Benken, Zürich
Benken is a municipality in the district of Andelfingen in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland.
Coat of arms
Blazon
Geography
The municipality is located in Zurich's wine country, just east of the German -Swiss border ( Jestetter corner of the district of Waldshut, Baden- Württemberg). The location of Benken on the southwestern slope of Cholfirsts is open and sunny, close to the Rhine loop at Rheinau far from Schaffhausen.
Population
Policy
Community is President Verena Strasser (2012 ).
Economy
In addition to agriculture played a long time in the peat Benkenerried an important role. From 1860, the silica sand mining began, this was delivered in the emerging glass and foundry industry of Bülach and Zurich.
History
The earliest traces of settlements are a Roman villa and early Alemannic graves. Benken as Pecchinhova 858 is first mentioned in a deed of gift to the monastery Rheinau. In the 13th century the place Benchon is called. 1540 took over Zurich dominion over Benken.
Attractions
Others
In recent years Benken is mainly known through reflection, perhaps to build a repository for highly radioactive and long-lived intermediate -level radioactive waste in the local region.
1985 the disposal company NAGRA with the so-called " project guarantee " a study on the feasibility of a repository in crystalline rocks of Northern Switzerland before. Since this study did not fully prove the feasibility, the government ordered further investigations, which should be extended to sedimentary host rock. In a broad selection in which, among other possible locations in Weiach and Böttstein were included, the NAGRA decided in 1994 that further geological studies to focus on the rock Opalinus Clay of the Zürcher Weinland. The results of a deep borehole at Benken and a seismic survey of the region formed the basis for a new feasibility study, which was handed over to the authorities in December 2002.