Walterswil, Solothurn
Walterswil, view from south
Geography
Walterswil is located on 465 m above sea level. Level, 5 km south-east of the district main town Olten ( straight line ). The village is located in a depression at the southern foot of the mountain and angels at the outlet of Mattetals in the hollow of the Safenwil, the Swiss Plateau.
The area of 4.5 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the eastern Central Plateau Solothurn. The southern boundary runs along the highway and the parallel flowing stream that drains the area west of the Aare river. From the safe Wiler valley floor, the communal land extends northward over the relatively gently inclined slopes of Walterswil and Roth, unto the angel of mountains. With 660 m above sea level. M. is achieved the highest elevation of Walterswil on the edge of the plateau of the Angel Mountain. The eastern continuation of the angel mountain, called simply mountain (610 m above sea level. M. ), belongs to the municipality. The eastern municipality located in the catchment area of the opening out at Gretzenbach in the Aare short side creek. From the municipality surface 1997 9 % came from settlements, 37 % of forest and woody plants and 54% to agriculture.
The municipality consists of three settlement Walterswil parts:
- Walterswil ( 465 m above sea level. M. ) at the southern foot of Mount Angel
- Rothacker (542 m asl. ): A scenic location on a south-east -facing slope above the trough of Safenwil; largest settlement in the municipality
- Hennebühl (500 m above sea level. M. ), a hamlet on the eastern slopes of the mountain
Furthermore, some individual farms belong to the community. Neighboring communities of Walterswil are Dulliken, Däniken and Gretzenbach in the canton of Solothurn and Safenwil and Oftringen in the canton of Aargau.
Population
With 710 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Walterswil one of the smaller municipalities in the canton of Solothurn. Of the residents 98.3 % are German, 0.3% French-speaking and 0.3 % speak English (as of 2000). The population of Walterswil amounted in 1850 to 448 residents in 1900 to 430 inhabitants. During the 20th century, the population always fluctuated between 500 and 600 inhabitants. Only since 1980 (547 inhabitants) a significant population increase was recorded.
Economy
Walterswil was until well into the 20th century a predominantly shaped by the agriculture community. Even today, the farming, fruit growing, animal husbandry, and forestry have an important place in the economic structure of the population. More jobs are in small local manufacturing and services available, including an operation of the electrical industry and in a paint store. In recent decades, Walterswil has developed into a residential community. Many workers are therefore commuters who work mainly in the regions of Zofingen, Olten and Aarau.
Traffic
The community is conveniently technically quite well developed, even though it is off the major thoroughfares on a link road from Oftringen to Däniken. The nearest links to the A1 ( Bern- Zurich ) is located approximately 4 km from the town center. On September 6, 1877, the railway line from Suhr to Zofingen with the Walterswil - harrow station was taken just outside the municipal area south of the highway in operation.
History
The first written mention of the village was carried out in 1257 under the name Walderswile. The place name means the homestead of Walthari. Since the Middle Ages Walterswil was under the rule Gösgen. The hitherto standing under Habsburg suzerainty rule had to sell at Solothurn Thomas Falkenstein in 1458. Walterswil the Bailiwick Gösgen was thereby assigned and came in 1623 to the newly founded Schultheissen Office Olten. After the collapse of the Ancien Régime (1798 ) belonged Walterswil during the Helvetic Republic to the administrative district of Solothurn and from 1803 to the district of Olten.
Attractions
Since 1275 Walterswil possessed a chapel; today's St. James chapel was built in 1733. The pfarrgenössige since the Reformation by Gretzenbach village became an independent parish in 1840. The parish church of St. Joseph is located in Rothacker, was inaugurated in 1839 and has remarkable stucco and a rich interior.
Coat of arms
Blazon