil.
• Ferdinand Sigg (1902 in Thalwil – 1965): A bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
• George Piranian (1914 in Thalwil – 2009): A Swiss-American mathematician who moved to the US in 1929.
• Ursula Schäppi (born 1940): An actress, playwright, and comedian who lives in Thalwil.
• Urs Schwarzenbach (born 1948 in Thalwil): A Swiss billionaire who works in finance in the UK.
• Bruno Saile (born 1952 in Thalwil): A Swiss rower.
• Reto Salimbeni (born 1958 in Thalwil): A filmmaker and director known for his movies and commercials.
• Martin Bäumle (born 1964 in Thalwil): A Swiss scientist and politician.
• Manuela Müller (born 1980 in Thalwil): A Swiss freestyle skier who competed in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics.
• Adrian Winter (born 1986 in Thalwil): A Swiss professional football player.

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Thalwil para niños