Villmergen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Villmergen
Villmergen village center
Coat of arms
Villmergen Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Villmergen Location in Canton of Aargau Show map of Canton of Aargau
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Aargau
District	Bremgarten
Area
• Total	11.94 km2 (4.61 sq mi)
Elevation	437 m (1,434 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	7,668
• Density	642.21/km2 (1,663.3/sq mi)
Postal code	5612
Surrounded by	Büttikon, Dintikon, Dottikon, Egliswil, Hendschiken, Hilfikon, Seengen, Wohlen

Villmergen is a town, also called a municipality, in the Bremgarten area of Aargau, a canton in Switzerland.

Villmergen is famous for two important battles that happened nearby. In 2010, a smaller town called Hilfikon joined with Villmergen.

History of Villmergen

People first lived in the Villmergen area a very long time ago, between 500 and 58 BC. We don't have many records from that time.

During the Roman times, there were at least two large Roman farms, called villas. One was at Heidenhübel and another on the Schwarzhalde.

The first time Villmergen was mentioned in writing was in 1185. It was called Vilmaringen back then. In 1273, a noble family, the Counts of Kyburg, sold Villmergen to the House of Habsburg. A castle belonging to the Kyburg family was mentioned in 1315. We think it was on the Heidenhübel hill, where a square foundation was found in 1927.

Religious Changes and Wars

In 1337, a knightly family called Hallwyl had the right to choose the priest for the village church. Later, in 1425, these rights went to the Benedictine monks at Muri Abbey.

Between 1525 and 1531, the Reformation brought new Protestant ideas to the village. However, many people in Villmergen chose to stay Catholic.

Two big battles took place near Villmergen. These were the First War of Villmergen on January 24, 1656, and the Toggenburg War (also called the Second War of Villmergen) on July 24, 1712. Both wars were fought between the Protestant and Catholic parts of Switzerland. The Protestants won the second battle. This win ended the strong power of the Catholic cantons in Switzerland for a long time. It also stopped major conflicts until another civil war in 1847. That war, called the Sonderbund war, led to Switzerland becoming a modern federal state.

Villmergen in Modern Times

For a short time in 1798, Villmergen was part of the District of Sarmenstorf. Five years later, it became part of the Bremgarten District. In 1841, the local monastery was closed down. During the Sonderbund War, there was a small battle in Villmergen between local soldiers and government forces. Seven people died in this fight.

On January 1, 2010, the town of Hilfikon officially joined Villmergen. Hilfikon is now a village within the larger municipality of Villmergen.

Villmergen's Geography

Aerial view of Villmergen from 400 meters high (1925)

A wide view of Villmergen

Villmergen covers an area of about 10.2 square kilometers (about 4 square miles).

• About 41.6% of the land is used for farming.
• Around 35.9% is covered by forests.
• About 22.3% has buildings or roads.
• A very small part (0.2%) is made up of rivers or lakes.

Villmergen's Coat of Arms

The description of Villmergen's coat of arms is: Argent a Rose Gules barbed and seeded proper. This means it shows a red rose with green leaves and seeds on a silver (white) background.

People of Villmergen (Demographics)

Villmergen has a population of about 7,800 people (as of 2022). About 24.4% of the people living here are from other countries. Over the last ten years, the population has grown by about 6.1%.

Languages Spoken

Most people in Villmergen speak German (86.1%). Italian is the second most common language (5.7%), and Albanian is third (1.4%).

Age Groups

Here's a look at the age of people in Villmergen (as of 2008):

• Children (0-9 years old): 10.4%
• Teenagers (10-19 years old): 11.7%
• Young Adults (20-29 years old): 14.0%
• Adults (30-39 years old): 14.6%
• Adults (40-49 years old): 17.4%
• Adults (50-59 years old): 13.7%
• Seniors (60-69 years old): 9.0%
• Seniors (70-79 years old): 5.3%
• Seniors (80-89 years old): 3.4%
• Seniors (90 and older): 0.4%

Homes and Education

In 2000, there were many different types of homes. About 161 homes had 1 or 2 people, 1,050 homes had 3 or 4 people, and 753 homes had 5 or more people. On average, there were about 2.47 people living in each home.

In 2008, about 40.9% of all homes were single-family houses. There were also some empty apartments, about 3.4% of the total.

When it comes to education, about 67.4% of adults (aged 25-64) in Villmergen have finished high school or gone on to higher education like a university. In the 2008/2009 school year, 359 students were in primary school and 182 students were in secondary school in the town.

Important Heritage Sites

Villmergen has several important historical places. These are called heritage sites of national significance.

• Schloss Hilfikon (Hilfikon Castle) and its chapel in Hilfikon village.
• A farm house at Halde.
• The main building of the old Bally factory at Bahnhofstrasse 66.
• The Catholic parish church on Kirchgasse.

• 

  Castle Hilfikon in Hilfikon village

• 

  Catholic Church of Villmergen

Villmergen's Economy

In 2007, the unemployment rate in Villmergen was low, at 2.14%. This means most people who wanted jobs had them.

• Primary Sector: About 100 people worked in farming and related jobs. There were 29 businesses in this area.
• Secondary Sector: About 1,237 people worked in factories and manufacturing. There were 73 businesses in this area.
• Tertiary Sector: About 1,477 people worked in services, like shops, offices, and healthcare. There were 167 businesses in this area.

Many people who live in Villmergen also work outside the town. In 2000, about 72.6% of workers traveled to other places for their jobs. However, 1,336 people came into Villmergen to work.

For getting to work, about 9.5% of people used public transportation. A larger number, 55.5%, used a private car.

Religion in Villmergen

Based on a census in 2000:

• About 63.8% of people were Roman Catholic.
• About 18.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (Protestant).
• A very small number (0.06%) belonged to the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland.

See also

In Spanish: Villmergen para niños