Alpnach

Alpnach
State :	Switzerland
Canton :	Obwalden (OW)
District :	No district division
BFS no. :	1401
Postal code :	6053 Alpnachstad 6055 Alpnach
Coordinates :	663 575  /  199136 coordinates: 46 ° 56 '25 "  N , 8 ° 16' 25"  O ; CH1903:  663 575  /  199136
Height :	464  m above sea level M.
Height range :	431–2126 m above sea level M.
Area :	53.79  km²
Residents:	6031 (December 31, 2018)
Population density :	112 inhabitants per km²
Proportion of foreigners : (residents without citizenship )	15.3% (December 31, 2,015)
Website:	www.alpnach.ch
Location of the municipality

Alpnach ([ ˈɑlpnɑχ ]) is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Obwalden . It is divided into the districts (districts) Alpnach Dorf , Schoried and Alpnachstad with Niederstad .

The crest

The emblem - a red lily in a white field on a green Dreiberg - already appears in a Vogteiververzeichnis of the Propstei Luzern from 1499. The coat of arms can also be found on the 4th panel of the Chapel Bridge Lucerne (approx. 1620) for the Dinghof Alpnach. During this time, both the Landammann family Schönenenbüel and the von Atzigen family took over the lily in their coat of arms.

The municipality has used this coat of arms since the beginning of the 19th century. Heraldically, the shape of the lily is not determined. You can also see variants in which the lily leaves do not touch in the bunch.

geography

The village is located in the Sarneraatal at 464  m above sea level. The lowest point is the Alpnachersee ( 434  m above sea level ), the highest point is the Tomlishorn at 2128  m above sea level. M. By Alpnach flow the small smear and the Grosse streak . Of the total area of ​​56.98 km², around 2.645 km² are forest and 0.936 km² are used for agriculture.

Only 5.0% of the entire municipal area is settlement area. A large part of the community area is covered by wood and forest with 54.1% share. A large area of ​​32.1% is used for agriculture - often as Alps. And 8.8% are unproductive areas (mostly mountains and lakes).

history

Alpnach, historical aerial photo from 1931, taken from a height of 250 meters by Walter Mittelholzer

A Roman settlement is proven by the discovery of the remains of an estate in the Uechtern , southwest of the village. From 1913 to 1914, the foundations of 4 buildings that belonged to a Roman country villa were discovered there. This was inhabited from the 1st to the 3rd century. The place name in Alpenacho , which appeared for the first time in the 11th century in a copy of a document from the 9th century, is accordingly traced back to the Latin * ( fundum / prædium ) Albiniacum / Alpiniacum .

In 881 Donatus Recho gave his court in Alpnach to the Benedictine monks in Lucerne. 1036 Count Ulrich von Lenzburg donated his property in Alpnach to the Münster monastery (now Beromünster). Other owners at that time included the barons of Wolhusen, the Counts of Habsburg, the Murbach monasteries and the Engelberg convent (now in Sarnen ). Alpnach was on the important transport axis from Lucerne via the Brünig Pass and Grimsel to Northern Italy.

On November 15, 1315, two residents of Alpnach (Peter im Dorf and Heinrich Wiffli) perished in the Battle of Morgarten . On November 16, 1315, the Count of Strasbourg and 300 comrades in arms were attacked and beaten by the Confederates in the night camp near the Ribi in Alpnach. The following gender and personal names are mentioned in a Zinsrodel from 1372: Johann Durrer, ( Jenni Furrer ), Rudolf unter der Flue, Klaus Amstein, Heinrich Steinibach, Jenni Lütols, Klaus Häcki, Walter von Reng, Peter Winkelried. The Kilcher von Alpnach named below operated ferries on the lake and had the exclusive right to do so. This was confirmed to them on March 3, 1424 before the jury based on old rights or acquisitions: «Jenni (Johann) Häcki, Heini and Rüdi Winkelried, Welti von Atzigen, Eberhard Suter against Erni Hug and the country people, who also own the ferry rights wanted to claim the lake ».

In the district of Alpnachstad, the Swiss troops were surprised and beaten by the Unterwaldners on the night of August 27th to 28th, 1802 .

population

Population development

The population in the municipality grew strongly between 1799 and 1850, namely by 40.2%. The reason for this was a large excess of births. Between 1850 and 1860 there was the only wave of emigration in modern times, the number of inhabitants fell by 7.8% during this time. In 1870 and 1880 the population was back at the level of 1850. The construction of the Brünigbahn with the opening of the Alpnachstad – Brienz and Lucerne – Alpnachstad lines in 1888 and 1889 and the construction of the Pilatusbahn in 1889 led to an upswing in tourism. Because of the better transport connections, the first industrial companies came into being. This led to sustained population growth since 1890. Only in the decade 1960–1970 was there a brief period of stagnation.

