Teufen is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland.

History

thumb|left|upright|Countryside of Teufen

Teufen (Tiuffen) was first mentioned in 1272. By 1300 the place consisted of only five farms. In 1525 the assembly ruled that each parish could decide whether or not to remain Catholic. This led to the division of Appenzell in 1597. While the town of Teufen adopted the new protestant faith, Wonnenstein Friary remained Roman Catholic. In 1870 the Friary grounds were declared an exclave of Appenzell Innerrhoden.

In 1841 Teufen offered their new school building as a present to attract the government of the canton. The assembly refused the present.

Weaving was important in Teufen. Around 1820 a new loom was invented in Teufen, allowing embroidery in one go. This led to a boom in embroidery, particularly between 1880 and 1890.

Heritage sites of national significance

The Gmündertobel Bridge (shared with Stein, Appenzell), and the Wattbach Bridge (shared with Stein and St. Gallen) are listed as heritage sites of national significance.

Geography

thumb|upright|Aerial view from by [[Walter Mittelholzer (1923)]]

, Teufen has an area of . Of this area, 55.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 14% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.8%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).

Demographics

Teufen has a population () of 5,766, of which about 10.0% are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 6.8%. Most of the population () speaks German (93.4%), with Italian being second most common ( 1.3%) and Spanish being third ( 0.9%).

, the gender distribution of the population was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

In the 2007 federal election, the FDP received 72.9% of the vote. Tritium emissions are tested every week and monitored by the Federal Government. In 2010 the waste water radiation levels reached a high of 16 GBq, which is still below the 20 GBq limit, due to construction activities. The 2011 waste water readings are only 2GBq.

See also

  • Null Stern Hotel

References

  • Official Website
  • Official Municipal Newspaper
  • Images of Teufen