Höfen, Thun

Höfen is a former municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of Höfen, Niederstocken and Oberstocken merged into the new municipality of Stocken-Höfen.[1]

For the municipality in Schaffhausen, see Hofen, Switzerland.
Höfen
Former municipality of Switzerland
Coat of arms
Location of Höfen
Höfen
Höfen
Coordinates: 46°43′N 7°33′E
CountrySwitzerland
CantonBern
DistrictThun
Area
 • Total4.62 km2 (1.78 sq mi)
Elevation
705 m (2,313 ft)
Highest elevation
(Stockbeissern)
833 m (2,733 ft)
Lowest elevation641 m (2,103 ft)
Population
 (Dec 2011)
 • Total444
 • Density96/km2 (250/sq mi)
Postal code
3631
SFOS number0930
Surrounded byNiederstocken, Oberstocken, Reutigen, Zwieselberg, Amsoldingen, Übeschi and Pohlern
Websitewww.hoefen.ch
SFSO statistics

Geography
Aerial view with Amsoldinger Lake and Höfen (1952)

Before the merger, Höfen had a total area of 4.6 km2 (1.8 sq mi).[2] Of this area, 3.42 km2 (1.32 sq mi) or 74.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.74 km2 (0.29 sq mi) or 16.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.27 km2 (0.10 sq mi) or 5.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.1 km2 (25 acres) or 2.2% is either rivers or lakes and 0.08 km2 (20 acres) or 1.7% is unproductive land.[3]

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.8%. 14.5% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 23.9% is used for growing crops and 48.2% is pastures, while 2.2% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in lakes. Of the unproductive areas, 1.7% is unproductive vegetation.[3]

The lake Uebeschisee is located partially in the former municipality.

Demographics

Höfen had a population (as of 2011) of 444.[2] As of 2007, 2.1% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -3.5%. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (98.7%), with French being second most common ( 0.3%) and Rhaeto-romance being third ( 0.3%).

In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 49.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the Green Party (12.3%), the SPS (11.6%) and the local small left-wing parties (10.7%).

The age distribution of the population (as of 2000) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 29.4% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 59.3% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 11.3%. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Höfen about 77.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).

Höfen has an unemployment rate of 0.92%. As of 2005, there were 65 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 26 businesses involved in this sector. 9 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 3 businesses in this sector. 56 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 10 businesses in this sector.[2] The historical population is given in the following table:[4]

year population
1764 184
1850 456
1900 342
1930 291
1950 341
2000 398
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References
  1. Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz (in German) accessed 13 December 2014
  2. "Key figures: Regional portraits 2013: Communes" (2013) Swiss Federal Statistical Office pages 1917–1918, accessed 12 October 2015
  3. Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics 2009 data (in German) accessed 25 March 2010
  4. Höfen in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
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