Estavayer-le-Lac

Estavayer-le-Lac
Old City of Estavayer-le-Lac
Country Switzerland
Canton Fribourg
District Broye
Population 5,554 (Dec 2010)[1]
- Density 866 /km2 (2,244 /sq mi)
Area  8.89 km2 (3.43 sq mi)[2]
Elevation 448 m (1,470 ft)
  - Highest 489 m -
  - Lowest 429 m - Lake Neuchâtel
Postal code 1470
SFOS number 2015
Mayor Albert Bachmann
Surrounded by Autavaux, Font, Gorgier (NE), Les Montets, Lully, Montbrelloz, Saint-Aubin-Sauges (NE), Sévaz, Vaumarcus (NE)
Website www.estavayer-le-lac.ch
SFSO statistics
Estavayer-le-Lac

Estavayer-le-Lac is a municipality of the canton of Fribourg, situated on the south shore of Lake Neuchâtel. Estavayer-le-Lac is located between Yverdon and Bern. It is the capital of the district of Broye. The municipality of Font merged on 1 January 2012 into the municipality of Estavayer-le-Lac.[3]

Contents

History

Estavayer-le-Lac is first mentioned in 1156 as Stavaiel. In 1228 it was mentioned as Estavaier. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Stäffis am See, however, that name is no longer used.[4]

The lake shore near Estavayer-le-Lac was inhabited during the Neolithic era. The lake shore settlement at La Tuillère is from the 4th and 3rd millennium BC. It was first explored in 1857, but the main excavation happened in 1969 in preparation for a large construction project. Two late Bronze Age (11th-9th century BC) sites were also discovered; Pianta II, first mentioned in 1860, and Station II or Ténevières, which was mentioned in 1856 and excavated in 1878-79. Unfortunately, most of the 19th Century discoveries were looted by treasure hunters and the material was spread among several museums. The quality and quantity of the finds show that there was a large and sophisticated bronze industry along the lake shore at the beginning of the first Millennium BC. The craftsmen produced needles, knives and wheels in large numbers, the majority of which were probably intended for trade. The Bronze Age pile dwellings along the lake shore were abandoned around 850 BC.[4]

During the early Iron Age (800-450 BC) the largest settlements moved from the lake shore to high ground or fortified hills. The area of ​​La Motte Chatel in the heart of today's Estavayer-le-Lac was likely inhabited during this time. One of the most interesting finds from this era is the Hallstatt era iron dagger from 650-550 BC. It was found by chance in the 1950s and was probably buried as an offering. It is one of the best preserved and technically successful example of an antenna dagger (so called for the rolled ends). The dagger built from 30 forged pieces that were riveted together, the sheath is composed of 25 pieces that were welded together.[4]

The city was founded sometime in the 12th Century. Due to the close ties between the Bishop of Lausanne and the noble d'Estavayer (German: von Stäffis) family, it is likely that it was founded with the support of the Bishop. The first citizens of Estavayer-le-Lac were mentioned in 1291. During the Middle Ages the history of the town is closely linked with that of their lords. This changed in the 13th Century when the Lords of Estavayer split into three branches. Each branch owned a castle in the city, and exercised sovereign rights over some of the citizens. All three branches shared the city government between themselves. In 1244, the Bishop placed the Lords of Estavayer under the Counts of Savoy. From this point on the city was part of the Savoy district of Vaud. In 1349, William IV of Estavayer sold his part of the city to Isabelle of Chalon, the Countess of Vaud. Estavayer-le-Lac became the center of a district under Vaud. Between 1403-1535 Estavayer-le-Lac sent representatives to the assembly of estates which was generally held in Moudon.[4]

During the Burgundian Wars, the town was besieged by the Swiss Confederation and captured on 27 October 1475, with heavy losses among the citizens of the town. The city of Fribourg purchased a number of rights in Estavayer-le-Lac in 1488 and appointed a vogt to reside in Chenaux Castle and administer the Fribourg properties in town. In 1536, they acquired additional rights in the town and surroundings and made Estavayer-le-Lac the center of a Fribourg bailiwick. The bailiff was also the Schultheiss of the city and stood before the Council. After the death of the last Lord of Estavayer in 1632, Fribourg took the rest of the city in 1635, and became the sole ruler of the city. It remained the capital of a bailiwick until the end of the Helvetic Republic, when it became the capital of the Broye district.[4]

From the late Middle Ages until 1671, the town was governed by the common law of Lausanne. In 1671, the Fribourg authorities issued their own laws for the city. A town council was first mentioned in the charter of 1350, which was granted by Isabelle Chalon. In the 15th Century, the council consisted of the governor and 18 people, six each from the three sub-dominions. After 1536, the Council was made up of the mayor, the governor, twelve councilors and six (changed to three in 1576) adjuncts. The members of the council and all government officers were proposed by the mayor and appointed by the Citizens' Assembly. The pastor, members of the clergy and the holders of all lower offices were appointed by the Council. Only full citizens of the town were allowed to hold office or vote in the Citizens' Assembly. This created a large body of disenfranchised residents without access to important offices. This order continued until the end of the Ancien Régime.[4]

