{{Infobox Swiss town | subject_name = Assens | municipality_type = municipality | imagepath_coa = CHE Assens COA.svg | imagepath_flag = CHE Assens Flag.svg | image_photo = Assens - église.JPG | canton = Vaud | iso-code-region = CH-VD | district = Gros-de-Vaud |coordinates = {{coord|46|37|N|6|37|E|display=inline,title}} | postal_code = 1042 | municipality_code = 5511 | area = 5.35 | elevation = 635|elevation_description= | population = 851|populationof = December 2004 | website = | mayor = |mayor_asof=|mayor_party= | mayor_title = Syndic |list_of_mayors = | places = | demonym = | neighboring_municipalities= Bioley-Orjulaz, Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Échallens, Étagnières, Malapalud, Morrens, Saint-Barthélemy | twintowns = Colombey-les-Deux-Églises (France) |}}
'''Assens''' ({{IPA|fr|asɑ̃}}) is a village and municipality in the district of Gros-de-Vaud in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The municipality includes the villages of Bioley-Orjulaz, Malapalud and Assens.
==History== Assens is first mentioned in 1228 as ''Ascens''.<ref name=HDS/>
The railway reached Assens in 1874, with the opening of the Chemin de fer Lausanne-Échallens between Lausanne and Échallens.<ref name=HDS/><ref name=leb-150>{{cite web |url=https://leb.ch/150-ans-histoire/ |title=150 ans d’histoire et de modernité |language=fr |trans-title=150 years of history and modernity |publisher=Chemin de fer Lausanne-Échallens-Bercher |access-date=20 March 2026 |archive-date=22 March 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260322150855/https://leb.ch/150-ans-histoire/}}</ref>
The municipality was part of the district of Échallens until that district was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Assens became part of the new district of Gros-de-Vaud. On 1 January 2009, the municipality of Malapalud was merged into Assens. On 1 July 2021 the municipality of Bioley-Orjulaz merged into Assens.<ref name=Mutation>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/02.html Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113231755/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/02.html |date=2015-11-13 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 4 April 2011.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.agvchapp.bfs.admin.ch/de/home |title=Applikation der Schweizer Gemeinden |year=2021 | work=bfs.admin.ch | publisher=Swiss Federal Statistical Office |accessdate= 16 August 2021}}</ref>
==Geography== Assens lies on the Gros-de-Vaud plateau, some {{convert|10.5|km}} north of the centre of the city of Lausanne and {{convert|3|km}} south of Échallens. It is {{convert|11|km}} north of the shoreline of Lake Geneva and, with an elevation of {{convert|635|m}}, it is {{convert|263|m}} higher than the lake. It remained an agricultural village until the 1970s, but has since become a residential area of the urban agglomeration of Lausanne.<ref name=HDS/><ref name=swmap-1>{{cite map |publisher=Swiss Confederation |title=Map of Assens |work=map.geo.admin.ch |url=https://s.geo.admin.ch/l72j11fojmz7 |accessdate=2020-04-23}}</ref>
The municipality has an area, {{as of|2009|lc=on}}, of {{convert|5.35|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}. Of this area, {{convert|4.23|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 79.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while {{convert|0.59|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 11.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, {{convert|0.48|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 9.0% is settled (buildings or roads), {{convert|0.01|km2|acre|abbr=on}} or 0.2% is either rivers or lakes.<ref name=BFS_land>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html |title=Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics 2009 data |language=de |access-date=25 March 2010 |archive-date=25 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100225121025/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 4.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 3.2%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 66.5% is used for growing crops and 11.0% is pastures, while 1.5% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.<ref name=BFS_land/>
==Government== ===Politics=== In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the CVP which received 21.18% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (20.72%), the SP (16.27%) and the FDP (13.04%). In the federal election, a total of 271 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 46.3%.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/data/04/03.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office, ''Nationalratswahlen 2007: Stärke der Parteien und Wahlbeteiligung, nach Gemeinden/Bezirk/Canton''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514211354/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/data/04/03.html |date=May 14, 2015 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 May 2010.</ref>
