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91-549: Bern-Mittelland District in the canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Bern-Mittelland administrative region, and is the only district in the region. It contains 74 municipalities with an area of 946.30 km (365.37 sq mi) and a population (as of 2020) of 418,191. It is made up of the valley of the rivers Aare and Emme , some of the foothills of the Bernese Alps , as well as

182-607: A mutual defense league with Unterwalden . Bern responded with a military expedition to the Bernese Oberland , which ended in defeat for Unterwalden and its allies. By 1472, Bern was the patron of the Monastery. During the Protestant Reformation , the Monastery was secularized in 1528. The canons received a financial settlement and the properties were now managed by a Bernese bailiff . The tenants of

273-561: A population (as of December 2020) of 418,191. As of 2008, the population was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. The population was made up of 156,642 Swiss men (40.3% of the population) and 31,135 (8.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 172,829 Swiss women (44.5%) and 2,794 (0.7%) non-Swiss women. 46°57′N 7°29′E  /  46.950°N 7.483°E  / 46.950; 7.483 Canton of Bern The canton of Bern , or Berne ( German : Kanton Bern ; French : canton de Berne ; Romansh : Chantun Berna ; Italian : Canton Berna ),

364-688: A potter's wheel, and was painted with multi-colored ornamentation. The transition to the Late Iron Age of the La Tène culture (450−1st century BCE) is indicated by a sudden change of style in the metalworking and ceramic industries. Numerous graves (from unknown settlements), along with the two oppida at Bern-Engehalbinsel and Jensberg by Studen , mark the population centers during the late Iron Age . Gold coins (from Melchnau ) along with silver and bronze coins first start to appear during this era. A sword with Greek characters that said Korisios

455-640: A program of city founding. The cities of Burgdorf , Murten , Thun and Bern were all founded by Berchtold V. When he died without an heir, the Zähringen lands went to the House of Kyburg , while the offices and fiefs reverted to the empire. During the High Middle Ages both the Aare valley and the Bernese Oberland were divided into a number of small counties, each with their own baron . Nobles from

546-421: A total of 23.69 km (9.15 sq mi) or 51.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 15.57 km (6.01 sq mi) or 33.8% is forested. The rest of the municipality is 1.16 km (0.45 sq mi) or 2.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.28 km (0.11 sq mi) or 0.6% is either rivers or lakes and 5.3 km (2.0 sq mi) or 11.5% is unproductive land. During

637-523: Is a net exporter of workers, with about 4.9 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. A total of 252 workers (89.7% of the 281 total workers in the municipality) both lived and worked in Oberwil im Simmental. Of the working population, 10.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 48% used a private car. In 2011 the average local and cantonal tax rate on a married resident, with two children, of Oberwil im Simmental making 150,000 CHF

728-474: Is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation . Its capital city, Bern , is also the de facto capital of Switzerland. The bear is the heraldic symbol of the canton, displayed on a red-yellow background. Comprising ten districts , Bern is the second-largest canton by both surface area and population. Located in west-central Switzerland, it is surrounded by eleven cantons. It borders

819-541: Is too rocky for vegetation. The large municipality spreads across much of the Simmental (Simmen valley) and the meadows and forests of the surrounding mountains. It consists of the Bäuerten (farming collectives) of Oberwil, Hintereggen, Pfaffenried, Bunschen and Waldried. On 31 December 2009 Amtsbezirk Niedersimmental, the municipality's former district, was dissolved. On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined

910-646: Is usually considered the date of Bern's entrance into the Swiss Confederation; however, the alliance only indirectly tied Bern to Zürich and Lucerne. In 1358 the cash-strapped Count Peter II of Aarberg pawned the County of Aarberg to Bern. However, in 1367 he sold it, without repaying Bern, to his cousin Rudolf IV of Nidau. After Rudolf's death (1375) Bern acquired clear right to the Aarberg lands from

