Blitzingen

Blitzingen is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.

History

Blitzingen is first mentioned in 1203 as Blicingen.

Geography

Blitzingen has an area, as of 2011, of 11.8 square kilometers (4.6 sq mi). Of this area, 36.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 27.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.7% is settled (buildings or roads) and 34.3% is unproductive land.

It consists of the village of Blitzingen and the hamlets of Ammere, Bodme, Wiler and Gadme.

Coat of arms

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure, issuant from a cliff Vert a flag per fess Gules and Argent two Crosses couped counterchanged staffed of the third and finialed Or, issuant from sinister a Thunderbolt Or, in Chief two Mullets Or. The lightning bolt (German: blitz) may be an example of canting arms.

Demographics

Blitzingen has a population (as of December 2014) of 80.As of 2008, 24.4% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1999–2009 ) the population has changed at a rate of -24%. It has changed at a rate of -4.8% due to migration and at a rate of -14.4% due to births and deaths.