===Coat of arms=== The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is ''Vert, in base a Garb, in chief two Crosses bottony, all of Or.''<ref>[http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ch-vd080.html Flags of the World.com] accessed 25 May 2011.</ref>
==Demographics== Assens has a population ({{as of|{{Swiss populations YM|CH-VD}}|lc=on}}) of {{Swiss populations|CH-VD|5511}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-VD}} {{as of|2008}}, 10.3% of the population are resident foreign nationals.<ref name=HDS_superweb>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/onlinedb/superweb/login.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Superweb database - Gemeinde Statistics 1981-2008] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628151016/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/onlinedb/superweb/login.html |date=June 28, 2010 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 19 June 2010.</ref> Over the last 10 years (1999–2009) the population has changed at a rate of 25.4%. It has changed at a rate of 16.7% due to migration and at a rate of 8.7% due to births and deaths.<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105172441/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html |date=January 5, 2016 }} accessed 25 May 2011.</ref>
Most of the population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) speaks French (707 or 91.8%), with German being second most common (36 or 4.7%) and Italian being third (8 or 1.0%).<ref name=STAT2000/>
Of the population in the municipality 215 or about 27.9% were born in Assens and lived there in 2000. There were 319 or 41.4% who were born in the same canton, while 135 or 17.5% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 88 or 11.4% were born outside of Switzerland.<ref name=STAT2000/>
In {{as of|2008|alt=2008}} there were 9 live births to Swiss citizens and were 4 deaths of Swiss citizens. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 5 while the foreign population remained the same. There were 2 Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland. At the same time, there were 4 non-Swiss men who immigrated from another country to Switzerland. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 7 and the non-Swiss population remained the same. This represents a population growth rate of 0.8%.<ref name=HDS_superweb/>
The age distribution, {{as of|2009|lc=on}}, in Assens is; 130 children or 13.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 132 teenagers or 13.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 114 people or 11.4% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 141 people or 14.1% are between 30 and 39, 166 people or 16.6% are between 40 and 49, and 127 people or 12.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 104 people or 10.4% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 61 people or 6.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 21 people or 2.1% who are between 80 and 89, and there is 1 person who is 90 and older.<ref name=Vaud_Pop_Stats>[http://www.scris.vd.ch/Default.aspx?DomID=2016 Canton of Vaud Statistical Office] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316091212/http://www.scris.vd.ch/Default.aspx?DomID=2016 |date=2015-03-16 }} {{in lang|fr}} accessed 29 April 2011.</ref>
{{as of|2000}}, there were 319 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 395 married individuals, 24 widows or widowers and 32 individuals who are divorced.<ref name=STAT2000>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.3%20-%202000/40.3%20-%202000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=3&openChild=true STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 - 2000] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409212530/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.3%20-%202000/40.3%20-%202000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=3&openChild=true |date=April 9, 2014 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 2 February 2011.</ref>
{{as of|2000}}, there were 303 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household.<ref name=SFSO/> There were 51 households that consist of only one person and 29 households with five or more people. Out of a total of 291 households that answered this question, 17.5% were households made up of just one person. Of the rest of the households, there are 100 married couples without children, 111 married couples with children There were 16 single parents with a child or children. There were 3 households that were made up of unrelated people and 10 households that were made up of some sort of institution or another collective housing.<ref name=STAT2000/>