Today the population is more than three times higher than in 1900, because it increased by 213.0% from 1900 to 2010. The reason for the increase was the improvement in public transport and, above all, the construction of the A8 . This led to the establishment and settlement of numerous companies. The community also became attractive for commuters because of its proximity to the Obwalden capital Sarnen and the city of Lucerne.

Number of inhabitants

year	1799	1850	1860	1870	1880	1888	1900	1910	1920	1930	1941	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000	2010
Residents	1,157	1,622	1,495	1,639	1,664	1'901	1,779	2,091	2,057	2,552	2,714	3,022	3,211	3,277	3,556	4,215	4,932	5,568

languages

The population often still speaks Obwalden German, a highly Alemannic dialect. At the last census in 2000, 89.7% said German, 2.25% Albanian and 1.78% Portuguese were their main languages.

Religions - denominations

The population used to be fully members of the Roman Catholic Church. The denominational relationships in 2000 still show the original structure despite the mixture. 3,843 people were Catholic (77.92%). There were also 8.15% Protestant and 1.66% Orthodox Christians, 4.50% Muslims and 4.08% non-denominational. 169 people (3.43%) did not provide any information on their creed. Until a few decades ago, almost the entire population was Catholic. The secession of the church and the strong immigration from other communities and abroad has led to a rapid increase in other denomination groups in Alpnach.

Origin - nationality

Of the 6031 residents, 5,120 (84.89%) were Swiss nationals at the end of 2018. The majority of the immigrants come from Central Europe (Germany 190, the Netherlands and Hungary 15 people each and Austria 12 people), Southern Europe (Portugal 191, Italy 78 and Spain 9 people), the former Yugoslavia (North Macedonia 99, Kosova 49, Serbia 31 and Croatia 26 people ), Turkey (29 people) and Asia (Sri Lanka 15, Afghanistan 11, Syria 9 and China, India and Thailand 8 people each). At the 2000 census, 4,247 people (86.11%) were Swiss citizens; 168 of them had dual citizenship.

age structure

The church had a high proportion of middle-aged people in 2000. While the proportion of people under the age of twenty made up 26.70% of the local population, 15.33% were senior citizens (60 years and older). The largest age group was made up of people between 30 and 44 years of age.

The age structure of the 2000 census was as follows:

Age	0–6 years	7-15 years	16-19 years	20-29 years	30–44 years	45–59 years	60–79 years	80 years and more
number	421	663	233	629	1366	864	597	159
proportion of	8.54%	13.44%	4.72%	12.75%	27.70%	17.52%	12.10%	3.22%

In 2018 the municipality had a high proportion of middle-aged residents. While the proportion of people under the age of twenty makes up 20.86% of the local population, 21.75% are senior citizens (60 years and older). The largest age group are people between 45 and 59 years. For every 100 people of working age (20–64 years; 3853 people) there are 33 young people (1258 people) and 24 people (920 people) of retirement age.

The following age structure emerged at the end of 2018:

Age	0–6 years	7-15 years	16-19 years	20-29 years	30–44 years	45–59 years	60–79 years	80 years and more
number	473	543	242	757	1230	1474	1074	238
proportion of	7.84%	9.00%	4.01%	12.55%	20.39%	24.44%	17.81%	3.95%
Source: Federal Statistical Office, population by age at the end of 2018

politics

Alpnach is headed by a council of five members. Marcel Moser ( CVP ) has been the mayor since July 1, 2020 . Community assemblies as the highest body of the community take place twice a year. The Alpnacher has been sending nine representatives to the Obwalden cantonal council since 2014 , previously there were only eight representatives due to the lower proportion of the population.

Economy and Infrastructure

Alpnachstad - Pilatus Kulm cog railway (Ämsigen station)

In addition to traditional dairy farming and its alpine farming (cheese production: Sbrinz , Obwaldner Alpkäse, Parmino, etc.), service and woodworking industries, various construction companies and component suppliers, but also high-tech companies (microelectronics, software) are located in the municipality of Alpnach. The Alpnach military airfield (ICAO code: LSMA), used as a helicopter base for the Swiss Air Force, is located on the valley floor . In the Guber quarry , 60,000 tons of gray quartz sandstone are mined every year, about a third of which is processed into paving stones.

In Alpnach there were (2008) 2,232 employees in 317 companies. 9.5% of the employees in Alpnach worked in agriculture / forestry / fishing (sector 1), 44.0% in industry and trade (sector 2) and 46.5% in service companies (sector 3). The unemployment rate in 2011 was 1.09%.

In 2000 there were 1,796 people in employment in Alpnach. Of these, 990 (55.12%) were locals and 806 commuters, with the commuters mainly coming from the region. In the same year, 2,693 people from Alpnach were gainfully employed, with 1,701 people working in other communities.

