Guggisberg
Encyclopedia
Guggisberg is a municipality
in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district
in the Swiss
canton
of Bern.
. In 1423 the territory was divided in two and sold by Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy
to Bern and Fribourg
. It would remain as two separate entitites until reunified by Napoleon's Act of Mediation
in 1803.
In the early 19th century the village of Guggisberg was known as destination for tourists due to the view of the Guggershorn and other surrounding mountains. However, in 1819 the canton began moving many landless poor (Allmendsiedler literally: Common land
settler) into the municipality. The large, poor population and famines in 1816-1818 and the 1840s overwhelmed the community. Many farmers had to sell their grazing rights (Alprechte) while others moved to America to escape the poverty. By 1850 Guggisberg was the poorest municipality in Canton Bern. To try to stabilize the economy, in 1860 the municipality was split into two, Guggisberg and Rüschegg.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.3%. 35.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.1% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 2.0% is used for growing crops and 31.0% is pastures and 19.1% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 1.9% is unproductive vegetation, 1.5% is too rocky for vegetation.
It lies approximately midway between Fribourg and Thun
.
The municipality is located in the alpine foothills. It stretchs from the Sense River
(the border with the Canton of Fribourg
) to the hill country around the Stockhorn
mountain chain. In the south the municipality rises into the mountains and includes an alpine and forestry
zone as well as the hamlet
of Sangernboden. The northern part of the municipality is flatter and features fields, villages, hamlets and individual farm houses (including Riffenmatt, Kalchstätten, Riedstätt, Kriesbaumen, Laubbach) at an elevation of 860–1120 m (2,821.5–3,674.5 ft).
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 67.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the Green Party
(7.9%), the local small left-wing parties (6.7%) and the SPS
(6.5%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 54% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18.1%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Guggisberg about 58.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
).
Guggisberg has an unemployment rate of 0.76%. , there were 375 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 148 businesses involved in this sector. 63 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 20 businesses in this sector. 187 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 37 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
: Without Rüschegg, population was 2,823
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 Bern-Mittelland administrative district
Bern-Mittelland (administrative district)
Bern-Mittelland District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Bern-Mittelland administrative region, and is the only district in the region...
in the Swiss
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....
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.
History
Guggisberg is first mentioned in 1076 as Mons Guchani. The next earliest reference to the community dates from 1148, when Guggisberg (spelled Cucansperc) was mentioned in a document of Pope Eugene IIIPope Eugene III
Pope Blessed Eugene III , born Bernardo da Pisa, was Pope from 1145 to 1153. He was the first Cistercian to become Pope.-Early life:...
. In 1423 the territory was divided in two and sold by Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy
Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy
Amadeus VII , surnamed the Red Count, was Count of Savoy from 1383 to 1391.He married Bonne of Berry, daughter of John, Duke of Berry who was the younger brother of Charles V of France. They had three children: Amedeo VIII;Bonne Amadeus VII (1360, Avigliana, Piedmont – November 1, 1391),...
to Bern and Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
. It would remain as two separate entitites until reunified by Napoleon's Act of Mediation
Act of Mediation
The Act of Mediation was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasion of Switzerland by French troops in 1798. After the withdrawal of French troops in July 1802,...
in 1803.
In the early 19th century the village of Guggisberg was known as destination for tourists due to the view of the Guggershorn and other surrounding mountains. However, in 1819 the canton began moving many landless poor (Allmendsiedler literally: Common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
settler) into the municipality. The large, poor population and famines in 1816-1818 and the 1840s overwhelmed the community. Many farmers had to sell their grazing rights (Alprechte) while others moved to America to escape the poverty. By 1850 Guggisberg was the poorest municipality in Canton Bern. To try to stabilize the economy, in 1860 the municipality was split into two, Guggisberg and Rüschegg.
Geography
Guggisberg has an area, , of 54.91 km² (21.2 sq mi). Of this area, 28.83 km² (11.1 sq mi) or 52.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 21.68 km² (8.4 sq mi) or 39.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.64 km² (0.633207540091757 sq mi) or 3.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.9 km² (0.347491942733282 sq mi) or 1.6% is either rivers or lakes and 1.82 km² (0.702705928638414 sq mi) or 3.3% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.3%. 35.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 4.1% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 2.0% is used for growing crops and 31.0% is pastures and 19.1% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 1.9% is unproductive vegetation, 1.5% is too rocky for vegetation.
It lies approximately midway between Fribourg and Thun
Thun
Thun is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland with about 42,136 inhabitants , as of 1 January 2006....
.
The municipality is located in the alpine foothills. It stretchs from the Sense River
Sense River
The Sense River is a right tributary of the river Saane in Switzerland. It is a border river between the Cantons of Fribourg and the Berne. Its source rivers, the Kalte Sense, coming from Mount Gantrisch, and Warme Sense, flowing out of lake Schwarzsee, join at Zollhaus and thus form the origin of...
(the border with the Canton of Fribourg
Canton of Fribourg
The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the west of the country. The capital of the canton is Fribourg. The name Fribourg is French, whereas is the German name for both the canton and the town.-History:...
) to the hill country around the Stockhorn
Stockhorn
The Stockhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, above the town of Erlenbach in Simmetal.The Stockhorn is 2190 m high and is accessible via cable car and/or walking during 3 hours 30 minutes from the Oberstockensee. It has a restaurant at the top and is a good starting point for many hikes...
mountain chain. In the south the municipality rises into the mountains and includes an alpine and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
zone as well as the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Sangernboden. The northern part of the municipality is flatter and features fields, villages, hamlets and individual farm houses (including Riffenmatt, Kalchstätten, Riedstätt, Kriesbaumen, Laubbach) at an elevation of 860–1120 m (2,821.5–3,674.5 ft).
Demographics
Guggisberg has a population (as of ) of . , 2.2% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -3.8%. Most of the population speaks German (98.1%), with English being second most common ( 0.4%) and French being third ( 0.3%)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 67.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were 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:...
(7.9%), the local small left-wing parties (6.7%) and the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(6.5%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 27.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 54% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 18.1%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Guggisberg about 58.8% 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...
).
Guggisberg has an unemployment rate of 0.76%. , there were 375 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 148 businesses involved in this sector. 63 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 20 businesses in this sector. 187 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 37 businesses in this sector.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 3,400 |
| 1850 | 5,693 |
| 1860 | 5,086 |
| 1900 | 2,809 |
| 1950 | 2,339 |
| 1980 | 1,560 |
: Without Rüschegg, population was 2,823