{{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}} there were 121 single family homes (or 65.4% of the total) out of a total of 185 inhabited buildings. There were 29 multi-family buildings (15.7%), along with 25 multi-purpose buildings that were mostly used for housing (13.5%) and 10 other use buildings (commercial or industrial) that also had some housing (5.4%). Of the single family homes 16 were built before 1919, while 17 were built between 1990 and 2000. The greatest number of single family homes (36) were built between 1971 and 1980. The most multi-family homes (7) were built between 1991 and 1995 and the next most (5) were built before 1919. There were 4 multi-family houses built between 1996 and 2000.<ref name=Housing>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_09%20-%20Bau-%20und%20Wohnungswesen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen.asp?lang=1&prod=09&secprod=2&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 - Gebäude und Wohnungen] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907111534/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_09%20-%20Bau-%20und%20Wohnungswesen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen.asp?lang=1&prod=09&secprod=2&openChild=true |date=September 7, 2014 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 January 2011.</ref>
{{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}} there were 297 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was 4 rooms of which there were 85. There were 12 single room apartments and 126 apartments with five or more rooms. Of these apartments, a total of 271 apartments (91.2% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 21 apartments (7.1%) were seasonally occupied and 5 apartments (1.7%) were empty.<ref name=Housing/> {{as of|2009}}, the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.<ref name=SFSO/> The vacancy rate for the municipality, {{as of|2010|alt=in 2010}}, was 0%.<ref name=SFSO/>
The historical population is given in the following chart:<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|2354|Assens}}</ref><ref>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.4%20-%201850-2000/40.4%20-%201850-2000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=4&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Bevölkerungsentwicklung nach Region, 1850-2000] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930162751/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.4%20-%201850-2000/40.4%20-%201850-2000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=4&openChild=true |date=September 30, 2014 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 29 January 2011.</ref> <timeline> Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) ImageSize = width:1140 height:210 PlotArea = height:150 left:100 bottom:50 right:100 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:770 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:200 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:40 start:0 PlotData= color:yellowgreen width:40 mark:(line,white) align:center bar:1417 from:start till:256 bar:1417 at:350 fontsize:S text: "64 Hearths" shift:(8,5) bar:1453 from:start till:192 bar:1453 at:250 fontsize:S text: "48 Hearths" shift:(8,5) bar:1764 from:start till:180 bar:1764 at:190 fontsize:S text: "45 Hearths" shift:(8,5) bar:1798 from:start till:276 text:"276" bar:1850 from:start till:356 text:"356" bar:1860 from:start till:355 text:"355" bar:1870 from:start till:388 text:"388" bar:1880 from:start till:378 text:"378" bar:1888 from:start till:386 text:"386" bar:1900 from:start till:401 text:"401" bar:1910 from:start till:365 text:"365" bar:1920 from:start till:369 text:"369" bar:1930 from:start till:391 text:"391" bar:1941 from:start till:409 text:"409" bar:1950 from:start till:401 text:"401" bar:1960 from:start till:365 text:"365" bar:1970 from:start till:335 text:"335" bar:1980 from:start till:465 text:"465" bar:1990 from:start till:594 text:"594" bar:2000 from:start till:770 text:"770" </timeline>
==Economy== {{as of|2010|In 2010}}, Assens had an unemployment rate of 2.4%. {{as of|2008}}, there were 45 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 15 businesses involved in this sector. 48 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 8 businesses in this sector. 169 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 28 businesses in this sector.<ref name=SFSO/> There were 426 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 44.1% of the workforce.