1001-755: The Burgdorferkrieg or Kyburgerkrieg ) allowed Bern to move against the Habsburgs in Aargau. After the Bernese laid siege to Burgdorf, Neu-Kyburg was forced to concede an unfavourable peace. Bern bought Thun and Burgdorf, the most important cities of Neu-Kyburg, and their remaining towns passed to Bern and Solothurn by 1408. The last of the Neu-Kyburgs, Berchtold, died destitute in Bern in 1417. In 1386,

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1092-696: The Aare , the transition from the Gallo-Roman dominated population to a Germanic population in the Early Middle Ages happened relatively peacefully. One exception was the Battle of Wangen in 610, but elsewhere it generally was a slow process of cultural infiltration. By the 7th century, the Alamannic settlers had already taken most of the good locations southeast of the Aare and they began moving up

1183-794: The Austrians under Leopold of Habsburg invaded eastern Switzerland. When they besieged the city of Sempach , troops from Zürich, Lucerne and the Forest Cantons marched out and defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Sempach . While Bern was not involved at Sempach they took advantage of the Austrian weakness to march into the Oberland in 1386, followed by the Seeland (the region south of

1274-589: The Bäuerten (farming cooperative municipalities) and Talverbänden (rural alpine communities). However, throughout the Late Middle Ages, the Oberland, as a whole or in part, revolted several times against Bernese authority. The Evil League ( Böser Bund ) in 1445 fought against Bernese military service and taxes following the Old Zürich War , in 1528 the Oberland rose up in resistance to the Protestant Reformation and in 1641 Thun revolted. In

1365-575: The Cluniac Priory of Rüeggisberg (Lords of Rümligen in 1072), Münchenwiler (Wiler family in 1080), St. Peter's Island (Count of Hochburgund-Mâcon in the late 11th century), Hettiswil (1107), Röthenbach im Emmental (Lords of Rümligen or Signau), the Benedictine monastery at St. Johannsen in Erlach (Fenis family in 1100), Trub (Lords of Lützelflüh before 1130) and Rüegsau (possibly also

1456-805: The Helvetii were forced to return to their homes as foederati of the Romans. Under increasing Roman influence, the local economy and trade flourished. The main settlements lay at the foot of the Jura Mountains and on the Central Plateau . The existing roads were expanded, especially the Aventicum - Vindonissa and the Petinesca - Augusta Raurica roads. A fourth alpine pass, the Rawil pass ,

1547-781: The Holy Roman Empire , the canton of Bern entered an alliance with the Swiss Forest Cantons in 1323 and joined the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1353. Bern joined the Old Swiss Confederation in 1353. Between 1803 and 1814 it was one of the six directorial cantons of the Napoleonic Swiss Confederation . The earliest traces of a human presence in the area of the modern Canton is found in three caves in

1638-874: The Ottonian and Salian dynasties. The succession dispute following the death of Rudolph III in 1032 allowed the Salian kings to acquire the Kingdom of Upper Burgundy and with it the Aare valley. As a part of the Holy Roman Empire, the valley was involved when the Investiture Controversy broke out in 1056. In 1077, the Regent of Burgundy, Count Rudolf of Rheinfelden , declared himself as an anti-king against King Henry IV . The Bishops of Basel and Lausanne remained loyal to King Henry IV, and took

1729-556: The Paleolithic era (20,000-10,000 BC) humans lived in several caves above the valley floor during the summer. The caves, Schnurenloch, Mamilchloch, Zwergliloch and Chniechälebalm, contained about 5,000 bones from the now extinct cave bear which the inhabitants had butchered. While no human remains were discovered, a number of stone tools were found. Today the tools and bones are at the Historical Museum of Bern while

1820-650: The Sense/Singine area ended without resolving anything. In 1334, Bern fought with the Barons of Weissenburg and occupied Wimmis and Unspunnen in the Oberland. Bern's victory allowed them to bring the Oberhasli region, its capital of Meiringen and Weissenburg under their control. Bern's continued expansion was at the expense of the feudal lords in the surrounding lands. In 1339 the Habsburgs, Kyburgs and Fribourg, marched against Bern with 17,000 men and besieged

