Zofingen (french: Zofingue) is a city in the canton of

Aargau Aargau, more formally the Canton of Aargau (german: Kanton Aargau; rm, Chantun Argovia; french: Canton d'Argovie; it, Canton Argovia), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capit ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. It is the capital of the district of Zofingen. Zofingen is a walled city and home of an ancient monastic settlement.

History

In ancient times Zofingen was a settlement of the Celtic Helvetii. In later times the Romans built a manor. The Alemanni settled in the 6th century and formed one of the oldest parishes in Aargau. In the 11th century the

House of Frohburg The House of Frohburg (also ''Froburg'') was a noble family in medieval Switzerland, with possessions in what is now the canton of Solothurn. They originate in the Wigger basin, near Zofingen. In the 10th century, they built Frohburg Castle on a ...

founded a canons monastery. The town was founded in 1201 by the counts of Frohburg. 1231 was the first written mention of Zofingen, which in 1299 came in the possession of the Habsburgs. In 1415 the Bernese conquered the city and in 1528 they introduced the Reformation. Since 1803 Zofingen has belonged to the canton of Aargau and has become a regional center. The neighboring Mühlethal was incorporated in 2002.

Geography

Zofingen has an area, , of . Of this area, or 18.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 47.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 33.1% is settled (buildings or roads), or 0.6% is either rivers or lakes.Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics
2009 data accessed 25 March 2010 Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 4.6% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 17.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 7.0%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 3.1%. Out of the forested land, 46.0% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 4.3% is used for growing crops and 12.2% is pastures, while 2.3% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. The municipality of

Uerkheim Uerkheim is a municipality in the district of Zofingen in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. Geography Uerkheim has an area, , of . Of this area, or 48.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 40.3% is forested. Of the rest of the ...

is considering a merger on 1 January 2014 into Zofingen.Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz
published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 14 January 2010

Coat of arms

The

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The ...

of the municipal

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

is ''Barry of Four Gules and Argent.''

Demographics

Zofingen has a population () of . , 15.8% of the population are foreign nationals.Statistical Department of Canton Aargau -Bereich 01 -Bevölkerung
accessed 20 January 2010 Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 14.7%. Most of the population () speaks

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

(88.9%), with

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

being second most common ( 3.4%) and

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

being third ( 1.4%).Swiss Federal Statistical Office
accessed 15-June-2010 The age distribution, , in Zofingen is; 895 children or 8.4% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 1,010 teenagers or 9.5% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,525 people or 14.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,607 people or 15.0% are between 30 and 39, 1,678 people or 15.7% are between 40 and 49, and 1,381 people or 12.9% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,095 people or 10.2% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 894 people or 8.4% are between 70 and 79, there are 509 people or 4.8% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 93 people or 0.9% who are 90 and older.Statistical Department of Canton Aargau -Bevölkerungsdaten für den Kanton Aargau und die Gemeinden (Archiv)
accessed 20 January 2010 The historical population is given in the following table:

Housing

, there were 554 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 2,318 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 1,338 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. , there were 4,328 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.1 persons per household. there were 1,318 single family homes (or 25.0% of the total) out of a total of 5,269 homes and apartments.Statistical Department of Canton Aargau
accessed 20 January 2010 There were a total of 54 empty apartments for a 1.0% vacancy rate. , the construction rate of new housing units was 6.5 new units per 1000 residents. the average price to rent an average apartment in Zofingen was 1063.57

Swiss franc The Swiss franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) issues banknotes and the ...

s (CHF) per month (US$850, £480, €680 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 592.19 CHF (US$470, £270, €380), a two-room apartment was about 787.80 CHF (US$630, £350, €500), a three-room apartment was about 937.35 CHF (US$750, £420, €600) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1694.74 CHF (US$1360, £760, €1080). The average apartment price in Zofingen was 95.3% of the national average of 1116 CHF.Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Rental prices
2003 data accessed 26 May 2010

Politics

In the

2007 federal election This electoral calendar 2007 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2007 in the de jure and de facto sovereign states and their dependent territories. Referendums are included, although they are not elections. By-elections are not ...

the most popular party was the SVP which received 27.78% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP (23.15%), the FDP (17.17%) and the

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...