The parish of Estavayer-le-Lac was first mentioned in 1228. In the 14th century, a clerical community was founded at the parish church of Saint-Laurent. Although a formal college of canons was never founded, the town clergy was granted the rights to meet as a college in 1432. The church was rebuilt around 1440. The magnificent choir stalls were added in 1521-25 and in 1530 the canons of the Cathedral of St. Vincent in Bern gave Estavayer-le-Lac four Antiphonaries. In 1443, Humbert of Savoy was buried in the choir of the church. In 1512, the parish of Carignan was incorporated, followed in 1522 by the parish of Lully. William of Estavayer, the archdeacon of Lincoln, founded a Dominican convent in 1316, which still exists today. Other orders also founded convents including; the Minims (1622-1728) and the Jesuits (Jesuit College 1827-47).[4]

Until the industrialization of the 18th century, the local economy was based mostly on grain farming and income from the bailiwick. In 1777 the fabric factory Fabrique-Neuve de Cortaillod opened a branch in Estavayer-le-Lac. By the end of the 18th Century there were around 100 fabric dyers, especially young women from the countryside. Before World War II, the food industry settled in town. Today, the main industries are in the production of canned food, tobacco, and wood and metal processing. As a district capital, a secondary school and a district hospital were built in town. The hospital merged in 1999 with the Hospital of Payerne to form the Hôpital de la Broye intercantonal. Due to the intact historic city center and its proximity to the sea, tourism also plays a certain role. Moderate traffic travels through the town on the main street Yverdon-Payerne, the Payerne-Yverdon railway line (opened in 1877) and A1 motorway (opened in 2001).[4]

Geography

Estavayer-le-Lac has an area, as of 2009, of 6.4 square kilometers (2.5 sq mi). Of this area, 3.57 km2 (1.38 sq mi) or 55.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.39 km2 (0.15 sq mi) or 6.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.14 km2 (0.83 sq mi) or 33.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.02 km2 (4.9 acres) or 0.3% is either rivers or lakes and 0.3 km2 (0.12 sq mi) or 4.7% is unproductive land.[5] Following the 2012 merger of Font, the total area increased to 8.9 square kilometers (3.4 sq mi).

Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.7% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 16.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 7.8%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 4.4%. Out of the forested land, 4.5% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 46.9% is used for growing crops and 8.1% is pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.[5]

The municipality is located in the Broye district, on the southern bank of Lake Neuchatel at an elevation of 430 to 460 meters (1,410 to 1,510 ft). It is a district capital and a regional administration and business center.

Coat of arms

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per pale Gules and Argent three bars wavy of the first, overall a Double Rose of the first barbed and seeded proper.[6]

Demographics

Estavayer-le-Lac has a population (as of December 2010) of 5,554.[1] As of 2008, 25.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals.[7] Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 19.5%. Migration accounted for 14.7%, while births and deaths accounted for 2.5%.[8]

Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks French (3,602 or 81.2%) as their first language, German is the second most common (256 or 5.8%) and Albanian is the third (165 or 3.7%). There are 46 people who speak Italian and 2 people who speak Romansh.[9]

As of 2008, the population was 47.9% male and 52.1% female. The population was made up of 1,699 Swiss men (32.9% of the population) and 774 (15.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,979 Swiss women (38.3%) and 710 (13.8%) non-Swiss women.[10] Of the population in the municipality, 1,289 or about 29.1% were born in Estavayer-le-Lac and lived there in 2000. There were 983 or 22.2% who were born in the same canton, while 893 or 20.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 1,029 or 23.2% were born outside of Switzerland.[9]

The age distribution, as of 2000, in Estavayer-le-Lac is; 590 children or 13.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 685 teenagers or 15.4% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 525 people or 11.8% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 712 people or 16.0% are between 30 and 39, 637 people or 14.4% are between 40 and 49, and 513 people or 11.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 336 people or 7.6% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 270 people or 6.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 143 people or 3.2% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 26 people or 0.6% who are 90 and older.[10]

As of 2000, there were 2,001 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,961 married individuals, 243 widows or widowers and 232 individuals who are divorced.[9]

As of 2000, there were 1,737 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household.[8] There were 626 households that consist of only one person and 149 households with five or more people. In 2000, a total of 1,673 apartments (80.7% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 304 apartments (14.7%) were seasonally occupied and 96 apartments (4.6%) were empty.[11] As of 2009, the construction rate of new housing units was 8.5 new units per 1000 residents.[8] The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2010, was 0.45%.[8]

The historical population is given in the following chart:[4][12]

Heritage sites of national significance

The De Rivaz Chapel, the Sacré-Coeur Chapel, the Chenaux Castle, the Collegiate church of Saint-Laurent, the Convent of the Dominican nuns, the town fortifications, the House de la Dîme and the House des Sires d’Estavayer listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire town of Estavayer-le-Lac is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. From the 2012 merger of Font into Estavayer-le-Lac, the gallo-roman villa at La Vuardaz and the entire Font area (shared between Châbles and Font) were added.[13]

