Wohlen, Aargau
Encyclopedia
Wohlen is a municipality
in the district of Bremgarten
in the canton
of Aargau
in Switzerland
.
(600-500 BC). This settlement left two clusters of burial mounds
in Hohbühl and Häslerhau. While the graves were discovered and excavated in 1925-1930, the location of the settlement is still unknown. During the Roman era
two large estates were built at Oberdorf and the Brünishalde. Both estates date from about 50 AD and supported a number of fields. The harvested grain was probably for the maintenance of the Roman troops at the military camp Vindonissa
. Of the estates all that remains is masonry, tile, mosaic pieces and coins, as well as some foundations at Häslerhau.
During the migration of the Alemanni in the 5th Century into the area, they built their own settlements to the right of the Bünz in Chappele, Steingasse, Kirche and along the upper main street as well as along the left bank of the Bünz in Wil. The local gallic
population merged slowly with the Germanic Alemanni. With the migration of the Germanic tribe, the place name became Wohlen. The name is first mentioned in 1178/79 as Vuolon / Volen, and goes back to the Old High German
Walh, which means Vlachs
or romanus, a term for the romanized locals. So, the Alemannic
name of Vuolon / Volen referred to the earlier inhabitants.
One of the reasons for the slow integration of the two populations was the lack of an ecclesiastical center. Wohlen had no parish church
, but was split between three parish
s, Niederwil
, Göslikon and Villmergen
. Shortly after 1100, an ancestor of the Lords of Volen donated a small church to the village. This church served until 1518 but didn't include the whole population. The lords of Volen (1185–1425) were the largest landowners in the village and the only local family who made the leap from the peasantry into the Habsburg military nobility. Even among the general population, there were "rich" with more fields, meadows, and cattle and the poor who worked on the neighbor's fields.
In the wake of the Black Plague in 1350, refugees from surrounding areas settled in plague emptied farmhouses in Wohlen, leading to an end of the separate populations in the village. After 1500, the population began to grow again. The number of households climbed from 48 to 60 (1540–1570), i.e., about 240 to 300 people. Starting in 1635, there are church records, so the population is known. These records start just as the last large plague hit the city in the autumn and winter of 1635/36, killing approximately one quarter of the people. The population increased slowly until about 1800, as the local economy could not support rapid growth. However, in 1800 Wohlen had a larger population than either Bremgarten
or Villmergen (1397 inhabitants against Bremgarten 599; Villmergen 888). After 1800, with new income opportunities, Wohlen increased its population steadily: 1800 to 1890 by 87%, from 1890 to 1950 it increased 154% and from 1950 to 2004 by 109%.
In 1830, it was the site of a meeting to attempt to reform the cantonal constitution
. Following a disagreement on whether to use force or diplomacy to get the government to reform, Johann Heinrich Fischer left Wohlen for Merenschwand
to raise a rebel militia. Two days later, the milita assembled near Wohlen and marched on Aarau
. Following a bloodless invasion of Aarau, known as the Freiämtersturm
, the government agreed to every demand of the rebels.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Argent a Pile inverted Sable and a Chief Gules.
The age distribution, , in Wohlen is; 1,424 children or 10.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 1,802 teenagers or 12.7% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,870 people or 13.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,742 people or 12.3% are between 30 and 39, 2,380 people or 16.8% are between 40 and 49, and 1,857 people or 13.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,521 people or 10.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 1,045 people or 7.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 482 people or 3.4% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 77 people or 0.5% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.58 which is about equal to 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 41.9% 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 662 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 2,822 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 1,849 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.36 individuals. there were 2,080 single family homes (or 32.6% of the total) out of a total of 6,381 homes and apartments. There were a total of 114 empty apartments for a 1.8% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 5.2 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 37.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(16.9%), the CVP
(16.8%) and the FDP
(12.4%).
