Birrwil
Encyclopedia
Birrwil is a municipality
in the district of Kulm
in the canton
of Aargau
in Switzerland
.
, Roman
and Alamanni
eras. The beginnings of the modern town go back to an Alamanni named Bero (meaning Bear), who founded the village Beriwilare (meaning Bero's village) in the area. Birrwil is first mentioned in 1185 as Beriuuillare.
The village was part of the dominion of Lenzburg
, Kyburg
and the finally the Habsburgs. Between 1185-1331 there was a noble local family, though they and their castle have disappeared. The power of Zwing und Bann
(Manor rights
as well as low justice
) over the village, was held by the Lords of Hohenklingen, then from 1326-1798 by the citizens of Liebegg. The Counts of Hallwyl owned a small piece of the shore (Dingstätte), starting in 1419. For over three centuries (1415-1798) Birrwil was under the control of Bern. Since the 1803 Act of Mediation
created the Canton of Aargau, the village has been part of the new Canton. The former manor house
s were only fully incorporated in the 19th and 20 Century into Birrwil (Schwaderhof 1822, Wilhof 1905).
The village church was first mentioned in 1275. In 1528, during the Protestant Reformation
, the church converted to the new religion. In 1689 the old church was replaced by a new building.
Economically, both in the 18 and 19 Century the cotton industry was a major source of income. In 1857 the tobacco industry also entered the village. Both of these formerly major industries have vanished from the municipality. As of 1990, 17% of the population was employed in the primary economic sector, 31% in the secondary sector and 52% in the tertiary sector. 72% of the economically active population of Birrwil work outside the community.
The built up area can be sub-divided into housing and buildings that made up 8.8% and transportation infrastructure that made up 3.5%. 25.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 19.0% is used for growing crops and 34.5% is pastures, while 5.3% is used for orchards or vine crops.
It is located on the western shore of Lake Hallwil
on four thin terraces on the steep east slopes of Mounts Eichhalde and Güggeliberg, between 70 and 150 m (229.7 and 492.1 ft) above the lake surface. The shore of the lake is unusually undeveloped. Elevations in the municipality range between 449 and 771 m (1,473.1 and 2,529.5 ft). Neighboring municipalities are Leutwil
in the north-west, Boniswil
in the north, Meisterschwanden
in the east, Beinwil am See
in the south, Reinach
in the south-west, and Zetzwil
in the west.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Azure a Pear Branch leaved Vert and fructed Argent and coupeaux of the second. The pear in the coat of arms makes it an example of canting
.
The age distribution, , in Birrwil is; 61 children or 6.5% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 88 teenagers or 9.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 86 people or 9.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 106 people or 11.3% are between 30 and 39, 166 people or 17.8% are between 40 and 49, and 164 people or 17.5% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 144 people or 15.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 79 people or 8.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 33 people or 3.5% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 8 people or 0.9% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.49 which is less people per room than the cantonal average of 0.57 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 61.3% 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 33 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 184 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 186 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.25 individuals. , there were 416 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 184 single family homes (or 39.2% of the total) out of a total of 469 homes and apartments. There were a total of 7 empty apartments for a 1.5% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.2 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 34.4% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(17.4%), the FDP
(17.2%) and the Green Party
(8.2%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Birrwil about 77.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
). Of the school age population , there are 44 students attending primary school in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
there were 506 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 392 or about 77.5% of the residents worked outside Birrwil while 58 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 172 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 9.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 60% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 3 individuals (or about 0.31% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic
faith.
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 district of Kulm
Kulm (district)
Kulm District is a district in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland. It is located west of Lake Hallwil and covers parts of the Wyna and Suhre valleys. The principal town is Unterkulm; the largest municipality is Reinach. The district contains 17 municipalities, is 101.35 km² in area and has a...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
in 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....
.
History
Isolated finds of artifacts indicate settlement during the 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...
, Roman
Switzerland 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...
and Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
eras. The beginnings of the modern town go back to an Alamanni named Bero (meaning Bear), who founded the village Beriwilare (meaning Bero's village) in the area. Birrwil is first mentioned in 1185 as Beriuuillare.
The village was part of the dominion of Lenzburg
Lenzburg
Lenzburg is a town in the central region of the Swiss canton Aargau and is the capital of the district of the same name. The town, founded in the Middle Ages, lies in the Seetal valley, about 3 kilometres south of the Aare river. Lenzburg and the neighbouring municipalities of Niederlenz and...
, Kyburg
House of Kyburg
The House of Kyburg was family of Grafen or counts from Zürich in Switzerland. The family was one of the three most powerful noble families in the Swiss plateau beside the Habsburg and the House of Savoy during the 11th and 12th Centuries...
and the finally the Habsburgs. Between 1185-1331 there was a noble local family, though they and their castle have disappeared. The power of Zwing und Bann
Zwing und Bann
Zwing und Bann is a Swiss feudal set of rules and regulations governing justice and punishment in a village or villages. Zwing and Twing are different spellings based on the local Swiss German dialect. The magistrate or Zwingherr had legally binding rules and regulations in the exercise of low...
(Manor rights
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
as well as low justice
High, middle and low justice
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judiciary power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents....
) over the village, was held by the Lords of Hohenklingen, then from 1326-1798 by the citizens of Liebegg. The Counts of Hallwyl owned a small piece of the shore (Dingstätte), starting in 1419. For over three centuries (1415-1798) Birrwil was under the control of Bern. Since the 1803 Act of Mediation
Act of Mediation
The Act of Mediation was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasion of Switzerland by French troops in 1798. After the withdrawal of French troops in July 1802,...
created the Canton of Aargau, the village has been part of the new Canton. The former manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
s were only fully incorporated in the 19th and 20 Century into Birrwil (Schwaderhof 1822, Wilhof 1905).
