Wettswil am Albis is a municipality in the district of Affoltern in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.

Wettswil am Albis
Coat of arms of Wettswil am Albis
Location of Wettswil am Albis
Map
Wettswil am Albis is located in Switzerland
Wettswil am Albis
Wettswil am Albis
Wettswil am Albis is located in Canton of Zurich
Wettswil am Albis
Wettswil am Albis
Coordinates: 47°20′N 8°28′E / 47.333°N 8.467°E / 47.333; 8.467
CountrySwitzerland
CantonZurich
DistrictAffoltern
Area
 • Total
3.77 km2 (1.46 sq mi)
Elevation
563 m (1,847 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2018)[2]
 • Total
5,186
 • Density1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
8907
SFOS number0014
ISO 3166 codeCH-ZH
Surrounded byAesch bei Birmensdorf, Birmensdorf, Bonstetten, Stallikon
Websitewww.wettswil.ch
SFSO statistics

Geography

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Aerial view (1953)

Wettswil am Albis (sometimes written Wettswill a.A.) has an area of 3.8 km2 (1.5 sq mi). Of this area, 42.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 23.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 30.9% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (3.2%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[3] The term am Albis in the name refers to the chain of hills in the area.

History

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The earliest written mentions of Wettswil am Albis date back to 1184 where it is referred to as Wettesweilare. The village is believed to have been settled during the period of Alemannic immigration into Switzerland (somewhere between 500 and 700 CE). A chieftain, likely named 'Wetto' or 'Wettin' who might have settled in the region with his clan, might have given the village its name.[4]

Demographics

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Wettswil am Albis has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 5,281.[5] As of 2007, 11.3% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 21.4%. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (91.7%), with French being second most common ( 1.4%) and Italian being third ( 1.3%).

In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 35.1% of the votes. The next three most popular parties were the FDP (19%), the SPS (15.4%) and the CSP (10.7%).

The age distribution of the population (as of 2000) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 21.5% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 65.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 13%. In Wettswil am Albis about 88.6% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).

Wettswil am Albis has an unemployment rate of 1.44%. As of 2005, there were 61 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 10 businesses involved in this sector. 357 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 29 businesses in this sector. 454 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 115 businesses in this sector.[3]

Transport

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Bonstetten-Wettswil railway station is a stop of the Zürich S-Bahn on the lines S5 and S14. It is a 23-minute ride from Zürich Hauptbahnhof.

Notable people

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  • Ines Torelli (born 1931), a Swiss comedian, radio personality, and stage, voice and film actress

References

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  1. ^ a b "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie Geschlecht und Gemeinde; Provisorische Jahresergebnisse; 2018". Federal Statistical Office. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 24-Jul-2009
  4. ^ "Official Website of the Municipality of Wettswil am Albis".
  5. ^ "Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geburtsort und Staatsangehörigkeit". bfs.admin.ch (in German). Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
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