Embrach
Embrach is a municipality in the district of Bülach in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.
Coat of arms
Gules, two keys argent in saltire.Until the middle of the 16th century seals with the image of St. Peter were used. Today's St. Peter's keys are a reference to this tradition. The change was made to the secular symbol due to the Reformation.
Geography
Embrach is situated in the "Embrachertal", 6 kilometers northeast of the international airport of Zurich, in a wide U-shaped side valley of the river Töss. A plain of 500 ha size, 5 km length and up to 1.5 km width forms the ground of the valley. The plain is bounded by the slopes of the hill Blauen to the east, by the hill Dättenberg to the west, by the Ghei and the Egg to the south, and by the Tössschlucht to the north. The stream Wildbach drains the "Embrachertal" northwards into the river Töss at Rorbas. The landscape was formed by the Linth glacier during the ice-age.Out of the total 12.72 square kilometers of Embrach, 45% account for forests, 35% for arable land and 18% for settlement area plus roads. The portion of the settlement area is steadily increasing by more than 30 ha per year at the expense of the cultivated area. .
The village stretches mainly along the main street from the "Hinterdorf" in the south to the Psychiatric Center Hard in the north. Embrach is a 3 km long so-called "Street Village". The best living areas are on the slopes of Sonnenberg and Guldenberg in the east of the village. Since the Middle Ages, grape vines have been grown on these slopes.
The highest point is the "Tisch" on top of the hill "Blauen" at 609 meters above sea level. . The deepest point is in the river "Töss" in west of the "Kleinwasserkraftwerks Freienstein" at 360 meters above sea level. . The village center with the Reformed Church is located at 428 meters above sea level, approximately 6 km northeast of the international airport of Zurich. The geographical center we find "Im Grund" southwest of "Badi Talegg". . The northernmost point is the river "Töss" north of the farm "Neumoos" . The easternmost point is situated on the road Oberembrach - Pfungen at the junction to the farm Freienhof. . The southernmost point, we find on the northwest edge of the "Multikomponentendeponie Zürcher Unterland " - a landfill site for construction waste. . The westernmost point is at the forest edge in the "Plattenwiese" close to the road Embrach - Winkel. .
Population
Embrach has a population of.- Foreigners 2007: 21%
- Confessions 2000: Protestant 43%, Catholic 31%, Without a Religion 14%, Other 9%
Economy
Trade and maintenance hold more than 25%, transport 20%, the health and social services 18%, manufacturing 17%, real estate, computer science, management, education 11%, construction 7%.
A total of 4,500 Embrach citizens are employed. A family home in the best location, could cost 1 million CHF, with land prices of up to 600 CHF per square meter. Rental for a 4-room apartment is 1,400 - 2,100 CHF per month.
In Embrach 58 hotel beds are available. You can relax in one of the 12 Restaurants in town for anyone who does not eat at home.
There are also four grocery stores in the village.
Education
The powerful Schulpflege is responsible for the proper fulfillments of all tasks in the primary school education. It is primarily operative at the strategic level. A school board is responsible for the operational tasks. The board provides educational, personnel and administrative management within the framework of their delegated powers. It supports and advises the Schulpflege in all aspects of the school.The school has a kindergarten, primary and secondary school structure.
In Embrach 1,600 students are taught at different locations.
Three main locations are in the Schoolhouse Dorf, Hungerbühl and Ebnet. In addition there are several grass pitches and gym halls available.
Gymnasiums providing secondary education are in Bülach, Winterthur and Zürich. Nearby higher education can be found at universities in Winterthur and Zürich.
Industrial history
Textile IndustryThe opening of the silk factory Seidenzwirnerei Zinggeler in 1871, is regarded as the first industrial enterprise of Embrach. In 1988 the building was demolished and converted to a parking lot for the Reformed Church. What remains is the "Chlostergumpen", the water reservoir of the former silk factory.
The valley became home to countless spinners and weavers. The Spirella Company can be regarded as the last heir of these traditional factories. In Embrach factory shower curtains for the world are still produced. Since 1987 all other companies have gone.