1911-705: The Simmental region; Schnurenloch near Oberwil , Ranggiloch above Boltigen and Chilchlihöhle above Erlenbach . These caves were used at various times during the last ice age . The first open-air settlement in the area is an upper paleolithic settlement at Moosbühl in Moosseedorf. During the warmer climate of the mesolithic period, increasing forest cover restricted the movement of hunters, fishers and gatherers. Their temporary settlements were built along lake and marsh edges, which remained free of trees due to fluctuations in water level. Important mesolithic sites in

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2002-520: The Spiez–Zweisimmen line and is served by trains at the Oberwil im Simmental and Enge im Simmental railway stations . In Oberwil im Simmental about 44.5% of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education , and 5.3% have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule ). Of the 24 who had completed some form of tertiary schooling listed in

2093-660: The Swiss Plateau (the Bernese Mittelland) and the Alps (the Bernese Oberland ). The canton of Bern is bilingual , officially German - and French -speaking, and has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 1,043,132. The largest city, Bern, is also the seat of the federal government of Switzerland. Other major cities are Thun and Biel/Bienne . The canton is also renowned for its numerous Alpine resort towns, notably Interlaken and Gstaad . Formerly part of

2184-563: The bishopric of Basel , while the canton of Léman became the canton of Vaud and remained separate from Bern. Bern still remained the largest canton of the confederacy from 1815 to 1979, when parts of the Bernese Jura broke away to form the canton of Jura . In 1994 the Laufen District was transferred to the canton of Basel-Landschaft . The canton of Bern is mainly drained by the river Aare and its tributaries. The area of

2275-762: The hamlet of Pfaffenried are part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites . In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the Swiss People's Party (SVP) which received 61.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (EDU) (13.8%), the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP) (11.3%) and the Social Democratic Party (SP) (5.3%). In

2366-496: The tertiary sector , with 19 businesses in this sector. There were 394 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 39.1% of the workforce. In 2008 there were a total of 244 full-time equivalent jobs. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 140, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 58 of which 16 or (27.6%) were in manufacturing and 41 (70.7%) were in construction. The number of jobs in

2457-481: The 10th century, the Aare valley came fully under the Second Kingdom of Burgundy . Under King Rudolph I and his son Rudolph II Burgundy's influence reached across most of modern Switzerland. They established royal courts at Bümpliz, Münsingen, Uetendorf, Wimmis, Kirchberg and Utzenstorf to allow them to govern the Aare valley. Later, the Aare valley moved toward closer ties with the Holy Roman Empire during

2548-570: The 16th century the entire Simmen valley converted from subsistence agriculture to raising cattle and producing cheese from milk. Today, while the municipality has some small businesses and tourism, the main industry is still agriculture. The village church of St. Mauritius was built by the Freiherr von Weissenburg and is first mentioned in 1228. The original church was expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries. Oberwil im Simmental has an area of 46.06 km (17.78 sq mi). As of 2012,

2639-407: The 2011-12 school year, there were a total of 63 students attending classes in Oberwil im Simmental. There was one kindergarten class with a total of 7 students in the municipality. The municipality had 2 primary classes and 47 students. During the same year, there was one lower secondary class with a total of 9 students. As of  2000 , there were a total of 18 students attending any school in

2730-599: The Aare to the regions of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz . All areas west of the Aare belonged to the romanised Burgundian kingdom, which became part of the Merovingian Frankish kingdom in the 534. During the Carolingian era , the political structure of the Franks had spread into parts of what became Switzerland. In 762/778 the County of Aargau was founded, followed in 861 by the County of Oberaargau and in 965

2821-411: The Aare valley were created over ruins of Roman villas and subsequent burial grounds in the 7th century (including Meikirch and Oberbipp). In Mett, the church was built over a 5th-century mausoleum, which was built over a 4th-century tomb. In 700, six sarcophagi were buried on St. Peter's Island next to a Roman temple complex. A wooden monastery was built over the complex in the 8th–9th century. During

