municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
canton
Canton may refer to:
Administrative division terminology
* Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland
* Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French
Arts and ente ...
of
Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. On 1 January 2014 the former municipality of
Kienersrüti
Kienersrüti is a former municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014 the former municipality of Kienersrüti merged into the municipality of Uttigen.Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz accessed 13 December 2014
History
Uttigen was first mentioned in 894 as ''Utingun''.
Uttigen
The oldest traces of a settlement in the area include a grave mound that can not be accurately dated and what is probably a
Roman era
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
villa
A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...
. Several graves from the
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
have also been found.
By the 13th century
Uttigen Castle
Uttigen is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014 the former municipality of Kienersrüti merged into the municipality of Uttigen.keep
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
was surrounded by a town and a high curtain wall. At the time, Uttigen Castle was one of the largest fortifications in the Canton of Bern. Uttigen Castle controlled both a major road and a navigable river that connected the
Bernese Oberland
The Bernese Oberland ( en, Bernese Highlands, german: Berner Oberland; gsw, Bärner Oberland; french: Oberland bernois), the highest and southernmost part of the canton of Bern, is one of the canton's five administrative regions (in which context ...
with the towns of the
Swiss Plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau (german: Schweizer Mittelland; french: plateau suisse; it, altopiano svizzero) is one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland, lying between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of ...
. In 1271 the
Freiherr
(; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empir ...
von Wädenswil owned the castle, along with expansive holdings as the governors of Unspunnen,
Frutigen
Frutigen is a municipality in the Bernese Oberland in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district.
History
The area around Frutigen may have been settled since possibly the Bro ...
and Mülinen. In 1285 the castle church was mentioned in the Strättliger Chronicle as one of the twelve churches surrounding
Lake Thun
Lake Thun (german: Thunersee) is an Alpine lake in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland named after the city of Thun, on its northern shore. At in surface area, it is the largest Swiss lake entirely within a single canton.
The lake was created af ...
. In the 14th century the von Wädenswil family died out and the Freiherr von Kramburg inherited Uttigen Castle and village. They held it briefly and then passed it on to Heinrich von Resti in 1355. In the 15th century the Castle, village and lands were divided into two shares and the von Speichingen of
and Michel von Schwertschwendi in Burgdorf each owned half. The two half shares were gradually purchased by or given as gifts to the Hospital in Thun between 1476-1521. In 1521 the Hospital combined both halves of Uttigen with Uetendorf to form a single court. Following the 1798 French invasion and the creation of the
Helvetic Republic
The Helvetic Republic (, , ) was a sister republic of France that existed between 1798 and 1803, during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was created following the French invasion and the consequent dissolution of the Old Swiss Confederacy, m ...
the Hospital lost their rulership over Uttigen. With the collapse of the Republic and the 1803
Act of Mediation
The Act of Mediation () was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the French Republic on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasi ...
the village became part of the District of Seftigen. Uttigen Castle was abandoned and left to decay.
The village church was destroyed in a fire in 1536 and not rebuilt. After the fire, Uttigen became part of the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
of Kirchdorf, though the villagers fought the change until 1579 when they were granted a cemetery.
In 1859 the Bern-Thun Railway opened a station in Uttigen, connecting the small farming village with nearby cities. The
Aare
The Aare () or Aar () is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland.
Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about , during which distance it descen ...
and Zulg river correction projects of the 1860s and 1884 respectively, opened up new farm land and protected the village from floods. The village began to slowly grow. The growth accelerated in the 1970s when on-ramps to the A6 motorway were built near Uttigen. By the 21st century it was part of the
agglomeration
Agglomeration may refer to:
* Urban agglomeration, in standard English
* Megalopolis, in Chinese English, as defined in China's ''Standard for basic terminology of urban planning'' (GB/T 50280—98). Also known as " city cluster".
* Economies of ag ...
of Thun. In 2005, agriculture provided only 12% of jobs in the municipality, while industry and commerce provided 45%. A
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
and a
Realschule
''Realschule'' () is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), ...
were in built in the municipality, while secondary students attend the school in Uetendorf.
Kienersrüti
Very little is known about the early history of Kienersrüti. It was a small farming community that probably grew out of the nearby village of
Noflen
Noflen is a former municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2018 the former municipalities of Gelterfingen, Mühledorf and Noflen merged into the municipality of Kirchdorf.
...
or other small farming communities. After Bern adopted the new faith of the
Protestant Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...
, it was probably combined with neighboring villages into the court of
Gelterfingen
Gelterfingen is a former municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2018 the former municipalities of Gelterfingen, Mühledorf and Noflen merged into the municipality of Kirchd ...
or Mühledorf in the Seftigen District. It was part of the parish of Kirchdorf. Despite generally having a population of less than 100, it was an independent municipality from the 18th century until 2014. Today it is still a small farming community and about two-thirds of the work force commutes to jobs in nearby towns and cities.
Geography
After the merger Uttigen has an area of . Before the merger Uttigen had an area of . As of 2012, a total of or 46.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 32.5% is forested. The rest of the municipality is or 18.0% is settled (buildings or roads), or 2.0% is either rivers or lakes.Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics 2009 data accessed 25 March 2010
During the same year, industrial buildings made up 2.0% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 10.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 4.3%. All of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 30.5% is used for growing crops and 14.4% is pasturage, while 1.3% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
On 31 December 2009 Amtsbezirk Seftigen, the municipality's former district, was dissolved. On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Thun.
Coat of arms
The
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The ...
of the municipal
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
is ''Azure an Oar and a Pike both Or in slatire.''
