Rickenbach, Solothurn
Encyclopedia
Rickenbach is a municipality
in the district of Olten
in the canton
of Solothurn in Switzerland
.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.0% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 8.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 4.3%. Out of the forested land, 50.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 14.1% is used for growing crops and 17.0% is pastures.
The municipality is located in the Olten district, at the southern foot of the Jura Mountains
on the alluvial fan
of a stream that feeds into the Dünnern river.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Gules St. Lawrence Argent stantant holding in his dexter hand a Grill and in his sinister hand a Palm Branch.
(843 or 95.3%), with Serbo-Croatian
being second most common (9 or 1.0%) and Italian
being third (6 or 0.7%). There are 5 people who speak French
and 2 people who speak Romansh.
, the gender distribution of the population was 51.3% male and 48.7% female. The population was made up of 413 Swiss men (45.9% of the population) and 48 (5.3%) non-Swiss men. There were 399 Swiss women (44.4%) and 39 (4.3%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality 191 or about 21.6% were born in Rickenbach and lived there in 2000. There were 331 or 37.4% who were born in the same canton, while 254 or 28.7% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 83 or 9.4% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 3 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 8 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 2. There were 2 Swiss men and 1 Swiss woman who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 2 non-Swiss men and 1 non-Swiss woman who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 2 and the non-Swiss population decreased by 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of -0.4%.
The age distribution, , in Rickenbach is; 64 children or 7.2% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 135 teenagers or 15.3% are between 7 and 19. Of the adult population, 39 people or 4.4% of the population are between 20 and 24 years old. 292 people or 33.0% are between 25 and 44, and 239 people or 27.0% are between 45 and 64. The senior population distribution is 92 people or 10.4% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old and there are 24 people or 2.7% who are over 80.
, there were 338 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 459 married individuals, 47 widows or widowers and 41 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.54 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 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 54.1% 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 365 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. There were 91 households that consist of only one person and 22 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 368 households that answered this question, 24.7% were households made up of just one person and there were 2 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 137 married couples without children, 116 married couples with children There were 11 single parents with a child or children. There were 8 households that were made up of unrelated people and 3 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 169 single family homes (or 70.4% of the total) out of a total of 240 inhabited buildings. There were 30 multi-family buildings (12.5%), along with 29 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (12.1%) and 12 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (5.0%). Of the single family homes 16 were built before 1919, while 24 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (37) were built between 1971 and 1980.
there were 383 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 122. There were 8 single room apartments and 162 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 357 apartments (93.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 17 apartments (4.4%) were seasonally occupied and 9 apartments (2.3%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 2.61%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 34.74% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(21.56%), the CVP
(21.52%) and the SP
(12.63%). In the federal election, a total of 342 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 49.4%.
There were 494 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 41.5% of the workforce. the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 660. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 5, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 352 of which 349 or (99.1%) were in manufacturing and 3 (0.9%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 303. In the tertiary sector; 48 or 15.8% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 164 or 54.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 3 or 1.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 19 or 6.3% were in the information industry, 5 or 1.7% were the insurance or financial industry, 17 or 5.6% were technical professionals or scientists, 5 or 1.7% were in education.
, there were 580 workers who commuted into the municipality and 408 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.4 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 1.6% of the workforce coming into Rickenbach are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 11.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 61.9% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 7 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 0.79% of the population), there were 5 individuals (or about 0.56% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 29 individuals (or about 3.28% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
, and 23 (or about 2.60% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 2 individuals who were Hindu
. 129 (or about 14.58% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 23 individuals (or about 2.60% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 120 who completed tertiary schooling, 66.7% were Swiss men, 25.0% were Swiss women, 5.8% were non-Swiss men.
, there were 43 students from Rickenbach who attended schools outside 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 Olten
Olten (district)
Olten District is one of the ten districts of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland, situated around the city of Olten. Together with the Gösgen District, it forms the electoral district of Olten-Gösgen...
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 Solothurn 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
Rickenbach has an area, , of 2.76 square kilometres (1.1 sq mi). Of this area, 0.86 km² (0.33204785638958 sq mi) or 31.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.46 km² (0.563709151545101 sq mi) or 52.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.48 km² (0.185329036124417 sq mi) or 17.4% is settled (buildings or roads).Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.0% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 8.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 4.3%. Out of the forested land, 50.7% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 14.1% is used for growing crops and 17.0% is pastures.
