| Unterseen | ||||||||||
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| Population | 5,425 (December 2007[update]) | |||||||||
| - Density | 385 /km2 (997 /sq mi) | |||||||||
| Area | 14.1 km2 (5.4 sq mi) | |||||||||
| Elevation | 567 m (1,860 ft) | |||||||||
| Postal code | 3800 | |||||||||
| SFOS number | 0593 | |||||||||
| Mayor | Simon Margot | |||||||||
| Surrounded by | Beatenberg, Därligen, Habkern, Interlaken, Leissigen, Ringgenberg | |||||||||
| Website | www.unterseen.ch SFSO statistics |
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  Unterseen
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Unterseen is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
It is the highest town on the Aare, in the Bödeli watershed, between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. From the town one can see the impressive mountains Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
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History
The city was founded on July 13, 1279, when King Rudolf I von Habsburg granted Baron Berchtold III of Eschenbach-Oberhofen permission to build a stronghold between the two lakes. The name came from "unter," which in Middle High German meant "between", and "seen," which means "lake." The fortification was given Stadtrecht (town privileges) in this agreement.
The young town was put in an ongoing conflict with the Interlaken monastery and early on sought protection from Bern. During the Reformation the town turned against the Interlaken monastery and was rewarded with the Alp Sefinen. In 1470 Unterseen was burnt down for the second time and Bern undertook the reconstruction with the town house in the center.
After the establishment of the Helvetic Republic, Unterseen became a center of resistance against the reestablished Bern feudalism. The Unspunnenfest in 1805 and 1808 was planned as a means of reconciliation between the urban and rural citizens. The attempt was a failure and the government forbade such a festival. In 1815, many of the town's citizens played a role in the unrest in Interlaken.
In the burgeoning tourism of the middle of the 18th century, Unterseen played an important role, which has since been taken over in large part by Interlaken.
Geography
Unterseen has an area of 14.1 square kilometers (5.4 sq mi). Of this area, 18.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 59.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 14.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (7.5%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[1]
Demographics
Unterseen has a population (as of 2007[update]) of 5,425, of which 13.6% are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 10.2%. Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (89.1%), with Portuguese being second most common (2.1%) and Italian being third (2.0%).
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 31.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS (22%), the FDP (15.2%) and the Green Party (12.1%).
The age distribution of the population (as of 2000[update]) is children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 20.7% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 59.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 19.7%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Unterseen about 75.9% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule).
Unterseen has an unemployment rate of 2.49%. As of 2005[update], there were 70 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 22 businesses involved in this sector. 348 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 45 businesses in this sector. 1796 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 177 businesses in this sector.[1]
References
- ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 01-Jul-2009
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