Herisau

Herisau is a municipality and the capital of the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. It is an important place because it is where the canton's government and parliament meet. The judicial authorities, or courts, are located in a nearby town called Trogen.

Herisau has many old and special buildings. These include the central hamlet, houses around the main square, a Protestant church built in 1580, and two houses named Wetter and zur Rose from 1737. There is also a hamlet called Schwänberg and a government building that holds the state archive. All of these places are considered very important for Switzerland's history.

Herisau works with other towns in the Alps to protect the mountain environment. It is part of the Alpine Town of the Year Association, which helps towns develop in ways that are good for nature and people. In 2003, Herisau was chosen as the Alpine Town of the Year for its good work.

History

Herisau was first mentioned in 837 as Herinisauva. In 1084, it was destroyed during battles near the monastery in St. Gallen. The town joined an alliance with other places in Appenzell during the Appenzell Wars in 1401.

The town hall was built in 1601, but a big fire destroyed much of Herisau in 1606. In 1648, Schwellbrunn became its own village. Between 1798 and 1803, Herisau was the capital of the canton Säntis.

Geography

Herisau covers an area of 25.2 km² (9.7 sq mi). Much of the land is used for farming, while a smaller part is covered with forests. Some areas are built up with buildings and roads, and a tiny bit is non-productive land like rivers or mountains.

The town is found where two important roads cross: the St. Gallen-Toggenburg road and the Gossau-Appenzell road. Herisau is the capital of its region and holds about one-third of the region's population. It includes the main village, smaller settlements, places where people live but work elsewhere, and some industrial areas. Long ago, before 1648, Herisau included more land than it does today.

Demographics

Herisau has a population of 15,527 people, and about 17.9% are from other countries. Over the past 10 years, the number of people living there has gone down by 5.2%. Most people speak German, with some speaking Serbo-Croatian and Italian.

In 2000, almost half the people were male and half were female. The ages of people range from young children to older adults, with many people in their 20s to 60s. In the 2007 election, one party got most of the votes. Many people in Herisau have gone to school beyond basic education.

Historical population

The historical population is given in the following table:

Weather

Herisau gets rain about 154 days each year and usually has 1,413 mm (55.6 in) of precipitation. The rainiest month is July, when the town gets around 167 mm (6.6 in) of rain over about 14 days. May has the most rainy days, about 15, but only 142 mm (5.6 in) of rain. February is the driest month, with about 82 mm (3.2 in) of rain over roughly 14 days.

Economy

Herisau is in the center of eastern Switzerland and has been an important place for trade and business since 1537.

The town has a low unemployment rate of 2.01%. In 2005, about 340 people worked in the first type of jobs, with around 115 businesses. In the second type of jobs, 2,959 people were employed by 189 businesses. The third type of jobs had 4,505 workers and 651 businesses.

Transport

Herisau has three railway stations: Herisau, Schachen (Herisau), and Wilen. These stations help people travel in and out of the area.

Sport

SC Herisau is a team that plays in the Swiss 1. Liga. This is one of the leagues where football (soccer) teams in Switzerland compete.

Notable residents

• Johannes Zollikofer (1633–1692), a priest, lived in Herisau from 1666 until he passed away.
• Santiago Roth (1850 – 1924), a Swiss Argentine paleontologist, was born in Herisau.
• Jakob Heierli (1853–1912), a Swiss archaeologist and historian, was born in Herisau.
• Emil Sonderegger (1868–1934), a military officer who later joined far-right politics, was born in Herisau.
• Johannes Baumann (1874–1953) served as a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1934 to 1940.
• Adolf Naef (1883–1949), a Swiss scientist who studied cephalopods, was born in Herisau.
• Hermann Rorschach (1884–1922) was a well-known psychologist.
• Robert Walser (1878–1956) was a Swiss writer who spoke German.
• Nikolaus Senn (1926–2014) was a former co-director of a major Swiss bank.
• Hans-Rudolf Merz, born in 1942, served as a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2003 to 2010.
• Markus Zürcher (1946–2013) was a Swiss visual artist known for conceptual art.
• Ruth Erat, born in 1951, is a Swiss teacher, writer, painter, and politician.
• Paul Giger, born in 1952, is a violinist and composer.
• Annette Gigon, born in 1959, is a Swiss architect from Herisau.
• Jörg Eugster, born in 1960, is a Swiss author and blogger from Herisau.
• Karin Karinna Bühler, born in 1974, is a Swiss visual artist from Herisau.

Sport

• Fredy Lienhard, Sr. (born 1947) is a Swiss racing driver.
• Jörg Eberle, born in 1962, is a Swiss ice hockey player.
• Mathias Rusterholz, born in 1971, holds the Swiss record for the 400 meter race.
• Jonas Hiller, born in 1982, is a Swiss ice hockey goalie who plays for EHC Biel.
• Beat Forster, born in 1983, is a Swiss ice hockey player for EHC Biel.
• Conor Morrison, born in 1989, is a professional ice hockey player from Herisau.
• Timo Meier, born in 1996, is a Swiss ice hockey player who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils.