Aesch, Basel-Country
Encyclopedia
Aesch is a municipality
in the canton of Basel-Country
, Switzerland
. The Neolithic
gravesite in the Gmeiniwald is listed as a heritage site of national significance
.
, as the graves at Gmeiniwald show. The Dolmen
graves of the A-Schwörstadt type date from about the 3rd millennium BC. Gmeiniwald was discovered in 1907, and excavated in 1907 and again in 1909. A central, rectangular grave chamber of 2.4 by 4.1 m (7.9 by 13.5 ft) was found under a shallow mound of about 9 m (29.5 ft) in diameter. The grave contained; the skeletal remains of 47 individuals, including 14 children as well as evidence of cremation burials. In addition to the remains, the grave contained arrows, spears and flint knives, animal tooth pendants, a mallet made of red sandstone
and quartzite
, as well as pottery fragments.
In 1977, along the Fluhstrasse, the remains of a middle Bronze Age
settlement were discovered. The settlement dates from 1500-1300 BC and includes; a fireplace and stone settings, the foundation of a 2.7 by 3.1 m (8.9 by 10.2 ft) house and pot shards. In Känelacker in 1923, a shop used for casting bronze
from about 1300 BC was discovered. The site included copper cake and some bronze fragments like two medium-sized winged axes and various partially decorated plates and sickles. Late Bronze Age artifacts and pottery from 1300-800 BC were found at the old tram depot on the main road and along the road to Lerch.
there were three Roman estates from the 1st-4th Century and traces of their viticulture
near the modern town of Aesch. During the Early Middle Ages
cemeteries were located in Steinacker (7th Century) and in Saalbünten (now part of the church, probably from the 8th-10th Centuries). These finds cast doubt on the traditional idea that Aesch grew out of the 12th Century church farm that belonged to the church of Pfeffingen
. Frohberg Castle
was first mentioned in 1292, but by 1356 was in decline.
bailiwick
of Pfeffingen from the 13th Century until 1519, when it was inherited by the count
of Thierstein. It was owned by the family until 1792. During that time, it was administered by the landvogt
of Pfeffingen. Between 1583 and 1792, the landvogt's office was held by the Blarer family. In 1566, the bishop built a brick barn and in 1611 the bishop had a new wine-press built.
In 1702, Aesch became the bailiwick seat, and the bailiff moved into Blarer Castle, which had been built in 1604-07. After the construction of the Angensteiner bridge, Aesch became a customs
station. The Customs House at the "Mugge" was built in 1715.
The inhabitants part of the parish
of Pfeffingen. In 1672 the Blarer family donated a chapel (dedicated to St. Joseph) to the village. In the Late Middle Ages
there was a nunnery along the Klus, however there are scant written records or archeological evidence of the building. The residents of Aesch, like the rest of the bailiwick of Pfeffingen, did not hold citizen's rights in the city of Basel. However, in 1529 they converted to the Protestant Reformation
along with Basel. Between 1582-88, the village stood in the center of the last successful Counter-Reformation
efforts of the Bishop of Basel, Jacob Christoph Blarer of Wartensee. Due to its border location Aesch suffered repeated looting and pillaging, during the Thirty Years War (1618–48) and other religious conflicts of this era. Due to the repeated attacks, very few buildings from before the 17th Century survived.
The farming village was dominated by vineyards, due to fertile soils, mild climate and sunny slopes. In 1745 there were six coopers (barrel makers)
living in the village and the village farmers and rural poor were hired by the village farmers.
After the short-lived Rauracian Republic
(1792–93), the village was under French rule from 1793 to 1815. Between 1793-1800 it was part of the Département of Mont-Terrible
and then in 1800-1815 it was part of the Département of Haut-Rhin
. As part of Haut-Rhin, it became a separate parish in 1803. The parish church
of St. Joseph was built in 1819-20 and rebuilt in 1938-39. In 1815, the entire Birseck region, including Aesch, was awarded to the Canton of Basel. During the revolutions of 1830
, revolutionary political leaders, including Anton von Blarer, rose to prominence in Aesch. In late 1830, a liberty pole
with the slogan "Freedom or death" was erected in Aesch.
eradication and a wine cooperative, so that Aesch now has the largest proportion of vineyards in Basel-Country, in 1985 there were 23 hectares (56.8 acre) of vineyards under cultivation.