In Wohlen about 59.5% 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 1,116 students attending primary school, there are 531 students attending secondary school, there are 413 students attending tertiary or university level schooling, and there are 30 students who are seeking a job after school in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
burial mounds) and the Catholic Church of St. Leonhard are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance
. At the burial mounds, graves of men, women and children were found. The men were buried with spears, the women with rich ornaments and its wide variety bronze vessels, including a rare accumulation of large vessels, which indicates a considerable wealth of the people buried here.
there was a total of 6,857 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 4,244 or about 61.9% of the residents worked outside Wohlen while 3,375 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 5,988 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 12.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 51.3% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 14 individuals (or about 0.11% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic
faith.
eleven times and most recently hosted it in 2009
, on 3 May. FC Wohlen
is based in the town.
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 Bremgarten
Bremgarten (district)
Bremgarten District is a Swiss district in the Canton of Aargau, corresponding to the valleys of the Reuss and Bünz rivers in the area known as the Freiamt.-Geography:...
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
The earliest known settlements in Wohlen date from the late Hallstatt eraHallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
(600-500 BC). This settlement left two clusters of burial mounds
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
in Hohbühl and Häslerhau. While the graves were discovered and excavated in 1925-1930, the location of the settlement is still unknown. During the Roman era
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...
two large estates were built at Oberdorf and the Brünishalde. Both estates date from about 50 AD and supported a number of fields. The harvested grain was probably for the maintenance of the Roman troops at the military camp Vindonissa
Vindonissa
Vindonissa was a Roman legion camp at modern Windisch, Switzerland. It was probably established in 15 AD. In an expansion around 30, thermal baths were added....
. Of the estates all that remains is masonry, tile, mosaic pieces and coins, as well as some foundations at Häslerhau.
During the migration of the Alemanni in the 5th Century into the area, they built their own settlements to the right of the Bünz in Chappele, Steingasse, Kirche and along the upper main street as well as along the left bank of the Bünz in Wil. The local gallic
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
population merged slowly with the Germanic Alemanni. With the migration of the Germanic tribe, the place name became Wohlen. The name is first mentioned in 1178/79 as Vuolon / Volen, and goes back to the Old High German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
Walh, which means Vlachs
Vlachs
Vlach is a blanket term covering several modern Latin peoples descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. English variations on the name include: Walla, Wlachs, Wallachs, Vlahs, Olahs or Ulahs...
or romanus, a term for the romanized locals. So, the Alemannic
Alemannic German
Alemannic is a group of dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately ten million people in six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy...
name of Vuolon / Volen referred to the earlier inhabitants.
One of the reasons for the slow integration of the two populations was the lack of an ecclesiastical center. Wohlen had no 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....
, but was split between three 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...
s, Niederwil
Niederwil
Niederwil may refer to:in Switzerland:* Niederwil, Aargau* Niederwil, Solothurn* Niederwil, Zug, part of Cham...
, Göslikon and Villmergen
Villmergen
Villmergen is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.Two famous battles took place at Villmergen.In 2010 Hilfikon merged into Villmergen.-History:...
. Shortly after 1100, an ancestor of the Lords of Volen donated a small church to the village. This church served until 1518 but didn't include the whole population. The lords of Volen (1185–1425) were the largest landowners in the village and the only local family who made the leap from the peasantry into the Habsburg military nobility. Even among the general population, there were "rich" with more fields, meadows, and cattle and the poor who worked on the neighbor's fields.
In the wake of the Black Plague in 1350, refugees from surrounding areas settled in plague emptied farmhouses in Wohlen, leading to an end of the separate populations in the village. After 1500, the population began to grow again. The number of households climbed from 48 to 60 (1540–1570), i.e., about 240 to 300 people. Starting in 1635, there are church records, so the population is known. These records start just as the last large plague hit the city in the autumn and winter of 1635/36, killing approximately one quarter of the people. The population increased slowly until about 1800, as the local economy could not support rapid growth. However, in 1800 Wohlen had a larger population than either Bremgarten
Bremgarten, Switzerland
Bremgarten is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau. It serves as seat of the district of Bremgarten. The medieval old town is listed as a heritage site of national significance.-History:...
or Villmergen (1397 inhabitants against Bremgarten 599; Villmergen 888). After 1800, with new income opportunities, Wohlen increased its population steadily: 1800 to 1890 by 87%, from 1890 to 1950 it increased 154% and from 1950 to 2004 by 109%.
