Aristau
Encyclopedia
Aristau is a municipality
in the district of Muri
in the canton
of Aargau
in Switzerland
.
artifacts. The modern municipality of Aristau is made up of three separate sections or villages. The three sections that make up the municipality were first mentioned in 1153 as Arnestowo, Althusern and Birchi. It was originally the seat of a vassal
of the Lanzburg
family. During the Late Middle Ages
it was the possession of the lords of Baar
and Muri Abbey
. After 1285, the Abbey also owned the rights to hold courts and to collect tithe
s. In 1351 Catherine of Baar sold the rights and property in Aristau to Hartmann Heidegg. After the destruction of his tower in 1386 by troops from Lucerne
and Zurich
, the orchard
at the foot of the tower was sold to the monastery of Hermetschwil. The remaining property was sold to Muri Abbey. The ruins of Werd Castle (of which no records exist) was possibly the home of the Lords of Aristau. In 1750 Aristau introduced a local tax. This tax led, in 1816, to the current community. However, the town councils of the three villages didn't unite until 1912.
Until 1942, Aristau was part of the parish
of Muri
. With the completion of the Wendelin Church in 1943, Aristau became the center of the newly independent Reusstalpfarrei (Reuss valley parish). This was a long time in coming, the parish had been planned since 1845. The Chapel of St. John the Baptist and the Evangelist in the village center, was first mentioned in 1360/70 as a filial church
of the parish church
in Muri. The chapel was totally rebuilt in 1521, enlarged in 1734 and renovated in 1972.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 5.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.2%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 58.6% is used for growing crops and 9.1% is pastures, while 1.5% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 4.1% is unproductive vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Muri district, on the eastern slope of the Wagenrain hills above the Reuss river valley. It consists of the villages of Aristau, Birri and Althäusern.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Gules a Tower Argent embattled masoned issuant from a Mount Vert between two Mullets of the second.
The age distribution, , in Aristau is; 122 children or 9.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 193 teenagers or 14.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 149 people or 11.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 151 people or 11.7% are between 30 and 39, 290 people or 22.4% are between 40 and 49, and 202 people or 15.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 99 people or 7.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 65 people or 5.0% are between 70 and 79, there are 22 people or 1.7% who are between 80 and 89,and there is 1 person who is between 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.6 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 61% 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 28 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 171 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 216 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 430 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. there were 237 single family homes (or 45.6% of the total) out of a total of 520 homes and apartments. There were a total of 15 empty apartments for a 2.9% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 11.8 new units per 1000 residents.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 33.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP
(22.5%), the FDP
(12.8%) and the SP
(12.7%).
The historical population is given in the following table:
there were 648 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 523 or about 80.7% of the residents worked outside Aristau while 38 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 163 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 9.2% used public transportation to get to work, and 59.5% used a private car.
.
). Of the school age population , there are 106 students attending primary school in the municipality.
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 Muri
Muri (district)
Muri District is a district in the Swiss Canton of Aargau with the administrative capital of Muri. It covers the central and southern part of Freiamt and has a population of .-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 first traces of human settlement around Aristau are scattered La Tène cultureLa Tène culture
The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, where a rich cache of artifacts was discovered by Hansli Kopp in 1857....
artifacts. The modern municipality of Aristau is made up of three separate sections or villages. The three sections that make up the municipality were first mentioned in 1153 as Arnestowo, Althusern and Birchi. It was originally the seat of a vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
of the Lanzburg
Schloss Lenzburg
Lenzburg Castle is a castle located above the old part of the town of Lenzburg in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland. It ranks among the oldest and most important of Switzerland. The castle stands on the almost circular castle hill , which rises approximately 100 m over the surrounding plain...
family. During the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
it was the possession of the lords of Baar
Baar
-Places:* Baar, Switzerland, a municipality in the Canton of Zug, Switzerland* Baar, Swabia, a town in western Bavaria, Germany* Baar, Rhineland-Palatinate, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
and Muri Abbey
Muri Abbey
Muri Abbey was a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. It flourished for over eight centuries at Muri, in the Canton of Aargau, near Basle in Switzerland...
