Leuzigen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Leuzigen | |
|---|---|
| Country | Switzerland |
| Canton | Berne |
| District | Büren |
| Coordinates | |
| Population | 1,172 (January 2005) |
| - Density | 114 /km² (295 /sq.mi.) |
| Area | 10.3 km² (4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 456 m (1,496 ft) |
| Postal code | 3297 |
| SFOS number | 0388 |
| Surrounded by | Arch, Bettlach (SO), Bibern (SO), Lüterkofen-Ichertswil (SO), Nennigkofen (SO), Selzach (SO), Tscheppach (SO) |
| Website | www.leuzigen.ch |
  Leuzigen
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Leuzigen is a municipality in the district of Büren in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is situated between the cities Biel and Solothurn and borders on the river Aare. Population is steadily at 1100 and has been remarkably stable in the past. The coat of arms of Leuzigen shows two opposing yellow lions on blue background and dates back to at least 1833. Opposed to popular belief, the name "Leuzigen" was not derived from the word "Löwen" (German for 'lion'), but is thought to have been derived from a Germanic last name. The name underwent a chain of change until it assumed its modern spelling. In old documents, the village was referred to as Loichfingen (1224), Loenzingen (1522) und Leutzigen (1661) and Leuzingen.
[edit] History
Many findings which were excavated in the late 19th and early 20th century suggest that the area in and around Leuzigen was already populated by Celts and Romans more than 2000 years ago. In Roman times, the strategically important road connecting Avanches and Solothurn crossed present-day Leuzigen close to the old railway line. In the Middle Ages, Monks founded a priory where the church of the village was erected. In 1662, a school building made of stone was constructed in the middle of the village. The building is still preserved today as one of the oldest buildings of Leuzigen. However, it has ceased to function as a school a long time ago and is nowadays usually referred to as "the tower". Before its integration with the canton of Berne, Leuzigen's fate was repeatedly troubled and fell under different souvereigns a few times because of stuggles for territory among dukedomes and principalities.
In 1876, the railway line between Lyss and Solothurn opened and provided Leuzigen with its own train station. In the late 1990s, the service between Büren a. A. and Solothurn was shut down due to insufficient profitability and replaced by a bus line.
Before 1900, Leuzigen was one of the largest villages in the area. But as opposed to many surrounding villages, which have been growing considerably since the 1960s, population size has largely been stable for more than a century now. In the economic boom period in the 60s and 70s, growing industries in the region, as for example watch manufacturers in Grenchen, attracted many workers. However, it only had little impact on Leuzigen, which predominantely remained rural.
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 518 |
| 1850 | 1107 |
| 1900 | 947 |
| 1950 | 1145 |
| 2000 | 1157 |
| 2005 | 1172 |
[edit] Economy
In the Middle Ages, the population of Leuzigen mainly lived on agricultural produce and the sale of tuff stone and chalk. The excavation of tuff stone lost importance when it was gradually supplanted by brick stone. On the other hand, agriculture has remained important for Leuzigen until today. There are still a sizeable number of farms in the village. Apart from small local businesses, such as workpeace suppliers for appliances, there are no large industries located in Leuzigen. About 75 percent of the people work outside of the village, as it is relatively close to cities such as Grenchen, Solothurn and Biel. In addition, a junction of the motorway A5 is in close proximity and allows to reach the capital Berne in half an hour by car.
[edit] External links
- Leuzigen in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Homepage of the Municipal Council
- Homepage of the sports club
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