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{{Infobox Swiss town
 | subject_name= Gais
 | municipality_type= municipality
 | image_photo= Gais AR Dorfplatz Panorama.jpg
 | imagepath_coa= CHE Gais COA.svg
 |pixel_coa=
 | canton= Appenzell Ausserrhoden
 | iso-code-region= CH-AR
 | district= n.a.
 |coordinates = {{coord|47|21|N|9|27|E|display=inline,title}}
 | postal_code= 9056
 | municipality_code= 3022
 | area= 21.21
 | elevation = 915 |elevation_description= Church
 | population= 3089 |populationof = December 2014 |popofyear = 2014
 | website= www.gais.ch
 | mayor= Ernst Koller |mayor_asof= 2016 |mayor_party= FDP
 | mayor_title= Gemeindepräsident |list_of_mayors=
 | places=Gais, Rotenwies, Rietli, Zwislen, Schachen, Stoss, Strahlholz, Steinleuten, Gäbris, Kürstein, Schwäbrig, Sommersberg, Hirschberg
 | demonym= {{langx|de|Gaiser(in)}}
 | neighboring_municipalities= [[Altstätten]] (SG), [[Appenzell]] (AI), [[Bühler]] (AR), [[Eichberg, St. Gallen|Eichberg]] (SG), [[Rüte]] (AI), [[Schlatt-Haslen]] (AI), [[Trogen, Switzerland|Trogen]] (AR)
 | twintowns=
|}}

'''Gais''' ({{IPA|de|ˈɡaɪs}}) is a village and a [[municipalities of Switzerland|municipality]] in the [[Cantons of Switzerland|canton]] of [[Appenzell Ausserrhoden]] in Switzerland. The area of Gais is {{convert|21.21|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.

In 1977, the village Gais received the [[Wakker Prize]] for the development and preservation of its architectural heritage.<ref>[http://www.heimatschutz.ch/index.php?id=1041&L=0 Swiss Heritage Society-Wakker Prize] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706233845/http://www.heimatschutz.ch/index.php?id=1041&L=0 |date=6 July 2011 }}{{in lang|de}}</ref> The village square, the Protestant church of 1782, the former spa hotel ''Neuer Ochsen'' of 1796 and the ''Krone'' inn of 1781 are listed as [[Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance|heritage sites of national significance]].<ref>[[Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance]] (1995), p. 53</ref>

==History==
[[File:ETH-BIB-Gais v. S. aus 300 m-Inlandflüge-LBS MH01-003641-AL.tif|thumb|Aerial view from 300&nbsp;m by [[Walter Mittelholzer]] (1923)]]
The village of ''de Geis'' is first mentioned in a list of offerings given to the [[Abbey of St Gall]] in 1272.<ref name=HDS/> While under the Abbey, Gais was a semi-independent village with its own ''[[Amtmann|Ammann]]'' (bailiff) and judge. By the 14th century Gais was already acting as an independent community. Under the Ammann Konrad Geppensteiner Gais joined the [[Swabia|Swabian Cities Alliance]] ({{langx|de|link=no|Schwäbischer Städtebund}}) in 1377. In 1401 the town allied with the [[League of God's House]].<ref name=HDS/> One of the most important battles of the [[Appenzell Wars]] (1401–29), the battle of [[Stoss Pass]], took place in the territory of Gais.

==Geography==
[[File:Gais - DSC00001 (10).jpg|thumb|left|Scattered farm houses near Gais]]
Gais is quite centrally located in the hilly grass and woodland known as [[Appenzell|Appenzell or Appenzellerland]] at around {{convert|900|m|abbr=on}} above sea level. The [[Rotbach (Sitter)|Rotbach]], a tributary of the [[Sitter (river)|Sitter]], flows from northeast to the southwest through the village and then turns northwest in the direction of [[Teufen AR]]. The mountain to the northeast of Gais is the [[Gäbris]].

Gais has an area, {{as of|2006|lc=on}}, of {{convert|21.21|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. Of this area, 49.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 44.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).<ref name=SFSO/>

The municipality is located in the former District of Mittelland. It consists of the village of Gais and several [[hamlet (place)|hamlets]] and individual farm houses.

