| Leissigen | ||||||||||
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| Population | 937 (Dec 2010)[1] | |||||||||
| - Density | 90 /km2 (233 /sq mi) | |||||||||
| Area | 10.36 km2 (4.00 sq mi)[2] | |||||||||
| Elevation | 575 m (1,886 ft) | |||||||||
| Postal code | 3706 | |||||||||
| SFOS number | 0585 | |||||||||
| Mayor | Daniel Steffen | |||||||||
| Surrounded by | Därligen, Saxeten, Aeschi bei Spiez and Krattigen. | |||||||||
| Website | www.leissigen.ch SFSO statistics |
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Leissigen
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Map of Leissigen
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Leissigen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
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The name Leissigen comes from the Old High German personal name Lantgis and the toponymic suffix -ingun, meaning "of the people of Langtis."
Leissigen is first mentioned in 1285 as Lensengne. In 1290 it was mentioned as Lenxingen.[3]
Leissigen has an area, as of 2009[update], of 10.36 km2 (4.00 sq mi). Of this area, 3.25 km2 (1.25 sq mi) or 31.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 5.39 km2 (2.08 sq mi) or 52.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.61 km2 (0.24 sq mi) or 5.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.1 km2 (25 acres) or 1.0% is either rivers or lakes and 1.02 km2 (0.39 sq mi) or 9.8% is unproductive land.[4]
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 3.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.2%. 45.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.9% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 13.3% is pastures and 18.1% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 6.6% is unproductive vegetation and 3.3% is too rocky for vegetation.[4]
Leissigen lies in the Bernese Oberland on Lake Thun. It includes the village and scattered individual farm houses. It stretchs from the lake shore though woods and into the alps. On the southern border of the municipality lies the Morgenberghorn 2,249 m (7,379 ft).
Over Leissigen lies the Meielisalp with the scenic restaurant-hotel Meielisalp.
Leissigen has a population (as of 31 December 2010) of 937.[1] As of 2007[update], 5.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 9.4%. Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (93.7%), with Albanian being second most common ( 1.8%) and French being third ( 1.2%).
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 35.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS (18%), the FDP (13.2%) and the Green Party (11.3%).
The age distribution of the population (as of 2000[update]) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 20.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 55.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 23.9%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Leissigen about 78.5% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).
Leissigen has an unemployment rate of 1.89%. As of 2005[update], there were 27 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 12 businesses involved in this sector. 51 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 15 businesses in this sector. 166 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 27 businesses in this sector.[5] The historical population is given in the following table:[3]
| year | population |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 250 |
| 1850 | 416 |
| 1900 | 481 |
| 1930 | 601 |
| 1950 | 625 |
| 1980 | 663 |
| 2000 | 898 |