Burgdorf, Switzerland: Difference between revisions

Burgdorf
Municipality
Coat of arms
Location of Burgdorf
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Emmental
Government
• Mayor	Elisabeth Zäch SPS/PSS (as of 2009)
Area [1]
• Total	15.56 km2 (6.01 sq mi)
Elevation	533 m (1,749 ft)
Population  (31 December 2018)[2]
• Total	16,420
• Density	1,100/km2 (2,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)	3400
SFOS number	0404
ISO 3166 code	CH-BE
Surrounded by	Hasle bei Burgdorf, Heimiswil, Kirchberg, Krauchtal, Lyssach, Mötschwil, Oberburg, Rüti bei Lyssach, Wynigen
Twin towns	Epesses (Switzerland), Burgdorf (Germany), San Pellegrino Terme (Italy)
Website	www.burgdorf.ch SFSO statistics

Burgdorf (French: Berthoud) is the largest city in the Emmental in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It was the capital of the district of the same name until 2010, when it became part of the new Emmental district.^[3]

In 1175 the town was first known as "Burtorf" from Burg Bertolfs (Berchtold's) in connection with a deed of Duke Berchtold IV of Zähringer. Burgdorf passed to the House of Kyburg in the 13th century, and after the siege of Burgdorf of 1384, it was purchased by the city of Bern.

Burgdorf has an area, as of 2009^[update], of 15.6 km² (6.0 sq mi). Of this area, 3.91 km² (1.51 sq mi) or 25.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 6.35 km² (2.45 sq mi) or 40.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 4.89 km² (1.89 sq mi) or 31.3% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.37 km² (0.14 sq mi) or 2.4% is either rivers or lakes and 0.05 km² (12 acres) or 0.3% is unproductive land.^[4]

Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 6.3% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 14.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 8.0%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.2%. 39.8% of the total land area is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 18.1% is used for growing crops and 6.1% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.^[4]

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per pale Sable and Argent all within a Border Or.^[5]

Burgdorf has a population (as of December 2020^[update]) of 16,583.^[6] As of 2010^[update], 12.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 5.2%. Migration accounted for 6.6%, while births and deaths accounted for -1.1%.^[7]

Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speaks German (13,088 or 88.9%) as their first language, Italian is the second most common (402 or 2.7%) and Albanian is the third (219 or 1.5%). There are 116 people who speak French and 8 people who speak Romansh.^[8]

As of 2008^[update], the population was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. The population was made up of 6,335 Swiss men (41.2% of the population) and 1,083 (7.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 7,051 Swiss women (45.9%) and 905 (5.9%) non-Swiss women.^[9] Of the population in the municipality, 4,260 or about 29.0% were born in Burgdorf and lived there in 2000. There were 5,462 or 37.1% who were born in the same canton, while 2,176 or 14.8% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 2,352 or 16.0% were born outside of Switzerland.^[8]

As of 2000^[update], children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 21.2% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 59.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 19.2%.^[7]

As of 2000^[update], there were 5,932 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 6,856 married individuals, 1,067 widows or widowers and 859 individuals who are divorced.^[8]

As of 2000^[update], there were 6,637 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.1 persons per household.^[7] There were 2,567 households that consist of only one person and 353 households with five or more people. In 2000^[update], a total of 6,507 apartments (91.9% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 371 apartments (5.2%) were seasonally occupied and 199 apartments (2.8%) were empty.^[10] As of 2009^[update], the construction rate of new housing units was 2.5 new units per 1000 residents.^[7] The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2010^[update], was 1.85%.^[7]

The historical population is given in the following chart:^[11]

The entire old city, the former Grosse Apotheke and Diesbacher House, the former Mädchenschule (Girls' School), the former Niederspital (Hospital), the Gehöft Grafenscheuren, the Grosshaus (Large House) at Hohengasse 4 / Kronenplatz 4, the House zum Ochsen at Hohengasse 35, the Villa Schnell, the Kantonales Technikum (College), the Leinenweberei (Linen Spinning Plant) Schmid with Villa, the Museum Franz Gertsch, the Swiss Reformed City Church, the Sammlung Historisches Armeematerial Collection of Historical Military Equipment, which is shared between Thun, Burgdorf and Dübendorf in Zurich), Castle, the Quarantine House and Chapel and the Villa Roth are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance The entire town of Burgdorf is part of the [[Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.^[12]

• 
  Altstadt, Medieval and Early Modern City and Castle
• 
  Former Grosse Apotheke and Diesbacher House
• 
  Former Mädchenschule (Girls' School)
• 
  Former Niederspital (Hospital)
• 
  Grosshaus (Large House)
• 
  House zum Ochsen
• 
  Kantonales Technikum (College)
• 
  Museum Franz Gertsch
• 
  Swiss Reformed City Church
• 
  Castle
• 
  Quarantine House and Chapel
• 
  Villa Roth

• The old town center, with alleyways, squares and many historical buildings
• Late Gothic church 1471/1490
• Burgdorf Castle
• The "Badi" (which means public swimming pool)
• Museum Franz Gertsch
• Kornhaus (cornhouse)
• Burgdorf Flüeh (4 huge rocks) and the river Emme
• Burgdorf Schützematte, a big field, meeting point of peoples

Burgdorf is twinned with the towns of Burgdorf/Hannover, Germany and San Pellegrino Terme, Italy.^[13]

In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SPS which received 24.95% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (23.02%), the FDP (16.48%) and the Green Party (15.53%). In the federal election, a total of 5,046 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 46.8%.^[14]

As of  2010^[update], Burgdorf had an unemployment rate of 4%. As of 2008^[update], there were 40 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 13 businesses involved in this sector. 4,027 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 137 businesses in this sector. 7,538 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 691 businesses in this sector.^[7]

In 2008^[update] the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 9,754. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 31, of which 24 were in agriculture and 7 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 3,784 of which 3,168 or (83.7%) were in manufacturing and 567 (15.0%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 5,939. In the tertiary sector; 1,558 or 26.2% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 431 or 7.3% were in the movement and storage of goods, 255 or 4.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 127 or 2.1% were in the information industry, 273 or 4.6% were the insurance or financial industry, 392 or 6.6% were technical professionals or scientists, 406 or 6.8% were in education and 1,566 or 26.4% were in health care.^[15]

In 2000^[update], there were 7,353 workers who commuted into the municipality and 3,254 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 2.3 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving.^[16] Of the working population, 22.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 37.9% used a private car.^[7]

Burgdorf has several engine works and some departments of the Bern University of Applied Sciences (e.g. Architecture and Civil Engineering). Burgdorf has a growing economy, several small companies called KMU (small and middle companies) are located and have their headquarters in Burgdorf, such as Ypsomed (former Disetronic), Aebi, Typon, Iverslee and Seewer.

Burgdorf is also known for its local beer. In 1871 Burgdorf had one of the most modern breweries is Switzerland.^[17] However, these local, small breweries closed during the 20th Century. In 1999, a brewery was opened, which brewed a local Burgdorf beer. This beer has won a number of awards at Beerdays in Solothurn.^[18]

From the 2000 census^[update], 1,993 or 13.5% were Roman Catholic, while 9,275 or 63.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 211 members of an Orthodox church (or about 1.43% of the population), there were 14 individuals (or about 0.10% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 1,337 individuals (or about 9.09% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 3 individuals (or about 0.02% of the population) who were Jewish, and 865 (or about 5.88% of the population) who were Islamic. There were 39 individuals who were Buddhist, 224 individuals who were Hindu and 13 individuals who belonged to another church. 986 (or about 6.70% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 413 individuals (or about 2.81% of the population) did not answer the question.^[8]

Burgdorf has an average of 127.1 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 1,041 mm (41.0 in) of precipitation. The wettest month is August during which time Burgdorf receives an average of 121 mm (4.8 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 10.9 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13, but with only 108 mm (4.3 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year is February with an average of 67 mm (2.6 in) of precipitation over 10 days.^[19]

In Burgdorf about 5,950 or (40.4%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 1,918 or (13.0%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule). Of the 1,918 who completed tertiary schooling, 65.9% were Swiss men, 25.1% were Swiss women, 5.0% were non-Swiss men and 4.0% were non-Swiss women.^[8]

The Canton of Bern school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend additional schooling or they may enter an apprenticeship.^[20]

During the 2009-10 school year, there were a total of 1,767 students attending classes in Burgdorf. There were 14 kindergarten classes with a total of 247 students in the municipality. Of the kindergarten students, 13.8% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 23.5% have a different mother language than the classroom language. The municipality had 49 primary classes and 924 students. Of the primary students, 12.3% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 23.5% have a different mother language than the classroom language. During the same year, there were 30 lower secondary classes with a total of 548 students. There were 9.9% who were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 21.2% have a different mother language than the classroom language.^[21]

As of 2000^[update], there were 1,152 students in Burgdorf who came from another municipality, while 239 residents attended schools outside the municipality.^[16]

Burgdorf is home to 2 libraries. These libraries are the Stadtbibliothek Burgdorf and the BFH Technik und Informatik TI und Architektur, Holz und Bau AHB Burgdorf. There was a combined total (as of 2008^[update]) of 69,376 books or other media in the libraries, and in the same year a total of 266,590 items were loaned out.^[22]

• Christian Ferdinand Schiess VC, Swiss Victoria Cross recipient at Rorke's Drift, born there in 1856.
• Max Schneckenburger, the poet, lived and died there.
• Johann August Sutter, Californian pioneer, left Burgdorf in 1834 for America.
• John Mbiti, the African theologian and philosopher, is a Christian minister in Burgdorf.
• Martin Gerber, NHL goaltender.
• Marc Reichert, Swiss Ice hockey player
• Simone Niggli-Luder, Swiss Orienteering World Champion
• Lisa della Casa, soprano, born in Burgdorf.
• Willy Michel, founder of Disetronic - Ypsomed
• Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, used to live and teach in the castle of Burgdorf

• Solätte - #1 event in Burgdorf, old tradition child event (last Monday of June)
• Gymfest - big party organized by a group of students of Gymnasium Burgdorf (January)
• Pogoschütz - an openair concert on the Schützenmatte (September)
• Cinete - an openair movie theater, every year during summer
• Kalter Märt - the largest fair in Burgdorf; every year 10,000 people come to shop in the old city of Burgdorf (cold winter time)
• Burgdorfer Stadtlauf - Burgdorf running race through the city of Burgdorf

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Burgdorf.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Burgdorf".

• http://www.burgdorf.ch
• http://www.schloss-burgdorf.ch
• Burgdorf (municipality) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.