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2912-507: The Bernese Oberland during the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century Interlaken Monastery grew to become the largest landholder in the region. The Monastery controlled the towns of Grindelwald , Lauterbrunnen and numerous farms along Lake Brienz . However, in 1350 a period of crises and conflicts led to a decline in the number of monks and nuns and increasing debt. In 1348, the people of Grindelwald and Wilderswil joined

3003-689: The Bernese invasions of Aargau in 1415 and Valais in 1418. The military losses and taxes following the Old Zürich War led Saanen to support the Evil League ( Böser Bund ) in 1445 against Bern. In 1475, during the Burgundian Wars , the mountain regions of Saanen and Pays-d'Enhaut , who were allied with Bern, attacked and burned the tower of Aigle Castle . They then gave Aigle town and the surrounding district to Bern in exchange for not having to pay one-third of their income to Bern. In

3094-843: The Bernese occupation was not popular amongst the population. In 1723, Major Abraham Davel led a revolt against Bern, in protest at what he saw as the denial of political rights of the French-speaking Vaudois by the German-speaking Bernese, and was subsequently beheaded. Inspired by the French Revolution , the Vaudois drove out the Bernese governor in 1798 and declared the Lemanic Republic . Vaud nationalists like Frédéric-César de La Harpe had called for French intervention in liberating

3185-602: The Bernese retook Grandson. After Charles' defeat at the Battle of Murten , Grandson became a shared territory between Bern and Fribourg. Each city appointed a vogt for five-year periods. Aigle and Grandson were the first French speaking regions in the Canton of Bern. During the Burgundian War in 1475, Saanen, together with troops from Château-d'Œx and the Simmental captured the Savoy district of Aigle for Bern. Saanen and

3276-612: The Canton are at Pieterlenmoos and Burgäschisee lake along with alpine valleys at Diemtig and Simmental. During the neolithic period, there were a number of settlements on the shores of Lake Biel , the Toteisbecken (Lobsigensee, Moossee, Burgäschisee and Inkwilersee) and along rivers ( Aare , Zihl ). Several of these sites are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps , a UNESCO World Heritage Site . One of

3367-602: The Counts. In 1340 the Saanen valley concluded a peace treaty with the Simmental , which provided for arbitration in disputes. They entered into another treaty in 1393 with the Valais. In 1401, Count Rudolph of Gruyère entered into a treaty with Bern which included Saanen. Two years later Saanen and Château-d'Œx negotiated their own alliances with Bern. Due to the Bernese alliance, Saanen sent troops, under their own banner, to support

3458-504: The County of Bargen. The Treaty of Verdun in 843 put the border between Central and Eastern Frankish Empires at the Aare, and divided the Aare region in half. The population west of the Aare generally spoke a Romance language , while those to the east spoke a Germanic language . The region between the rivers Saane and Aare became the language border. Christianity spread slowly into the Aare valley. The dioceses of Lausanne , Basel , Sion , Chur and Constance were all established before

3549-402: The Holy Roman Empire began to marry into the local noble families and a number of the Zähringen Ministerialis families (unfree knights in the service of a feudal overlord) moved into the Oberland. The nobles also began to found monasteries to spread their power into the Oberland. During the period between 1070 and 1150, at least ten large monasteries were founded by local nobles. These include;

3640-415: The Jura Mountains containing the Morat (Murten) , Neuchâtel and Bienne (Biel) lakes) in 1388 and the Aargau in 1389. In the peace agreement of 1389 Bern got Unterseen and the Upper Simme valley ( Simmental ) from the Habsburgs. In the same year, Fribourg accepted Berns acquisition of the Iselgaus, i.e. the area between Lake Biel and the Seeland. Over the next several decades Bern continued to expand to