Demographics
Uttigen has a population () of . , 4.8% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last year (2010-2011) the population has changed at a rate of 2.3%. Migration accounted for 1.6%, while births and deaths accounted for 0.6%.Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 21 January 2014
Most of the population () speaks
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
(1,514 or 96.2%) as their first language,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
is the second most common (11 or 0.7%) and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
is the third (10 or 0.6%). There are 7 people who speak
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
.
, the population was 48.9% male and 51.1% female. The population was made up of 837 Swiss men (46.4% of the population) and 46 (2.5%) non-Swiss men. There were 888 Swiss women (49.2%) and 33 (1.8%) non-Swiss women.Statistical office of the Canton of Bern accessed 4 January 2012 Of the population in the municipality, 392 or about 24.9% were born in Uttigen and lived there in 2000. There were 880 or 55.9% who were born in the same canton, while 166 or 10.5% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 89 or 5.7% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.9% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.2%.
, there were 672 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 750 married individuals, 77 widows or widowers and 75 individuals who are divorced.STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 - 2000 accessed 2 February 2011
, there were 204 households that consist of only one person and 49 households with five or more people. , a total of 600 apartments (92.4% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 26 apartments (4.0%) were seasonally occupied and 23 apartments (3.5%) were empty.Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 - Gebäude und Wohnungen accessed 28 January 2011 , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.9 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.25%. In 2011, single family homes made up 62.2% of the total housing in the municipality.
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...
(9.2%). In the federal election, a total of 834 votes were cast, and the
voter turnout
In political science, voter turnout is the participation rate (often defined as those who cast a ballot) of a given election. This can be the percentage of registered voters, eligible voters, or all voting-age people. According to Stanford Univ ...
, Uttigen had an unemployment rate of 1.09%. , there were a total of 258 people employed in the municipality. Of these, there were 23 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 7 businesses involved in this sector. 124 people were employed in the
secondary sector
In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construc ...
and there were 25 businesses in this sector. 111 people were employed in the
tertiary sector
The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
, with 31 businesses in this sector. There were 900 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 42.8% of the workforce.
there were a total of 206
full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent (FTE), or whole time equivalent (WTE), is a unit that indicates the workload of an employed person (or student) in a way that makes workloads or class loads comparable across various contexts. FTE is often used to measure a ...
jobs. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 16, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 108 of which 10 or (9.3%) were in manufacturing, 22 or (20.4%) were in mining and 63 (58.3%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 82. In the tertiary sector; 26 or 31.7% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 4 or 4.9% were in the movement and storage of goods, 1 was in a hotel or restaurant, 2 or 2.4% were in the information industry, 4 or 4.9% were technical professionals or scientists, 13 or 15.9% were in education and 3 or 3.7% were in health care.
, there were 113 workers who commuted into the municipality and 698 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 6.2 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. A total of 202 workers (64.1% of the 315 total workers in the municipality) both lived and worked in Uttigen.Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb accessed 24 June 2010 Of the working population, 25.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 51.2% used a private car.
In 2011 the average local and cantonal tax rate on a married resident, with two children, of Uttigen making 150,000 CHF was 12.1%, while an unmarried resident's rate was 17.8%. For comparison, the average rate for the entire canton in the same year, was 14.2% and 22.0%, while the nationwide average was 12.3% and 21.1% respectively.
In 2009 there were a total of 753 tax payers in the municipality. Of that total, 292 made over 75,000 CHF per year. There were 4 people who made between 15,000 and 20,000 per year. The average income of the over 75,000 CHF group in Uttigen was 113,867 CHF, while the average across all of Switzerland was 130,478 CHF.
In 2011 a total of 1.8% of the population received direct financial assistance from the government.
Religion
From the , 1,205 or 76.6% belonged to the
Swiss Reformed Church
The Protestant Church in Switzerland (PCS), (EKS); french: Église évangélique réformée de Suisse (EERS); it, Chiesa evangelica riformata in Svizzera (CERiS); rm, Baselgia evangelica refurmada da la Svizra (BRRS) formerly named Federation o ...
, while 125 or 7.9% were
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 9 members of an Orthodox church (or about 0.57% of the population), there were 2 individuals (or about 0.13% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 99 individuals (or about 6.29% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 2 (or about 0.13% of the population) who were
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
. There were 3 individuals who were
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
, 8 individuals who were
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
and 2 individuals who belonged to another church. 74 (or about 4.70% of the population) belonged to no church, are
agnostic
Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficien ...
or
atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
, and 45 individuals (or about 2.86% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Uttigen about 62.6% of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 17.5% have completed additional higher education (either
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
or a ''
Fachhochschule
A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied art ...
''). Of the 177 who had completed some form of tertiary schooling listed in the census, 83.1% were Swiss men, 13.0% were Swiss women.
The Canton of Bern school system provides one year of non-obligatory
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend additional schooling or they may enter an
apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
.
During the 2011-12 school year, there were a total of 219 students attending classes in Uttigen. There were 2 kindergarten classes with a total of 39 students in the municipality. Of the kindergarten students, 10.3% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 12.8% have a different mother language than the classroom language. The municipality had 8 primary classes and 151 students. Of the primary students, 2.6% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 4.6% have a different mother language than the classroom language. During the same year, there were 2 lower secondary classes with a total of 29 students.Schuljahr 2011/12 pdf document accessed 9 May 2013
, there were a total of 155 students attending any school in the municipality. Of those, 154 both lived and attended school in the municipality, while one student came from another municipality. During the same year, 76 residents attended schools outside the municipality.