Politics

In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the CVP which received 29.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP (25.0%), the SVP (18.5%) and the FDP (12.8%).[14] The CVP received about the same percentage of the vote as they did in the 2007 Federal election (31.7% in 2007 vs 29.7% in 2011). The SPS moved from third in 2007 (with 20.5%) to second in 2011, the SVP moved from second in 2007 (with 23.6%) to third and the FDP gained popularity (13.5% in 2007). A total of 1,372 votes were cast in this election, of which 16 or 1.2% were invalid.[15]

Economy

As of 2010, Estavayer-le-Lac had an unemployment rate of 3.9%. As of 2008, there were 28 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 10 businesses involved in this sector. 1,343 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 62 businesses in this sector. 1,537 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 187 businesses in this sector.[8] There were 2,066 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 43.9% of the workforce.

In 2008 the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 2,496. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 23, of which 18 were in agriculture and 5 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 1,299 of which 1,056 or (81.3%) were in manufacturing, 1 was in mining and 238 (18.3%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 1,174. In the tertiary sector; 247 or 21.0% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 59 or 5.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 87 or 7.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 12 or 1.0% were in the information industry, 51 or 4.3% were the insurance or financial industry, 92 or 7.8% were technical professionals or scientists, 142 or 12.1% were in education and 376 or 32.0% were in health care.[16]

In 2000, there were 1,495 workers who commuted into the municipality and 812 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.8 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving.[17] Of the working population, 6% used public transportation to get to work, and 58% used a private car.[8]

Religion

From the 2000 census, 2,853 or 64.3% were Roman Catholic, while 533 or 12.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 54 members of an Orthodox church (or about 1.22% of the population), there were 6 individuals (or about 0.14% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 131 individuals (or about 2.95% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 2 individuals (or about 0.05% of the population) who were Jewish, and 299 (or about 6.74% of the population) who were Islamic. There were 5 individuals who were Buddhist, 3 individuals who were Hindu and 3 individuals who belonged to another church. 297 (or about 6.69% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 315 individuals (or about 7.10% of the population) did not answer the question.[9]

Education

In Estavayer-le-Lac about 1,339 or (30.2%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 451 or (10.2%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule). Of the 451 who completed tertiary schooling, 60.8% were Swiss men, 22.6% were Swiss women, 7.8% were non-Swiss men and 8.9% were non-Swiss women.[9]

The Canton of Fribourg school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend a three or four year optional upper Secondary school. The upper Secondary school is divided into gymnasium (university preparatory) and vocational programs. After they finish the upper Secondary program, students may choose to attend a Tertiary school or continue their apprenticeship.[18]

During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 1,276 students attending 72 classes in Estavayer-le-Lac. A total of 895 students from the municipality attended any school, either in the municipality or outside of it. There were 6 kindergarten classes with a total of 110 students in the municipality. The municipality had 18 primary classes and 377 students. During the same year, there were 33 lower secondary classes with a total of 683 students. There were 2 upper Secondary classes, with 33 upper Secondary students. The municipality had 13 special Tertiary classes, with 73 specialized Tertiary students.[10]

As of 2000, there were 440 students in Estavayer-le-Lac who came from another municipality, while 145 residents attended schools outside the municipality.[17]

Famous citizens

References

  1. ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistics Office – STAT-TAB Ständige und Nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Region, Geschlecht, Nationalität und Alter (German) accessed 10 December 2011
  2. ^ Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
  3. ^ Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (German) accessed 17 February 2011
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Estavayer-le-Lac in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  5. ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics 2009 data (German) accessed 25 March 2010
  6. ^ Flags of the World.com accessed 08-November-2011
  7. ^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Superweb database - Gemeinde Statistics 1981-2008 (German) accessed 19 June 2010
  8. ^ a b c d e f Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 08-November-2011
  9. ^ a b c d e STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 - 2000 (German) accessed 2 February 2011
  10. ^ a b c Canton of Fribourg Statistics (German) accessed 3 November 2011
  11. ^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 - Gebäude und Wohnungen (German) accessed 28 January 2011
  12. ^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Bevölkerungsentwicklung nach Region, 1850-2000 (German) accessed 29 January 2011
  13. ^ "Kantonsliste A-Objekte" (in German). KGS Inventar. Federal Office of Civil Protection. 2009. http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar/a-objekte.html. Retrieved 25 April 2011. 
  14. ^ Canton of Fribourg National Council Election of 23 October 2011 Statistics (German) (French) accessed 3 November 2011
  15. ^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Nationalratswahlen 2007: Stärke der Parteien und Wahlbeteiligung, nach Gemeinden/Bezirk/Canton (German) accessed 28 May 2010
  16. ^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Betriebszählung: Arbeitsstätten nach Gemeinde und NOGA 2008 (Abschnitte), Sektoren 1-3 (German) accessed 28 January 2011
  17. ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb (German) accessed 24 June 2010
  18. ^ Chart of the education system in Canton Fribourg] (German)

External links