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==Geography==
==Geography==
[[File:LauterbrunnenValley.jpg|thumb|left|View of the valley from the [[Männlichen]]]]
[[File:LauterbrunnenValley.jpg|thumb|left|View of the valley from the [[Männlichen]]]]
Lauterbrunnen has an area of {{km2 to mi2|164.4|abbr=on}}. Of this area, 23.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 16.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (58.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).<ref name=SFSO/>
Lauterbrunnen has an area, {{as of|2009|lc=on}}, of {{km2 to mi2|164.56|abbr=on}}. Of this area, {{km2 to mi2|36.79|abbr=on}} or 22.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while {{km2 to mi2|28.84|abbr=on}} or 17.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, {{km2 to mi2|2.31|abbr=on}} or 1.4% is settled (buildings or roads), {{km2 to mi2|1.08|abbr=on}} or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes and {{km2 to mi2|95.39|abbr=on}} or 58.0% is unproductive land.<ref name=BFS_land>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics] 2009 data {{de icon}} accessed 25 March 2010</ref>

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.5%. 13.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 3.5% is pastures and 18.9% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 10.3% is unproductive vegetation, 31.3% is too rocky for vegetation and 16.3% of the land is covered by glaciers.<ref name=BFS_land/>


The river ''[[Lütschine|Weisse Lütschine]]'' flows through Lauterbrunnen and overflows its banks about once a year. The source of the river comes from melting snow high in the mountains, thus making it a very pure and clean source of water. It is common practice in the camp sites to chill drinks in the water.
The river ''[[Lütschine|Weisse Lütschine]]'' flows through Lauterbrunnen and overflows its banks about once a year. The source of the river comes from melting snow high in the mountains, thus making it a very pure and clean source of water. It is common practice in the camp sites to chill drinks in the water.


Lauterbrunnen lies at the bottom of a hanging or U-shaped valley that extends south and then south-westwards from the village to meet the 8-kilometre-long [[Lauterbrunnen Wall]]. The valley of Lauterbrunnen (''Lauterbrunnental'') is one of the deepest in the Alpine chain when compared with the height of the mountains that rise directly on either side. It is a true cleft, rarely more than one kilometre in width, between limestones precipices, sometimes quite perpendicular, everywhere of extreme steepness. It is to this form of the valley that it owes the numerous waterfalls from which it derives its name. The streams descending from the adjoining mountains, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, form cascades so high that they are almost lost in spray before they reach the level of the valley. The most famous of these are the [[Staubbach Falls]] within less than one kilometres of the village of Lauterbrunnen. The height of the cascade is between 800 and 900&nbsp;ft, one of the highest in Europe formed of a single unbroken fall.<ref>[[John Ball (naturalist)|John Ball]], ''The Alpine guide, Central Alps'', p. 75, 1866, London</ref>
Lauterbrunnen lies at the bottom of a hanging or U-shaped valley that extends south and then south-westwards from the village to meet the {{km to mi|8}} [[Lauterbrunnen Wall]]. The valley of Lauterbrunnen (''Lauterbrunnental'') is one of the deepest in the Alpine chain when compared with the height of the mountains that rise directly on either side. It is a true cleft, rarely more than one kilometre in width, between limestones precipices, sometimes quite perpendicular, everywhere of extreme steepness. It is to this form of the valley that it owes the numerous waterfalls from which it derives its name. The streams descending from the adjoining mountains, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, form cascades so high that they are almost lost in spray before they reach the level of the valley. The most famous of these are the [[Staubbach Falls]] within less than one kilometres of the village of Lauterbrunnen. The height of the cascade is between {{convert|800|and|900|ft|m}}, one of the highest in Europe formed of a single unbroken fall.<ref>[[John Ball (naturalist)|John Ball]], ''The Alpine guide, Central Alps'', p. 75, 1866, London</ref>


==Demographics==
==Demographics==

Revision as of 23:13, 5 May 2010

Lauterbrunnen
Coat of arms of Lauterbrunnen
Location of Lauterbrunnen
Map
CountrySwitzerland
CantonBern
DistrictInterlaken-Oberhasli
Area
 • Total164.4 km2 (63.5 sq mi)
Elevation
795 m (2,608 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2018)[2]
 • Total2,290
 • Density14/km2 (36/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
3822
SFOS number0584
ISO 3166 codeCH-BE
LocalitiesLauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg, Isenfluh
Surrounded byAeschi bei Spiez, Blatten (Lötschen) (VS), Fieschertal (VS), Grindelwald, Gündlischwand, Kandersteg, Lütschental, Reichenbach im Kandertal, Saxeten, Wilderswil
Websitewww.lauterbrunnen.ch
SFSO statistics

Lauterbrunnen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

The municipality lies in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and comprises the villages Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Isenfluh. The population of the Lauterbrunnen village is less than that of Wengen, but greater than that of the others.