3731-399: The Lords of Lützelflüh in first half of the 12th century), the Augustinian Collegiate church in Interlaken (Oberhofen family in 1130) and the Cistercian Frienisberg Abbey (Count Saugern around 1130). However, in 1191 the Oberland barons revolted against Berchtold V of Zähringen and many of the Oberland barons were killed in the battle of Grindelwald. During the 13th century a number of

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3822-402: The Monastery who had expected the abolition of all owed debts, responded by rioting, which was suppressed by Bern. The lands around the northern shore of Lake Geneva and between Lake Neuchâtel were the next area into which Bern expanded. The region had originally been part of the Carolingian Empire . Then, in 1032 the Zähringens of Germany defeated the Burgundians, who were then replaced by

3913-438: The Oberland with Bern, but it was not until the Act of Mediation , two years later, with the abolition of the Helvetic Republic and the partial restoration of the ancien régime , that the two cantons were reunited. Between 1803 and 1814 Bern was one of the six directorial cantons of the Napoleonic Swiss Confederation . With the post−Napoleonic Restoration of 1815 , Bern acquired the Bernese Jura with Biel/Bienne from

4004-430: The Rheinfelden lands in Oberaargau and the upper Aare valley. After Rudolf's death in 1090, his lands went to his son, Berchtold II of Zähringen . He and his son, Berchtold III, tried to use these lands to expand their power. In 1127 the Zähringer were appointed Rector or delegate of the king in Burgundy. Their hopes for a new, independent Burgundy were dashed in 1156, and the last Zähringen count, Berchtold V, embarked on

4095-401: The area and French Revolutionary troops moved in, taking over the whole of Switzerland itself in the process and setting up the Helvetic Republic . In 1798, with the establishment of the Helvetic Republic, Bern was divided, the canton of Oberland with Thun as its capital and the canton of Léman with Lausanne as its capital were detached from what was left of the Canton of Bern. Within

4186-401: The area. Evidence of this trade include a hydria which was discovered in Grächwil. Burial rituals and social classes became more developed during this time. The so-called princely graves became more common, many of the burial mounds were over 30 m (98 ft) in diameter and 4 m (13 ft) high and richly outfitted with grave goods. In a grave mound in Bützberg the first burial in

4277-412: The best explored neolithic sites is at Twann (now Twann-Tüscherz ). In the Twannbach delta there were about 25 Cortaillod culture and Horgen culture villages that existed between 3800 and 2950 BC. One of the oldest examples of bread from Switzerland, a sourdough from 3560 to 3530 BC, came from one of these villages. A preserved Bronze Age dugout boat has been found on the dried out lake bed, it

4368-409: The border town of Laupen. To raise the siege, Bern raised a force of 6,000, consisting of Bernese, supported by the Forest Cantons, and other allies ( Simmental , Weissenbur and Oberhasli). The allied Bernese forces were victorious at the Battle of Laupen and Bern drew closer to the Swiss Forest Cantons. It entered into a permanent or eternal alliance with Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden in 1353. This date

4459-433: The canton is commonly divided into six regions. The most populated area is the Bernese Mittelland on the plateau north of the Alps, with the capital city of Bern. The northmost part of the canton is the Bernese Jura bordering the Canton of Jura . The Bernese Oberland is the mountainous region which lies in the south of the canton. Oberwil im Simmental Oberwil is first mentioned in 1278 as Oberwile . During

4550-441: The canton of Bern consists of lands acquired by the city of Bern mostly between the 14th and the 16th century during the original Swiss Confederacy period , both by conquest and purchase. Acquired districts, with dates of acquisition, include: In the Middle Ages, upwards mobility and access to public offices was relatively easy for successful traders and craftsmen, but Bernese society became ever more stratified and aristocratic as

4641-403: The cantons of Jura and Solothurn to the north. To the west lie the cantons of Neuchâtel , Fribourg , and Vaud . To the south lies the cantons of Valais . East of the canton of Bern lie the cantons of Uri , Nidwalden , Obwalden , Lucerne and Aargau . The geography of the canton includes a large share of all three natural regions of Switzerland: the Jura Mountains (the Bernese Jura ),

