39-523: Ernen is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland . In 2005 Ernen incorporated the formerly independent municipalities of Ausserbinn , Mühlebach , and Steinhaus . In 1979, Ernen was awarded the Wakker Prize for the preservation of its architectural heritage. Ernen is first mentioned in 1214 as Aragnon . In 1220 it was mentioned as Arengnon and in 1510 it
78-471: A certain time in Switzerland are also allowed to participate in municipal politics. As at the cantonal and federal level, citizens enjoy political rights, including direct democratic ones, in their municipality. Municipalities are financed through direct taxes (such as income tax ), with rates varying more or less within a framework set by the canton (see Taxation in Switzerland ). As among the cantons, there
117-539: A child or children. There were 4 households that were made up of unrelated people and 4 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing. In 2000, there were 81 single family homes (or 33.9% of the total) out of a total of 239 inhabited buildings. There were 130 multi-family buildings (54.4%), along with 12 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (5.0%) and 16 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (6.7%). In 2000, 163 apartments (29.0% of
156-480: A total of 191 votes were cast, of which 27 or about 14.1% were invalid. The voter participation was 45.7%, which is much less than the cantonal average of 54.67%. In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election a total of 204 votes were cast, of which 6 or about 2.9% were invalid. The voter participation was 46.9%, which is much less than the cantonal average of 59.88%. As of 2010, Ernen had an unemployment rate of 0.3%. As of 2008, there were 30 people employed in
195-512: A total of 2 classes and 19 students in the primary school. The secondary school program consists of three lower, obligatory years of schooling (orientation classes), followed by three to five years of optional, advanced schools. All the lower and upper secondary students from Ernen attend their school in a neighboring municipality. As of 2000, there were 44 students in Ernen who came from another municipality, while 29 residents attended schools outside
234-449: Is a tax transfer among the municipalities to balance various levels of tax income. Switzerland has a relatively high number of small municipalities, with a population of 1,000 or less, especially in rural areas. Because of the increasing difficulty in providing professional government services and in finding volunteers for political offices in small municipalities, the cantons tend to encourage voluntary mergers of municipalities. This led to
273-555: Is notable as the first black Swiss national councillor. 23 incumbents did not get re-elected and lost their mandate, among them Zürich right wing politician Ulrich Schlüer (SVP). The turnout of the election was 48,9% a rise of 3,7% from the previous elections in 2003. Contrary to the developments in the National Council, the Council of States remains dominated by the traditional centrist parties FDP and CVP. Robert Cramer (Geneva)
312-566: Is part of one of the Swiss cantons , which form the Swiss Confederation . In most cantons, municipalities are also part of districts or other sub-cantonal administrative divisions. There are 2,131 municipalities as of January 2024 . Their populations range between several hundred thousand ( Zürich ), and a few dozen people ( Kammersrohr , Bister ), and their territory between 0.32 km² ( Rivaz ) and 439 km² ( Scuol ). The beginnings of
351-647: Is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites . In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the CVP which received 52.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (19.58%), the SP (17.28%) and the Green Party (4.67%). In the federal election, a total of 204 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 46.9%. In the 2009 Conseil d'Etat/Staatsrat election
390-798: The Bürgerrecht (citizenship), regardless of where they were born or where they may currently live. Instead of the place of birth , Swiss legal documents, e.g. passports, contain the Bürgerort (place of citizenship, or place of origin ). The Bürgergemeinde also often holds and administers the common property in the village for the members of the community. Each canton determines the powers and responsibilities of its municipalities. These may include providing local government services such as education, medical and social services, public transportation, and tax collection. The degree of centralization varies from one canton to another. The federal constitution protects
429-982: The Christian right Federal Democratic Union and the regional Ticino League respectively. The left-wing parties won 65 seats, with 43 of the Social Democrats, 20 of the Green party, and the Christian-left Christian Social Party and the far-left Labour Party with a single seat each. The centrist parties won 71 seats, with the CVP and the centre-right FDP each having won 31 seats, and the remaining 9 seats won by minor parties: Liberals, 4 seats; Green Liberals, 3 seats; Evangelical People's Party, 2 seats. 59 of 200 seats (29.5%) were won by women, as compared to 50 in 2003. Ricardo Lumengo (Social Democrats, born in Angola )
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#1732872079490468-430: The hamlet of Niederernen. On 1 October 2004 the former municipalities of Steinhaus, Ausserbinn and Mühlebach merged into the municipality of Ernen, keeping the name Ernen. The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per pale Gules and Argent, two Greek Crosses couped palewise counterchanged. Ernen has a population (as of December 2020) of 518. In 2008, 5.2% of the population were resident foreign nationals. Over
