Tüscherz-Alfermée facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tüscherz-Alfermée
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Tüscherz-Alfermée Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Tüscherz-Alfermée Location in Canton of Bern Show map of Canton of Bern
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Nidau
Area
• Total	3.3 km2 (1.3 sq mi)
Elevation	444 m (1,457 ft)
Population  (December 2007)
• Total	309
• Density	93.6/km2 (243/sq mi)
Postal code	2512
Surrounded by	Biel/Bienne, Ipsach, Lamboing, Evilard, Nidau, Sutz-Lattrigen, Twann

Tüscherz-Alfermée, also known as Daucher-Alfermée in French, used to be a municipality (a type of local government area) in the Nidau district of the Swiss canton of Bern. On January 1, 2010, Tüscherz-Alfermée joined with the municipality of Twann. Together, they formed the new municipality called Twann-Tüscherz.

A Look Back: The History of Tüscherz-Alfermée

The village of Tüscherz was first mentioned in old documents in 1230. Back then, it was called Tusschiers. Later, in 1267, it was known as Tuschers. Alfermée appeared in records a bit later, in 1276, as Alphermme.

How the Villages Changed Hands

Both Tüscherz and Alfermée were once part of the lands owned by the Counts of Neuchatel-Nidau. However, in 1388, the counts' family line ended. This meant that their lands, including these villages, were then taken over by the city of Bern.

Religious Life in the Villages

Originally, the villages belonged to the parish of Sutz. This parish was located on the other side of the lake. Priests from Sutz would sometimes hold religious services in a small chapel above Tüscherz. After the Protestant Reformation, the chapel closed. But the villages stayed part of the Sutz parish until it was dissolved in 1876. After that, Tüscherz and Alfermée joined the parish of Twann. In 2010, several parishes merged to form the Pilgerweg Bielersee parish.

Farming and Fishing: How People Lived

For a long time, growing grapes (viticulture) and fishing were the main ways people made a living in Tüscherz and Alfermée. There wasn't much land to grow other crops like grain. Some villagers even rented fields across the lake in Sutz to farm.

Many vineyards were owned by powerful groups. These included monasteries, hospitals, and wealthy families from cities like Bern, Biel/Bienne, and Nidau. For example, St. Urban's Abbey owned several vineyards. One of these, the Convalet estate, was theirs until 1848. It was a large manor house but was torn down in 1859.

Modern Changes and Development

Over the years, new roads and railways changed the villages. The Biel/Bienne road was built in 1838. The Biel-Neuchatel railroad followed in 1860. Later, the A5 motorway was built in 1973. These new routes separated the villages from the lake.

The lower part of Alfermée village was built on land created after the Jura water correction (a project to control lake levels) between 1868 and 1891. However, this part of Alfermée was demolished in 1969 to make way for the motorway.

The primary school in the municipality moved to Twann in 1973. Even today, grape growing is still important. But now, about two-thirds of the people who work in Tüscherz-Alfermée travel to Biel/Bienne for their jobs.

Where is Tüscherz-Alfermée? Its Geography

Tüscherz-Alfermée covers an area of about 3.3 square kilometers (1.3 square miles).

• About 6.3% of this land is used for farming.
• A large part, 84.9%, is covered by forests.
• About 7.2% of the area has buildings or roads.
• The remaining 1.5% includes natural features like rivers or mountains.

Who Lives There? The Population of Tüscherz-Alfermée

In 2007, Tüscherz-Alfermée had a population of 309 people. About 8.4% of these residents were from other countries. Over the ten years before 2007, the population grew by 11.2%.

Languages Spoken

In 2000, most people (87.3%) in Tüscherz-Alfermée spoke German. French was the second most common language, spoken by 9.5% of the population. Portuguese was third, spoken by 1.4%.

Age Groups

Looking at the population in 2000:

• Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 15.5% of the population.
• Adults (20–64 years old) were the largest group, at 60.8%.
• Seniors (over 64 years old) made up 23.7%.

Education and Jobs

Most people in Switzerland have a good education. In Tüscherz-Alfermée, about 75.8% of adults aged 25-64 had finished advanced education. This means they completed either upper secondary education (like a vocational school) or higher education (like a university).

The unemployment rate in Tüscherz-Alfermée was low, at 1.58%. In 2005, there were:

• 33 people working in the primary economic sector (like farming or fishing). There were 14 businesses in this area.
• 6 people working in the secondary sector (like manufacturing). There were 2 businesses.
• 20 people working in the tertiary sector (like services). There were 7 businesses.

Population Over Time

Here's how the population of Tüscherz-Alfermée changed over the years:

See also

In Spanish: Tüscherz-Alfermée para niños