Zeihen

Ziehen

Zeihen has an area, as of 2009, of 6.88 square kilometers (2.66 sq mi). Of this area, 3.5 km² (1.4 sq mi) or 50.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.8 km² (1.1 sq mi) or 40.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.59 km² (0.23 sq mi) or 8.6% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.01 km² (2.5 acres) or 0.1% is either rivers or lakes and 0.01 km² (2.5 acres) or 0.1% is unproductive land.[3]

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 4.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.5%. Out of the forested land, 37.5% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 23.5% is used for growing crops and 24.4% is pastures, while 2.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.[3]

The municipalities of Bözen, Effingen, Elfingen, Hornussen and Zeihen are considering a merger some time in the future into a new municipality with an as yet (as of 2010) undetermined name.[4]

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Vert a Pale counter-compony Sable and Or between two Ears of Wheat of the last.[5]

Zeihen municipal building

Aerial view (1953)

Zeihen has a population (as of December 2019) of 1,175[6] As of June 2009, 8.5% of the population are foreign nationals.[7] Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 12.8%. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (92.6%), with Albanian being second most common ( 4.6%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 0.8%).[8]

The age distribution, as of 2008, in Zeihen is; 99 children or 10.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 164 teenagers or 17.0% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 82 people or 8.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 114 people or 11.8% are between 30 and 39, 205 people or 21.2% are between 40 and 49, and 130 people or 13.5% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 90 people or 9.3% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 44 people or 4.6% are between 70 and 79, there are 34 people or 3.5% who are between 80 and 89,and there are 3 people or 0.3% who are 90 and older.[9]

As of 2000, there were 36 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 111 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 148 homes with 5 or more persons in the household.[10] As of 2000, there were 301 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.8 persons per household.[8] In 2008 there were 205 single family homes (or 52.8% of the total) out of a total of 388 homes and apartments.[11] There were a total of 0 empty apartments for a 0.0% vacancy rate.[11] As of 2007, the construction rate of new housing units was 9.5 new units per 1000 residents.[8]

In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 44.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP (17.5%), the Green Party (10.3%) and the SP (10.1%).[8]

In Zeihen about 76% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).[8] Of the school age population (in the 2008/2009 school year), there are 73 students attending primary school, there are 47 students attending secondary school in the municipality.[10]

The historical population is given in the following table:[9]

Oberzeihen village

The village of Oberzeihen is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.[12]

As of  2007, Zeihen had an unemployment rate of 1.9%. As of 2005, there were 70 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 24 businesses involved in this sector. 44 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 8 businesses in this sector. 94 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 30 businesses in this sector.[8]

In 2000 there were 427 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 312 or about 73.1% of the residents worked outside Zeihen while 63 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 178 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality.[13] Of the working population, 16.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 57.7% used a private car.[8]

Zeihen church

From the 2000 census, 539 or 62.5% were Roman Catholic, while 175 or 20.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there was 1 individual who belonged to the Christian Catholic faith.[10]