In 2017, of the 2,956 employees, 2016 were men and 940 women. The numbers for the 3 sectors are as follows:

	Companies 1st sector	Employees 1st sector	Full-time positions 1st sector	Companies 2nd sector	Employees 2nd sector	Full-time positions 2nd sector	Companies 3rd sector	Employees 3rd sector	Full-time positions 3rd sector	Operations total	employees Total	Total full-time positions
number	76	185	123	86	1116	1000	357	1655	1282	519	2956	2405
proportion of	14.64%	6.26%	5.11%	16.57%	37.75%	41.58%	68.79%	55.99%	53.31%	100%	100%	100%
Source: Federal Statistical Office; Statistics of the company structure STATENT, workplaces and employees by municipality and economic sector

Sightseeing and tourism

See also : List of cultural assets in Alpnach

From Alpnachstad on the Alpnachersee , the Pilatusbahn, the steepest cogwheel train in the world, leads up to the Pilatus (2132 m), a striking ridge in Central Switzerland that juts out into the Swiss plateau . The mountain station of the cogwheel railway and the two mountain hotels are located entirely on Alpnach municipal soil.

The nearby Alpnachersee, a branch of Lake Lucerne , is suitable for various water sports, especially with good windsurfing conditions for beginners.

Alpnach offers a good starting point for long hikes and bike tours in the Schlierental, in the floodplain area of the Wichelsee , the Alpnachersee and the river areas "Schlieren / Sarner Aa". There are also medium-difficulty mountain hikes in the Pilatus region (Esel, Tommlishorn, Mittaggüpfi), with rest options in various mountain restaurants and local overnight stays in hotels and farms.

The parish church of St. Maria Magdalena with its pointed, 91 meter high church tower is a prominent point in the landscape . There are also chapels dated early in the parishes of Alpnachstad and Schoried.

traffic

Public transport

By Alpnach which runs Zentralbahn -distance Lucerne-Interlaken with two stations in the municipal area: Alpnach Dorf and Alpnachstad. From the Alpnachstad station, the Pilatusbahn takes you to the mountain of the same name, and there is also a ship landing stage for the SGV.

Private transport

The main road 4 Schaffhausen – Zurich – Lucerne – Brünig – Brienz runs through Alpnach . The road was interrupted until 2011 by a rockfall on the Lopper in autumn 2009, the traffic instead passed over a pontoon bridge. Alpnach also has a junction with the A8 motorway .

gallery

• 

  Parish hall

• 

  Parish church

• 

  reformed Church

• 

  Schoolhouse (1916)

• 

  School buildings (1958 and 1991)

• 

  Bahnhofplatz

Personalities

• Dominikus Bucher (1871–1945), Benedictine, Abbot of Muri-Gries
• Adalbert Durrer (1950–2008), National Councilor , CVP President
• Ruedi Klapproth (1925–2012), teacher and youth writer, lived in Alpnach since 1974

literature

• Angelo Garovi , Roland Sigrist, et al .: Korporation Alpnach - From the beginnings to the present , Verlag Martin Wallimann, Alpnach 2012. ISBN 978-3-905969-21-4

Web links

Commons : Alpnach  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of the municipality of Alpnach
• Otto Camenzind: Alpnach. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Permanent and non-permanent resident population by year, canton, district, municipality, population type and gender (permanent resident population). In: bfs. admin.ch . Federal Statistical Office (FSO), August 31, 2019, accessed on December 22, 2019 . 
2. ↑ http://www.statistik-obwalden.ch/index.cfm?navid=83&docid=83
3. ↑ ^{a b} Andres Kristol / Gabrielle Schmid: Alpnach OW (Obwalden) in: Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses - Lexicon of Swiss community names - Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni svizzeri (DTS | LSG). Center de dialectologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Verlag Huber, Frauenfeld / Stuttgart / Vienna 2005, ISBN 3-7193-1308-5 and Éditions Payot, Lausanne 2005, ISBN 2-601-03336-3 , p. 83f.
4. ↑ Otto Camenzind: Alpnach - on the past and present of our community. 1991
5. ^ Chronicle of Alpnach by Anton Küchler, 1839–1905, parish assistant in Kerns
6. ↑ For the history of the village on www.alpnach.ch
7. ^ ^{A b} Charles Knapp, Maurice Borel, Victor Attinger, Heinrich Brunner, Société neuchâteloise de geographie (editor): Geographical Lexicon of Switzerland . Volume 1: Aa - Emmengruppe . Verlag Gebrüder Attinger, Neuenburg 1902, p. 65, keyword Alpnach   ( scan of the lexicon page ).
8. ↑ A "Kilcher" is a citizen or member of the parish and participates in the property, see entry "2. Chilcher » in the Swiss Idiotikon . New Kilchers had to buy in.