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Muttenz History |
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General InformationMuttenzIn the Roman Era (50 BC - 260 AD), the name for Muttenz was Montetum. The 'Alemani'(260-496) called it Mittenza. Then around 1230, the name changed into Muttence, then Muttentz. Then finally it became Muttenz. (The 'u' is pronounced like the 'oo' in look). Muttenz has two natural borders: river Birs to the West (Basle) and river Rhine to the North (Germany). The still existing wildlife is a variety of birds, deer, fox, badger (only a few), hare and squirrel and occasionally a wild boar keeps the hunters on the run.
The Muttenz Town-Hall bearing the name of 'Mittenza' is located in the center of the town at an altitude of 291 meters. The altitude of the community ranges between 255 meters (down by the Rhine) and 651 meters (highest point). Its extension is 1'665 hectare (equaling 4'165 acres) whereof 1/3rd are woods. The farmland is constantly shrinking, due to heavy construction. The number of operated farms has decreased in the last 25 years by one half to 13 (at the end of 1988). At the time of writing, there was a stock of 2,146 one-family-houses plus 7,074 apartments, 96 official buildings, 94 store and office buildings, 236 factories + workshops, 1 hotel with 47 beds, 2 homes for elderly people with 170 beds, 30 pubs, coffee shops + restaurants, 5 banks (subsidiaries to the major Swiss Banks), 2 post offices, 3 churches (2 Protestant with 4 clergymen, 1 Roman Catholic with 2 Priests), 3 chapels, 23 medical doctors, 8 dentists, 3 pharmacies, 3 drugstores, 3 super-markets, 11 kindergartens with 19 teachers, 4 primary schools and 3 high-schools, 1 college, 1 engineering college, 1 vocational school, 1 music school with 113 teachers in all, and the CO-OP schooling center. At the rifle and gun ranges, all men between the age of 20 to 42 who are fit for military service have to practice their shooting skill. (The men, who after completing their army training (17 weeks) at the age of 19/20 keep both, uniform and rifle at home.) In the year 1850, Muttenz counted 1,322 inhabitants; in 1900: 2,502, whereby almost half were citizens. People almost exclusively lived on farming. (It needs explanation that citizenship in Switzerland sticks to people like their name. No matter where they are born or where they move to - they may keep their citizenship over generations, unless someone chooses to become naturalized elsewhere or do military service for another country. Many a citizen has never seen his actual home-town). Since that time, the population has been steadily growing, and in the year after World War II, a real population explosion took place. In 1960, although one third of the population had grown up in Muttenz, the proportion of the citizens as against the total population had shrunk to 10%. End of 1988, the population exceeded 17,000, where of a mere 3,000 were citizens. (See also following survey.) In the year 1919, the city tramway was extended from Basle to Muttenz. This meant a temptation for many a city-family to build a house and move out to Muttenz. In 1921, the construction of the Freidorf, a cooperative settlement with 150 one-family houses, was completed, adding 150 families to the population of Muttenz. During the economic crisis of the twenties, there was a minor construction boom in Muttenz, mainly stimulated by the local authorities with the purpose of providing work for the unemployed. Whereas in 1910, Muttenz consisted of 349 private houses with 579 homes, the number increased to 826 houses with 1,209 households in 1930. During the forties, as industries began to stretch out to Muttenz and the Lower part of Basel Country, an expected construction boom began. To keep the construction boom under control, special laws were established. The territory of Muttenz was divided into eight zones, whereof Zone 1: is limited to one and two family houses with at the most two stories. Zone 2: One, two or more family houses up to two stories high. Zone 3: Multi-family houses up to three stories high. Zone 4: Multi-family houses up to four stories high. Zone 5: The ancient village. Zone 6: Industrial zone, south of the rail tracks. Zone 7: Green zone. Zone 8: High buildings up to twelve stories high. An earlier statistic shows that in 1958, out of the 73 communities of the Canton Basle Country, Muttenz was the third biggest. In 1989 it still is with 17,163 inhabitants and more than 10,000 jobs.
The Municipal Council consists of 7 members, of which one is President. They meet once a week and are elected or re-elected (no limit to re-election) every 4 years. The average rainfall per year is: 80-100 cm. , i.e., 35"-40" The average temperatures are:
Structure of the Population
* In October 1800, 5 dwellinghouses with 7 households in all were destroyed by fire, thus the decreasing number of houses ** At the threshold of 10,000 inhabitants, Muttenz -so far a village- became a 'Town' *** Italian and Spanish labor with large families brought up the percentage of Catholics. The number of their children is so substantial that three additional school classes had were added to each grade. Apart from Protestants and Catholics, there now are 501 Moslems (3%), 5 Jews and 2,095 of other or no confession. Farming
Non-farming people used to buy their milk from local farmers. Many a farmer took his milk to his private customers. When in 1910, the Dairy Cooperation (the 'Milchgenossenschaft') was founded, all farmers delivered their milk there, whence the distribution was made. The farms in Muttenz were always mixed farms that primarily served the purpose of feeding their own families. Potatoes were essential, also various kinds of cereals and clover for the cattle. The better-off farmers kept cows, the poorer ones' goats. Sheep provided the people with both wool and meat, and the meadows on which they were grazing, with natural dung. The following fruit trees are registered:
The majority of fruit in excess of their needs used to be sold at the market in Basle up to the time when the Muttenz Railway Station was taken into operation in 1854. From then on, fruit -above all cherries- were shipped in all directions. Apples and pears of inferior quality were -and still are- pressed into a tasty juice, whereas the surplus of cherries and plums were -and still are- distilled. The Canton Baselland is famous for its excellent Kirsch (cherry spirits). A very important production line was the Wine. In 1863, e.g., 240,000 liters (or 53,330 gallons) of wine were produced. The selling price was 65 Rappen per liter ($.43). In the year 1930, a wine-growers' association was founded. The statistics report the following harvest:
For many decades, quite substantial returns from the sale of Wood went into the funds
for the benefit of the needy people. The Handicraft/Trade tendencies compare as follows:
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