Aarwangen
Schloss Aarwangen.
Country Switzerland Canton Berne District Aarwangen 47°14′N 7°46′E / 47.233°N 7.767°E / 47.233; 7.767Coordinates: 47°14′N 7°46′E / 47.233°N 7.767°E / 47.233; 7.767
Population	4,180 (2007[update])
- Density	422 /km2 (1,094 /sq mi)
Area	9.90 km2 (3.82 sq mi)
Elevation	437 m (1,434 ft)
Postal code	4912
SFOS number	0321
Surrounded by (view map)	Bannwil, Graben, Langenthal, Roggwil, Schwarzhäusern, Thunstetten, Wynau
Twin towns	Vodnany (Czech Republic)
Website	www.aarwangen.ch SFSO statistics
Aarwangen [zoom]

Aarwangen is a municipality in the district of Aarwangen in the canton of Berne in Switzerland.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Personalities 5 Footnotes 6 External links

[edit] History

Aarwangen grew from a fortified toll crossing over the River Aare, in a region where there were few realistic crossing places. The first bridge was built in the early years of the 13th century, and by the 16th century this had developed into a covered wooden bridge and customs post, defended by a castle.

During the 18th century, by road, and the 19th century, by rail, this became a busy and important trade route for the movement of goods between the western and eastern parts of Switzerland.

The municipal coat of arms is black and silver. It represents the seal of the Aarwangen family, who built the first Schloss Aarwangen on the southern riverbank, though the present structure only dates back to the Landvögte, or Bailiffs, of Bern in the 16th and 17th centuries. When the Aarwangen family died out in the year 1341 they were succeeded by, the closely allied Grünenberg family, both families being vassals of the Habsburg family. The Grünenberg family did not last long and had already disappeared from the archives by the early 14th century, when the city of Bern established sovreignity over the region. In 1432, after the conquest of the neighbouring Aargau, Schloss Aarwangen was purchased by the city of Bern, which then acquired the remainder of the former Grünenberg estate, including the area of the current district of Aarwangen, in 1480.

Thus the Bailiffs of Bern came to Aarwangen. Altogether, 75 Bailiffs resided in the castle, where their coat of arms, with its distinctive black bear, is still displayed prominently on the outer wall. They stayed until the revolt, and the end of the Bernese city state, in the spring of 1798, during which the castle sustained serious damage, with the interior almost gutted.

In the year 1803 the canton Bern was divided into official districts and Aarwangen became seat of the district of Aarwangen. The castle was in private hands for a few years, until it was repurchased and restored by the Canton of Bern where it has become the district court and administrative buildings. It is a heritage site of national significance.^[1]

[edit] Geography

Aarwangen has an area of 9.9 square kilometers (3.8 sq mi). Of this area, 46.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 36.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 13.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (3.1%) is non-productive (rivers or glaciers).^[2]

[edit] Demographics

Aarwangen has a population (as of 2007^[update]) of 4,180, of which 12.0% are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 9%. Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speaks German (88.5%), with Albanian being second most common ( 3.3%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 3.0%).

In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 39.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS (19.8%), the FDP (17.7%) and the Green Party (7%).

The age distribution of the population (as of 2000^[update]) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 26.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 61.5% and the seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.4%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Aarwangen about 73.8% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule).

Aarwangen has an unemployment rate of 1.48%. As of 2005^[update], there were 94 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 29 businesses involved in this sector. 352 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 46 businesses in this sector. 781 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 125 businesses in this sector.^[2]

[edit] Personalities

• Gottfried Egger (1830-1913), brewer.

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aarwangen

• Official Website of Aarwangen
• Aarwangen in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
• Bern: Schloss Aarwangen - Le château de Aarwangen (in French but with stunning photos)

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