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4732-402: The cathedral of Lausanne; but it was only decisively implemented when Bern put its full force behind it. Vaud was another French-speaking region in the mostly German-speaking canton, which caused several uprisings. Both Château-d'Œx and Saanen were part of the county of Gruyère . Both districts had quite a bit of independence and often entered into treaties against the will and best interests of

4823-471: The caves can be visited with tour groups. These caves and other nearby rock shelters continued to be used through the Neolithic , the late Bronze Age and into the Middle Ages . After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire , Alamanni tribes settled in the Simmen valley and established villages and alpine pastures. In 994, the royal estate at Wimmis and part of Oberwil was donated to Selz Abbey in Alsace . In 1276, Wimmis and Oberwil were given to

4914-445: The census, 87.5% were Swiss men, 12.5% were Swiss women. The Canton of Bern school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten , followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend additional schooling or they may enter an apprenticeship . During

5005-483: The cities near Bern were granted the city right and appointed mayors and city councils. Bern became an imperial city . During the mid-13th century, the Empire's presence weakened in the Aare valley, forcing the local nobles to find allies to protect themselves. Bern entered into a number of treaties with its neighbors in the 13th century. In 1274, the Emperor Rudolph I of Habsburg , confirmed Bern's imperial immediacy. However, in 1285 he imposed an imperial tax which drove

5096-411: The city to support Rudolph's enemies. Although it withstood two sieges by the Emperor in 1288, after the defeat at Schosshalde in 1289 it had to pay taxes and a penalty. In 1298 Bernese forces won a victory at Oberwangen in Köniz against the County of Savoy and the Habsburg Austrian nobility. In 1300, the city acquired the four surrounding parishes of Bolligen, Vechigen, Stettlen and Muri, destroyed

5187-425: The construction rate of new housing units was 1.2 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2012 , was 2.38%. In 2011, single family homes made up 44.0% of the total housing in the municipality. The historical population is given in the following chart: The Venner house is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance . The entire village of Oberwil im Simmental and

5278-410: The counts of Savoy in 1218. Under the counts of Savoy the area was given political unity, and established as the Barony of Vaud . However, as the power of the Savoys declined at the beginning of the 15th century the land was occupied by troops from Bern . By 1536 the area was completely annexed. Reformation was started by co-workers of John Calvin , including Viret , who engaged in a famous debate at

5369-412: The detriment of the Habsburgs and Fribourg. They acquired the following towns: 1391 Simmenegg, 1399 Signau , 1400 Frutigen , 1407 Wangen , 1408 Trachselwald and Huttwil , 1412 Oltigen and in 1413 (together with Solothurn) Bipp and Bechburg. By 1400, Bern controlled the entire Bernese Oberland. Under their control, the five valleys of the Oberland enjoyed extensive rights and far-reaching autonomy in

5460-491: The federal election, a total of 365 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 56.0%. As of  2011 , Oberwil im Simmental had an unemployment rate of 0.73%. As of 2008 , there were a total of 349 people employed in the municipality. Of these, there were 220 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 84 businesses involved in this sector. 65 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 14 businesses in this sector. 64 people were employed in

5551-430: The following year, he sold the town of Thun , its castle and the land surrounding Thun to Bern. Bern then granted the land back to Eberhard as a fief . Bern's support of Eberhard, their resulting expansion into the Oberland and their alliance with the Forest Cantons brought the city into conflict with the Habsburgs during the 14th century. The Gümmenenkrieg in 1333 between Bern and Fribourg over rights and influence in

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5642-452: The local population merged with Roman beliefs and the Canton of Bern is home to a number of unique cult centers. They include the larger than life statues of gods (including enthroned Jupiter) at Petinesca, Engehalbinsel, and Thun-Allmendingen; and a number of stone inscriptions. At the beginning of the 5th century CE, Rome withdrew its troops from the Rhine garrisons, but allowed the Burgundians to settle on Helvetii lands in 443 CE. East of