(9.73%). In the federal election, a total of 3,746 votes were cast, and the

voter turnout In political science, voter turnout is the participation rate (often defined as those who cast a ballot) of a given election. This can be the percentage of registered voters, eligible voters, or all voting-age people. According to Stanford Univ ...

was 48.7%.

Mayors of Zofingen

Heritage sites of national significance

There are ten buildings or sites that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. The oldest is the

Roman era In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

farm house with

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

floors at ''Hirzeberg''. The former

armory Armory or armoury may mean: * An arsenal, a military or civilian location for the storage of arms and ammunition Places *National Guard Armory, in the United States and Canada, a training place for National Guard or other part-time or regular mili ...

at General-Guisan-Strasse 12 and the former

Quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

house (german: Siechenhaus) at Aarburgerstrasse 21 are also on the list. Three educational buildings; the municipal Schoolhouse at General-Guisan-Strasse 14, the Museum at General-Guisan-Strasse 18 and the city library (german: Stadtbibliothek Zofingen) at Hintere Hauptgasse 20, are on the list. The rest of the list includes; ''Heiternplatz'' (Heitern plaza), the small

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

(german: Klösterli) at Klösterligasse 2, The City Hall Building at Rathausgasse 4 and a dairy farm at Hintere Hauptstrasse 9, 14. The entire village of Zofingen is designated as part of the

Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites The Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites (ISOS) is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage. Sites of national importance Types The types are based on t ...

. File:Zofingen Gemeindeschule.jpg, Municipal Schoolhouse in 1890 File:Zofingen 1715.jpg, Zofingen in 1715 showing the compact, walled city

Economy

Zofingen is home to several large companies. These include

Ringier Ringier AG is a media group in Switzerland, founded in 1833 in Zofingen and based in Zürich. The current strategy is based not only on media but also on e-commerce and entertainment. It has a yearly income of approximately 1000 million CHF an ...

AG, one of the largest media corporations, Siegfried Ltd, a manufacturer for the pharmaceutical industry, and

Muller Martini Muller Martini, based in Switzerland, manufactures paper inserting systems, mail room delivery systems, and other printing-related equipment. Manufacturing facilities are located in Switzerland, Germany, and the United States. Switzerland started ...

, a global company that manufactures print finishing systems. , Zofingen had an unemployment rate of 3.19%. , there were 108 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 33 businesses involved in this sector. 4,236 people are employed in the

secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construc ...

and there are 121 businesses in this sector. 4,514 people are employed in the

tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...

, with 565 businesses in this sector. there were 4,377 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 2,352 or about 53.7% of the residents worked outside Zofingen while 6,538 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 8,563 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 14.2% used public transportation to get to work, and 45.3% used a private car.

Religion

From the , 2,879 or 30.5% were

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, while 4,659 or 49.4% belonged to the

Swiss Reformed Church The Protestant Church in Switzerland (PCS), (EKS); french: Église évangélique réformée de Suisse (EERS); it, Chiesa evangelica riformata in Svizzera (CERiS); rm, Baselgia evangelica refurmada da la Svizra (BRRS) formerly named Federation o ...

. Of the rest of the population, there were 32 individuals (or about 0.34% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic faith.Statistical Department of Canton Aargau - Aargauer Zahlen 2009
accessed 20 January 2010

Education

In Zofingen about 76.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a ''

Fachhochschule A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied art ...

''). Of the school age population (), there are 619 students attending

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

, there are 255 students attending secondary school, there are 378 students attending tertiary or university level schooling in the municipality. Zofingen is home to 2 libraries. These libraries include; the Stadtbibliothek Zofingen and the ''Bildungszentrum Zofingen''. There was a combined total () of 158,351 books or other media in the libraries, and in the same year a total of 222,191 items were loaned out.

