Wattwil is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of

Toggenburg Toggenburg is a region of Switzerland. It corresponds to the upper valley of the River Thur (Switzerland), Thur and that of the Necker (river), Necker, one of its afluents. Since 1 January 2003, Toggenburg has been a constituency (''Wahlkreis ...

in the canton of St. Gallen in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, located along the Thur river. On 1 January 2013 the municipality of

Krinau Krinau is a former municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of Toggenburg in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. On 1 January 2013 Krinau merged into the municipality of Wattwil.Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz
published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 2 January 2013

Geography

Since the merger, the new municipality has an area of . Before the merger, Wattwil had an area, , of . Of this area, 52.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 37.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 8.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (1.8%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes). Krinau had an area, , of . Of this area, 57.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 39.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.6%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes). It consisted of the village of Krinau and the

hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. This is often simply an informal description of a smaller settlement or possibly a subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement. Sometimes a hamlet is defined f ...

of Altschwil, Au, Dreischlatt, Gurtberg, Schuflenberg, Krinäuli, Niederberg, Kapf and Gruben.

Coat of arms

The municipal

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

is blazoned ''Or, two Unicorns' Heads couped addorsed Azure.'' It was introduced in 1924 (the design of the unicorns used based on a drawing by Fritz Brunner), and ratified 13 October 1925. The design is based on the coat of arms of the Iberg bailiwick of the

Abbey of St. Gallen The Abbey of Saint Gall () is a dissolved abbey (747–1805) in a Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The Carolingian Renaissance, Carolingian-era monastery existed from 719, founded by Saint Othmar on the spot wh ...

, first attested in a '' Wappenscheibe'' dated 1551 (again in 1581, 1629 and 1708).

Demographics

Wattwil has a population (as of ) of . Krinau had a population (as of 2011) of 260.Canton of St. Gallen Statistics Office
''Wohnbevölkerung (bis 2011)'' accessed 1 May 2012 , about 23.1% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Of the foreign population, (), 192 are from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, 335 are from

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, 717 are from ex-

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

, 29 are from

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, 388 are from

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, and 322 are from another country.Der Kanton St. Gallen und seine Menschen in Zahlen - Ausgabe 2009
accessed 30 December 2009 Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -2.6%. Most of the population () speaks German (86.9%), with Italian being second most common (2.9%) and Serbo-Croatian being third (2.6%).
accessed 19-January-2010 Of the Swiss national languages (), 7,182 speak

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 28 people speak

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

, 238 people speak

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, and 3 people speak Romansh. The age distribution, , in Wattwil is; 1,056 children or 12.8% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 1,155 teenagers or 14.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,001 people or 12.1% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,209 people or 14.6% are between 30 and 39, 1,087 people or 13.2% are between 40 and 49, and 1,015 people or 12.3% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 766 people or 9.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 594 people or 7.2% are between 70 and 79, there are 322 people or 3.9% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 60 people or 0.7% who are between 90 and 99.Canton St. Gallen Statistics-Hauptergebnisse der Volkszählung 2000: Regionen- und Gemeindevergleich-Personen
accessed 30 December 2009 there were 1,049 persons (or 12.7% of the population) who were living alone in a private dwelling. There were 1,760 (or 21.3%) persons who were part of a couple (married or otherwise committed) without children, and 4,632 (or 56.0%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 425 (or 5.1%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 52 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 21 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 42 who lived household made up of unrelated persons, and 284 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing. In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 37.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP (17.5%), the FDP (15.1%) and the SP (13.5%). In Wattwil about 63.1% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a ''

Fachhochschule A (; plural ), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a Hochschule, German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts, such as engineering, te ...

''). Out of the total population in Wattwil, , the highest education level completed by 1,999 people (24.2% of the population) was

Primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...

, while 2,765 (33.5%) have completed their secondary education, 745 (9.0%) have attended a

Tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...

school, and 488 (5.9%) are not in school. The remainder did not answer this question.

Sights

The villages of Wattwil and Lichtensteig are designated as part of the

Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites The Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites (ISOS) is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage. Sites of national importance Types The types are based on t ...

. There are several notable buildings in the municipality, including a church, a former abbey, and Burg Iberg. The Neoclassical

Reformed Reform is beneficial change. Reform, reformed or reforming may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine Places * Reform, Al ...

church of Wattwil was built in 1845-48 and restored in 1969. The former Capuchin abbey, St. Mary of the Angels, was built as a walled monastery. The abbey church was built in 1622. The

Choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

and

Lay brother Lay brother is a largely extinct term referring to religious brothers, particularly in the Catholic Church, who focused upon manual service and secular matters, and were distinguished from choir monks or friars in that they did not pray in choi ...