5733-462: The mound was followed by several later burials. Often, several grave mounds combined to become a necropolis, such as at Grossaffoltern , Ins , Bannwil , Langenthal and Bützberg. Most of the knowledge about the Hallstatt culture in the Canton comes from graves. The only discovered settlement is around Blanche Church in La Neuveville . The grave goods show that iron was forged into swords, daggers, spearheads, knives and wagon accessories. Gold, which

5824-517: The municipality, 514 or about 64.0% were born in Oberwil im Simmental and lived there in 2000. There were 222 or 27.6% who were born in the same canton, while 31 or 3.9% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 19 or 2.4% were born outside of Switzerland. As of 2011 , children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 20.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 55.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 24.1%. As of 2000 , there were 295 people who were single and never married in

5915-422: The municipality. There were 437 married individuals, 61 widows or widowers and 10 individuals who are divorced. As of 2010 , there were 83 households that consist of only one person and 28 households with five or more people. In 2000 , a total of 284 apartments (64.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 115 apartments (26.1%) were seasonally occupied and 41 apartments (9.3%) were empty. As of 2010 ,

6006-450: The new Augustinian Därstetten priory . During the Middle Ages, two castles Festi and Heidenmauer were built above the valley floor. However no records of the castles are still in existence and both have fallen into ruin. By the 12th century the remaining settlements and land were owned by the Freiherr von Weissenburg. In 1439 all the Weissenburg lands, including Oberwil and the surrounding settlements, were acquired by Bern . During

6097-425: The new canton of Oberland, historic borders and traditional rights were not considered. As there had been no previous separatist feeling amongst the conservative population, there was little enthusiasm for the new order. The situation in the canton of Léman was quite different. The French-speaking Vaudois had never felt like part of the German-speaking Canton of Bern. When they joined the Swiss Confederation in 1803, it

6188-429: The new faith made inroads into the valley. The Aare valley was bordered by three dioceses; Lausanne, Constance and Basel. However, the first Christian missionaries came into the valley from Alsace and other western areas. In 630 the Abbey of Luxeuil established the Abbey of Moutier-Grandval along the old transit route through the Pierre Pertuis Pass. By the 9th or 10th century, this abbey had property and influence all

6279-464: The newly created Verwaltungskreis Frutigen-Niedersimmental. The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per fess Argent a Castle Gules and Vert. Oberwil im Simmental has a population (as of December 2020 ) of 804. As of 2010 , 3.6% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2001-2011) the population has changed at a rate of -1.4%. Migration accounted for -1.6%, while births and deaths accounted for 0%. Most of

6370-405: The other heirs. Throughout the 14th century, Bern entered into alliances and treaties with many of its neighbors, including members of the Swiss Confederation . Bern entered into a series of agreements with Biel/Bienne , which led to a conflict with Biel's ruler, Jean de Vienne , the Prince-Bishop of Basel , in 1367–68. The bishop marched south and destroyed Biel along with a number of towns in

6461-446: The over 75,000 CHF group in Oberwil im Simmental was 106,435 CHF, while the average across all of Switzerland was 130,478 CHF. In 2011 a total of 1.1% of the population received direct financial assistance from the government. From the 2000 census , 692 or 86.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church , while 14 or 1.7% were Roman Catholic . Of the rest of the population, there were 2 members of an Orthodox church (or about 0.25% of

6552-485: The plain around the capital Bern, and has many small farms and hilly forested regions with small to mid-sized towns scattered throughout. It is perhaps best known by foreigners and visitors for the Emmental . The classic Swiss cheese with holes Emmentaler comes from this region's forests and pastures, of hilly and low mountainous countryside in the 1,000 to 2,000 m (3,300 to 6,600 ft) range. Bern-Mittelland has

6643-410: The population (as of 2000 ) speaks German (796 or 99.1%) as their first language. There is one person who speaks French and one that speaks Romansh . As of 2008 , the population was 50.7% male and 49.3% female. The population was made up of 394 Swiss men (48.9% of the population) and 14 (1.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 382 Swiss women (47.5%) and 15 (1.9%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in

