Böckten

Infobox Swiss town
subject_name = Böckten
municipality_name = Böckten
municipality_type = municipality
imagepath_coa = |pixel_coa=


languages = German
canton = Basel-Country
iso-code-region = CH-BL
district = Sissach
lat_d=47|lat_m=28|lat_NS=N|long_d=7|long_m=50|long_EW=E
postal_code = 4461
municipality_code = 2842
area = 2.28
elevation = 385|elevation_description=
population = 754|populationof = December 2005 | popofyear = 2005
website = www.boeckten.ch
mayor = |mayor_asof=|mayor_party=
mayor_title = |list_of_mayors =
places =
demonym =
neighboring_municipalities= Gelterkinden, Rickenbach, Sissach, Thürnen
twintowns = |

Böckten is a municipality in the district of Sissach in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland.

Location

Böckten is situated in the Ergolz valley. This valley is named after Basel-Country's main river, the Ergolz, which flows into the Rhine before Basel and was already a drinking water source for the Romans. In this valley, Böckten lies between its two main neighbouring municipalities Sissach (located westward, towards Liestal and Basel) and Gelterkinden (located eastward, towards Olten).

Böckten's remaining two neighbouring municipalities - apart from the before mentioned Sissach and Gelterkinden - are the smaller Thürnen and Rickenbach, which lead into separate smaller valleys. The latter is the first municipality of the Homburg valley, which leads towards the Hauenstein hills.

Böckten's center lies 385 meters above sea level. However, its hills (in the forests) reach up to 740 meters.

General Information

While Böckten has grown together with Gelterkinden during the 1980s and 1990s, it remains separate from Sissach to this day. Nevertheless it is mainly attached to Sissach in administrative matters (e.g. school system, church). Its location between these bigger municipalities, that both possess an express train railway station, makes Böckten much more connected to the nearby centers (most notably Basel and Liestal) than most other localities of comparable size.

History

Böckten was first mentioned as "Bettinghofen", which became simplified to "Bettinchon" (first mentioned in 1246), which in turn changed to "Betkon" (first mentioned in 1339). In the Middle Ages Böckten belonged to the earl of Homburg. Its governance changed several times until it came to Basel in 1467. After the establishing of the Gotthard pass, the "Bischofstein" castle was built and completed in 1311 in order to secure the region. It got destroyed due to the 1356 Basel earthquake, which affected the whole region. It has since then been restored.

Not unlike many Swiss agglomerations, Böckten has witnessed a building boom from the 1980s onwards, which quickly doubled its population from below 400 in 1980 to over 700 in 1991.

Economy

Besides several typical small-scale enterprises, Böckten is the site of a factory of the Swiss comestible goods chain "Le Patron".

Transportation

Böckten does not have its own railway station. However Gelterkinden has an express railway station that can easily be reached since the two localities have grown together, and Gelterkinden's station lies at its border towards Böckten. Sissach's express railway station is not equally close, however it can be reached by public transportation (bus). The Swiss automobile highway system can be joined in Sissach in an approximate distance of four kilometers.

From 1891 on, Böckten harbored a station of the electronic tramway that commuted between Sissach and Gelterkinden. This railway line became obsolete and inactive with the installment of the federal railway line Basel-Olten on January 8, 1916.

Education System

Böckten has its own primary school (5 school years, from age 7 on) and kindergarten (2 school years, from age 5 on). From secondary school level on (4 school years, from age 12 on), students have to commute to Sissach (by bicycle or bus). For facultative higher school education (as grammar school), students have to commute to Liestal (by train). The closest university is the one in Basel.

ocial Life

Typical for Swiss localities, Böckten has several clubs. The most notable of them are the different sport clubs for men, women, boys and girls. Besides that there are clubs for carneval, culture (in general), fishing, shooting, tennis, and viniculture, as well as a women's club.

Politics

The municipal council consists of five members. They get elected by the local residents on a periodical basis. Each of them is responsible for a different department. Its current members (as of January 2007) as well as their respective departements are as follows:

* Mr Ulrich Altaus (municipal president):

Architecture, police, economics (agriculture and forestry, hunting, fishery

* Mr Peter Fiechter (vice president):

Sewage, water supply, municipally owned real estate

* Mrs Trudy Bruttel:

Education, culture (kindergarten, schools, youth music school, churches, cultural promotion, recreational time, sports), social security, health care, social welfare

* Mr Ralph Thurnherr:

Land use planning and regulation, road administration, public transportation, environmental protection, cemetery, public security (military, fire department, civil defense)

* Mr Elmar Gürtler:

Finances, accounting, taxing, insurances, general administration

Places of Interest

* "Bischofstein" ruin, located at approximately 740 meters above sea level, with view towards Sissach
* Lookout point with fire place in the forest with view towards Böckten

Flag

Böckten's flag consists of six silver and dark blue horizontal bars in alternating order, whereby silver is on top, blue at the bottom. This is the emblem of the last nobility that possessed Böckten, the "Truchsessen" of Rheinfelden.

External links

* [http://www.boeckten.ch Official Website] de icon
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