Wauwil

Geschichte

Wauwil is a municipality in the district of Willisau in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.GeographyWauwil has an area, of 2.9km2. Of this area, 72.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 9.9% is forested. The rest of the land, (18%) is settled., 10.17% of the total land area was forested. Of the agricultural land, 69.15% is used for farming or pastures, while 2.71% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the settled areas, 10.85% is covered with buildings, 2.37% is industrial, 0.34% is classed as special developments, 0.68% is parks or greenbelts and 3.73% is transportation infrastructure.HistoryThe prehistoric lakeside settlement Wauwilermoos is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. Also known as Egolzwil 3, the serial site of 56 sites in Switzerland is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps.During World War II, mainly Allied soldiers who were caught after their escape from the Swiss internment camps, were detained in the prison camp Wauwilermoos. Re-established in 1947 as a penitentiary, it was rebuilt in the early 1980s as a semi-open institution where custodial sentences are carried out. The penitentiary (German: Strafanstalt Wauwilermoos) also serves as a deportation center.