Rorschach
Encyclopedia
Rorschach is a municipality
, in the District of Rorschach in the canton
of St. Gallen in Switzerland
. It is on the south side of Lake Constance
(Bodensee).
the right to operate markets, mint coins and levy tariffs at Rorschach.
The municipality is the capital of the Rorschach Wahlkreis. It is located on Lake Constance and bordered by the municipalities of Rorschacherberg
and Goldach
.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Gules a Garb Or between two Perches urinant.
, 747 are from Italy
, 1,353 are from ex-Yugoslavia
, 103 are from Austria
, 329 are from Turkey
, and 740 are from another country. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -5%. Most of the population speaks German (76.0%), with Italian being second most common ( 5.3%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 4.4%). Of the Swiss national languages , 6,572 speak German
, 38 people speak French
, 462 people speak Italian
, and 13 people speak Romansh.
The age distribution, , in Rorschach is; 885 children or 10.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 991 teenagers or 11.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,224 people or 14.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,351 people or 15.6% are between 30 and 39, 1,190 people or 13.8% are between 40 and 49, and 1,013 people or 11.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 786 people or 9.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 751 people or 8.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 402 people or 4.6% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 54 people or 0.6% who are between 90 and 99.
there were 1,848 persons (or 21.4% of the population) who were living alone in a private dwelling. There were 1,916 (or 22.2%) persons who were part of a couple (married or otherwise committed) without children, and 3,925 (or 45.4%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 555 (or 6.4%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 42 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 38 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 96 who lived household made up of unrelated persons,and 227 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 26.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(23.6%), the CVP
(22.9%) and the FDP
(13.9%).
In Rorschach about 55.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule
). Out of the total population in Rorschach, , the highest education level completed by 2,313 people (26.7% of the population) was Primary, while 2,915 (33.7%) have completed their secondary education, 704 (8.1%) have attended a Tertiary school, and 582 (6.7%) are not in school. The remainder did not answer this question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
, St. Margrethen
, and Romanshorn
. A rack railway
, the Rorschach-Heiden-Bahn
, leads to Heiden
(800m a.s.l.
). In 1856, the station became the terminus
of the line Zurich-St. Gallen. Formerly, train carriages were transported over Lake Constance and thus it was possible to reach Heiden from Frankfurt or Berlin without changing trains.
the average unemployment rate was 6.3%. There were 558 businesses in the municipality of which 107 were involved in the secondary sector of the economy while 451 were involved in the third.
there were 1,878 residents who worked in the municipality, while 2,486 residents worked outside Rorschach and 4,218 people commuted into the municipality for work.
. Of the rest of the population, there are 9 individuals (or about 0.10% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic
faith, there are 407 individuals (or about 4.71% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 187 individuals (or about 2.16% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There is 1 individual who is Jewish
, and 1,106 (or about 12.79% of the population) who are Islam
ic. There are 68 individuals (or about 0.79% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 652 (or about 7.54% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 316 individuals (or about 3.65% of the population) did not answer the question.
Abbey of Mariaberg (now the Kantonales Lehrerseminar) at Seminarstrasse 27 are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance
.
In town sights include the lake promenade, an aviation museum in Altenrhein as well as the castles of St. Anna, Wartensee, Sulzberg and Wartegg.
Additionally, the whole town of Rorschach and the Schlosslandschaft Rorschach / Alter Rhein, a number of castles in a region along the Rhine river, are designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
. The Schlosslandschaft is shared between Berg
, Goldach, Mörschwil, Rheineck
, Rorschacherberg, St. Margrethen
, Steinach
, Thal
and Tübach
.
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 Rorschach 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 St. Gallen 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....
. It is on the south side of Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
(Bodensee).
History
Rorschach is first mentioned in 850 as Rorscachun. In 947, Otto I granted the abbot of St. GallAbbey of St. Gall
The Abbey of Saint Gall is a religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. The Carolingian-era Abbey has existed since 719 and became an independent principality during the 13th century, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine abbeys in Europe. It was...
the right to operate markets, mint coins and levy tariffs at Rorschach.
Geography
Rorschach has an area, , of 1.8 km² (0.694983885466563 sq mi). Of this area, 7.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 90.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.6%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).The municipality is the capital of the Rorschach Wahlkreis. It is located on Lake Constance and bordered by the municipalities of Rorschacherberg
Rorschacherberg
Rorschacherberg is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-History:While some of the hamlets that make up Rorschacherberg are mentioned in the 13th and 14th Centuries. The region known as Roschacherberg is first mentioned in the 15th...
and Goldach
Goldach
Goldach is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-History:Goldach is first mentioned in 789 as Goldaha, though this comes from a later copy of the original document. In 847 it was mentioned as Coldaun.-Geography:Goldach has an area, , of...
.
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 a Garb Or between two Perches urinant.
Demographics
Rorschach has a population (as of ) of . , about 43.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Of the foreign population, , 156 are from GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 747 are from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 1,353 are from ex-Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
, 103 are from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, 329 are from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and 740 are from another country. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -5%. Most of the population speaks German (76.0%), with Italian being second most common ( 5.3%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 4.4%). Of the Swiss national languages , 6,572 speak German
German 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....
