Toffen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Toffen
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 Toffen
Location in Switzerland
Toffen
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Bern-Mittelland | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4.88 km2 (1.88 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 527 m (1,729 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 2,547 | |
| • Density | 521.9/km2 (1,351.8/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
3125
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| Surrounded by | Belp, Belpberg, Gelterfingen, Kaufdorf, Niedermuhlern, Rüeggisberg, Wald | |
Toffen is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It's located in the Bern-Mittelland area of the canton of Bern. Toffen is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of the big city of Bern.
Toffen is also home to Toffen Castle, a very important historical building in Switzerland. It is recognized as a heritage site of national significance.
Contents
Toffen's History
Toffen was first mentioned in old records in the year 1148. Back then, it was called Toffen.
Early Settlements
People have lived in the Toffen area for a very long time. The oldest sign of a settlement is a grave from the Bronze Age. This grave was found near the castle.
During the time of the Roman Empire, there was a large Roman house, called a manor, near Bodenacker. Roman coins and pottery have also been found around the town. The Romans even dug up a type of stone called Tuff from the area. The name Toffen might come from the Latin word tofus, which means Tuff.
Medieval Times and Noble Families
By the 1200s, Toffen was part of the land owned by the noble family of Belp-Montenach. Around the year 1300, a different noble family bought the village. For several centuries, many different noble families owned Toffen. By the mid-1300s, the city of Bern started to have control over the village. This meant that wealthy families from Bern, known as patricians, also became owners of parts of Toffen.
Toffen Castle Through the Years
The castle was first mentioned in 1306. It was the main building for the local rulers. In 1507, a man named Bartholomew May made the castle bigger and updated it in the late Gothic style. Later, in 1628, Loy Knoblauch changed the inside of the castle. From 1671 to 1673, Johann Georg updated the castle again, giving it a Baroque look. Around 1750, Georg Samuel von Werdt expanded and renovated the castle one more time.
After the French invasion in 1798, the castle owners lost their old rights to rule over the villagers. However, they still owned the castle, and it has remained privately owned ever since.
Modern Development
Between 1855 and 1911, projects were done to fix the Gürbe river. This helped drain the swampy valley, creating more land for farms and homes. In 1901, the Gürbetal railroad was built, making it easier for people to travel to and from Toffen.
In the 1960s, Toffen grew into a "bedroom community." This means many people lived in Toffen but traveled to work in the bigger city of Bern. By the 1980s, Toffen became part of Bern's larger urban area. Today, most people (over 80%) who live in Toffen travel to jobs in Bern and nearby towns. However, Toffen still has some farming and dairy businesses.
Toffen's Geography
Toffen covers an area of about 4.88 square kilometers (1.88 square miles). A large part of this land, about 62.4%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 19.4% of the area. Buildings and roads make up about 16.9% of the land. A very small part, 0.4%, is rivers or lakes.
Most of the forested land is covered with dense trees. Some areas also have orchards or small groups of trees. For farming, about 38.4% of the land is used for growing crops, and 22.2% is used for pastures where animals graze. All the water in Toffen is flowing water, like rivers.
The town is located in the Gürbetal valley. It stretches from the eastern side of the Längenberg hill to the base of the Belpberg mountain. Toffen includes the main village and smaller communities called Breitloon and Heitere.
In 2010, Toffen became part of a new administrative area called Verwaltungskreis Bern-Mittelland.
Coat of Arms
The blazon (description) of Toffen's town coat of arms is: Gules a Swan passant Argent beaked and membered Or. This means it shows a silver swan walking on a red background, with a gold beak and feet.
Toffen's People
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As of December 2012, Toffen had a population of 2,499 people. About 8.3% of the people living in Toffen are foreign nationals. Over the last two years (2010-2012), the population grew by 2.0%. Most of this growth was due to people moving into the town.
Languages Spoken
In 2000, most people in Toffen (95.0%) spoke German as their main language. French was the second most common language (1.3%), followed by Albanian (0.8%). A few people also spoke Italian or Romansh.
Where People Come From
In 2000, about 22.9% of the people in Toffen were born there. More than half (53.2%) were born in the same canton (Bern). About 13.0% were born elsewhere in Switzerland, and 8.2% were born outside of Switzerland.
Age Groups
As of 2012, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 20.0% of Toffen's population. Adults (20–64 years old) made up 61.6%, and seniors (over 64 years old) made up 18.3%.
Housing in Toffen
In 2010, there were 282 homes where only one person lived. There were also 50 homes with five or more people. In 2011, new homes were being built at a rate of 6.8 new homes for every 1000 residents. Most of the homes in Toffen (62.2%) are single-family houses.
Population Growth Over Time
Here's how Toffen's population has changed over the years:
Important Heritage Sites
Toffen Castle is a very important historical place in Switzerland. It is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
Toffen's Economy
In 2011, Toffen had a low unemployment rate of 1.83%. This means most people who wanted to work had jobs. That year, 568 people worked in Toffen.
Types of Jobs
Jobs in Toffen can be divided into three main groups:
- Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming. In 2011, 54 people worked in this area.
- Secondary sector: This includes jobs in manufacturing (making things) and construction (building things). There were 111 people working in this sector.
- Tertiary sector: This includes jobs that provide services, like shops, restaurants, and schools. In 2011, 403 people worked in this sector.
Many people who live in Toffen travel to other towns for work. In 2000, 997 people left Toffen to work elsewhere, while 292 people came into Toffen for work. About 29.3% of working people used public transportation to get to their jobs, and 52.7% used a private car.
Religion in Toffen
According to the 2000 census, most people in Toffen (75.3%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 10.1% were Roman Catholic. There were also smaller groups of people who belonged to other Christian churches, or were Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu. About 6.03% of the population did not belong to any church, or were agnostic or atheist.
Education in Toffen
In Toffen, about 59.8% of adults have finished high school or a similar level of education. About 19.9% have gone on to higher education, like a university or a specialized college.
School System
The school system in the Canton of Bern works like this:
- One year of optional Kindergarten.
- Six years of Primary school.
- Three years of required lower Secondary school. In this stage, students are grouped based on their abilities.
- After lower secondary school, students can choose to continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade on the job).
Students in Toffen
During the 2011-2012 school year, 222 students attended schools in Toffen.
- There were 2 kindergarten classes with 35 students.
- There were 8 primary classes with 151 students.
- There were 2 lower secondary classes with 36 students.
In 2000, most students (193 out of 207) who went to school in Toffen also lived there. However, 108 students who lived in Toffen went to schools outside the municipality.
See also
In Spanish: Toffen para niños
