Wahlern
Encyclopedia
Wahlern is a former municipality
of the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
and seat of the Bern-Mittelland administrative district
. On 1 January 2011, the former municipalities of Wahlern and Albligen
merged in the new municipality of Schwarzenburg
.
radio station Schweizer Radio International. Other settlements in the municipality include Lanzenhäusern and Steinenbrünnen.
Wahlern lies in the Alpenvorland south of the Sense River
.
Wahlern has an area of 40.5 km² (15.6 sq mi). Of this area, 63.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 27.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 7.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (1.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
The neighboring municipalities are: Köniz
, Oberbalm
, Rüeggisberg
, Rüschegg
, Guggisberg
, Alterswil
, St. Antoni
, Heitenried
, Albligen
and Ueberstorf
.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP
which received 44.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(19%), the FDP
(10.5%) and the Green Party
(10.1%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.3% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.6%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Wahlern about 74.1% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Wahlern has an unemployment rate of 1.18%. , there were 606 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 206 businesses involved in this sector. 1076 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 73 businesses in this sector. 1189 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 176 businesses in this sector.
. Lanzenhäusern also has a station.
There is no postal code for Wahlern; mail is instead shipped to 3150 Schwarzenburg or 3148 Lanzenhäusern.
), Schwarzenburg Castle and the granary at Henzischwand 298 A are all listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance
. The entire village of Schwarzenburg and the hamlets of Äckenmatt and Elisried are designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
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...
of 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....
and seat of 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...
. On 1 January 2011, the former municipalities of Wahlern and Albligen
Albligen
Albligen is a former municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2011, the former municipalities of Wahlern and Albligen merged in the new municipality of Schwarzenburg.-Geography:Albligen has an area, , of...
merged in the new municipality of Schwarzenburg
Schwarzenburg
Schwarzenburg is a municipality in the district of Bern-Mittelland in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It was created on 1 January 2011 through the merger of the municipalities of Wahlern and Albligen.-References:...
.
Geography
The municipality is called Wahlern, although the chief settlement shares the name of the administrative district, Schwarzenburg. It is known as one of the transmitters of the shortwaveShortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
radio station Schweizer Radio International. Other settlements in the municipality include Lanzenhäusern and Steinenbrünnen.
Wahlern lies in the Alpenvorland south of 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...
.
Wahlern has an area of 40.5 km² (15.6 sq mi). Of this area, 63.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 27.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 7.3% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (1.9%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
The neighboring municipalities are: Köniz
Köniz
Köniz is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. With a population of 38,793 inhabitants , the municipality is one of the 15 most populous cities in Switzerland.- History :...
, Oberbalm
Oberbalm
Oberbalm, is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Oberbalm has an area, , of . Of this area, or 74.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 20.8% is forested...
, Rüeggisberg
Rüeggisberg
Rüeggisberg is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Rüeggisberg has an area of . Of this area, 64.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.2% is forested...
, Rüschegg
Rüschegg
Rüschegg is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is also a Swiss Reformed Church parish.-Geography:...
, Guggisberg
Guggisberg
Guggisberg is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the Swiss canton of Bern.-History:Guggisberg is first mentioned in 1076 as Mons Guchani. The next earliest reference to the community dates from 1148, when Guggisberg was mentioned in a document of Pope Eugene III...
, Alterswil
Alterswil
Alterswil is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.-External links:*...
, St. Antoni
St. Antoni
St. Antoni is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.-External links:*...
, Heitenried
Heitenried
Heitenried is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.-External links:*...
, Albligen
Albligen
Albligen is a former municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2011, the former municipalities of Wahlern and Albligen merged in the new municipality of Schwarzenburg.-Geography:Albligen has an area, , of...
and Ueberstorf
Ueberstorf
Ueberstorf is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.-External links:*...
.
Demographics
Wahlern has a population (as of ) of . , 4.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 2.5%. Most of the population speaks German (95.9%), with French being second most common ( 0.7%) and Albanian being third ( 0.7%).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 44.6% 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....
(19%), 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....
(10.5%) 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:...
(10.1%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.3% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.6%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Wahlern about 74.1% 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...
).
Wahlern has an unemployment rate of 1.18%. , there were 606 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 206 businesses involved in this sector. 1076 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 73 businesses in this sector. 1189 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 176 businesses in this sector.
Transportation
Schwarzenburg is the terminal station of the Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn, which opened in 1907 and today forms part of the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railwayBern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway
The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway, known since the merger of the "old" BLS with the Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn , the Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn and the Simmentalbahn in 1997 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn, is a Swiss railway company. It is the largest standard gauge network on the Swiss Railway...
. Lanzenhäusern also has a station.
There is no postal code for Wahlern; mail is instead shipped to 3150 Schwarzenburg or 3148 Lanzenhäusern.
Heritage sites of national significance
The farm house Aeckenmatt at Aeckenmatt 6, the ruins of Grasburg castle, the Frühmesskapelle at Käppeligässli 5, the Rossgrabenbrücke (bridge, shared with RüeggisbergRüeggisberg
Rüeggisberg is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Rüeggisberg has an area of . Of this area, 64.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.2% is forested...
), Schwarzenburg Castle and the granary at Henzischwand 298 A are all 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...
. The entire village of Schwarzenburg and the hamlets of Äckenmatt and Elisried 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:...
.