Despite the accessibility of the Jura Bahn railway from Basel to Delémont (built in 1875) and the tram line Basel-Aesch (in 1907), very few industrial and commercial companies moved into Aesch until after World War II. In the post-war years, companies in the metal processing, mechanical engineering and the pharmaceutical industry settled in the new industrial zones. The Birs river correction in 1970 opened up further industrial land. The number of farms decreased from 88 (1929) to 21 (1980) to 16 (1999). Strong population growth has led to brisk construction activity, including the entirely new settlement of Neu-Aesch which was built in 1987. In 1990, 54% of the jobs were in the services sector, and 74% of workers were commuters. In 1851, Blarer Castle was bought by the municipality and converted into a school house. It was auctioned off and renovated in 1959 into a modern office building.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.4% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 18.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 8.4%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.8%. Out of the forested land, 14.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 31.4% is used for growing crops and 8.7% is pastures, while 6.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Arlesheim district, on the left bank of the Birs
river. Today, it is part of the agglomeration
of Basel. It consists of the linear village
of Aesch along the road between Birseck and the Laufen valley.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent, a Spear-point Sable bendwise, in chef sinister a Mullet (of Six) Gules.
Most of the population speaks German
(8,258 or 84.8%), with Italian language
being second most common (540 or 5.5%) and French
being third (139 or 1.4%). There are 9 people who speak Romansh.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.4% male and 50.6% female. The population was made up of 7,863 Swiss citizens (76.8% of the population), and 2,372 non-Swiss residents (23.2%) Of the population in the municipality 2,303 or about 23.7% were born in Aesch and lived there in 2000. There were 1,615 or 16.6% who were born in the same canton, while 3,522 or 36.2% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 2,036 or 20.9% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 55 live births to Swiss citizens and 23 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 80 deaths of Swiss citizens and 10 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 25 while the foreign population increased by 13. There were 4 Swiss men who immigrated back to Switzerland and 3 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 43 non-Swiss men and 33 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 27 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 62 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.9%.
The age distribution, , in Aesch is; 668 children or 6.5% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 1,428 teenagers or 14.0% are between 7 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,207 people or 11.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,320 people or 12.9% are between 30 and 39, 1,722 people or 16.8% are between 40 and 49, and 2,144 people or 20.9% are between 50 and 64. The senior population distribution is 1,319 people or 12.9% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old and there are 427 people or 4.2% who are over 80.
, there were 3,831 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 4,953 married individuals, 441 widows or widowers and 510 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.59 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 34.5% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 4,079 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 1,188 households that consist of only one person and 198 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 4,148 households that answered this question, 28.6% were households made up of just one person and 25 were adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 1,245 married couples without children, 1,296 married couples with children There were 266 single parents with a child or children. There were 59 households that were made up unrelated people and 69 households that were made some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 1,291 single family homes (or 68.3% of the total) out of a total of 1,891 inhabited buildings. There were 360 multi-family buildings (19.0%), along with 155 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (8.2%) and 85 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (4.5%). Of the single family homes 71 were built before 1919, while 87 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (313) were built between 1961 and 1970.
there were 4,317 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 1,500. There were 154 single room apartments and 1,185 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 4,001 apartments (92.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 226 apartments (5.2%) were seasonally occupied and 90 apartments (2.1%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 2.6 new units per 1000 residents. the average price to rent a two room apartment was about 898.00 CHF (US$720, £400, €570), a three room apartment was about 1098.00 CHF (US$880, £490, €700) and a four room apartment cost an average of 1407.00 CHF (US$1130, £630, €900). The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.24%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Dolmen
Grave and the School Complex of Neumatt are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
.
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 26.92% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(26.76%), the CVP
(17.24%) and the FDP
(14.54%). In the federal election, a total of 2,884 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 44.2%.
the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 3,941. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 52, of which 39 were in agriculture and 13 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 2,429, of which 1,964 or (80.9%) were in manufacturing and 465 (19.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,460. In the tertiary sector; 411 or 28.2% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 118 or 8.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 84 or 5.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 67 or 4.6% were in the information industry, 130 or 8.9% were the insurance or financial industry, 134 or 9.2% were technical professionals or scientists, 100 or 6.8% were in education and 171 or 11.7% were in health care.
