Wettingen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wettingen
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 Wettingen
Location in Switzerland
Wettingen
Location in Canton of Aargau
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Aargau | |
| District | Baden | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 10.6 km2 (4.1 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 408 m (1,339 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 21,099 | |
| • Density | 1,990/km2 (5,155/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
5430
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| Surrounded by | Ennetbaden, Ehrendingen, Otelfingen, Würenlos, Neuenhof, Baden | |
Wettingen is a town in Switzerland, located in the Aargau area. It's a place where many people live, and it's the second-biggest town in its canton (like a state) with about 20,000 residents. It's part of the Baden district.
Contents
Exploring Wettingen's Geography
Wettingen is on the right side of the Limmat river, in a flat area called the Limmat Valley. This valley is surrounded by natural features. To the south and west, there's the Limmat river. To the north, you'll find the steep side of the Lägern mountain. To the east, there's the Sulperg hill, which is about 569 meters (1,867 feet) high.
A special part of the Lägern mountain has a vineyard where grapes are grown. Between the Lägern and the Sulperg is a natural area called Eigital. The old part of Wettingen village is in the northeast of the flat Wettingerfeld. A small stream flows through Wettingerfeld and into the Limmat river at a spot called Gottesgraben. Parts of this stream are guided, some are underground, and some have been returned to their natural state.
Wettingen covers an area of about 10.6 square kilometers (4.1 square miles). About 21.6% of this land is used for farming. Forests cover 39.1% of the area. Buildings and roads make up 37.6%, and the rest (1.8%) is made of rivers or lakes. The highest point in Wettingen is 859 meters (2,818 feet) at the Burghorn, which is part of the Lägern mountain. The lowest point is 360 meters (1,180 feet) at the Limmat river.
Wettingen shares its borders with several other towns. To the north, you'll find Ennetbaden, Ehrendingen, and Niederweningen. To the east is Otelfingen, and to the southwest is Würenlos. Neuenhof is to the south, and Baden is to the west.
Wettingen's Coat of Arms
The blazon (official description) of Wettingen's coat of arms is: Red, with a gold star and three wavy blue lines at the bottom on a silver wavy base. This design represents the town's history and features.
People and Population of Wettingen
Wettingen has a population of 21,099 people. As of 2008, about 26.3% of the people living here were from other countries. Over the past 10 years, the number of people in Wettingen has grown by 7.7%. Most people in Wettingen speak German (84.2%). Italian is the second most common language (5.1%), followed by Serbo-Croatian (2.3%).
Age Groups in Wettingen
Here's a look at the different age groups in Wettingen as of 2008:
- Children aged 0-9: 1,678 people (8.5% of the population)
- Teenagers aged 10-19: 1,907 people (9.7%)
- Young adults aged 20-29: 2,595 people (13.1%)
- Adults aged 30-39: 3,045 people (15.4%)
- Adults aged 40-49: 3,212 people (16.3%)
- Adults aged 50-59: 2,468 people (12.5%)
- Seniors aged 60-69: 2,101 people (10.6%)
- Seniors aged 70-79: 1,690 people (8.6%)
- Seniors aged 80-89: 897 people (4.5%)
- Seniors aged 90 and older: 164 people (0.8%)
Homes and Housing
In 2000, there were:
- 1,405 homes with 1 or 2 people living in them.
- 4,963 homes with 3 or 4 people.
- 1,930 homes with 5 or more people.
On average, there were 2.04 people living in each home. In 2008, out of 9,974 homes and apartments, 1,855 were single-family homes (18.6%). Only 19 apartments were empty, which means a very low vacancy rate of 0.2%. In 2007, about 5 new homes were built for every 1000 residents.
Education in Wettingen
About 75.2% of people aged 25-64 in Wettingen have finished either high school or gone on to higher education, like university. In the 2008/2009 school year, there were:
- 1,130 students in primary school.
- 467 students in secondary school.
- 495 students attending university-level schooling in the town.
Historical Population Trends
The population of Wettingen has changed over the years:
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1975 | 19,243 | — |
| 1980 | 18,129 | −5.8% |
| 1990 | 17,582 | −3.0% |
| 2000 | 17,833 | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 20,230 | +13.4% |
Important Historical Places
Wettingen has two places that are considered very important national heritage sites in Switzerland:
- The old Cistercian abbey at Klosterstrasse 11. An abbey is a building where monks or nuns used to live.
- The neolithic stone-lined graves at Schartenstrasse 77. These are ancient burial sites from the Stone Age.
Wettingen's Economy and Jobs
As of 2007, Wettingen had a low unemployment rate of 2.76%. This means most people who wanted jobs had them.
Types of Jobs
In 2005, jobs in Wettingen were divided into three main types:
- Primary sector: 102 people worked in jobs like farming. There were about 26 businesses in this area.
- Secondary sector: 1,926 people worked in manufacturing and construction. There were 159 businesses in this sector.
- Tertiary sector: 5,087 people worked in services, like shops, offices, and healthcare. There were 689 businesses in this sector.
Commuting and Work
In 2000, there were 9,184 workers living in Wettingen. About 72.1% of them (6,625 people) worked outside of Wettingen. However, 4,223 people traveled into Wettingen for work. In total, there were 6,782 jobs in the town (for at least 6 hours per week). To get to work, 27.4% of people used public transportation, and 40% used a private car.
Religion in Wettingen
Based on the 2000 census:
- 8,662 people (48.5%) were Roman Catholic.
- 4,814 people (26.9%) belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a type of Protestant church).
- 40 people (0.22%) belonged to the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland.
Getting Around Wettingen: Transportation
Wettingen is connected by the A3 motorway, which is a major highway.
Train and Bus Services
The Wettingen railway station is a stop for the S-Bahn Zürich, which is a local train system. Lines S6 and S12 stop here. Wettingen also has a bus network called RVBW, which it shares with the nearby town of Baden. The main bus garage is in Wettingen. Bus lines 1, 4, 7, and 8 go through Wettingen. During busy times, line 6 also follows part of line 1's route.
Sports in Wettingen
The local football (soccer) team is FC Wettingen 93. They play their games at Stadion Altenburg. Their most famous moment was playing in the UEFA Cup in the 1989-90 season, which is a big European football competition.
Famous People from Wettingen
Many interesting people have connections to Wettingen:
- Johann Daniel Elster (1796–1857): A German music professor and choir director who lived in Wettingen.
- Alberich Zwyssig (1808–1854): He composed the Swiss Psalm, which is the Swiss National anthem. He lived at Wettingen Abbey from 1821 to 1841.
- Traugott Sandmeyer (1845–1922): A Swiss chemist famous for the Sandmeyer reaction, a chemical process named after him.
- Eduard Spörri (1901–1995): A talented sculptor.
- Jörg Kühn (1940–1964): A wildlife artist and scientific illustrator.
- Walter Seiler (born 1954): A retired Swiss football player who played over 250 games for his club.
- Eric Hattan (born 1955): A Swiss artist known for concept art, video, performance, and installations.
- Bernhard Müller (born 1957): The commander of the Swiss Air Force, who grew up in Wettingen.
- Bernhard M. Hämmerli (born 1958): A computer scientist.
- Christoph Doswald (born 1961): A writer, curator, and university lecturer who grew up in Wettingen.
- Yvonne Feri (born 1966): A politician and member of the National Council (part of the Swiss parliament).
- Markus Bundi (born 1969): A Swiss writer.
- José Maria Larocca (born 1969): An Argentinian equestrian (horse rider).
See also
In Spanish: Wettingen para niños
