Murgenthal
Murgenthal (Swiss German: mʊrɡətə ) is a municipality in the district of Zofingen in the canton of Aargau. It is located in the extreme southwest by the Aare River, bordering the cantons of Bern, Lucerne and Solothurn. The municipality was created in 1901 from the merger of Riken and Balzenwil; with over 18 square kilometers, it is the area the fourth largest municipality in the canton.
Geography
The village Murgenthal, the center of the sprawling municipality, situated next to the river Murg in the Aare. Approximately one and a half kilometers further south, in the valley of the Murg, lies the hamlet Walliswil. Along the two bodies of water, in the north- east or south, a narrow river level, which is nowhere wider than 200 meters extends. The plain is watered by one built in the 17th century and 8.5 mile canal, which extends from Walliswil up to Rothrist.
The plane is bounded by a steep step which merges into another, increased level down. This is covered over two-thirds of the forest, which forms a significant part of the largest contiguous forest area of the Canton of Aargau. The villages Hohwart and glassworks are southeast of Murgenthal in a two kilometer long and 400 meter wide clearing island, which is surrounded on all sides by forest. The village of Riken, one and a half kilometers to the northeast of Murgenthal is surrounded on three sides by forest. On the southeast, away over four kilometers of Murgenthal, located in Pfaffnertal the village and the hamlet Balzenwil pits.
The area of the municipality is 1861 hectares, of which 1171 hectares are forested and built over 151 hectares. The highest point is located on 501 meters on the Grueberhöchi at Balzenwil, the deepest at 405 meters on the river Aare.
Neighboring municipalities are Rothrist in the northeast, Vordemwald in the east, Brittnau to the southeast, the Canton Lucerne community Pfaffnau in the south, the Bernese communities Roggwil and Wynau in the West as well as the Solothurn Wolfwil communities in the west and Fulenbach in the northwest.
History
The first mention of Murgatun place in the year 1254th The place name comes from the Celtic Morgiodunon or the Late Latin Morgiodunum, which means " fortified complex at the Morgia / Murg ". Murgenthal, glassworks and Riken were then part of the Office Aarburg, which was owned by the Counts of Frohnburg. The Office was in 1299 sold to the Habsburgs, which allow both the low and the high jurisdiction possessed. The Balzenwil first mentioned in 1197, however, had a special legal status: the Lower Court was the court rule Pfaffnau the monastery of St. Urban, the high court, however, the Bernese Office Aarwangen.
1415 conquered the Swiss Canton Aargau. The various villages and hamlets around Murgenthal now belonged to the subject territory of Berne, the so-called Bernese Aargau. Balzenwil was also assigned to the Office Aarburg. Even after the introduction of the Reformation in 1528 possessed which is located on the Lucerne area monastery a certain influence: Between 1640 and 1645 created as the joint of the Catholic monks and the reformed bailiff of the red channel.
In March 1798, the French marched into Switzerland, the disempowered " Gracious gentlemen " of Bern and proclaimed the Helvetic Republic. The west of the Wigger situated part of the Office Aarburg first belonged to the canton of Bern ( district Langenthal ) and was then added to the canton of Aargau in March 1803. Balzenwil and Riken were independent political communities. However, Riken comprised by far the largest part of today's municipal area, even the directly located next Balzenwil hamlet pits one of them.
After the opening of the railway line Aarburg - Herzogenbuchsee on 16 March 1857, the river Aare in 1863 Murgenthal developed to the actual center of the municipality Riken; next to the station, numerous industrial enterprises settled. In 1900, Riken counted 1729 inhabitants, only 191 Balzenwil A year later, both communities were merged and Murgenthal gave the newly formed community its name. Since the early 1950s, the population has remained stable.
Attractions
The first church of the Reformed parish Murgenthal was 1852-1854 in the Romanesque Revival style in glassworks. The dilapidated church was demolished and replaced in 1964 at the same location with a new, modern church. About the Aare carries an old wooden bridge to Fulenbach.
Coat of arms
The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is: " In Blue on green Dreienberg three white bestängelte shamrocks, surmounted by white Tatzenkreuz. » The crest first appeared in 1811 on the seal of the municipality Riken and was retained after the merger with Balzenwil. The rationale of this coat of arms motif are not known, since there is no record of it.
Population
Population development:
On December 31, 2013 2864 people lived in Murgenthal, the proportion of foreigners was 16.5 %. At the 2000 census, 57.4 % were reformed, 21.1 % Roman Catholic, 6.9% Muslim and 1.2% Christian Orthodox; 0.3 % belonged to other faiths. 90.7 % identified German as their main language, Albanian 2.8%, 2.2% Italian, Serbo-Croatian 1.9%, 0.9% Turkish.
Politics and Law
The Assembly of the voters, the municipal assembly, shall exercise the legislative power. Executive authority is the five-member council. His term of office is four years and he was elected in Majorzverfahren ( majority voting procedure) by the people. He leads and represents the community. To this end, he implements the decisions of the municipal assembly and the tasks that were assigned to him by the cantonal and federal.
For litigation, the District Court has jurisdiction Zofingen. Murgenthal part of the justice of the peace circle Rothrist.
Economy
In Murgenthal there according to census of 2008, around 900 jobs, of which 10 % in agriculture, 28 % in industry and 63 % in the service sector. Most workers are commuters and work in Zofingen / Olten or in Langenthal.
Traffic
The district Murgenthal is right on the main road 1 ( Zurich -Bern ), approximately six kilometers from the port Rothrist the A1 motorway. The other resorts can be reached on side roads. A bridge crosses over the Aare Fulenbach.
On Murgenthal SBB Train Station stop regional trains to Olten and Langenthal. Under Riken and glassworks through the 4745 meter long tunnel Murgenthal the Mattstetten - Rothrist runs. A bus runs from the station of society SDR Zofingen Rothrist and Murgenthal after glassworks. Balzenwil, Walliswil and Riken can not be reached by public transport.
Education
The municipality has three kindergartens and three school-houses, in which the primary school can be completed. The district school, secondary school and the secondary school can be visited in Rothrist. The nearest Canton schools ( high schools ) are located in Zofingen, and Aarau.
Personalities
- Walter Glur (* 1943), National Council ( 1999-2011 )
- Ernst Hasler ( born 1945 ), Government
- Arnold Künzli (1832-1908), the National Council and Government
- Martin Plüss ( born 1977 ), ice hockey player