507-400: The primary economic sector and about 14 businesses involved in this sector. 35 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 7 businesses in this sector. 108 people were employed in the tertiary sector , with 26 businesses in this sector. There were 175 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 35.4% of the workforce. In 2008
546-426: The 10 years 1999–2009, the population changed at a rate of -8.3%. It has changed at a rate of 0% due to migration and at a rate of -7.1% due to births and deaths. Most of the population in 2000 spoke German (367 or 95.3%) as their first language, Serbo-Croatian is the second most common (5 or 1.3%) and Dutch is the third (3 or 0.8%). There are 2 people who speak French , 1 person who speaks Italian . In 2008,
585-481: The 2010-2011 school year there were a total of 19 students in the Ernen school system. The education system in the Canton of Valais allows young children to attend one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten . During that school year, there were no kindergarten classes (KG1 or KG2) and there were no kindergarten students. The canton's school system requires students to attend six years of primary school . In Ernen there were
624-598: The Council of States for that term of service were elected at an earlier date. On 12 December 2007, the newly elected legislature elected the Swiss federal government, the Swiss Federal Council , for a four-year-term. The results reflected yet another rise in support for the strongest party, the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party , at 29% of the popular vote, and the growth of the Green and Green Liberal parties at
663-403: The autonomy of municipalities within the framework set out by cantonal law. Municipalities are generally governed by an executive council headed by a president or mayor . Legislative authority is exercised by a town meeting of all citizens, or by a municipal parliament, depending on the size of the municipality, and on cantonal and municipal law. In some cantons, foreigners who have lived for
702-697: The exercise of political rights for everyone except the members of the Bürgergemeinde . In the Regeneration era (1830–1848), the liberal revolutions of the common people helped to restore some rights again in a few cantons. In other cantons, the Bürgergemeinden were able to maintain power as political communities. In the city of Zürich it was not until the Municipal Act of 1866 that the political municipality came back into existence. The relationship between
741-563: The expense of the Social Democrats . The Swiss People's Party successfully came out of the election as the strongest party, rising another 2.3% to 29.0% of the popular vote. Among the left-wing parties, support of the Social Democrats eroded to the benefit of the Green and Green Liberal parties. The right-wing parties won 64 seats made up of the SVP with 62 seats and a single seat of
780-549: The federal parliament of Switzerland , were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007. For the 48th legislative term of the federal parliament (2007–2011), voters in 26 cantons elected all 200 members of the National Council as well as 43 out of 46 members of the Council of States . The other three members of
819-567: The modern municipality system date back to the Helvetic Republic . Under the Old Swiss Confederacy , citizenship was granted by each town and village to only residents. These citizens enjoyed access to community property and in some cases additional protection under the law. Additionally, the urban towns and the rural villages had differing rights and laws. The creation of a uniform Swiss citizenship, which applied equally for citizens of
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#1732872079490858-462: The municipalities under cantonal or federal law. Municipalities are numbered by the Swiss Federal Office for Statistics (see Community Identification Number#Switzerland ). One or more postal codes (PLZ/NPA) can by assigned to a municipality or shared with other municipalities. Between 2011 and 2021 nine of the smallest municipalities merged into others as part of the effort to eliminate
897-481: The municipality for every one entering. Of the working population, 8.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 55% used a private car. From the 2000 census, 337 or 87.5% were Roman Catholic , while 25 or 6.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church . Of the rest of the population, there were 7 individuals (or about 1.82% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. 14 (or about 3.64% of
936-472: The municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 64 households that consisted of only one person and 12 households with five or more people. Of a total of 172 households that answered this question, 37.2% were households made up of just one person and there were 2 adults who lived with their parents. Of the rest of the households, there were 33 married couples without children, 54 married couples with children There were 11 single parents with
975-445: The municipality. In 2016, Ernen hosts a musical festival (the 43rd edition) lasting most of July and August, with a widely varied program. Municipalities of Switzerland Municipalities ( German : Gemeinden , Einwohnergemeinden or politische Gemeinden ; French : communes ; Italian : comuni ; Romansh : vischnancas ) are the lowest level of administrative division in Switzerland. Each municipality
1014-436: The number of municipalities dropping by 384 between the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2019. Some municipalities designate themselves as "city" ( ville or Stadt ) or as "village" ( Dorf ). These designations result from tradition or local preference – for example, several small municipalities designated as cities held city rights in medieval times – and normally do not impact the legal or political rights or obligations of
