Schleitheim is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland, located directly on the border with Germany.

It is known as the location where the seven articles of the Schleitheim Confession were written.

Geography

thumb|Aerial view (1965)

Schleitheim has an area, , of . Of this area, 58.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 34.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.3%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).

Schleitheim gained historical significance as the birthplace of the Schleitheim Confession of 1527, the oldest creed of Anabaptism, written under the direction of Michael Sattler.

In 1530 the villages Schleitheim and Beggingen became part of the territory of the city of Schaffhausen, in exchange for Grafenhausen and Birkendorf which became part of the landgraviate Stühlingen.

Coat of arms

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules, an ox head sable lined white.

Demographics

Schleitheim has a population () of 1,663, of which 12.0% are foreign nationals. Of the foreign population, (), 45.3% are from Germany, 10.3% are from Italy, 2% are from Croatia, 25.6% are from Serbia, 1.5% are from Macedonia, and 15.3% are from another country. Over the last 10 years the population has decreased at a rate of -4.4%. Most of the population () speaks German (93.9%), with Albanian being second most common ( 2.5%) and Italian being third ( 1.1%).

The age distribution of the population () is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 21.5% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 55.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 22.9%.

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Economy

Schleitheim has an unemployment rate, , of 0.88%. , there were 117 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 46 businesses involved in this sector. 221 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 20 businesses in this sector. 373 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 65 businesses in this sector.

Climate

Schleitheim has an average of 121.6 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives of precipitation. The wettest month is August during which time Schleitheim receives an average of of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 11 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is June, with an average of 11.6, but with only of precipitation. The driest month of the year is September with an average of of precipitation over 11 days.

References

  • Official website of Schleitheim
  • Tourist Information