Schwanden bei Brienz
Encyclopedia
Schwanden bei Brienz is a municipality
in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
Schwand- ("clearing"). The added "bei Brienz" was added in 1911 to ease distinction with the municipality Schwanden in the canton of Glarus
, and numerous villages across Switzerland. The first historical appearance of the place was in 1524.
It lies in the Bernese Oberland
south of the Brienzer Rothorn
, which forms the natural border between the Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland
. The three streams Glyssibach, Schwanderbach, and Lammbach flow through the town and lead soon thereafter to Lake Brienz
. In the past the streams were dangerous, as they were prone to sudden onrushes of water. In order to reduce the danger, walls have been built to contain it in certain areas.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 28.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(20.2%), the SPS
(16.6%) and the Green Party
(14.6%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 57% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18%. In Schwanden bei Brienz about 81.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Schwanden bei Brienz has an unemployment rate of 1.72%. , there were 26 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 10 businesses involved in this sector. 20 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 5 businesses in this sector. 26 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 7 businesses in this sector.
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 Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district
Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district)
Interlaken-Oberhasli District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Oberland administrative region. It contains 29 municipalities with an area of and a population of 48,763....
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....
.
Origin of the name
Schwanden is a name of a clearing, that was applied to the settlement built there. The name goes back to the Swiss GermanSwiss German
Swiss German is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland and in some Alpine communities in Northern Italy. Occasionally, the Alemannic dialects spoken in other countries are grouped together with Swiss German as well, especially the dialects of Liechtenstein and Austrian Vorarlberg...
Schwand- ("clearing"). The added "bei Brienz" was added in 1911 to ease distinction with the municipality Schwanden in the canton of Glarus
Canton of Glarus
The Canton of Glarus is a canton in east central Switzerland. The capital is Glarus.The population speaks a variety of Alemannic German.The majority of the population identifies as Christian, about evenly split between the Protestant and Catholic confessions.-History:According to legend, the...
, and numerous villages across Switzerland. The first historical appearance of the place was in 1524.
Geography
Schwanden bei Brienz has an area of 7.1 km² (2.7 sq mi). Of this area, 12.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 48.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 3.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (35.5%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).It lies in the Bernese Oberland
Bernese Oberland
The Bernese Oberland is the higher part of the canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the southern end of the canton: The area around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and the valleys of the Bernese Alps .The flag of the Bernese Oberland consists of a black eagle in a gold field The Bernese Oberland (Bernese...
south of the Brienzer Rothorn
Brienzer Rothorn
The Brienzer Rothorn is a mountain in the Swiss Alps on the border between the cantons of Lucerne, Berne and Obwalden. The summit can be reached from Brienz by the Brienz Rothorn Bahn and from Sörenberg by a cable car.-External links:*...
, which forms the natural border between the Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland
Central Switzerland
Central Switzerland is the region of the Alpine foothills geographically the heart and historically the origin of Switzerland, with the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Lucerne and Zug....
. The three streams Glyssibach, Schwanderbach, and Lammbach flow through the town and lead soon thereafter to Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz is a lake just north of the Alps, in the Canton of Berne in Switzerland. The lake took its name from the village Brienz on its northern shore. Interlaken and the villages Matten and Unterseen lie to the south west of the lake. The shores are steep, and there is almost no shallow water...
. In the past the streams were dangerous, as they were prone to sudden onrushes of water. In order to reduce the danger, walls have been built to contain it in certain areas.
Demographics
Schwanden bei Brienz has a population (as of ) of . , 3.3% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 4.7%. Most of the population speaks German (96.0%), with Serbo-Croatian being second most common ( 1.0%) and Italian being third ( 0.7%).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 28.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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....
(20.2%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(16.6%) 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:...
(14.6%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 57% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18%. In Schwanden bei Brienz about 81.3% 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...
).
Schwanden bei Brienz has an unemployment rate of 1.72%. , there were 26 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 10 businesses involved in this sector. 20 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 5 businesses in this sector. 26 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 7 businesses in this sector.