In 1830, it was the site of a meeting to attempt to reform the cantonal constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. Following a disagreement on whether to use force or diplomacy to get the government to reform, Johann Heinrich Fischer left Wohlen for Merenschwand
Merenschwand
Merenschwand is a municipality in the district of Muri in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:The earliest evidence of human settlement is a lake side village from the Late Bronze Age. The lake has since silted up and is now part of the Rütiweid meadow...
to raise a rebel militia. Two days later, the milita assembled near Wohlen and marched on Aarau
Aarau
Aarau is the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The city is also the capital of the district of Aarau. It is German-speaking and predominantly Protestant. Aarau is situated on the Swiss plateau, in the valley of the Aar, on the river's right bank, and at the southern foot of the Jura...
. Following a bloodless invasion of Aarau, known as the Freiämtersturm
Freiämtersturm
The Freiämtersturm in December 1830 was a bloodless revolution in the Swiss canton of Aargau. The dissatisfied rural population of the Freie Ämter region in Aargau marched on the cantonal capital of Aarau to demand changes in the cantonal constitution...
, the government agreed to every demand of the rebels.
Geography
Wohlen has an area, , of 12.5 square kilometres (4.8 sq mi). Of this area, 39.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 27.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 32.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.6%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).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 Pile inverted Sable and a Chief Gules.
Demographics
Wohlen has a population (as of ) of . , 33.3% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 9.4%. Most of the population speaks German (79.8%), with Italian being second most common ( 8.1%) and Albanian being third ( 3.1%).The age distribution, , in Wohlen is; 1,424 children or 10.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 1,802 teenagers or 12.7% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,870 people or 13.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,742 people or 12.3% are between 30 and 39, 2,380 people or 16.8% are between 40 and 49, and 1,857 people or 13.1% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,521 people or 10.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 1,045 people or 7.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 482 people or 3.4% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 77 people or 0.5% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.58 which is about equal to 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 41.9% 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 662 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 2,822 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 1,849 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. The average number of people per household was 2.36 individuals. there were 2,080 single family homes (or 32.6% of the total) out of a total of 6,381 homes and apartments. There were a total of 114 empty apartments for a 1.8% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 5.2 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 37.9% 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....
(16.9%), 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...
(16.8%) 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....
(12.4%).
In Wohlen about 59.5% 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 1,116 students attending primary school, there are 531 students attending secondary school, there are 413 students attending tertiary or university level schooling, and there are 30 students who are seeking a job after school in the municipality.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1800 | 1,397 |
| 1975 | 11,837 |
| 1980 | 11,826 |
| 1990 | 12,480 |
| 2000 | 13,268 |
Heritage sites of national significance
The Häslerhau and Hohbüehl (two separate groups of Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
burial mounds) and the Catholic Church of St. Leonhard are listed as Swiss heritage sites 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...
. At the burial mounds, graves of men, women and children were found. The men were buried with spears, the women with rich ornaments and its wide variety bronze vessels, including a rare accumulation of large vessels, which indicates a considerable wealth of the people buried here.
Economy
, Wohlen had an unemployment rate of 3.66%. , there were 94 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 27 businesses involved in this sector. 1,801 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 148 businesses in this sector. 3,846 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 559 businesses in this sector.there was a total of 6,857 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 4,244 or about 61.9% of the residents worked outside Wohlen while 3,375 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 5,988 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 12.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 51.3% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 7,531 or 56.5% were Roman Catholic, while 2,626 or 19.7% 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 14 individuals (or about 0.11% 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.
Sport
Wohlen has been host to the Swiss Sidecarcross Grand PrixSidecarcross world championship
The Sidecar Motocross World Championship is an annual event, organised by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme , held since 1980. Previous to that, a European competition was held from 1971 onwards....
eleven times and most recently hosted it in 2009
2009 Sidecarcross world championship
The 2009 FIM Sidecarcross world championship, the 30th edition of the competition, started on 29 March and finished after thirteen race weekends on 13 September 2009....
, on 3 May. FC Wohlen
FC Wohlen
FC Wohlen is a Swiss football club based in the town Wohlen in Canton Aargau. They play in the Challenge League, the second highest league in the country....
is based in the town.