Erlach, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Erlach is the capital municipality
of the Seeland administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
Erlach is first mentioned in 1185 as Erilacho and in 1274 as Cellie. In French it was called Cerlier. In 1264/66 Erlach received a Handfeste
or document of rights from Count Rudolf II of Neuchâtel-Nidau
. The village of Sunkort's church was built and consecrated
in the 11th Century. Around 1100 the Benedictine Erlach Abbey
was founded on Saint Peter's Island (actually a peninsula). During the 14th Century, the city walls were built. The only remaining city gate, currently part of the Rathaus or town hall, is from this era. Towers were added to the walls in the 15th Century. In 1455 the citizens of Erlach founded a hospital. Based on the rights granted by Rudolf II, Erlach had a mayor and until 1798 a 12 member town council with a 6-18 member advisory body.
Portions of Schloss Erlach were built in the Middle Ages
, but the western main tower was built around 1500. In 1848, during the foundation of the Federal State
, Schloss Erlach became the district seat. However, thirty years later in 1874, it became a school.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 8.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.8%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.8%. 27.1% of the total land area is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 33.0% is used for growing crops and 5.7% is pastures, while 5.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 11.4% is unproductive vegetation and .
Erlach is located on Lake Biel
at 433 m (1,420.6 ft) above sea level. The highest point in Erlach is Jolimont
which is 603 m (1,978.3 ft) above sea level. The municipality includes the castle (Schloss Erlach) as well as the old city, the market, part of St. Peter's Island, the newer city along the lake shoreline, the village Sunkort and the exclave Wald on Jolimont mountain.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 30% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(21.8%), the Green Party
(19.3%) and the FDP
(17.5%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.2% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.2%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Erlach about 76.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Erlach has an unemployment rate of 1.36%. , there were 66 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 11 businesses involved in this sector. 98 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 8 businesses in this sector. 287 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 56 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
The Sankt-Petersinsel (St. Peter Island), really a peninsula
, can be reached from Erlach by foot or by bicycle. While Erlach Abbey
on the Island is not technically part of the Erlach (it is actually part of Gals
) it can be reached easily from Erlach. However, it is now a detention centre for male adults.
The Ulrich Church in Sunkort, is supposed to have been consecrated by Saint Ulrich of Zell
in the 11th Century. It was the private church of the Counts of Fenis in the village Sunkort. The choir tower dates from the 15th Century. The massive nave
was completely rebuilt in the 17th Century.
, was from Erlach.
The Bernese patrician surname von Erlach
goes back to the locality (see Erlacherhof
and Sigmund von Erlach
). There are also several localities in Austria known as Erlach, from which some of the Austrian and Italian von Erlach families may have come.
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...
of the Seeland administrative district
Seeland (administrative district)
Seeland District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Seeland administrative region. It contains 46 municipalities with an area of and a population of 67,209....
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 Bern 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
Håndfæstning
Håndfæstning , Håndfestning , Handfeste , were names for documents issued from the 13th to the 17th century in Scandinavia and Germany , e.g. the charters that were signed by Danish and Norwegian kings, and sometimes also by Swedish kings...
or document of rights from Count Rudolf II of Neuchâtel-Nidau
Nidau
Nidau is a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.- Population :Nidau, located at the language boundary, although the official language is German, a high minority of French speakers live in the city, which has since long been offering them the...
. The village of Sunkort's church was built and consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
in the 11th Century. Around 1100 the Benedictine Erlach Abbey
Erlach Abbey
Erlach Abbey, also known as St. Johannsen Abbey , was a Benedictine monastery in Gals, Canton of Bern, Switzerland....
was founded on Saint Peter's Island (actually a peninsula). During the 14th Century, the city walls were built. The only remaining city gate, currently part of the Rathaus or town hall, is from this era. Towers were added to the walls in the 15th Century. In 1455 the citizens of Erlach founded a hospital. Based on the rights granted by Rudolf II, Erlach had a mayor and until 1798 a 12 member town council with a 6-18 member advisory body.
Portions of Schloss Erlach were built in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, but the western main tower was built around 1500. In 1848, during the foundation of the Federal State
Switzerland as a federal state
The rise of Switzerland as a federal state began on September 12, 1848, with the creation of a federal constitution, which was created in response to a 27-day civil war in Switzerland, the Sonderbundskrieg...
, Schloss Erlach became the district seat. However, thirty years later in 1874, it became a school.