The village church was first mentioned in 1275. In 1528, during 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...
, the church converted to the new religion. In 1689 the old church was replaced by a new building.
Economically, both in the 18 and 19 Century the cotton industry was a major source of income. In 1857 the tobacco industry also entered the village. Both of these formerly major industries have vanished from the municipality. As of 1990, 17% of the population was employed in the primary economic sector, 31% in the secondary sector and 52% in the tertiary sector. 72% of the economically active population of Birrwil work outside the community.
Geography
Birrwil has an area, , of 3.42 square kilometres (1.3 sq mi). Of this area, 2.01 square kilometre (0.776065338770995 sq mi) or 58.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.98 square kilometre (0.378380115420684 sq mi) or 28.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.45 square kilometre (0.173745971366641 sq mi) or 13.2% is settled (buildings or roads).The built up area can be sub-divided into housing and buildings that made up 8.8% and transportation infrastructure that made up 3.5%. 25.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 19.0% is used for growing crops and 34.5% is pastures, while 5.3% is used for orchards or vine crops.
It is located on the western shore of Lake Hallwil
Lake Hallwil
Lake Hallwil is a lake in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, located at . It lies mostly in the districts of Lenzburg and Kulm on the southern edge of the canton. The southern tip of the lake reaches into the canton of Luzern....
on four thin terraces on the steep east slopes of Mounts Eichhalde and Güggeliberg, between 70 and 150 m (229.7 and 492.1 ft) above the lake surface. The shore of the lake is unusually undeveloped. Elevations in the municipality range between 449 and 771 m (1,473.1 and 2,529.5 ft). Neighboring municipalities are Leutwil
Leutwil
Leutwil is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Leutwil is first mentioned in 1273 as Lutwile. The rights to high justice in the village in the late 13th and 14th Century was held by the Habsburgs. The rights to low justice was held by the lords...
in the north-west, Boniswil
Boniswil
Boniswil is a municipality in the district of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Boniswil is first mentioned around 1217-22 as Bonoltswile. The village was ruled by the Counts of Lenzburg, then the counts of Kyburg and then the Habsburgs and finally in 1415 the city of Bern...
in the north, Meisterschwanden
Meisterschwanden
Meisterschwanden is a municipality in the district of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:There were two neolithic lake side settlements, at Seerose and Erlenhölzli, near the modern Meisterschwanden. Both sites were discovered from archeological digs on the lake shote...
in the east, Beinwil am See
Beinwil am See
Beinwil am See is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:There are traces of neolithic, Hallstatt, Roman and Alamanni settlements in or near Beinwil. However, Beinwil am See is first mentioned in 1036 as Beinwile. In 1045 it was mentioned as...
in the south, Reinach
Reinach, Aargau
Reinach is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Scattered neolithic items indicated that the area around Reinach has been occupied since at least that time. Several Hallstatt era tumuli , Roman era buildings and Alamanni graves confirm the early...
in the south-west, and Zetzwil
Zetzwil
Zetzwil is a municipality in the district of Kulm in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-Geography:Zetzwil has an area, , of . Of this area, or 51.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 37.6% is forested...
in the west.
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 Azure a Pear Branch leaved Vert and fructed Argent and coupeaux of the second. The pear in the coat of arms makes it an example of canting
Canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name in a visual pun or rebus. The term cant came into the English language from Anglo-Norman cant, meaning song or singing, from Latin cantāre, and English cognates include canticle, chant, accent, incantation and recant.Canting arms –...
.
Demographics
Birrwil has a population of , 10.7% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of -4.5%. Most of the population speaks German (93.6%), with Albanian being second most common ( 1.1%) and French being third ( 0.8%).The age distribution, , in Birrwil is; 61 children or 6.5% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 88 teenagers or 9.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 86 people or 9.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 106 people or 11.3% are between 30 and 39, 166 people or 17.8% are between 40 and 49, and 164 people or 17.5% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 144 people or 15.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 79 people or 8.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 33 people or 3.5% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 8 people or 0.9% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.49 which is less people per room than the cantonal average of 0.57 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 61.3% 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 33 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 184 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 186 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.25 individuals. , there were 416 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. there were 184 single family homes (or 39.2% of the total) out of a total of 469 homes and apartments. There were a total of 7 empty apartments for a 1.5% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 3.2 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
Swiss 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 34.4% 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....
(17.4%), the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(17.2%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(8.2%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Birrwil about 77.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
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 school age population , there are 44 students attending primary school in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1653 | 195 |
| 1850 | 972 |
| 1870 | 1,005 |
| 1900 | 850 |
| 1941 | 806 |
| 1950 | 845 |
| 1975 | 878 |
| 1980 | 941 |
| 1990 | 944 |
| 2000 | 960 |
Economy
, Birrwil had an unemployment rate of 2.16%. , there were 36 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 16 businesses involved in this sector. 57 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 15 businesses in this sector. 111 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 40 businesses in this sector.there were 506 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 392 or about 77.5% of the residents worked outside Birrwil while 58 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 172 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 9.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 60% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 217 or 22.6% were Roman Catholic, while 557 or 58.0% 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 3 individuals (or about 0.31% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic
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...
faith.