History

Lauterbrunnen is first mentioned in 1240 as in claro fonte. In 1304 it was mentioned as Luterbrunnen.[3]

Geography

View of the valley from the Männlichen

Lauterbrunnen has an area, as of 2009, of Template:Km2 to mi2. Of this area, Template:Km2 to mi2 or 22.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while Template:Km2 to mi2 or 17.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, Template:Km2 to mi2 or 1.4% is settled (buildings or roads), Template:Km2 to mi2 or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes and Template:Km2 to mi2 or 58.0% is unproductive land.[4]

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 0.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.5%. 13.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 3.5% is pastures and 18.9% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 10.3% is unproductive vegetation, 31.3% is too rocky for vegetation and 16.3% of the land is covered by glaciers.[4]

The river Weisse Lütschine flows through Lauterbrunnen and overflows its banks about once a year. The source of the river comes from melting snow high in the mountains, thus making it a very pure and clean source of water. It is common practice in the camp sites to chill drinks in the water.

Lauterbrunnen lies at the bottom of a hanging or U-shaped valley that extends south and then south-westwards from the village to meet the Template:Km to mi Lauterbrunnen Wall. The valley of Lauterbrunnen (Lauterbrunnental) is one of the deepest in the Alpine chain when compared with the height of the mountains that rise directly on either side. It is a true cleft, rarely more than one kilometre in width, between limestones precipices, sometimes quite perpendicular, everywhere of extreme steepness. It is to this form of the valley that it owes the numerous waterfalls from which it derives its name. The streams descending from the adjoining mountains, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, form cascades so high that they are almost lost in spray before they reach the level of the valley. The most famous of these are the Staubbach Falls within less than one kilometres of the village of Lauterbrunnen. The height of the cascade is between 800 and 900 feet (240 and 270 m), one of the highest in Europe formed of a single unbroken fall.[5]

Demographics

The Lauterbrunnen Valley. The village of Lauterbrunnen (foreground), the Staubbach Falls (centre right), the Jungfrau (top left) and the Lauterbrunnen Wall (background).

Lauterbrunnen has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 2,301.[6] As of 2007, 19.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -14.3%. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (85.2%), with Portuguese being second most common (4.9%) and Serbo-Croatian being third (2.0%).

In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 38.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP (19.8%), the SPS (14.5%) and the Green Party (10.5%).

The age distribution of the population (as of 2000) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 22.4% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.9% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18.7%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Lauterbrunnen about 66.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule).

Lauterbrunnen has an unemployment rate of 3.57%. As of 2005, there were 186 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 64 businesses involved in this sector. 197 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 32 businesses in this sector. 1557 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 194 businesses in this sector.[7] The historical population is given in the following table:[3]

year population
1764 828
1850 1,756
1900 2,551
1910 3,204
1920 2,593
1950 2,876
1980 3,077[A]
2000 2,914
A Since 1973 includes Isenfluh

Origin of the name

According to locals, the name Lauterbrunnen is a combination of lauter meaning many, and brunnen meaning spring, fountain, or well. However, there is considerable dispute about the meaning of 'lauter', with some translating it as louder and others as clear, bright, or clean.

Transport

Lauterbrunnen railway station

The Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB) train runs to Interlaken.

The Wengernalpbahn (WAB) train leads to Kleine Scheidegg and on to Grindelwald,

The cable car and connecting train, both operated by the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren (BLM), provide service to Mürren. An alternative route to Mürren is available using the bus via the Trummelbach Falls to Stechelberg and then the Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS).

In other media

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poem Gesang der Geister über den Wassern (literal translation: Song of the Spirits above the Waters) was written while he stayed at the parish house near the Staubbach Falls waterfall in Lauterbrunnen. The Lauterbrunnen valley also provided the pictorial model for J. R. R. Tolkien's sketches and watercolours of the fictitious valley of Rivendell, and possibly also the name of the Bruinen river (meaning 'Loudwater') which flowed through it.

References

  1. ^ a b "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie Geschlecht und Gemeinde; Provisorische Jahresergebnisse; 2018". Federal Statistical Office. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b Lauterbrunnen in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  4. ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics 2009 data Template:De icon accessed 25 March 2010
  5. ^ John Ball, The Alpine guide, Central Alps, p. 75, 1866, London
  6. ^ "Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geburtsort und Staatsangehörigkeit". bfs.admin.ch (in German). Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  7. ^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 01-Jul-2009