, there were 4,206 workers who commuted into the municipality and 3,953 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.1 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 19.6% of the workforce coming into Aesch are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.2% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 28.2% used public transportation to get to work, and 42.8% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 187 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 1.92% of the population), there were 20 individuals (or about 0.21% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 216 individuals (or about 2.22% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 3 individuals (or about 0.03% of the population) who were Jewish
, and 496 (or about 5.10% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 28 individuals who were Buddhist
, 59 individuals who were Hindu
and 5 individuals who belonged to another church. 1,458 (or about 14.98% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 246 individuals (or about 2.53% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 1,369 who completed tertiary schooling, 62.2% were Swiss men, 21.7% were Swiss women, 10.4% were non-Swiss men and 5.7% were non-Swiss women. , there were 158 students in Aesch who came from another municipality, while 370 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the canton of Basel-Country
Basel-Country
Basel-Landschaft , is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. The capital is Liestal...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
gravesite in the Gmeiniwald is listed as a heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
Prehistoric Aesch
The area around Aesch was inhabited as far back as the Upper PaleolithicUpper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
, as the graves at Gmeiniwald show. The Dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
graves of the A-Schwörstadt type date from about the 3rd millennium BC. Gmeiniwald was discovered in 1907, and excavated in 1907 and again in 1909. A central, rectangular grave chamber of 2.4 by 4.1 m (7.9 by 13.5 ft) was found under a shallow mound of about 9 m (29.5 ft) in diameter. The grave contained; the skeletal remains of 47 individuals, including 14 children as well as evidence of cremation burials. In addition to the remains, the grave contained arrows, spears and flint knives, animal tooth pendants, a mallet made of red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
, as well as pottery fragments.
In 1977, along the Fluhstrasse, the remains of a middle Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
settlement were discovered. The settlement dates from 1500-1300 BC and includes; a fireplace and stone settings, the foundation of a 2.7 by 3.1 m (8.9 by 10.2 ft) house and pot shards. In Känelacker in 1923, a shop used for casting bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
from about 1300 BC was discovered. The site included copper cake and some bronze fragments like two medium-sized winged axes and various partially decorated plates and sickles. Late Bronze Age artifacts and pottery from 1300-800 BC were found at the old tram depot on the main road and along the road to Lerch.
Roman era and middle ages
During the Roman eraSwitzerland in the Roman era
The history of Switzerland in the Roman era encompasses the roughly six centuries during which the territory of modern Switzerland was a part of the Roman Republic and Empire...
there were three Roman estates from the 1st-4th Century and traces of their viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
near the modern town of Aesch. During the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
cemeteries were located in Steinacker (7th Century) and in Saalbünten (now part of the church, probably from the 8th-10th Centuries). These finds cast doubt on the traditional idea that Aesch grew out of the 12th Century church farm that belonged to the church of Pfeffingen
Pfeffingen
Pfeffingen is a municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland.-Geography:Pfeffingen has an area, , of . Of this area, or 32.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 52.7% is forested...
. Frohberg Castle
Frohberg Castle
Frohberg Castle is a medieval castle ruin in the Swiss municipality of Aesch in the canton of Basel-Country.-Location:...
was first mentioned in 1292, but by 1356 was in decline.
Early modern era
It was part of the bishop'sBishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
of Pfeffingen from the 13th Century until 1519, when it was inherited by the count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
of Thierstein. It was owned by the family until 1792. During that time, it was administered by the landvogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
of Pfeffingen. Between 1583 and 1792, the landvogt's office was held by the Blarer family. In 1566, the bishop built a brick barn and in 1611 the bishop had a new wine-press built.
In 1702, Aesch became the bailiwick seat, and the bailiff moved into Blarer Castle, which had been built in 1604-07. After the construction of the Angensteiner bridge, Aesch became a customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
station. The Customs House at the "Mugge" was built in 1715.
The inhabitants part of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Pfeffingen. In 1672 the Blarer family donated a chapel (dedicated to St. Joseph) to the village. In the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
there was a nunnery along the Klus, however there are scant written records or archeological evidence of the building. The residents of Aesch, like the rest of the bailiwick of Pfeffingen, did not hold citizen's rights in the city of Basel. However, in 1529 they converted to the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
along with Basel. Between 1582-88, the village stood in the center of the last successful Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
efforts of the Bishop of Basel, Jacob Christoph Blarer of Wartensee. Due to its border location Aesch suffered repeated looting and pillaging, during the Thirty Years War (1618–48) and other religious conflicts of this era. Due to the repeated attacks, very few buildings from before the 17th Century survived.