1053-525: The old towns and their tenants and servants, led to conflict. The wealthier villagers and urban citizens held rights to forests, common land and other municipal property which they did not want to share with the "new citizens", who were generally poor. The compromise solution, which was written into the municipal laws of the Helvetic Republic, is still valid today. Two politically separate but often geographically similar organizations were created. The first,
1092-408: The political municipality and the Bürgergemeinde was often dominated by the latter's ownership of community property. Often the administration and profit from the property were totally held by the Bürgergemeinden , leaving the political municipality dependent on the Bürgergemeinde for money and use of the property. It was not until the political municipality acquired rights over property that served
1131-447: The political voting and electoral body rights from the Bürgergemeinde . In the cities, the percentage of members in the Bürgergemeinde in the population was reduced as a result of increasing emigration to the cities. This led to the Bürgergemeinde losing its former importance to a large extent. However, the Bürgergemeinde has remained, and it includes all individuals who are citizens of the Bürgergemeinde , usually by having inherited
1170-422: The population in 2000 wa children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 56.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.6%. In 2000, there were 162 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 186 married individuals, 26 widows or widowers and 11 individuals who were divorced. In 2000, there were 231 private households in
1209-464: The population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist , and 5 individuals (or about 1.30% of the population) did not answer the question. In Ernen about 130 or (33.8%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education , and 38 or (9.9%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule ). Of the 38 who completed tertiary schooling, 71.1% were Swiss men, 13.2% were Swiss women. During
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1248-498: The public (such as schools, fire stations, etc.) and taxes, that they obtained full independence. For example, in the city of Bern, it was not until after the property division of 1852 that the political municipality had the right to levy taxes. It was not until the Federal Constitution of 1874 that all Swiss citizens were granted equal political rights on local and Federal levels. This revised constitution finally removed all
1287-423: The repair of motor vehicles, 7 or 8.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 41 or 47.1% were in a hotel or restaurant, 6 or 6.9% were technical professionals or scientists, 2 or 2.3% were in education and 3 or 3.4% were in health care. In 2000, there were 62 workers who commuted into the municipality and 82 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.3 workers leaving
1326-524: The sex distribution of the population was 50.1% male and 49.9% female. The population was made up of 252 Swiss men (47.8% of the population) and 12 (2.3%) non-Swiss men. There were 245 Swiss women (46.5%) and 18 (3.4%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 207 or about 53.8% were born in Ernen and lived there in 2000. There were 97 or 25.2% who were born in the same canton, while 48 or 12.5% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 26 or 6.8% born outside of Switzerland. The age distribution of
1365-478: The smallest communities. Only Bister has not merged into a new municipality although the smallest municipality is now Kammersrohr with a population of just 32. In addition to the municipalities as basic territorial political subdivisions, a number of other local subdivisions exist in several cantons. These include: 2007 Swiss federal election Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly ,
1404-659: The so-called municipality, was a political community formed by election and its voting body consists of all resident citizens. However, the community land and property remained with the former local citizens who were gathered together into the Bürgergemeinde /bourgeoisie. During the Mediation era (1803–1814), and especially during the Restoration era (1814–1830), many of the gains toward uniform citizenship were lost. Many political municipalities were abolished and limits were placed on
1443-427: The total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 142. 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 32 of which 1 was in manufacturing and 9 (28.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 87. In the tertiary sector; 18 or 20.7% were in wholesale or retail sales or
1482-615: The total) were permanently occupied, while 285 apartments (50.6%) were seasonally occupied and 115 apartments (20.4%) were empty. In 2009, the construction rate of new housing units was 3.8 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2010, was 1.7%. The historical population is given in the following chart: The Erner Galgen, the Jost-Sigristen House, and the Tellen House are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance . The entire village of Ernen
1521-449: Was Aernen . Ernen has an area, as of 2011, of 35.4 square kilometers (13.7 sq mi). Of this area, 36.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 35.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.5% is settled (buildings or roads) and 27.0% is unproductive land. The municipality is located on a moraine terrace above the left side of the Rhone . It consists of the village of Ernen and
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