Beckenried
Encyclopedia
Beckenried is a municipality
in the canton
of Nidwalden
in Switzerland.
tribes that moved into the area over 2000 years ago. During the Middle Ages
the region was part of extensive estates that were shared between Engelberg Abbey
, Murbach-Lucerne
and Steinen, Switzerland
. The two tower house
s in the village (named: Retschrieden and Isenringen) were built in the 13th century for two local, influential families. In 1262 the village is mentioned in an agreement over a nearby pasture. In 1314 it is mentioned as Beggenriet.
The municipality is a linear village
along the shore of Lake Lucerne
. It consists of the village of Beckenried with the sections known as Oberdorf, Niederdorf and Dorf.
there are 1,164 households, of which 761 households (or about 65.4%) contain only one or two individuals. 102 or about 8.8% are large households, with at least five members.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the FDP
which received 87.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the local small left-wing parties (10.9%), the Other (1.4%) and the CVP
(0.1%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Beckenried about 75.2% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Beckenried has an unemployment rate of 0.85%. , there were 156 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 54 businesses involved in this sector. 265 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 40 businesses in this sector. 557 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 100 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
Starting from Beckenried the longest cable car
in central Switzerland brings tourists up to Klewenalp, a major holiday resort both in winter and in summer.
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 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 Nidwalden
Nidwalden
Nidwalden is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population is 40,287 of which 4,046 are foreigners. The capital is Stans.-History:...
in Switzerland.
History
The first settlers in what would become Beckried were from AlamanniAlamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
tribes that moved into the area over 2000 years ago. During the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
the region was part of extensive estates that were shared between Engelberg Abbey
Engelberg Abbey
Engelberg Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Engelberg, Canton of Obwalden, Switzerland. It was formerly in the Diocese of Constance, but now in the Diocese of Chur...
, Murbach-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 Steinen, Switzerland
Steinen, Switzerland
Steinen is a municipality in Schwyz District in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.-Geography:Steinen has an area, , of . Of this area, 52.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 22.1% is forested...
. The two tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
s in the village (named: Retschrieden and Isenringen) were built in the 13th century for two local, influential families. In 1262 the village is mentioned in an agreement over a nearby pasture. In 1314 it is mentioned as Beggenriet.
Geography
Beckenried has an area, , of 24.3 square kilometres (9.4 sq mi). Of this area, 49.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 36.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 5.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (8.7%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).The municipality is a linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
along the shore of Lake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country.The lake has a complicated shape, with bends and arms reaching from the city of Lucerne into the mountains. It has a total area of 114 km² , an elevation of 434 m , and a maximum depth of 214 m . Its volume is 11.8...
. It consists of the village of Beckenried with the sections known as Oberdorf, Niederdorf and Dorf.
Demographics
Beckenried has a population (as of ) of . , 8.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 14.9%. Most of the population speaks German (95.3%), with English being second most common ( 1.0%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 0.8%). the gender distribution of the population was 51.3% male and 48.7% female.there are 1,164 households, of which 761 households (or about 65.4%) contain only one or two individuals. 102 or about 8.8% are large households, with at least five members.
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 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....
which received 87.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the local small left-wing parties (10.9%), the Other (1.4%) and 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...
(0.1%).
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Beckenried about 75.2% 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...
).
Beckenried has an unemployment rate of 0.85%. , there were 156 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 54 businesses involved in this sector. 265 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 40 businesses in this sector. 557 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 100 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1743 | 823 |
| 1850 | 1,342 |
| 1900 | 1,663 |
| 1950 | 1,981 |
| 2000 | 2,825 |
Notable sights and recreation
The main sights of Beckenried are: the church St. Heinrich and its cemetery chapel, the Ridli chapel, the chapel St. Anna, the Klewen chapel, fun fair (Älplerkilbi), and the St. Nikolas market.Starting from Beckenried the longest cable car
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
in central Switzerland brings tourists up to Klewenalp, a major holiday resort both in winter and in summer.