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Heiden, Switzerland

Coordinates:47°26′N9°32′E/ 47.433°N 9.533°E/47.433; 9.533
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Heiden
Coat of arms of Heiden
Location of Heiden
Map
Heiden is located in Switzerland
Heiden
Heiden
Heiden is located in Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden
Heiden
Heiden
Coordinates:47°26′N9°32′E/ 47.433°N 9.533°E/47.433; 9.533
CountrySwitzerland
CantonAppenzell Ausserrhoden
Districtn.a.
Government
ExecutiveGemeinderat
with 7 members
MayorGemeindepräsident(in)
Gallus PfisterFDP/PRD
Parliamentnone (Kommissionen)
Area
• Total7.5 km2(2.9 sq mi)
Elevation
(Protestant Church)
793 m (2,602 ft)
Population
(31 December 2018)[2]
• Total4,161
• Density550/km2(1,400/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00(Central European Time)
• Summer (DST)UTC+02:00(Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
9410
SFOS number3032
ISO 3166 codeCH-AR
Surrounded byEggersriet(SG),Grub,Lutzenberg,Oberegg(AI),Rehetobel,Reute,Thal(SG),Wald,Wolfhalden
Twin townsBezau(Austria)
Websitehttps://www.heiden.ch
SFSO statistics

Heidenis a village and amunicipalityin thecanton of Appenzell AusserrhodeninSwitzerland.ItsBiedermeiervillage around the church square is listed as aheritage site of national significance.[3]

History[edit]

Henry Dunant memorial

Heiden is first mentioned in 1461 asguot genant Haiden.[4]

Heiden,Lutzenberg,andWolfhaldenoriginally were parts of a single municipality named theKurzenberg.Around 1650, Heiden and Wolfhalden could not agree about control over the local church. This led to the creation of a separate church in each village in 1652, making them independent. In 1658 the Kurzenberg was split into the three separate municipalities in defiance of thecantongovernment. Their borders were officially established in 1666–67.[5]

The founder of theRed Cross,Henry Dunant,spent his last years in Heiden. The former president of theICRC,Jakob Kellenberger,was also born in Heiden.

Geography[edit]

Heiden village, 1900.
Aerial view from 300 m byWalter Mittelholzer(1922)

Heiden has an area, as of 2006,of 7.5 km2(2.9 sq mi). Of this area, 52.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 30.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 16.8% is settled (buildings or roads), and the remainder (0.3%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciersm or mountains).[6]

The municipality is located in the former District of Vorderland on the Kurzenberg. It consists of the village of Heiden and severalhamletsnear the village.

Demographics[edit]

The historical population is given in the following table:[4][7]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1667 1,248
1813 1,776+42.3%
1818 1,630−8.2%
1850 2,466+51.3%
1900 3,745+51.9%
1941 2,904−22.5%
1950 3,094+6.5%
1980 3,620+17.0%
1990 3,885+7.3%
2000 4,074+4.9%
2005 3,993−2.0%
2007 4,050+1.4%

Heiden had a population (as of 2013) of 4,052, of which about 18.3% were foreign nationals.[8]Over the previous 10 years, the population had decreased at a rate of -4.2%.

Most of the population (as of 2000) spoke German (88.7%), with Croatian being second most common (5.9%), and Italian being third most common (1.1%).[6]

As of 2000,the gender distribution of the population was 48.5% male, and 51.5% female.[7]

The age distribution, as of 2000,in Heiden was; 311 people or 7.7% of the population were between 0–6 years old. 512 people or 12.6% were 6–15, and 219 people or 5.4% were 16–19. Of the adult population, 168 people or 4.1% of the population were between 20 and 24 years old. 1,179 people or 29.0% were 25–44, and 966 people or 23.8% were 45–64. The senior population distribution was 491 people or 12.1% of the population were between 65 and 79 years old, and 217 people or 5.3% were over 80.[7]

In the2007 federal electiontheFDPreceived 65% of the vote.[6]

In Heiden about 68.3% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatoryupper secondary educationor additional higher education (either university or aFachhochschule).[6]

Heiden has an unemployment rate of 1.61%. As of 2005,there were 93 people employed in theprimary economic sectorand about 37 businesses involved in this sector. 708 people were employed in thesecondary sectorand there were 41 businesses in this sector. 1,428 people were employed in thetertiary sector,with 189 businesses in this sector.[6]

Transportation[edit]

An hourlyrack railway,theS25service operated byAppenzell RailwaysforSt. Gallen S-Bahn,leads from Heiden to the port ofRorschach(Rorschach Hafen) onLake Constance,400 meters (1,300 ft) below. It uses theRorschach-Heiden railwayline. Two stations exist in the municipality,HeidenandSchwendi bei Heiden.

Heiden is also connected by several frequentSwiss PostAutolines.

Notable residents[edit]

Ruth Westheimer

References[edit]

  1. ^ab"Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen".Federal Statistical Office.Retrieved13 January2019.
  2. ^"Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie Geschlecht und Gemeinde; Provisorische Jahresergebnisse; 2018".Federal Statistical Office. 9 April 2019.Retrieved11 April2019.
  3. ^Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance(1995), p. 54.
  4. ^abHeideninGerman,FrenchandItalianin the onlineHistorical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  5. ^KurzenberginGerman,FrenchandItalianin the onlineHistorical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  6. ^abcdeSwiss Federal Statistical OfficeArchived2016-01-05 at theWayback Machineaccessed 15-Sep-2009
  7. ^abcAppenzell Outer Rhodes websiteArchived2009-09-13 at theWayback Machine(in German)accessed 15 September 2009
  8. ^Brief Statistics for the half-cantonArchived12 June 2011 at theWayback Machine(in German)accessed 15 September 2009