Dotzigen
Encyclopedia
Dotzigen is a municipality
in the Seeland administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
Dotzigen has an area, , of 4.22 km² (1.6 sq mi). Of this area, 2.35 km² (0.907340072692457 sq mi) or 55.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.1 km² (0.424712374451789 sq mi) or 26.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.63 km² (0.243244359913297 sq mi) or 14.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.09 km² (22.2 acre) or 2.1% is either rivers or lakes and 0.05 km² (12.4 acre) or 1.2% is unproductive land.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.7% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 7.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.8%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 1.4%. 25.1% of the total land area is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 46.2% is used for growing crops and 7.3% is pastures, while 2.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
Dotzigen lies in Seeland
at the edge of the Dotzigen/Stedtli Mountains. In the west the Old Aare flows (the part of the Aare River that flows after the Jura water correction
); it is now a protected floodplain
. The Jura water correction made possible the expansion of the town in the flat area of the municipality.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 36.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(28.7%), the Green Party
(12.4%) and the FDP
(9.5%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.5% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.4% and the seniors (over 64 years old) make up 13.2%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Dotzigen about 74.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
In Dotzigen there is a local primary school and a secondary school for it and the surrounding municipalities Busswil bei Büren
, Diessbach bei Büren
and Büetigen
. The nearest Gymnasium
is in Biel/Bienne
.
Dotzigen has an unemployment rate of 1.16%. , there were 30 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 11 businesses involved in this sector. 53 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 18 businesses in this sector. 397 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 30 businesses in this sector.
-Lyss
-Bahn in 1876. Today the trains run only to Büren an der Aare
, or Kerzers
on the other side. Dotzigen can be reached in a car via A5 (Solothurn-Biel).
Jeremias Gotthelf
mentioned the sour Dotziger wine in one of his books, which grew and continues to grow at the foot of the mountains.
At the foot of the Dotzigen Mountains is a small castle, known for its gilded copper roof. At the exit of the town in the direction of Diessbach is an old flour mill powered by a water wheel
. This has been restored and is available to visitors by reservation.
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 Seeland administrative district
Seeland (administrative district)
Seeland District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Seeland administrative region. It contains 46 municipalities with an area of and a population of 67,209....
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....
.
Geography
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.7% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 7.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.8%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 1.4%. 25.1% of the total land area is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 46.2% is used for growing crops and 7.3% is pastures, while 2.1% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
Dotzigen lies in Seeland
Seeland (Switzerland)
Seeland is a region in Switzerland, at the foot of the first mountain range of the Jura Mountains containing the 3 lakes of Morat , Neuchâtel and Bienne . In previous aeras, it was the floodplain of the Aare and is thus swampy. After the huge hydrological works Jura water correction, the area...
at the edge of the Dotzigen/Stedtli Mountains. In the west the Old Aare flows (the part of the Aare River that flows after the Jura water correction
Jura water correction
The correction of the waters of the Swiss Jura consisted in a wide series of hydrological undertakings carried out in Switzerland in the region of the three lakes: Lake Morat connected to Lake Neuchâtel by the Broye canal, the latter connected to Lake of Bienne by the Thielle canal, an area so...
); it is now a protected floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
. The Jura water correction made possible the expansion of the town in the flat area of the municipality.
Demographics
Dotzigen has a population (as of ) of . , 6.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 0.9%. Most of the population speaks German (93.7%), with French being second most common ( 1.5%) and Italian being third ( 0.9%).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 36.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(28.7%), 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:...
(12.4%) and 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....
(9.5%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.5% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.4% and the seniors (over 64 years old) make up 13.2%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Dotzigen about 74.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
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...
).
In Dotzigen there is a local primary school and a secondary school for it and the surrounding municipalities Busswil bei Büren
Busswil bei Büren
Busswil bei Büren is a former municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2011 it was merged with the municipality of Lyss.- Geography :...
, Diessbach bei Büren
Diessbach bei Büren
Diessbach bei Büren is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.Diessbach has a reformed church, and is the center of the parish which includes the municipalities Busswil bei Büren, Büetigen and Dotzigen as well.-History:The area was already settled...
and Büetigen
Büetigen
Büetigen is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Government:The legislative body of the municipality is a municipal assembly. The municipal council has five members.-Geography:...
. The nearest Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
is in Biel/Bienne
Biel/Bienne
Biel/Bienne is a city in the district of the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.It is located on the language boundary and is throughout bilingual. Biel is the German name for the town, Bienne its French counterpart. The town is often referred to in both...
.
Dotzigen has an unemployment rate of 1.16%. , there were 30 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 11 businesses involved in this sector. 53 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 18 businesses in this sector. 397 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 30 businesses in this sector.
Transportation
Dotzigen was connected to the Swiss railway network by the construction of the SolothurnSolothurn
The city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.-Pre-roman settlement:...
-Lyss
Lyss
Lyss is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2011, the former municipality of Busswil bei Büren was merged with Lyss.-Geography:...
-Bahn in 1876. Today the trains run only to Büren an der Aare
Büren an der Aare
Büren an der Aare is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:...
, or Kerzers
Kerzers
Kerzers is a municipality in the district of See in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. Its French name is Chiètres.-External links:*...
on the other side. Dotzigen can be reached in a car via A5 (Solothurn-Biel).
Sights
Jeremias Gotthelf
Albert Bitzius , Swiss novelist, best known by his pen name of Jeremias Gotthelf, was born at Murten, where his father was pastor.In 1804 the home was moved to Utzenstorf, a village in the Bernese Emmental...
mentioned the sour Dotziger wine in one of his books, which grew and continues to grow at the foot of the mountains.
At the foot of the Dotzigen Mountains is a small castle, known for its gilded copper roof. At the exit of the town in the direction of Diessbach is an old flour mill powered by a water wheel
Water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of free-flowing or falling water into useful forms of power. A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface...
. This has been restored and is available to visitors by reservation.
External links
- Vereinigung für Heimatpflege Büren Distributor of numerous publications about Dotzigen and the Büren district