==Demographics==
Gais has a population of 2,987 ({{As of|2008|December|lc=on}}). Of that population 373 are foreigners (in 2007 it was 351), which represents 12.49% of the total population.<ref name="Gais Portrait">[http://www.gais.ch/de/portrait/portraitzahlen/ Gais City Website-short portrait] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830043829/http://www.gais.ch/de/portrait/portraitzahlen/ |date=30 August 2008 }} accessed 11 March 2009 {{in lang|de}}</ref> Over the last 10 years the population has grown at an annual rate of 1.5%. Most of the population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) speaks German (93.7%), with Serbo-Croatian being second most common (1.6%) and Italian being third (0.9%).<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105172441/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html |date=5 January 2016 }} accessed 15 September 2009</ref>

{{as of|2000}}, the gender distribution of the population was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.<ref name=AR/> The age distribution, {{as of|2000|lc=on}}, in Gais is: 217 people or 7.8% of the population are between 0–6 years old; 410 people or 14.8% are 6–15; and 152 people or 5.5% are 16–19. Of the adult population, 112 people or 4.0% of the population are between 20 and 24 years old. 758 people or 27.4% are 25–44, and 663 people or 23.9% are 45–64. The senior population distribution is 323 people or 11.7% of the population are between 65 and 79 years old, and 135 people or 4.9% are over 80.<ref name=AR>[http://www.ar.ch/gemeinden/ Appenzell Outer Rhodes website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913070215/http://www.ar.ch/gemeinden/ |date=13 September 2009 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 15 September 2009</ref>

In the [[2007 Swiss federal election|2007 federal election]] the [[Free Democratic Party of Switzerland|FDP]] received 73.5% of the vote.<ref name=SFSO/>

The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Gais about 73.7% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory [[Education in Switzerland#Secondary|upper secondary education]] or additional higher education (either university or a ''[[Fachhochschule]]'').<ref name=SFSO/>

Gais has an unemployment rate of 1.01%. {{as of|2005}}, there were 130 people employed in the [[Primary sector of the economy|primary economic sector]] and about 57 businesses involved in this sector. 240 people are employed in the [[Secondary sector of the economy|secondary sector]] and there are 39 businesses in this sector. 600 people are employed in the [[Tertiary sector of the economy|tertiary sector]], with 119 businesses in this sector.<ref name=SFSO/>

The historic population was:<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|1301|Gais|author=Thomas Fuchs|date=20 November 2006}}</ref>
{{Historical populations
|align=left
| 1667 | 1870
| 1850 | 2470
| 1900 | 2854
| 1950 | 2422
| 2000 | 2770
| 2005 | 2846
| 2007 | 2885
}}

==Notable residents==
*[[Albert Keller]], painter born in Gais 27 April 1844.

==Transport==
[[Gais railway station]] is the main railway station in the municipality. It is a [[junction station]] between the [[Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen railway|Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen]] and [[Altstätten–Gais railway|Altstätten–Gais]] railway lines. There are six other stations within the municipality: {{rws|Hebrig}}, {{rws|Rietli}}, [[Schachen (Gais) railway station|Schachen]], {{rws|Stoss}}, {{rws|Strahlholz}} and {{rws|Zweibrücken}}. The railway stations are all served by [[light-rail]] trains of [[Appenzell Railways]], which operate as services S20, S21 and S24 of [[St. Gallen S-Bahn]].

==Sights==
[[File:Dorfplatz Gais AR 1.JPG|thumb|Wooden houses along the town square ({{lang|de|Dorfplatz}}), showing the curved [[gable]]s]]
The village is home to several Swiss heritage sites of national significance including the village square, the Protestant church of 1782, the former spa hotel Neuer Ochsen of 1796 and the Krone inn of 1781.

The old village, lined with traditional wooden houses with curved [[gable]]s, was rebuilt following a fire in 1780 and has remained mostly unchanged since then. The houses along the town square ({{langx|de|link=no|Dorfplatz}}) and on ''Webergasse'' are the center of the old village.

The [[Swiss Reformed Church|Protestant Church]] was built in 1781–82 by Hans Ulrich Haltiner. The interior is decorated in a [[Rococo]] style. The interior work was done in 1782, from the shop of Andreas and Peter Anton Mosbrugger.
[[File:Evangelisch reformierte Kirche Gais AR 1.JPG|thumb|Interior of the [[Swiss Reformed Church|Reformed Church]] in Gais]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{HDS|1301|Gais|author=Thomas Fuchs|date=20 November 2006}}
*{{commons category-inline|Gais AR}}

{{Municipalities of the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cultural property of national significance in Appenzell Ausserrhoden]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Appenzell Ausserrhoden]]