Bülach is first mentioned in 811 as Pulacha.[3] From early times it fell within the province of the Alamanni. Joachim Werner's description of the early cemetery excavated there was published in 1953.[4]
Geography
Bülach has an area of 16.1 km2 (6.2 sq mi). Of this area, 33.2% is used for agricultural purposes, 39.5% is forested, 26.9% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).[5]
The municipality is located around the lower Glatt Valley. The town of Bülach and the village of Niederflachs are in the valley. Around the town are the hamlets of Heimgarten am Rinsberg, Eschenmosen (since 1919, earlier part of Winkel) and Nussbaumen am Dettenberg. The municipality of Bachenbülach was part of Bülach until 1849 when it became an independent municipality. Bülach is located on the old road from Zürich through Kloten to Eglisau.
The historical population of Bülach is listed in the following table:[3][6]
year
population
Late Middle Ages
less than 500
16-18th Centuries
about 1,000
1836
1,278
1850
1,545
1900
2,175
1920
3,239
1950
4,634
1970
11,043
2000
13,999
2005
14,815
2006
15,571
2008
16,589
2010
17,478
January 2012
17,457
May 2012
17,667
2023
23,593
Demographics
Bülach has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 21,998.[7] As of 2007[update], 22.6% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 17.8%. Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (83.9%), with Italian being second most common ( 4.7%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 2.5%).
In the 2007 election the most popular party was the SVP which received 38.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS (17%), the CSP (12.5%) and the FDP (11.2%).
The age distribution of the population (as of 2000[update]) is as follows: children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 64.8% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 12.2%. In Bülach about 73.2% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).[5]
Attractions
The Reformed Church and the popular Sigristenkeller gallery stand on a small hill, and are surrounded by pretty old buildings, including the Pfarrhaus and the old Tithe Barn. The church is named after Saint Laurentius, to whom the town's coat of arms is dedicated. Saint Laurentius was deacon to Pope Sixtus II, and became a martyr when he was condemned to death by fire in 258 AD. The church forms a well-matched unit with the Town Hall, and has a tower rising above it to a height of 74 meters. Also on the first Saturday of every month at 6pm, trumpeters play for half an hour from the top of the tower.
One of the most important institutions in the town and its biggest employer (over 700 employees) is the regional hospital Spital Bülach with 200 beds. Other important employers include the traditional glass producer Vetropack, civil engineering firm Mageba, and the Zürcher Unterländer newspaper.
Bülach has an unemployment rate of 3.07%. As of 2005[update], there were 130 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 36 businesses involved in this sector. 1893 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 133 businesses in this sector. 5596 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 607 businesses in this sector.[5]