, 38 people 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...
, 462 people speak 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...
, and 13 people speak Romansh.
The age distribution, , in Rorschach is; 885 children or 10.2% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 991 teenagers or 11.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,224 people or 14.2% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,351 people or 15.6% are between 30 and 39, 1,190 people or 13.8% are between 40 and 49, and 1,013 people or 11.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 786 people or 9.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 751 people or 8.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 402 people or 4.6% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 54 people or 0.6% who are between 90 and 99.
there were 1,848 persons (or 21.4% of the population) who were living alone in a private dwelling. There were 1,916 (or 22.2%) persons who were part of a couple (married or otherwise committed) without children, and 3,925 (or 45.4%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 555 (or 6.4%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 42 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 38 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 96 who lived household made up of unrelated persons,and 227 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.
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 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 26.1% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(23.6%), 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...
(22.9%) 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....
(13.9%).
In Rorschach about 55.3% 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...
). Out of the total population in Rorschach, , the highest education level completed by 2,313 people (26.7% of the population) was Primary, while 2,915 (33.7%) have completed their secondary education, 704 (8.1%) have attended a Tertiary school, and 582 (6.7%) are not in school. The remainder did not answer this question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1468 | ca 875 |
| 1850 | 1,751 |
| 1900 | 9,140 |
| 1950 | 11,325 |
| 2000 | 8,647 |
Transport
Train lines link the city to St. GallenSt. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
, St. Margrethen
St. Margrethen
St. Margrethen is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rheintal in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-Geography:...
, and Romanshorn
Romanshorn
Romanshorn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Romanshorn was probably settled in the 7th Century, and is first mentioned in 779 as Rumanishorn in a land grant from Waldrata to the Abbey of St. Gall. During the Late Middle Ages and until...
. A rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
, the Rorschach-Heiden-Bahn
Rorschach-Heiden-Bahn
Rorschach-Heiden-Bahn is a railway line and former railway company in Switzerland. It is a standard gauge mountain rack railway, using the Riggenbach rack system and is part of Appenzeller Bahnen. The route links Rorschach with Heiden.- External links :*...
, leads to Heiden
Heiden, Switzerland
Heiden is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. Its Biedermeier village around the church square is listed as a heritage site of national significance.-History:Heiden is first mentioned in 1461 as guot genant Haiden....
(800m a.s.l.
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
). In 1856, the station became the terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
of the line Zurich-St. Gallen. Formerly, train carriages were transported over Lake Constance and thus it was possible to reach Heiden from Frankfurt or Berlin without changing trains.
Economy
, Rorschach had an unemployment rate of 3.59%. , there were 30 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 3 businesses involved in this sector. 1,188 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 103 businesses in this sector. 3,417 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 467 businesses in this sector.the average unemployment rate was 6.3%. There were 558 businesses in the municipality of which 107 were involved in the secondary sector of the economy while 451 were involved in the third.
there were 1,878 residents who worked in the municipality, while 2,486 residents worked outside Rorschach and 4,218 people commuted into the municipality for work.
Religion
From the , 4,033 or 46.6% are Roman Catholic, while 1,868 or 21.6% 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 are 9 individuals (or about 0.10% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic
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...
faith, there are 407 individuals (or about 4.71% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 187 individuals (or about 2.16% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There is 1 individual who is Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 1,106 (or about 12.79% of the population) who are Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There are 68 individuals (or about 0.79% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 652 (or about 7.54% of the population) belong 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 316 individuals (or about 3.65% of the population) did not answer the question.
Heritage sites of national significance
The former granery (Kornhaus) at Hauptstrasse 58 and the former BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Abbey of Mariaberg (now the Kantonales Lehrerseminar) at Seminarstrasse 27 are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
In town sights include the lake promenade, an aviation museum in Altenrhein as well as the castles of St. Anna, Wartensee, Sulzberg and Wartegg.
Additionally, the whole town of Rorschach and the Schlosslandschaft Rorschach / Alter Rhein, a number of castles in a region along the Rhine river, are designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
. The Schlosslandschaft is shared between Berg
Berg, St. Gallen
Berg is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-History:Berg is first mentioned in 796 as ad Berga. In 837 it was mentioned as in villa nominata Perc.-Geography:...
, Goldach, Mörschwil, Rheineck
Rheineck
Rheineck is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rheintal in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-History:Rheineck is first mentioned about 1163 as castellum Rinegge. In 1218 it was mentioned as Rinegg...
, Rorschacherberg, St. Margrethen
St. Margrethen
St. Margrethen is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rheintal in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-Geography:...
, Steinach
Steinach, St. Gallen
Steinach is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-Geography:Steinach has an area, , of . Of this area, 63.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 6.9% is forested...
, Thal
Thal, Switzerland
Thal is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-History:Thal is first mentioned in 1163 as curtis tale....
and Tübach
Tübach
Tübach is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-Geography:Tübach has an area, , of . Of this area, 60.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 7.7% is forested...
.