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

were rebuilt in 1780, and the entryway was built in 1893. The majority of the abbey was built in 1730-82. Burg Iberg (Castle Iberg) was built in 1240 by Heinrich von Iberg. It was damaged during the

Appenzell Wars The Appenzell Wars () were a series of conflicts that lasted from 1401 until 1429 in the Appenzell region of modern-day Switzerland. The wars consisted of uprisings of cooperative groups, such as the farmers of Appenzell or the craftsmen of the c ...

in 1405 and soon thereafter rebuilt. Some of the housing was demolished in 1835, but the roof and

battlement A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals ...

s are new.

Economy

, Wattwil had an unemployment rate of 1.75%. , there were 383 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 164 businesses involved in this sector. 1,608 people are 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 constructi ...

and there are 108 businesses in this sector. 2,421 people are 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 ...

, with 300 businesses in this sector. the average unemployment rate was 4.0%. There were 544 businesses in the municipality of which 108 were involved in the secondary sector of the economy while 282 were involved in the third. there were 2,520 residents who worked in the municipality, while 1,621 residents worked outside Wattwil and 1,937 people commuted into the municipality for work.St Gallen Canton statistics-Commuters
accessed 31 December 2009

Transport

Wattwil railway station lies at the intersection between the

Bodensee–Toggenburg railway The Bodensee–Toggenburg railway is a mainly single-track standard-gauge line connecting on Lake Constance (''Bodensee'' in German) and the Toggenburg region in Eastern Switzerland. It was built by the Bodensee-Toggenburg-Bahn (BT), a former rai ...

line, which links it with the

Lake Constance Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (). These ...

area and the upper Toggenburg valley, and the Uznach–Wattwil railway, which connects it with the

Linth The Linth (pronounced "lint") is a Switzerland, Swiss river that rises near the Linthal, Glarus, village of Linthal in the mountains of the cantons of Switzerland, canton of canton of Glarus, Glarus, and eventually flows into the Obersee (Züri ...

Plain via the

Ricken Tunnel The Ricken Tunnel () is an long rail tunnel under the Ricken Pass in eastern Switzerland. It is on the Swiss Federal Railway Uznach–Wattwil railway line, Uznach–Wattwil line, between Kaltbrunn railway station, Kaltbrunn station and Wattwil r ...

. The station is the major hub for train and bus services in the Toggenburg. The station is served by regional trains of St. Gallen S-Bahn and the

InterRegio The InterRegio, often shortened to IR, is a train categories in Europe, train category for mainly domestic train services in use in some European countries, with Swiss Federal Railways operating the most dense network. InterRegio trains are semi ...

Voralpen-Express The ''Voralpen-Express'' (''VAE'') is a named train connecting small to medium-sized cities and villages in Central Switzerland, Central and Eastern Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland on a scenic route, carrying this name since 1992. It is operated ...

''. The latter provides long-distance services to and to and , bypassing Zurich. The BLWE provides bus services between Lichtensteig and Ebnat-Kappel via Wattwil.

PostBus Switzerland PostAuto Switzerland, PostBus Ltd. (known as in Swiss Standard German (), in Swiss French (), in Swiss Italian (), and in Romansh () is a subsidiary company of the Swiss Post, which provides regional and rural bus services throughout Switz ...

operates a bus line to the upper part of the valley.

Religion

From the , 3,319 or 40.2% are

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, while 2,879 or 34.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there are 2 individuals (or about 0.02% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic faith, there are 215 individuals (or about 2.60% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 245 individuals (or about 2.96% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There are 4 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who are

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, and 807 (or about 9.76% of the population) who are

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

ic. There are 104 individuals (or about 1.26% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 444 (or about 5.37% of the population) belong to no church, are

agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, the divine, or the supernatural is either unknowable in principle or unknown in fact. (page 56 in 1967 edition) It can also mean an apathy towards such religious belief and refer to ...

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 246 individuals (or about 2.98% of the population) did not answer the question.

Notable people

* Johann Georg Birnstiel, Swiss Reformed minister and writer

References

External links

* * Gemeind website: http://www.wattwil.ch {{Authority control Toggenburg Municipalities of the canton of St. Gallen