Football

SC Zofingen is the city's football club.

Notable people

Arnold Sutermeister, 11th Indiana Battery (Union)

* Johann Lauffer (1752–1833) Curaçaoan gouvernor and businessman * Rudolf Sutermeister (1802 – 1868 in Zofingen) a Swiss medical doctor for the poor, a businessman, a manufacturer, an early socialist and a socio-political writer * Maria Gobat (1813 in Zofingen – August 1, 1879), Swiss missionary *

Friedrich Goll Friedrich Goll (1 March 1829 – 12 November 1903) was a Swiss neuroanatomist born in Zofingen, a town located in the canton of Aargau. In 1853 he received his medical doctorate from the University of Zurich, and furthered his education i ...

(1829 in Zofingen – 1903) a Swiss

neuroanatomist Neuroanatomy is the study of the structure and organization of the nervous system. In contrast to animals with radial symmetry, whose nervous system consists of a distributed network of cells, animals with bilateral symmetry have segregated, defi ...

* Arnold Sutermeister (1830 in Zofingen – 1907) a Swiss-born Captain in the US Civil War where he commanded an artillery battery in the Western Theater *

Paul Niggli Paul Niggli (26 June 1888 – 13 January 1953) was a Swiss crystallographer, mineralogist, and petrologist who was a leader in the field of X-ray crystallography. Education and career Niggli was born in Zofingen and studied at the Swiss Federa ...

(1888 in Zofingen – 1953) a Swiss crystallographer, leader in the field of

X-ray crystallography X-ray crystallography is the experimental science determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to diffract into many specific directions. By measuring the angles ...

* Hans Senn (1918 in Zofingen – 2007) a general officer of the

Swiss Army The Swiss Armed Forces (german: Schweizer Armee, french: Armée suisse, it, Esercito svizzero, rm, Armada svizra; ) operates on land and in the air, serving as the primary armed forces of Switzerland. Under the country's militia system, re ...

Eva Aeppli Eva Aeppli (2 May 1925 – 4 May 2015) was a Swiss artist. Personal life Born on 2 May 1925 in Zofingen, Switzerland, Aeppli spent her childhood in Basel where she attended the School of Decorative Arts. Her father was a Waldorf educator and c ...

(1925 in Zofingen – 2015) a Swiss artist. *

Erich von Däniken Erich Anton Paul von Däniken (; ; born 14 April 1935) is a Swiss author of several books which make claims about extraterrestrial influences on early human culture, including the best-selling ''Chariots of the Gods?'', published in 1968. Von D ...

(born 1935 in Zofingen) a Swiss author of several books which claim extraterrestrial influence on early human culture * Josef Imbach (born 1945 in Zofingen) a controversial Swiss Catholic theologian and Franciscan friar *

Michael Ringier Michael Ringier (born 30 March 1949) is a Swiss publisher. He is the Chairman of Swiss media company Ringier. Life Born in Zofingen, his parents are Hans and Eva Ringier (born Landolt). Ringier attended the University of St. Gallen from 1970 ...

(born 1949 in Zofingen) a Swiss publisher * Vincenzo Aiutino (born 1970 in Zofingen) a Swiss-born French serial killer ; Sport * Sandra Cariboni (born 1963 in Zofingen) a Swiss former competitive figure skater in ladies' singles, competed in the

1984 Winter Olympics The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games ( Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки иг� ...

Debbie Marti Deborah Jane Marti (born 14 May 1968) is a former high jumper from England, who was born in Switzerland. She represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games in Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996, finishing ninth in the 1992 final. She set her outdo ...

(born 1968 in Zofingen) a former British high jumper, represented GB at the

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engin ...

and

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

* Andrea Fattizzo (born 1975 in Zofingen) a retired Italian footballer

References

External links

*http://www.zofingen.ch *http://www.zofingen2008.ch {{Authority control Cities in Switzerland Municipalities of Aargau 1201 establishments in Europe Populated places established in the 13th century Cultural property of national significance in Aargau