Zofingen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zofingen
Coat of arms
Zofingen Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Zofingen Location in Canton of Aargau Show map of Canton of Aargau
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Aargau
District	Zofingen
Area
• Total	11.08 km2 (4.28 sq mi)
Elevation	439 m (1,440 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	12,104
• Density	1,092.4/km2 (2,829.4/sq mi)
Postal code	4800
Surrounded by	Bottenwil, Brittnau, Oftringen, Safenwil, Strengelbach, Uerkheim, Wikon (LU)

Zofingen (which is Zofingue in French) is a cool city in the Aargau area of Switzerland. It's the main city of the district of Zofingen. Zofingen is known for its old walls and used to be home to an ancient monastery.

A Look Back: Zofingen's History

Zofingen has a long and interesting history. Long ago, the Celtic Helvetii people lived here. Later, the Romans built a large farm or manor. In the 6th century, the Alemanni people settled in the area. They created one of the oldest church communities in Aargau.

In the 11th century, a noble family called the House of Frohburg started a monastery here. The town of Zofingen itself was officially founded by the counts of Frohburg in 1201. The first time Zofingen was written about was in 1231.

Later, in 1299, the city became part of the House of Habsburg lands. But in 1415, the people of Bern took control of Zofingen. They brought in the Reformation in 1528, which changed the main religion. Since 1803, Zofingen has been part of the Aargau region. It has grown into an important local center. A nearby town called Mühlethal joined Zofingen in 2002.

Exploring Zofingen: Geography and Location

A view of Zofingen

Zofingen covers an area of about 11.09 square kilometers (about 4.28 square miles). A good part of this land, almost half (47.3%), is covered by forests. About 18.8% of the land is used for farming. The rest, about 33.1%, is built up with buildings and roads.

The city is located where rivers flow, and it has some beautiful green areas. There are also parks and sports fields for people to enjoy.

Zofingen's Coat of Arms

The official symbol of Zofingen, its coat of arms, is quite simple but striking. It has four horizontal stripes that alternate between red and white. This design is called Barry of Four Gules and Argent in heraldry, which is the study of coats of arms.

Who Lives in Zofingen: Population and People

Zofingen is home to over 12,000 people. As of June 2009, about 15.8% of the people living in Zofingen were from other countries.

Most people in Zofingen speak German, about 88.9% of the population. Italian is the second most common language, spoken by 3.4% of residents. Portuguese is the third most common, spoken by 1.4% of the people.

The city has a mix of all ages. Many children and teenagers live here, making up a good part of the population. There are also many adults and senior citizens, making Zofingen a diverse community.

Important Places: Heritage Sites of Zofingen

Zofingen has ten special buildings or sites that are considered very important to Switzerland's history and culture. These are called heritage sites of national significance.

Some of these important places include:

• An old Roman-era farm house with amazing mosaic floors at Hirzeberg.
• The old armory building at General-Guisan-Strasse 12.
• The former Quarantine house (called Siechenhaus) at Aarburgerstrasse 21.

There are also three important school buildings:

• The municipal Schoolhouse at General-Guisan-Strasse 14.
• The Museum at General-Guisan-Strasse 18.
• The city library (Stadtbibliothek Zofingen) at Hintere Hauptgasse 20.

Other notable sites are:

• Heiternplatz, which is a public plaza.
• The small monastery (Klösterli) at Klösterligasse 2.
• The City Hall Building at Rathausgasse 4.
• A dairy farm at Hintere Hauptstrasse 9, 14.

The entire old village of Zofingen is also recognized as an important heritage site.

• 

  Municipal Schoolhouse in 1890

• 

  Zofingen in 1715 showing the compact, walled city

Zofingen's Economy: Businesses and Jobs

Headquarters of Ringier AG

Zofingen is home to several big companies. These include:

• Ringier AG: One of the largest media companies.
• Siegfried Ltd: A company that makes products for the pharmaceutical industry.
• Muller Martini: A global company that creates systems for finishing printed materials.

Many people in Zofingen work in different types of jobs. Some work in farming (the primary sector). Many more work in manufacturing and industry (the secondary sector). The largest number of jobs are in services, like shops, offices, and healthcare (the tertiary sector).

A lot of people who live in Zofingen also work in the city. Many others travel into Zofingen for their jobs. Public transportation and private cars are common ways for people to get to work.

Religion in Zofingen

According to a census from 2000, about 30.5% of the people in Zofingen were Roman Catholic. A larger group, about 49.4%, belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. A small number of people also belonged to the Christian Catholic faith.

Learning and Education in Zofingen

Zofingen has good educational opportunities. About 76.2% of adults (between 25 and 64 years old) have finished high school or gone on to higher education, like university.

For younger students, there are primary schools and secondary schools. Many students also attend university-level programs in the municipality.

Zofingen has two libraries: the Stadtbibliothek Zofingen and the Bildungszentrum Zofingen. These libraries have many books and other media for people to borrow and learn from. In 2008, they had over 158,000 items and loaned out more than 222,000 items!

Sports: Football in Zofingen

The city has its own football (soccer) club called SC Zofingen.

Famous People from Zofingen

Arnold Sutermeister, around 1890

Michael Ringier, 2011

Many interesting people have come from Zofingen, including:

• Johann Lauffer (1752–1833): A governor and businessman.
• Rudolf Sutermeister (1802–1868): A doctor, businessman, and writer who cared for the poor.
• Maria Gobat (1813–1879): A Swiss missionary.
• Friedrich Goll (1829–1903): A Swiss scientist who studied the brain.
• Arnold Sutermeister (1830–1907): A Swiss-born Captain who fought in the US Civil War.
• Paul Niggli (1888–1953): A Swiss scientist who studied crystals.
• Hans Senn (1918–2007): A general in the Swiss Army.
• Eva Aeppli (1925–2015): A Swiss artist.
• Erich von Däniken (born 1935): A Swiss author who writes about aliens influencing ancient cultures.
• Josef Imbach (born 1945): A Swiss Catholic theologian.
• Michael Ringier (born 1949): A Swiss publisher.

And in sports:

• Sandra Cariboni (born 1963): A Swiss figure skater who competed in the Olympics.
• Debbie Marti (born 1968): A British high jumper who competed in the Olympics.
• Andrea Fattizzo (born 1975): A retired Italian football player.

Images for kids

• 

  Aerial view of Zofingen in 1955

See also

In Spanish: Zofingen para niños