The municipality is located in the Olten district, at the southern foot of the Jura Mountains
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
on the alluvial fan
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
of a stream that feeds into the Dünnern river.
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 St. Lawrence Argent stantant holding in his dexter hand a Grill and in his sinister hand a Palm Branch.
Demographics
Rickenbach has a population of . , 9.2% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of 2.5%. Most of the population speaks GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
(843 or 95.3%), with Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
being second most common (9 or 1.0%) and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
being third (6 or 0.7%). There are 5 people who speak French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and 2 people who speak Romansh.
, the gender distribution of the population was 51.3% male and 48.7% female. The population was made up of 413 Swiss men (45.9% of the population) and 48 (5.3%) non-Swiss men. There were 399 Swiss women (44.4%) and 39 (4.3%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality 191 or about 21.6% were born in Rickenbach and lived there in 2000. There were 331 or 37.4% who were born in the same canton, while 254 or 28.7% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 83 or 9.4% were born outside of Switzerland.
In there were 3 live births to Swiss citizens and 2 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 8 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 5 while the foreign population increased by 2. There were 2 Swiss men and 1 Swiss woman who immigrated back to Switzerland. At the same time, there were 2 non-Swiss men and 1 non-Swiss woman who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was a decrease of 2 and the non-Swiss population decreased by 2 people. This represents a population growth rate of -0.4%.
The age distribution, , in Rickenbach is; 64 children or 7.2% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 135 teenagers or 15.3% are between 7 and 19. Of the adult population, 39 people or 4.4% of the population are between 20 and 24 years old. 292 people or 33.0% are between 25 and 44, and 239 people or 27.0% are between 45 and 64. The senior population distribution is 92 people or 10.4% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old and there are 24 people or 2.7% who are over 80.
, there were 338 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 459 married individuals, 47 widows or widowers and 41 individuals who are divorced.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.54 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 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 54.1% 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 365 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.4 persons per household. There were 91 households that consist of only one person and 22 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 368 households that answered this question, 24.7% were households made up of just one person and there were 2 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there are 137 married couples without children, 116 married couples with children There were 11 single parents with a child or children. There were 8 households that were made up of unrelated people and 3 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.
there were 169 single family homes (or 70.4% of the total) out of a total of 240 inhabited buildings. There were 30 multi-family buildings (12.5%), along with 29 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (12.1%) and 12 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (5.0%). Of the single family homes 16 were built before 1919, while 24 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (37) were built between 1971 and 1980.
there were 383 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 122. There were 8 single room apartments and 162 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 357 apartments (93.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 17 apartments (4.4%) were seasonally occupied and 9 apartments (2.3%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 2.61%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss 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 34.74% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(21.56%), 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...
(21.52%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(12.63%). In the federal election, a total of 342 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 49.4%.
Economy
, Rickenbach had an unemployment rate of 2.5%. , there were 9 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 5 businesses involved in this sector. 362 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 7 businesses in this sector. 407 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 40 businesses in this sector.There were 494 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 41.5% of the workforce. the total number of full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
jobs was 660. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 5, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 352 of which 349 or (99.1%) were in manufacturing and 3 (0.9%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 303. In the tertiary sector; 48 or 15.8% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 164 or 54.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 3 or 1.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 19 or 6.3% were in the information industry, 5 or 1.7% were the insurance or financial industry, 17 or 5.6% were technical professionals or scientists, 5 or 1.7% were in education.
, there were 580 workers who commuted into the municipality and 408 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.4 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. About 1.6% of the workforce coming into Rickenbach are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 11.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 61.9% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 394 or 44.5% were Roman Catholic, while 272 or 30.7% 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...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 7 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 0.79% of the population), there were 5 individuals (or about 0.56% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
, and there were 29 individuals (or about 3.28% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 23 (or about 2.60% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There were 2 individuals who were Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. 129 (or about 14.58% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 23 individuals (or about 2.60% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Rickenbach about 380 or (42.9%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 120 or (13.6%) have completed 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 120 who completed tertiary schooling, 66.7% were Swiss men, 25.0% were Swiss women, 5.8% were non-Swiss men.
, there were 43 students from Rickenbach who attended schools outside the municipality.