The farming village was dominated by vineyards, due to fertile soils, mild climate and sunny slopes. In 1745 there were six coopers (barrel makers)
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
living in the village and the village farmers and rural poor were hired by the village farmers.
After the short-lived Rauracian Republic
Rauracian Republic
The Rauracian Republic was a state that included parts of modern France and Switzerland around the Jura mountains. It was created from the northern portion of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire....
(1792–93), the village was under French rule from 1793 to 1815. Between 1793-1800 it was part of the Département of Mont-Terrible
Mont-Terrible
Mont-Terrible was one of the 130 départements of Napoleonic France, with its capital at Porrentruy.The Mont Terrible for which the département was named is now known as mont Terri, a peak of 804 m near Courgenay, now in the canton of Jura, Switzerland.The département was created in 1793 with the...
and then in 1800-1815 it was part of the Département of Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin is a département of the Alsace region of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.-Subdivisions:The department...
. As part of Haut-Rhin, it became a separate parish in 1803. The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St. Joseph was built in 1819-20 and rebuilt in 1938-39. In 1815, the entire Birseck region, including Aesch, was awarded to the Canton of Basel. During the revolutions of 1830
Revolutions of 1830
The 19th century is marked in Europe by a set of civil wars which marks the wake of the European nations and the establishment of nation states.The Revolutions of 1830 were a revolutionary wave in Europe...
, revolutionary political leaders, including Anton von Blarer, rose to prominence in Aesch. In late 1830, a liberty pole
Liberty pole
A liberty pole is a tall wooden pole, often used as a type of flagstaff, planted in the ground, which may be surmounted by an ensign or a liberty cap. They are associated with the Atlantic Revolutions of the late 18th century.-American Revolution:...
with the slogan "Freedom or death" was erected in Aesch.
Modern Aesch
Until the 20th Century Aesch retained its predominantly agricultural character even though some companies moved into the village. These companies included the Stoecklin rope factory (1865) and the Vogel fabricated metal products factory (1876). The number of acres under cultivation as vineyards dropped sharply during the late 19th Century. In 1846 there were 34 hectares (84 acre), while in 1906 it had dropped to 16 hectares (39.5 acre). The local farmers fought back with phylloxeraPhylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
eradication and a wine cooperative, so that Aesch now has the largest proportion of vineyards in Basel-Country, in 1985 there were 23 hectares (56.8 acre) of vineyards under cultivation.
Despite the accessibility of the Jura Bahn railway from Basel to Delémont (built in 1875) and the tram line Basel-Aesch (in 1907), very few industrial and commercial companies moved into Aesch until after World War II. In the post-war years, companies in the metal processing, mechanical engineering and the pharmaceutical industry settled in the new industrial zones. The Birs river correction in 1970 opened up further industrial land. The number of farms decreased from 88 (1929) to 21 (1980) to 16 (1999). Strong population growth has led to brisk construction activity, including the entirely new settlement of Neu-Aesch which was built in 1987. In 1990, 54% of the jobs were in the services sector, and 74% of workers were commuters. In 1851, Blarer Castle was bought by the municipality and converted into a school house. It was auctioned off and renovated in 1959 into a modern office building.
Geography
Aesch has an area, , of 7.39 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi). Of this area, 3.47 km² (1.3 sq mi) or 47.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.21 km² (0.467183611896967 sq mi) or 16.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.66 km² (1 sq mi) or 36.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.05 km² (12.4 acre) or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.1% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.4% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 18.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 8.4%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.8%. Out of the forested land, 14.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 31.4% is used for growing crops and 8.7% is pastures, while 6.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is located in the Arlesheim district, on the left bank of the Birs
Birs
The Birs is a 73-km long river in Switzerland that flows through the Jura region and ends as a tributary to the Rhine between Basel and Birsfelden.- Picture gallery :...
river. Today, it is part of the agglomeration
Agglomeration
In the study of human settlements, an urban agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place and any suburbs linked by continuous urban area. In France, INSEE the French Statistical Institute, translate it as "Unité urbaine" which means continuous...
of Basel. It consists of the linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
of Aesch along the road between Birseck and the Laufen valley.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
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...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Argent, a Spear-point Sable bendwise, in chef sinister a Mullet (of Six) Gules.
Demographics
Aesch has a population of . , 22.0% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 0.8%.Most of the population speaks German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
(8,258 or 84.8%), with Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
being second most common (540 or 5.5%) and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
being third (139 or 1.4%). There are 9 people who speak Romansh.