Geography
Erlach (fr. Cerlier) has an area, , of 3.51 km² (1.4 sq mi). Of this area, 1.54 km² (0.594597324232504 sq mi) or 43.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.97 km² (0.374519093834759 sq mi) or 27.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.53 km² (0.204634144054044 sq mi) or 15.1% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.01 km² (2.5 acre) or 0.3% is either rivers or lakes and 0.4 km² (0.154440863437014 sq mi) or 11.4% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 8.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.8%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.8%. 27.1% of the total land area is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 33.0% is used for growing crops and 5.7% is pastures, while 5.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 11.4% is unproductive vegetation and .
Erlach is located on Lake Biel
Lake Biel
Lake Biel or Lake Bienne is a lake in the west of Switzerland. Together with Lake Morat and Lake Neuchâtel, it is one of the three large lakes in the Jura region of Switzerland. It lies approximately at , at the language boundary between German & French speaking areas.The lake is 15 km long and up...
at 433 m (1,420.6 ft) above sea level. The highest point in Erlach is Jolimont
Jolimont (mountain)
The Jolimont is a hill that stretches Southwest to Northeast for about 4 km along the Thielle canal, between the Lake of Neuchâtel and the Lake of Bienne, in the Seeland, Switzerland....
which is 603 m (1,978.3 ft) above sea level. The municipality includes the castle (Schloss Erlach) as well as the old city, the market, part of St. Peter's Island, the newer city along the lake shoreline, the village Sunkort and the exclave Wald on Jolimont mountain.
Demographics
Erlach has a population (as of ) of . , 11.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -2.6%. Most of the population speaks German (89.6%), with French being second most common ( 3.7%) and Albanian being third ( 1.9%).In the 2007 election 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 30% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(21.8%), 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:...
(19.3%) and 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....
(17.5%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.2% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.2%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Erlach about 76.3% 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...
).
Erlach has an unemployment rate of 1.36%. , there were 66 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 11 businesses involved in this sector. 98 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 8 businesses in this sector. 287 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 56 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| Historical population | |
|---|---|
| Year | Population |
| 1764 | 427 |
| 1850 | 619 |
| 1900 | 848 |
| 1930 | 704 |
| 1950 | 791 |
| 1960 | 858 |
| 1990 | 1,052 |
| 2000 | 1,123 |
| 2002 | 1,114 |
| 2004 | 1,091 |
Sights
The highest point in Erlach is Jolimont which is 603 m (1,978.3 ft) above sea level. The mountain provides an excellent view of the lake.The Sankt-Petersinsel (St. Peter Island), really a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, can be reached from Erlach by foot or by bicycle. While Erlach Abbey
Erlach Abbey
Erlach Abbey, also known as St. Johannsen Abbey , was a Benedictine monastery in Gals, Canton of Bern, Switzerland....
on the Island is not technically part of the Erlach (it is actually part of Gals
Gals
Gals is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Gals has an area, , of . Of this area, or 53.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 34.0% is forested...
) it can be reached easily from Erlach. However, it is now a detention centre for male adults.
The Ulrich Church in Sunkort, is supposed to have been consecrated by Saint Ulrich of Zell
Ulrich of Zell
Saint Ulrich of Zell, also known as Wulderic, sometimes of Cluny or of Regensburg , was a Cluniac reformer of Germany, abbot, founder and saint.-Life:...
in the 11th Century. It was the private church of the Counts of Fenis in the village Sunkort. The choir tower dates from the 15th Century. The massive nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was completely rebuilt in the 17th Century.
Notable residents
A former president of the Swiss Confederation, Karl ScheurerKarl Scheurer
Karl Scheurer was a Swiss politician.He was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on 11 December 1919 and died in office on 14 November 1929...
, was from Erlach.
The Bernese patrician surname von Erlach
Erlach family
.The von Erlach family is a noble Bernese patrician family. Citizens of Bern around 1300, during the 17th and 18th Centuries they were one of the leading families in Bern. Several family members received the upper nobility title "Reichsgraf"....
goes back to the locality (see Erlacherhof
Erlacherhof
The Erlacherhof is a town mansion on the Junkerngasse No. 47 in the Old City of Bern, only a few steps away from the Béatrice-von-Wattenwyl-Haus....
and Sigmund von Erlach
Sigmund von Erlach (1614-1699)
Sigmund von Erlach was a Swiss military commander and a politician of Bern....
). There are also several localities in Austria known as Erlach, from which some of the Austrian and Italian von Erlach families may have come.