{{as of|2008|alt=In 2008}} the total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 202. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 17, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 42 of which 8 or (19.0%) were in manufacturing and 34 (81.0%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 143. In the tertiary sector; 45 or 31.5% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 4 or 2.8% were in the movement and storage of goods, 24 or 16.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 8 or 5.6% were in the information industry, 19 or 13.3% were the insurance or financial industry, 19 or 13.3% were technical professionals or scientists, and 3 or 2.1% were in health care.<ref>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_06%20-%20Industrie%20und%20Dienstleistungen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen.asp?lang=1&prod=06&secprod=2&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Betriebszählung: Arbeitsstätten nach Gemeinde und NOGA 2008 (Abschnitte), Sektoren 1-3] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225013454/http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_06%20-%20Industrie%20und%20Dienstleistungen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen.asp?lang=1&prod=06&secprod=2&openChild=true |date=December 25, 2014 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 January 2011.</ref>
{{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}}, there were 107 workers who commuted into the municipality and 337 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 3.1 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering.<ref name=commuter>[https://archive.today/20120804043150/http://www.media-stat.admin.ch/stat/pendler/pop.php Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb] {{in lang|de}} accessed 24 June 2010.</ref> Of the working population, 12.9% used public transportation to get to work, and 66% used a private car.<ref name=SFSO/>
==Transport== ===Railway=== The municipality has a railway station, {{rws|Assens|Switzerland}}, on the suburban Lausanne–Bercher line. Trains provide a service every fifteen minutes between Assens and Lausanne, and between Assens and Échallens, with every other train continuing from Échallens to Bercher.<ref name="fpf101">{{cite web | title=Lausanne-Flon - Echallens - Bercher | url=https://www.oev-info.ch/sites/default/files/fap/2024/pdf/101.pdf | date=27 September 2023 | language=fr | access-date=31 August 2024 | publisher=öv-info.ch}}</ref><ref name="départ">{{cite web | url=https://www.t-l.ch/images/pdf/horaire/courant/R20_A_ass1.pdf | title=Départ: Gare d'Assens | date=10 December 2023 | accessdate=31 August 2024 | language=fr | publisher=Transports publics de la région lausannoise}}</ref>
===Road=== Assens is situated on the main road (route 5) that links Lausanne with Échallens, Yverdon, Neuchâtel and points north.<ref name=swmap-1/>
==Religion== From the {{as of|2000|alt=2000 census}}, 353 or 45.8% were Roman Catholic, while 279 or 36.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 3 members of an Orthodox church (or about 0.39% of the population), there were 3 individuals (or about 0.39% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 48 individuals (or about 6.23% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 2 (or about 0.26% of the population) who were Islamic. There was 1 person who was Buddhist and 2 individuals who belonged to another church. 82 (or about 10.65% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 19 individuals (or about 2.47% of the population) did not answer the question.<ref name=STAT2000/>
==Education== In Assens about 318 or (41.3%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 105 or (13.6%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a ''Fachhochschule''). Of the 105 who completed tertiary schooling, 63.8% were Swiss men, 22.9% were Swiss women, 7.6% were non-Swiss men and 5.7% were non-Swiss women.<ref name=STAT2000/>
In the 2009/2010 school year there were a total of 142 students in the Assens school district. In the Vaud cantonal school system, two years of non-obligatory pre-school are provided by the political districts.<ref>[http://www.scris.vd.ch/Default.aspx?DomId=1990 Organigramme de l'école vaudoise, année scolaire 2009-2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075019/http://www.scris.vd.ch/Default.aspx?DomId=1990 |date=2016-03-04 }} {{in lang|fr}} accessed 2 May 2011.</ref> During the school year, the political district provided pre-school care for a total of 296 children of which 96 children (32.4%) received subsidized pre-school care. The canton's primary school program requires students to attend for four years. There were 82 students in the municipal primary school program. The obligatory lower secondary school program lasts for six years and there were 59 students in those schools. There were also 1 students who were home schooled or attended another non-traditional school.<ref name=Vaud_Education>[http://www.scris.vd.ch/Default.aspx?DomID=2403 Canton of Vaud Statistical Office - Scol. obligatoire/filières de transition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425115309/http://www.scris.vd.ch/Default.aspx?DomID=2403 |date=2016-04-25 }} {{in lang|fr}} accessed 2 May 2011.</ref>
{{as of|2000}}, there were 73 students in Assens who came from another municipality, while 102 residents attended schools outside the municipality.<ref name=commuter/>
==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{Commons category|Assens, Switzerland}} {{Municipalities of the district of Gros-de-Vaud}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Municipalities of Vaud Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines