Brienz
Encyclopedia
Brienz is a municipality
in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
The village lies on the north bank of Lake Brienz
in the Bernese Oberland
at the foot of the Brienzer Rothorn
mountain.
, the Rhine and the Danube
, eventually stretching from the headwaters down to Vienna and Belgrade. At the end of 1st century BC the Romans conquered this area. The Roman settlements were destroyed by the Alamanni
in 259/60. They eventually settled in the area around 450. In any case, evidence has been found for a settlement by the Alamanni in the 7th century. Brienz is first mentioned in 1146 as Briens. In 1528, after an eventful history, Brienz became part of the Canton of Bern.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.6%. 29.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.8% is used for growing crops and 7.2% is pastures and 30.5% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 8.6% is unproductive vegatation, and 13.3% is too rocky for vegatation.
The municipality of Brienz includes a number of communities along the upper end of Lake Brienz, and stretches into the neighboring mountains. It includes the on the right shore the village of Brienz. To the north it includes the mouth of the Aare River and the village of Kienholz. On the left bank it includes the settlements of Engi and Schwendi. Heading away from the right shore the land rises to the Rotschalp, Planalp and Giebelegg before reaching the Brienzer Rothorn (2351 m (7,713.3 ft)). Heading away from the left shore it rises over the Brienzerberg and Giessbach Falls
, Tschingelfeld, Hinterburg and Axalp until it reaches the Schwarzhorn
(2928 m (9,606.3 ft)).
The parish church
of Brienz includes Oberried am Brienzersee
, Schwanden bei Brienz
, Hofstetten bei Brienz
and Brienzwiler
.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 34% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(25.9%), the SPS
(15.1%) and the Green Party
(9.8%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25.5% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 56.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.9%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Brienz about 73.5% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
The historical population is given in the following table:
In this town is where the firm Lötscher makes the only genuine Swiss cuckoo clocks in existence today. All of the initial steps involved in building these clocks are done in its woodworking facility in Brienz, the rest of the manufacturing process continues in Zurich where the timepieces are assembled, checked and adjusted.
Brienz has an unemployment rate of 2.43%. , there were 149 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 42 businesses involved in this sector. 458 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 54 businesses in this sector. 877 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 146 businesses in this sector.
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 Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district
Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district)
Interlaken-Oberhasli District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Oberland administrative region. It contains 29 municipalities with an area of and a population of 48,763....
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 Bern 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....
.
The village lies on the north bank of Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz is a lake just north of the Alps, in the Canton of Berne in Switzerland. The lake took its name from the village Brienz on its northern shore. Interlaken and the villages Matten and Unterseen lie to the south west of the lake. The shores are steep, and there is almost no shallow water...
in the Bernese Oberland
Bernese Oberland
The Bernese Oberland is the higher part of the canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the southern end of the canton: The area around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and the valleys of the Bernese Alps .The flag of the Bernese Oberland consists of a black eagle in a gold field The Bernese Oberland (Bernese...
at the foot of the Brienzer Rothorn
Brienzer Rothorn
The Brienzer Rothorn is a mountain in the Swiss Alps on the border between the cantons of Lucerne, Berne and Obwalden. The summit can be reached from Brienz by the Brienz Rothorn Bahn and from Sörenberg by a cable car.-External links:*...
mountain.
History
The first settlements date from 1500 BC. In the 5th century BC, the Celts settled in the alpine valleys among the sources of the RhoneRhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
, the Rhine and the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, eventually stretching from the headwaters down to Vienna and Belgrade. At the end of 1st century BC the Romans conquered this area. The Roman settlements were destroyed by the Alamanni
Alamanni
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...
in 259/60. They eventually settled in the area around 450. In any case, evidence has been found for a settlement by the Alamanni in the 7th century. Brienz is first mentioned in 1146 as Briens. In 1528, after an eventful history, Brienz became part of the Canton of Bern.
Geography
Brienz has an area, , of 47.99 km² (18.5 sq mi). Of this area, 18.53 km² (7.2 sq mi) or 38.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 16.15 km² (6.2 sq mi) or 33.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.18 km² (0.841702705731726 sq mi) or 4.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.52 km² (0.200773122468118 sq mi) or 1.1% is either rivers or lakes and 10.64 km² (4.1 sq mi) or 22.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.6%. 29.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.8% is used for growing crops and 7.2% is pastures and 30.5% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 8.6% is unproductive vegatation, and 13.3% is too rocky for vegatation.
The municipality of Brienz includes a number of communities along the upper end of Lake Brienz, and stretches into the neighboring mountains. It includes the on the right shore the village of Brienz. To the north it includes the mouth of the Aare River and the village of Kienholz. On the left bank it includes the settlements of Engi and Schwendi. Heading away from the right shore the land rises to the Rotschalp, Planalp and Giebelegg before reaching the Brienzer Rothorn (2351 m (7,713.3 ft)). Heading away from the left shore it rises over the Brienzerberg and Giessbach Falls
Giessbachbahn
The Giessbachbahn is a historic funicular at Giessbach in the Swiss Canton of Berne. It links a landing stage on Lake Brienz, served by shipping services on the lake, to the Grand Hotel Giessbach and waterfall above...
, Tschingelfeld, Hinterburg and Axalp until it reaches the Schwarzhorn
Schwarzhorn (Grindelwald)
Schwarzhorn is the highest mountain in the Commune of Brienz in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland and is regarded as one of the most stunning look-out peaks in the Bernese Oberland.-External links:*...
(2928 m (9,606.3 ft)).
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....
of Brienz includes Oberried am Brienzersee
Oberried am Brienzersee
Oberried am Brienzersee is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-History:Oberried am Brienzersee is first mentioned in 1303 as Obirnriet....
, Schwanden bei Brienz
Schwanden bei Brienz
Schwanden bei Brienz is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Origin of the name:...
, Hofstetten bei Brienz
Hofstetten bei Brienz
Hofstetten bei Brienz is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Origin of the name:...
and Brienzwiler
Brienzwiler
Brienzwiler is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Brienzwiler has an area, , of . Of this area, or 30.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 33.5% is forested...
.
Demographics
Brienz has a population (as of ) of . , 9.4% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 0.1%. Most of the population speaks German (92.9%), with French being second most common ( 1.3%) and Albanian being third ( 1.3%).In the 2007 election 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 34% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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....
(25.9%), the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(15.1%) and the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(9.8%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25.5% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 56.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.9%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Brienz about 73.5% 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...
).
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 799 |
| 1850 | 1,789 |
| 1880 | 2,757 |
| 1900 | 2,580 |
| 1920 | 2,474 |
| 1950 | 2,861 |
| 1990 | 2,849 |
| 2000 | 2,956 |
Economics
Tourism and woodcarving are the main activities. The Cantonal Woodcarving School established in 1862 is well-known and respected in the trade.In this town is where the firm Lötscher makes the only genuine Swiss cuckoo clocks in existence today. All of the initial steps involved in building these clocks are done in its woodworking facility in Brienz, the rest of the manufacturing process continues in Zurich where the timepieces are assembled, checked and adjusted.
Brienz has an unemployment rate of 2.43%. , there were 149 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 42 businesses involved in this sector. 458 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 54 businesses in this sector. 877 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 146 businesses in this sector.
Points of interests
- During World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
a lake promenade was built along the village and the lake shore. It is highlighted by flower beds, tree plantings, and offers views unencumbered by traffic. - Ride the Brienz Rothorn BahnBrienz Rothorn BahnThe Brienz Rothorn Bahn is an gauge tourist rack railway in Switzerland, which climbs from Brienz, at the eastern end of Lake Brienz, to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn mountain...
, a steam train up the Brienzer Rothorn. - The BallenbergBallenbergBallenberg is an open air museum in Switzerland that displays traditional buildings and architecture from all over the country. Located near Brienz in the municipality of Hofstetten bei Brienz, Canton of Berne, Ballenberg has over 100 original buildings that have been transported from their...
open air museum of nearly 100 original century-old buildings from all over Switzerland - wood carvings
- Giessbach waterfall with the Giessbach-Bahn, the oldest FunicularFunicularA funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
in Europe