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.4% male and 50.6% female. The population was made up of 7,863 Swiss citizens (76.8% of the population), and 2,372 non-Swiss residents (23.2%) Of the population in the municipality 2,303 or about 23.7% were born in Aesch and lived there in 2000. There were 1,615 or 16.6% who were born in the same canton, while 3,522 or 36.2% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 2,036 or 20.9% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 55 live births to Swiss citizens and 23 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 80 deaths of Swiss citizens and 10 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 25 while the foreign population increased by 13. There were 4 Swiss men who immigrated back to Switzerland and 3 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 43 non-Swiss men and 33 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 27 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 62 people. This represents a population growth rate of 0.9%.
The age distribution, , in Aesch is; 668 children or 6.5% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 1,428 teenagers or 14.0% are between 7 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,207 people or 11.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,320 people or 12.9% are between 30 and 39, 1,722 people or 16.8% are between 40 and 49, and 2,144 people or 20.9% are between 50 and 64. The senior population distribution is 1,319 people or 12.9% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old and there are 427 people or 4.2% who are over 80.
, there were 3,831 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 4,953 married individuals, 441 widows or widowers and 510 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.59 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 34.5% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement).
, there were 4,079 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 1,188 households that consist of only one person and 198 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 4,148 households that answered this question, 28.6% were households made up of just one person and 25 were adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 1,245 married couples without children, 1,296 married couples with children There were 266 single parents with a child or children. There were 59 households that were made up unrelated people and 69 households that were made some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 1,291 single family homes (or 68.3% of the total) out of a total of 1,891 inhabited buildings. There were 360 multi-family buildings (19.0%), along with 155 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (8.2%) and 85 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (4.5%). Of the single family homes 71 were built before 1919, while 87 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (313) were built between 1961 and 1970.
there were 4,317 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 1,500. There were 154 single room apartments and 1,185 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 4,001 apartments (92.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 226 apartments (5.2%) were seasonally occupied and 90 apartments (2.1%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 2.6 new units per 1000 residents. the average price to rent a two room apartment was about 898.00 CHF (US$720, £400, €570), a three room apartment was about 1098.00 CHF (US$880, £490, €700) and a four room apartment cost an average of 1407.00 CHF (US$1130, £630, €900). The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.24%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The Gmeiniwald, a NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
Dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
Grave and the School Complex of Neumatt are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 26.92% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(26.76%), the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(17.24%) and the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(14.54%). In the federal election, a total of 2,884 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 44.2%.
Economy
, Aesch had an unemployment rate of 2.48%. , there were 98 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 21 businesses involved in this sector. 2,127 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 97 businesses in this sector. 1,872 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 289 businesses in this sector. There were 5,182 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 44.3% of the workforce.the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 3,941. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 52, of which 39 were in agriculture and 13 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 2,429, of which 1,964 or (80.9%) were in manufacturing and 465 (19.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,460. In the tertiary sector; 411 or 28.2% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 118 or 8.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 84 or 5.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 67 or 4.6% were in the information industry, 130 or 8.9% were the insurance or financial industry, 134 or 9.2% were technical professionals or scientists, 100 or 6.8% were in education and 171 or 11.7% were in health care.
, there were 4,206 workers who commuted into the municipality and 3,953 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.1 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 19.6% of the workforce coming into Aesch are coming from outside Switzerland, while 0.2% of the locals commute out of Switzerland for work. Of the working population, 28.2% used public transportation to get to work, and 42.8% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 4,294 or 44.1% were Roman Catholic, while 2,723 or 28.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 187 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 1.92% of the population), there were 20 individuals (or about 0.21% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
, and there were 216 individuals (or about 2.22% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 3 individuals (or about 0.03% of the population) who were Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 496 (or about 5.10% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There were 28 individuals who were Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, 59 individuals who were Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and 5 individuals who belonged to another church. 1,458 (or about 14.98% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 246 individuals (or about 2.53% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Aesch about 4,031 or (41.4%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 1,369 or (14.1%) have completed additional higher education (either University or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the 1,369 who completed tertiary schooling, 62.2% were Swiss men, 21.7% were Swiss women, 10.4% were non-Swiss men and 5.7% were non-Swiss women. , there were 158 students in Aesch who came from another municipality, while 370 residents attended schools outside the municipality.