Pottery industry
Pioneer in the field of pottery is the brick factory "Ziegelhütte", west of the "Hard" forest on the road to "Pfungen". Their history goes back to the Middle Ages. Ofenganz, Klinker Ganz, Steinzeuffabrik, Töferei Zangger Neri, led this tradition and produced until 1980. Today, they trade only with pottery goods or have been dissolved. Only the pottery Landert still produces in Embrach.
Machine industry
Since the Middle Ages there were blacksmiths in town, they provided the farmers with tools, and later with machines for crops. Over time, other companies were established, such as Meili weapons, until 1914, Bölsterli Setma Electric Motors, Zwinggi, washing machines, hydro plants, milling machinery, Karl Keller, Precision Engineering, Krebser Kehrli, medical instruments, Oskar Diener medical instrument and precision mechanics. See also: Abraham Ganz
Communications
Telecommunications arrived in the form of the telegraph to Embrach in 1872. 23 years later, the first telephone was installed and since 1992, three mobile phone networks provide services to the inhabitants of the valley. There are several providers for the broadband Internet and digital television.
One problem is the analog radio receiver - despite various attempts, the reception from the Zürich area has failed to improve, including the last project on the Sonnenberg.
Resources
Silica sand for glass in Bülach has long been promoted in Embrach, there was even a mine on the hillside to the east of the Village.The underground of Embrach is rich in gravel, a big part of it is already degraded.
From the 9th century already, hydropower was used from Illinger mill. From the mid 19th century many other industry combined to make use of a large number of old water reservoirs in the valley. Today the Haumühle again turns a waterwheel. Since 2004, a small power plant on the Töss River produces power for up to 1000 people.
Traffic and transport
Medieval trade
The route Kloten - Embrach - Andelfingen was part of a medieval trade route from southern Germany. The route went from Stein am Rhein on to Stammheim, Andelfingen, Pfungen, Embrach after Kloten, thence to Baden, then to Geneva and Lyon to the fairs. The records of duty in Kloten show that the products mainly transported were wine, iron, salt, linen, fruits and spices. The path in the early maps is shown as a dirt road, noted only as a horse track.Modern road construction
The bridge over the Töss 1838 in Bruni, now Tössallmend Neftenbach, made this river transitional weather independent. This cleared the way for the road Pfungen - Embrach - Rorbas. A stone bridge over the river at Rorbas was built in 1840. The "Kohlenschwärze" is a geological, hydrological problem area since the Middle Ages, always leading to file entries. The road there could only be completed by 1850.Towards the south, the route Embrach - Lufingen - Kloten was built 1841 to 1850. In the north from 1842 to 1843, the road piece Rorbas - Wagenbrechi - Chrützstrass - Glattfelden was accomplished. From 1858, the route Embrach Dreispitz - Eschenberg - Bülach, with gentle climbs passable throughout the year, was finished. Earlier connections to Bülach were steep, unpaved mule tracks in wretched condition. The road Embrach - Nürensdorf was completed in 1864.
These new roads and bridges were built based on a French model with solid groundwork over 5 meters in width. The surface consists of gravel, some asphalt. These roads and bridges withstood the pressures and the volume of modern traffic until 1970.
Since 1905 the streets of Embrach are electrically illuminated.
From stagecoach to Zurich transport network
A mail- and stagecoach on the route Rorbas - Embrach - Kloten ran from 1862 for 20 years.The Schweizerische Nordostbahn received a concession in 1870 for the construction of the railway line "Winterthur - Embrach - Bülach - Koblenz". Start of construction was 1874 and there were an average of 1400 workers, 225 trolleys, and 60 horses used. Most of the workers came from Italy. A railway bridge near the Haumühle spanned the Wildbach in 1875. It was newly built in 1950 as a stone arch bridge. The Dättenberg was drilled through on 23 October 1875. The tunnel and the whole line opened in 1876. The settlement area Embrach developed as a consequence in a northerly direction. The SBB took over the NOB in 1902.
The first bus line was licensed to operate on the route Rorbas - Freinstein - Embrach - Kloten from 1932. From 1942 the PTT ran the line from Teufen. Today, the ZVV line 520 operates from Teufen - Freienstein - Rorbas - Embrach - to the airport Zürich Kloten.
The Zürcher Verkehrsverbund since 1990 optimizes the connections with S-Bahn and bus lines. Embrach is connected every half-hour to the cities Bülach, Kloten, Winterthur and Zürich.