Birsfelden

Birsfelden

Birsfelden (Basel German: Birsfälde ) is a municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the canton of Basel -Country in Switzerland.

Geography

Birsfelden is 259 m above sea level. M. at the mouth of the River Birs into the Rhine. It is so that the lowest-lying municipality in the canton of Basel-Land. Even the lowest spot of the canton is located in Birsfelden, 246 m above sea level. M. at the Birsmündung into the Rhine. The Birs forms the border city of Basel in the west; the north and north -east of the Rhine forms the natural border to Basel and Riehen ( Basel-Stadt ) and to Grenzach- Wyhlen ( Germany ). In the east and south Birsfelden borders Muttenz. The municipality also includes the power plant Birsfelden and the Rhine harbor Birsfelden. Birsfelden is connected by the tram line 3 with Basle and through the bus lines 80 and 81 with Liestal.

The area of ​​the municipality is 252 hectares, of which 81 % settlement area, 18% of agricultural area and 1% forest.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Birsfelden is three yellow stars, which are under a white wave beams, dar. on a red background The three yellow stars symbolize the field names Sternfeld, while the wave bar represents the Birs.

History

Stone and Bronze Age finds and remains of a Roman waiting in Sternfeld prove the early settlement of Birsmündung. The Birsfelder yard was already known in the Middle Ages and belonged to the Counts of Homberg and the monastery of St. Alban in Basel. After building a solid wooden bridge in 1425 over the Birs developed on the Birsfeld a small bridge settlement. The big upswing initiated but only after the separation of the two Canton Basel in 1833, as the Birs cantonal border and Birsfelden Zollort were. He subsequently produced inns with stables and carriage Lieutenancies with preload horses. Given its favorable location close to the early industrial district of St. Albantal, here also many workers to set up operations. Birsfelden long belonged to the municipality of Muttenz and received in 1874 the status of an independent municipality. From 1923, the Basel airport was on the " star field " and Birsfelden was connected with the entire European air transport network. 1950 of these " international " airport was too small and he was moved by Blotzheim where the current Euro Airport Basel -Mulhouse -Freiburg arose.

The name Birsfelden is derived from the previous fields on the adjacent Birs. In the local vernacular Birsfelden is also called " Blätzbums ". According to official attempts to explain the name originates from the former airfield on the star field, which with " Blatz " the airfield and " Bums " the noisy sounds that caused the aircraft upon landing, is intended to mean. More likely, however, that the name comes from medieval times. At that time, the St. Alban-Tor had been closed over night in Basel's city wall, to which the immigrants entering dealer trains had dammed up to Birsfelden. Prostitutes made ​​to it advantage of this situation and offered the potential clientele their chargeable services in the fields of; the vulgar designation was soon adopted in the vernacular it for the whole village and is widely used today.

Economy

Together with the areas of St. John and Kleinhueningen and the Auhafen Muttenz forms of Birsfelder harbor the Swiss Rhine ports together have an area of ​​over 1.3 million m². In Birsfelden is also the headquarters of the international company Vitra and Delica.

Population

30 % of the population are Roman Catholic and reformed 27%. The proportion of foreigners is 23.9 %.

Policy

The council, the executive branch of Birsfelden, consists of 7 people.

Partnership

Partner community is Plan-les- Ouates.

Attractions

• Birsfelder Museum
• Kraftwerk Birsfelden, with his two lock systems for Navigation on the Rhine and the power plant island, 1953/54, built by Hans Hofmann
• Birsköpfli, known recreational area
• Brother Klaus Church, built 1957-1959 by Hermann Baur, influenced by Le Corbusier's chapel in Ronchamp
• Vitra Center, Administration Building design furniture company from the Californian architect Frank Gehry