Walperswil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Walperswil
Coat of arms
Walperswil Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Walperswil Location in Canton of Bern Show map of Canton of Bern
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Seeland
Area
• Total	6.96 km2 (2.69 sq mi)
Elevation	468 m (1,535 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	1,039
• Density	149.28/km2 (386.6/sq mi)
Postal code	3272
Surrounded by	Bargen, Bühl, Epsach, Hagneck, Kappelen, Siselen, Täuffelen

Walperswil is a small town, called a municipality, in Switzerland. It's located in the Seeland area, which is part of the Bern canton.

A Look at Walperswil's Past

The village church and rectory

Aerial view of Walperswil in 1954

Walperswil was first written about in old documents way back in 1225. Back then, it was called Walperssuivile. Later, in 1247, it was known as Walbervilar.

Long, long ago, a very old Roman road passed through Walperswil. This road shows that people lived here even in ancient times. During the Middle Ages, the village was owned by a noble family called the Freiherr von Walperswil. In 1247, it was bought by the Counts of Neuchâtel-Nidau. Then, in 1398, the city of Bern took over the entire region, including Walperswil.

The land around Walperswil used to be very marshy. Big projects in the late 1800s and 1900s helped drain these wet areas. This made more land available for farming. Today, many farmers in Walperswil grow delicious strawberries! About two-thirds of the people who live here travel to nearby cities for their jobs.

The village church, dedicated to St. Andreas, St. Margareth, and St. Petronella, was first mentioned in 1228. However, the very first church on that spot might have been built much earlier, around the 800s. The church you see today was rebuilt in the late 1400s. In 1528, Bern became Protestant, and Walperswil followed this new faith. Walperswil and the nearby village of Bühl share a church area, called a parish.

Exploring Walperswil's Geography

The villages of Epsach and Walperswil

Walperswil covers an area of about 7 square kilometers (2.7 square miles). Most of this land, about 77%, is used for farming. Forests cover about 7.8% of the area. The rest of the land, about 9.6%, has buildings or roads. A small part, 5.9%, is made up of rivers or lakes.

The municipality is located on a moraine, which is a hill formed by glaciers. It sits between the Seeland region and Lake Biel. Walperswil includes the main village and a smaller settlement called Gimmiz.

In 2010, Walperswil became part of a new administrative area called Verwaltungskreis Seeland.

Walperswil's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Walperswil is blue. It has a silver letter "W" in the middle, with two golden grapes, one above and one below the "W".

People of Walperswil

A view of Walperswil village

Walperswil has a population of about 923 people (as of December 2011). Over the last ten years, the number of people living here has slowly grown. Most people in Walperswil speak German as their main language. A smaller number of people speak Albanian or French.

In 2008, the population was split evenly between males and females. About 39.5% of the people living in Walperswil in 2000 were also born there. Many others were born in the same canton of Bern.

Children and teenagers (up to 19 years old) make up about 23% of the population. Adults (20-64 years old) are about 60%, and seniors (over 64) are about 16%.

Here's how the population of Walperswil has changed over time:

Important Buildings and Sites

The Walperswil village rectory

The village rectory (the house where the church minister lives) is a very important building. It's listed as a heritage site of national significance. The entire village of Walperswil is also recognized as an important Swiss heritage site.

Walperswil's Economy

In 2011, Walperswil had a low unemployment rate of 1.26%. This means most people who wanted to work had jobs. In 2008, there were 302 jobs in the municipality.

• Farming: 148 people worked in farming, which is the primary economic sector. There were about 29 farms.
• Manufacturing and Construction: 38 people worked in the secondary sector, like making things or building. There were 13 businesses in this area.
• Services: 116 people worked in the tertiary sector, which includes jobs like sales, transportation, hotels, education, and healthcare. There were 22 businesses in this sector.

Many people who live in Walperswil travel to other towns for work. In 2000, about 303 people commuted out of the municipality for their jobs. Most people (61.9%) use a private car to get to work, while a small number (6.3%) use public transportation.

Religion in Walperswil

The Swiss Reformed church in Walperswil

Based on a 2000 survey, most people in Walperswil (about 83.9%) belong to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 7% are Roman Catholic. A small number of people belong to other Christian churches or are Islamic. Some people do not belong to any church.

Education in Walperswil

In Walperswil, many adults have completed higher education. About 59.5% have finished upper secondary education, and 15.4% have gone on to university or a specialized college.

The Canton of Bern has a specific school system:

• One year of optional Kindergarten.
• Six years of Primary school.
• Three years of mandatory lower Secondary school, where students are grouped by their abilities.
• After secondary school, students can choose to continue their education or start an apprenticeship (learning a trade).

During the 2011-2012 school year, 119 students attended classes in Walperswil. There was one kindergarten class with 14 students. The primary school had 4 classes and 88 students. There was also one lower secondary class with 17 students.

In 2000, 67 students who lived in Walperswil also went to school there. However, 60 students came from other towns to attend school in Walperswil. Also, 44 residents of Walperswil went to schools outside the municipality.

See also

In Spanish: Walperswil para niños