. After 1285, the Abbey also owned the rights to hold courts and to collect tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s. In 1351 Catherine of Baar sold the rights and property in Aristau to Hartmann Heidegg. After the destruction of his tower in 1386 by troops from Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
and Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, the orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
at the foot of the tower was sold to the monastery of Hermetschwil. The remaining property was sold to Muri Abbey. The ruins of Werd Castle (of which no records exist) was possibly the home of the Lords of Aristau. In 1750 Aristau introduced a local tax. This tax led, in 1816, to the current community. However, the town councils of the three villages didn't unite until 1912.
Until 1942, Aristau was part of the 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...
of Muri
Muri
Muri, Formerly known as Muri , is a municipality in southeastern Swiss Canton Aargau and is the capital of same district. The present municipality of Muri was created in 1816 from the merging of the four municipalities Langdorf, Egg, Hasli and Wey....
. With the completion of the Wendelin Church in 1943, Aristau became the center of the newly independent Reusstalpfarrei (Reuss valley parish). This was a long time in coming, the parish had been planned since 1845. The Chapel of St. John the Baptist and the Evangelist in the village center, was first mentioned in 1360/70 as a filial church
Filial church
A filial church, in the Roman Catholic Church, is a church to which is annexed the cure of souls, but which remains dependent on another church. The term comes from the Latin filialis, from filia, daughter....
of the 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....
in Muri. The chapel was totally rebuilt in 1521, enlarged in 1734 and renovated in 1972.
Geography
Aristau has an area, , of 8.64 square kilometres (3.3 sq mi). Of this area, 5.98 km² (2.3 sq mi) or 69.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.32 km² (0.509654849342146 sq mi) or 15.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.8 km² (0.308881726874028 sq mi) or 9.3% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.25 km² (0.0965255396481338 sq mi) or 2.9% is either rivers or lakes and 0.36 km² (0.138996777093313 sq mi) or 4.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 5.4% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.2%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 58.6% is used for growing crops and 9.1% is pastures, while 1.5% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 4.1% is unproductive vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Muri district, on the eastern slope of the Wagenrain hills above the Reuss river valley. It consists of the villages of Aristau, Birri and Althäusern.
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 Gules a Tower Argent embattled masoned issuant from a Mount Vert between two Mullets of the second.
Demographics
Aristau has a population of , 12.8% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 10.3%. Most of the population speaks German (94.7%), with Portuguese being second most common ( 1.1%) and French being third ( 0.9%).The age distribution, , in Aristau is; 122 children or 9.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 193 teenagers or 14.9% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 149 people or 11.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 151 people or 11.7% are between 30 and 39, 290 people or 22.4% are between 40 and 49, and 202 people or 15.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 99 people or 7.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 65 people or 5.0% are between 70 and 79, there are 22 people or 1.7% who are between 80 and 89,and there is 1 person who is between 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.6 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 61% 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 28 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 171 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 216 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 430 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. there were 237 single family homes (or 45.6% of the total) out of a total of 520 homes and apartments. There were a total of 15 empty apartments for a 2.9% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 11.8 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 33.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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...
(22.5%), 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....
(12.8%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(12.7%).
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1836 | 886 |
| 1850 | 937 |
| 1900 | 753 |
| 1950 | 785 |
| 2000 | 1,197 |
Economy
, Aristau had an unemployment rate of 1.67%. , there were 119 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 37 businesses involved in this sector. 26 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 11 businesses in this sector. 79 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 29 businesses in this sector.there were 648 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 523 or about 80.7% of the residents worked outside Aristau while 38 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 163 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 9.2% used public transportation to get to work, and 59.5% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 678 or 56.6% were Roman Catholic, while 309 or 25.8% 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...
.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Aristau about 76.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
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 106 students attending primary school in the municipality.