Gerzensee

Gerzensee

Gerzensee is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Geography

Gerzensee is located at 646 meters above sea level. Level, 14 km southeast of the capital of the canton of Bern ( straight line ). The village stretches a scenic location on the southern slope of the Belpberg, above the trough of the Gerzensees same name, between the valleys of Gürbe in the West and in the East River Aare. Thanks to its location on the sunny side of the mountain has Gerzensee compared to the surrounding countryside a very mild climate and is often referred to as the "Bern Riviera".

The area of ​​7.8 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the Aare Valley between Bern and Thun. The eastern boundary runs along the channelized and straightened Aare, which is accompanied by a narrow belt of forest. From here, the communal land extending westward to the ridge of the Belpberg. This rises south of Gerzensee only about 70 to 100 m above the plains of the surrounding area. In a hollow here is the Gerzensee (603 m above sea level. M. ), of which the northern part belongs to the municipality.

To the north- west of the municipality spell enough on the actual plateau of Belpberg which ( 834 m above sea level. M. ), cane and chat Zacher ( 865 m above sea level. M. the highest elevation of Gerzensee ) is divided by the peaks and ridges of Brönnhalten. The northern boundary is the Simmlerentälchen whose stream flows across from Münsingen in the Aare. From the municipality surface 1997 8 % were settlements, 20 % of forest and woody plants and 68 % to agriculture; slightly less than 4% was unproductive land.

To Gerzensee include not only extensive new residential areas, the settlement Thalgut (540 m above sea level. M. ) on the hillside west of the Aareübergangs, the hamlet Sädel ( 788 m above sea level. M. ) on the southern slope of the Belpberg, Vorderchlapf (778 m above sea level. M. ) and Hinterchlapf ( 764 m above sea level. M. ) on the eastern slope of the mountain as well as various groups of farms and individual farms. Neighboring communities of Gerzensee are Münsingen, Wichtrach, Kirchdorf, Mill Village, Gelterfingen, Belpberg and Belp.

Population

With 1184 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Gerzensee one of the smaller municipalities in the canton of Bern. Of the residents 97.0 % are German, 1.5 % French-speaking, and 0.4 % speak Portuguese (as of 2000). The population of Gerzensee amounted in 1850 to 762 residents in 1900 to 790 inhabitants. During the 20th century, the population fluctuated always in the range 760-820 people. Since 1980 (795 inhabitants), a significant decrease in population was recorded.

Policy

The voting shares of the parties at the national elections of 2011 were: SVP 38.5 %, 15.3 % BDP, SP 11.8 %, 9.3 % GPS, FDP 6.8 %, 6.4 % glp, EDU 5.7 %, 1.8 % EPP, CVP 1.4 %.

Economy

Gerzensee was until the second half of the 20th century, mainly coined by farming village. Even today, the farming, fruit growing and dairy farming and livestock have an important place in the economic structure of the population. More jobs are in small local manufacturing and services available. In Gerzensee today among builders, wood processing, mechanical workshops, a sand and gravel plant and a transport company operate. The New Castle, which is owned by the National Bank, since 1986, hosts the Study Center Gerzensee be carried out in the courses and seminars for graduate students of economics and central bankers.

In recent decades, the village has developed thanks to its attractive location into a residential community. New family house areas have been built on the southern slope of the Belpberg west of the old town center. Many workers are therefore commuters who work mainly in the larger towns in the area, in the agglomeration of Bern and Thun.

Traffic

The community is located off the major thoroughfares on a link road from village after purchase Wichtrach. The nearest links to the motorway A6 ( Bern- Thun) is located approximately 7 km from the town center. Due to the post bus trips which operate the route from Belp to Kirchdorf and Münsingen to Kirchdorf, Gerzensee is connected to the public transport network.

History

Single finds from the Neolithic period, the La Tène period and the Roman period evidence of early settlement of the municipality of Gerzensee. The first written mention of the village was carried out in 1228 under the name Gercentse. Later, the names Gerzinse ( 1254 ) published, Kerzense ( 1259 ), Gerzense ( 1265 ) and Gertzensewe ( 1299 ). The name goes back to the Old High German personal name Gerzo and accordingly is the lake of Gerzo.

Gerzensee belonged in the 13th century under the jurisdiction of the Kramburger, a Kyburg Ministerialengeschlecht who had built on a hill the Gerzensee. Under Bernese Highness the village formed a Lower Court in the District Court Seftigen. The rule Gerzensee undergone numerous changes of ownership since the 15th century and was sometimes split into several parts. Since the 16th and 17th centuries, several patrician families of Bern built their country estates in the vicinity of the farm village. In Thalgut was at that time a mineral bath, which became widely notoriety, but operations at the end of the 19th century established.

After the collapse of the Ancien Régime (1798 ) Gerzensee belonged during the Helvetic Republic to the District Seftigen and from 1803 to Oberamt Seftigen, which was given the status of an office district with the new cantonal constitution of 1831.

Attractions

St. Mary's Church is mentioned in a church directory already in 1228 for the first time. What is striking is its location: not elevated on a hill, but in a niche on a slope, where several sources are taken. Perhaps at this point was once a Celtic sanctuary, which was dedicated to a goddess source. The present building was built in the 15th century on the foundations of the Romanesque church. In the 16th and 17th centuries, larger alterations were made, and in 1937 the church was rather rudely renovated.

Gerzensee characterized by several locks - originally built as a country seats for Bernese patrician families - from. The Old Castle is a late Gothic mansion with a steep hipped roof, which was built around 1520 for the family of Wattenwyl. The New Palace in the French Baroque style dates originally from 1690, was later rebuilt several times and has an extensive park with old trees. Since 1986 it houses the Gerzensee Study Centre, an internationally renowned training center for central bankers. The Middle Castle (also called Rose Garden ) was created in 1670. Among the newer estates include Home Freud (1805 ) and Fridberg ( 1857).

In the old town numerous characteristic farmhouses of the Bernese style from the 17th to 19th centuries have been preserved. The rectory was built in 1760.

Among the natural attractions of the Gerzensee belongs ( as a nature reserve owned by the Study Centre ) with its unspoilt, but accessible only in a few places shore.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Samuel Henry King (1671-1750), pietist Reformed theologian, orientalist and mathematician