Wilchingen Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Wilchingen

Coat of arms

Wilchingen

Location in Switzerland

Wilchingen

Location in Canton of Schaffhausen

Switzerland

n.a.

Area

• Total

21.1 km² (8.1 sq mi)

Elevation

419 m (1,375 ft)

Population

(Dec 2020 )

• Total

1,727

• Density

81.85/km² (212.0/sq mi)

Postal code

8217

Surrounded by

Dettighofen (DE-BW), Eggingen (DE-BW), Hallau, Jestetten (DE-BW), Klettgau (DE-BW), Neunkirch, Trasadingen

Wilchingen is a cool town, also called a municipality, in the Schaffhausen area of Switzerland. It's a place where people live and work. In 2005, another nearby town called Osterfingen joined with Wilchingen.

Exploring Wilchingen's Geography
Wilchingen's Coat of Arms
Who Lives in Wilchingen? (Demographics)
Wilchingen's Economy
Getting Around Wilchingen (Transport)
Important Historical Sites
Wilchingen's Weather
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Wilchingen's Geography

An old aerial view of Wilchingen from 1919.

Wilchingen covers about 21.2 square kilometers (around 8.2 square miles). A big part of this land, about 50.6%, is used for farming. Forests cover another large section, about 42.1% of the area.

The rest of the land is used for buildings and roads (6.9%). A very small part (0.4%) is made up of rivers or lakes. In 2005, the village of Osterfingen became part of Wilchingen.

Wilchingen's Coat of Arms

The official symbol of Wilchingen is its coat of arms. It shows a red shield with a silver plowshare on it. A plowshare is the sharp part of a plow that digs into the ground. This symbol likely represents farming, which is important in the area.

Who Lives in Wilchingen? (Demographics)

Wilchingen had a population of 1,692 people in 2008. About 11.2% of these people were from other countries. Many of the foreign residents came from Germany, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, and Macedonia.

Over ten years, the number of people living in Wilchingen went down a little bit. Most people in Wilchingen speak German (93.8%). A smaller number speak Albanian (1.6%) or Italian (1.1%).

Age Groups in Wilchingen

In 2008, about 15.7% of the people in Wilchingen were children and teenagers (under 19 years old). Adults, aged 20 to 64, made up the largest group at 58.5%. Older adults, over 64 years old, made up 25.8% of the population.

Education in Wilchingen

Many adults in Wilchingen (about 79.7%) have finished high school or gone on to higher education. This means they have studied at a university or a special college. In 2007, a small number of children attended kindergarten or pre-school. Others went to primary school or different levels of secondary school.

Religion in Wilchingen

In 2000, most people in Wilchingen, about 74.3%, belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 11.9% of the population belonged to the Roman Catholic Church.

Wilchingen's Economy

Osterfingen village, which is now part of Wilchingen.

Wilchingen has a low unemployment rate, which means most people who want to work can find jobs. The town's economy is divided into three main parts:

Primary Sector: This includes jobs like farming. About 211 people work in this area.
Secondary Sector: This involves manufacturing and making things. Around 203 people work in this sector.
Tertiary Sector: This is the service industry, like shops, restaurants, and hotels. About 336 people work here.

In 2008, about 62.5% of working people had full-time jobs, and 37.5% worked part-time. Many people who live in Wilchingen also work outside the town. However, some people from other places come to Wilchingen for work.

The town also has a small hospitality industry. In 2008, there were 3 restaurants and 1 hotel with 8 beds, employing 40 people.

Getting Around Wilchingen (Transport)

Wilchingen is located near the border with Germany. There are two official places where people can cross into Germany from Wilchingen. One is in Osterfingen, connecting to Jestetten in Germany. The other is in Wilchingen itself, connecting to Weisweil.

Wilchingen also has its own train station, called Wilchingen-Hallau. This station is on the High Rhine Railway line, which is run by the German railway company, Deutsche Bahn.

Important Historical Sites

Wilchingen is home to some important historical places. These are called Swiss heritage sites of national significance. They include:

An early neolithic settlement called Underflüe. This is a place where people lived a very long time ago, during the Stone Age.
A neolithic hilltop settlement called Flühhalde.
The Trottenhaus and another old house in the village of Osterfingen. These buildings are important parts of the area's history.

Wilchingen's Weather

Wilchingen usually has about 123.6 days of rain or snow each year. On average, it gets about 938 millimeters (about 37 inches) of precipitation.

The wettest month is August, with about 101 millimeters (4 inches) of rain or snow over 11 days. May has the most days with precipitation (12.2 days), but less rain overall. September is the driest month, with about 65 millimeters (2.5 inches) of precipitation over 11 days.