Zollikofen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zollikofen
Coat of arms
Zollikofen Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Zollikofen Location in Canton of Bern Show map of Canton of Bern
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Bern-Mittelland
Area
• Total	5.39 km2 (2.08 sq mi)
Elevation	557 m (1,827 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	10,640
• Density	1,974.0/km2 (5,113/sq mi)
Postal code	3052
Surrounded by	Bern, Bremgarten bei Bern, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Münchenbuchsee
Twin towns	Neudörfl, Burgenland (Austria)

Zollikofen is a town in Switzerland. It is located in the Bern-Mittelland area of the Bern canton. A canton is like a state or province in other countries. Zollikofen is very close to the big city of Bern.

This town is also home to the Swiss College of Agriculture (SHL). This college teaches students all about farming and agriculture.

Exploring Zollikofen's Geography

Reichenbach Castle in Zollikofen

An aerial view of Zollikofen from 1937

Zollikofen covers an area of about 5.4 square kilometers (2.1 square miles). A large part of this land, about 44.3%, is used for farming. This means there are many fields and pastures.

About 12.6% of the area is covered by forests, providing green spaces and natural habitats. The biggest part, 42.1%, is developed land. This includes buildings, roads, and other structures where people live and work. A small part, 1.3%, is made up of rivers and lakes.

In 2010, Zollikofen became part of a new administrative area called Bern-Mittelland.

Zollikofen's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Zollikofen shows two lions. One lion is red, and the other is black. Both lions are holding a special knife used by leather workers. Below them, there is a white stripe with nine green box leaves. This design represents the town's history and features.

People and Population in Zollikofen

The small village of Bühlikofen

A farm house in Bühlikofen

Zollikofen has a population of about 10,000 people. About 18.4% of the people living here are from other countries. Over the past ten years, the population has grown by about 6.1%. Most of this growth is because people moved to Zollikofen.

Most people in Zollikofen speak German as their main language. About 86.6% of the population speaks German. Other languages spoken include Italian (2.8%) and French (2.4%).

In 2008, about 48.6% of the population was male, and 51.4% was female. Many people living in Zollikofen were born in the same canton (state) of Bern.

Age Groups in Zollikofen

In 2010, the population of Zollikofen was divided into different age groups:

• Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up about 19.1% of the population.
• Adults (20–64 years old) make up about 60.4% of the population.
• Seniors (over 64 years old) make up about 20.5% of the population.

Zollikofen's Population Over Time

The chart below shows how Zollikofen's population has changed over many years:

Important Heritage Sites

Zollikofen has two important places listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. These are places that are very important to the country's history and culture.

The first is the Archiv Schweizer Milchproduzenten, which is the Archive of Swiss Milk Production. The second is Reichenbach Castle, a historic building. The small village of Büelikofen / Graben is also part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

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  The Archive of Swiss Milk Production

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  Reichenbach Castle

Main Sights to See

The LDS temple near Zollikofen

One of the most famous buildings near Zollikofen is the Bern Switzerland Temple. This temple belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Even though it's officially in a nearby town, its mailing address is Zollikofen.

This temple was very special because it was the first one built by the Church in Europe. It was also the first one built outside of the United States and Canada. It was opened in 1955. Visitors can walk around the temple grounds, but only members of the Church can go inside the temple itself.

Zollikofen's Economy and Jobs

The Zollikofen train station

Zollikofen has a healthy economy. In 2011, the unemployment rate was low, at 3.17%. This means most people who wanted to work had jobs.

Many people work in Zollikofen. Jobs are divided into three main types:

• Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming. About 145 people work in this area.
• Secondary sector: These are jobs in manufacturing (making things) and construction (building things). About 1,211 people work here.
• Tertiary sector: This is the largest sector and includes jobs in services. This means jobs like sales, transportation, working in hotels or restaurants, finance, education, and healthcare. About 3,420 people work in this sector.

Zollikofen is a place where more people come to work than leave for work. This shows it's an important center for jobs in the region. Many people use public transportation to get to work.

Religion in Zollikofen

In Zollikofen, people follow different religions. In 2000, about 57.2% of the population belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. About 20.0% were Roman Catholic.

Other groups include members of Orthodox churches and other Christian churches. There are also people who follow Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Some people do not belong to any church or religion.

Education in Zollikofen

Education is important in Zollikofen. Many adults have finished high school, and a good number have gone on to higher education at a university or a specialized college.

The school system in the Canton of Bern works like this:

• One year of optional Kindergarten.
• Six years of Primary school.
• Three years of required lower Secondary school. Students are grouped by their abilities.

After secondary school, students can choose to continue their education or start an apprenticeship to learn a trade.

In the 2009–2010 school year, over 1,000 students attended schools in Zollikofen. Many students in Zollikofen's schools are from other countries or have a different first language than the classroom language.

Zollikofen is also home to the BFH Schweizerische Hochschule für Landwirtschaft SHL library. This library has thousands of books and other learning materials.

Transportation in Zollikofen

Zollikofen has good transportation links, especially by train. The town has four train stations: Zollikofen, Oberzollikofen, Unterzollikofen, and Steinibach.

Some of these stations are on smaller train lines, while Zollikofen station also connects to bigger train lines that go to cities like Biel/Bienne and Thun. This makes it easy for people to travel to and from Zollikofen.

Weather in Zollikofen

The weather in Zollikofen is typical for its region. Summers are generally warm, with average high temperatures in July around 23.5°C (74.3°F). Winters are cold, with average low temperatures in January around -3.7°C (25.3°F). Zollikofen receives a good amount of rain throughout the year, with more rainfall in the summer months.

Famous People from Zollikofen

Several notable people have connections to Zollikofen:

• Serge Brignoni (1903–2002) was a well-known painter and sculptor.
• Katharina Perch-Nielsen (born 1940) is a Swiss geologist and orienteering athlete who grew up in Zollikofen.
• Corinne Schmidhauser (born 1964) is a ski racer and politician who competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics.
• Thomas Laszlo Winkler (born 1985 in Zollikofen) is a singer, known for his work with the power metal band Gloryhammer.

See also

In Spanish: Zollikofen para niños