Wassen

Wassen medium Meienreussbrücke

Wassen is a municipality in the Reuss valley of Uri in Switzerland.

• 4.1 legislative
• 4.2 executive

Geography

Wassen is located at 930 m above sea level. M. on the left bank of the Reuss in the upper part of the Urner Reuss Valley at the entrance to Meiental. The municipality includes the village in the Reuss valley and some small groups of houses. In Meiental there are numerous small settlements and groups of houses. The largest are hamlet ( 1,280 m high), Färnigen ( 1'459 m), Husen ( 1179 m ), and Chapel. They are 3 to 7.5 km from the village on the pass road to the Susten Pass.

Only 26 ha or 0.3 % of the community are built-up area. Although significant, the agricultural area with 732 ha or a share of 7.6%. But the majority of the community area is covered by forest and woodland (1726 ha or 17.8%) or non-productive area ( waters and mountains; 6546 ha or 67%).

Wassen is bordered to the north by the Obwaldner exclave Engelberg, at ATTINGHAUSEN and Erstfeld, to the east by Gurtnellen, to the south Göschenen and to the west by the Bernese Oberland community Gadmen.

Coat of arms

Blazon

The coat of arms has its origin in the St. Gallus patronal feast of the parish church Wassner. According to legend, St. Gallus was supported during the construction of his cell by a bear. Already in the 19th century adorned the holy Gallus and the bear the seal of the parish church. It is assumed that the coat of arms was created in its present form the beginning of the 20th century.

Population

The population of the municipality ( until 1875 belonged Göschenen still Wassen ) remained stable 1850-1870. Due to the construction of the Gotthard tunnel in 1880, it reached an all-time record of 2726 inhabitants (together with the outsourced Göschenen 5718 persons; 1870-1880: 336 %). After the opening of the Gotthard tunnel it was higher than before, as part of the construction workers in the country remained (1888: Göschenen and Wassen 1638 inhabitants, Wassen alone 935 ). Then she grew up to the year 1920 further sharply ( from 1888 to 1920: 19 %). In the 1920s there was a massive wave of emigration ( 1920-1930: -296 persons or -27 %). There was a brief partial recovery in the 1930s ( 1930 to 1941: 16 %). Since then follows a steady decline in population. By 1960, held the still limited ( 1941-1960: -7 %). Between 1960 and 2000, the population decreased by 414 persons, almost half ( from 1960 to 2000: -47.1 %). Since then the number of residents has remained stable.

Languages

The population speaks a high- Alemannic dialect. Almost the entire population speaks as a daily colloquial German. At the last census in 2000 gave 94 % German, 2% and 1% Serbo-Croatian Italian as the main language.

Religions - faiths

The population was formerly full member of the Roman Catholic Church. The confessional relations in 2000 reveal this still. 409 people were Catholic (88 %). There were 5% Evangelical Protestant Christians, 1 % Muslim, and 2% non-religious. 12 people (3%) did not respond to their creed.

Origin - Nationality

From the end of 2005 466 inhabitants were 434 ( 93%) of Swiss nationals. Immigrants come from Portugal, Germany, Italy and the former Yugoslavia. At the 2000 census, 433 people (93%) were Swiss citizens; it possessed nine persons dual citizenship.

Age structure

The municipality has a high proportion of older people. While the proportion of people accounts for almost 19% of the local population under twenty years, one-third of the inhabitants of seniors (60 years and older). Many young people have migrated because of lack of work and entertainment venues in the country of Uri and stayed there.

At the last census in 2000 showed the following age structure:

Policy

Legislature

The local council is the legislative body. It occurs usually meets twice a year.

Executive

The seven-member council is the executive. He is a part-time working. Current mayor is Marco Calcagni (as of 2010 ).

Economy

In 2005 there were 18 farms, which provided 43 points. Industry and trade employed in workplaces 7 34 services in 18 farms 121 persons ( employment on a full- time equivalent ). The 2000 census revealed 20 agricultural and forestry enterprises with 50 employees. The census in 2001 came on 5 industrial and commercial enterprises with 38 and 24 service companies with 119 employees. Of the economically active in 2000 214 people were working Wassens 127 (59%) in their own community. Overall, the place offered to 198 people jobs, of which 127 (64%) were occupied by locals.

The 87 commuters do their work mostly in other municipalities of the canton of Uri. Among 29 people in Altdorf, 14 in Göschenen, 6 in silenes and 5 in each of Erstfeld and Andermatt. The most significant work outside the canton was the city of Lucerne.

There were also 71 commuters. These came mainly from Gurtnellen ( 14 people), Erstfeld and Göschenen (12 each ), Schattdorf (11 ), Altdorf and Andermatt ( 5 each ).

Center of Wassen

Views of Wassen

Cemetery and views down the valley

Motorway access (A2 )

Traffic

Wassen became famous by building the Gotthard Railway ( 1872-1882 ). The church, which is repeatedly seen during the train journey from different perspectives, has become the symbol of the route. By means of two helical tunnel ( Wattinger tunnel and Leggisteintunnel ) changes the track management direction twice in a double loop, located at the center of Wassen. This Wassen and the church you will pass three times and as often crosses the Meienreuss, a tributary of the River Reuss. The Reuss himself upriver crossed twice from Wassen to the Wattinger loop tunnel to reach the opposite shore.

The double loop, the route of the Lower Meienreussbrücke to the portal of Naxbergtunnels (air line about 2 km ) is extended to about 8 km to limit the slope of the line in the mountainous terrain at 26 ‰ can. From the church, you have a beautiful panoramic view of the upper Reuss valley.

In Wassen station stop no more moves; the site is operated in the public transport on the holding in the town center bus Flüelen- Göschenen the Auto AG Uri hourly.

Wassen is the starting point of the road through the Meiental over the Susten Pass into the Bernese Oberland.