6734-430: The population), and there were 64 individuals (or about 7.97% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Islamic . There were 2 individuals who belonged to another church. 12 (or about 1.49% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist , and 16 individuals (or about 1.99% of the population) did not answer the question. Oberwil im Simmental sits on

6825-540: The power and wealth of the city grew. By the 17th century in the Early Modern period , citizenship had become an inherited prerogative, all political bodies elected one another and officials were elected for life. In effect, public offices were now the exclusive prerogative of the gnädige Herren , the "merciful lords", as the small number of noble families now ruling Bern came to be called. In 1605 there were 152 families that were qualified to rule, by 1691 that number

6916-427: The same year, housing and buildings made up 1.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.3%. A total of 27.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 5.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 18.8% is pasturage and 32.5% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 7.3% is unproductive vegetation and 4.2%

7007-524: The southern Jura Mountains . During the Gugler war in 1375, there were several battles between Bernese troops and English mercenaries under Enguerrand de Coucy . By the 1370s, the Kyburgs (which still held Thun as a fief for Bern) were deeply in debt to Bern. On 11 November 1382, Rudolf II of Neu-Kyburg made an unsuccessful raid on Solothurn . The ensuing conflict with the Old Swiss Confederacy (known as

7098-535: The surrounding district enjoyed a great deal of independence during the 16th century. However, in 1555 the last Count of Gruyère lost both districts to Bern when his county went bankrupt. Bern took over the entire Saanen valley in the following year and introduced the Protestant Reformation. They incorporated the Pays-d'Enhaut with Château-d'Œx into the new Bernese district of Saanen. The area of

7189-593: The surrounding lands as collateral for a loan. In 1324, Bern acquired the pledged castle and lands. When the Emperor was unable to repay the loan, Laupen became the first bailiwick of Bern. In 1322, the brothers Eberhard II of Neu-Kyburg and Hartmann II of Neu-Kyburg started fighting with each other over who would inherit the family's lands around Thun. The fighting led to the " fratricide at Thun Castle " where Eberhard killed his brother Hartmann. To avoid punishment by his Habsburg overlords, Eberhard fled to Bern . In

7280-452: The tertiary sector was 46. In the tertiary sector; 18 or 39.1% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 7 or 15.2% were in the movement and storage of goods, 12 or 26.1% were in a hotel or restaurant, 2 or 4.3% were the insurance or financial industry, and 1 was a technical professional or scientist. In 2000 , there were 29 workers who commuted into the municipality and 142 workers who commuted away. The municipality

7371-601: The threatening castles of Bremgarten and Belp and gave the Baron of Montenach Bernese citizenship. After the victory of Louis IV of Bavaria over the Habsburg Frederick the Fair in the battle of Mühldorf (Bavaria) in 1322, Bern entered an alliance with the anti-Habsburg Swiss Forest Cantons in 1323. Bern joined the Old Swiss Confederation in 1353. In 1310 Emperor Henry VII pledged Laupen Castle , Laupen and

7462-601: The treaty of Fribourg from 1476, Fribourg received rights over the Aigle district, which they gave up to Bern in 1483. Bern rebuilt Aigle Castle in 1489 and made it the seat of the bailiwick of Aigle. Also in 1475, the Confederation attacked and captured Grandson Castle . In the next year, Charles the Bold retook the castle and executed the Bernese garrison. In 1476, at the Battle of Grandson , Charles' forces retreated and

7553-710: The way to Lake Biel and into the Balsthal valley. The first monastic cells of what would become the Abbey of Saint-Imier was also founded in 600. In the Seeland and Aare valleys, wooden churches were first built during the Merovingian period. The current churches in Kirchlindach, Oberwil bei Buren and Bleibach were all built above the ruins of these early churches. About 30 churches in the Bern and Solothurn portions of

7644-504: Was 12.7%, while an unmarried resident's rate was 18.7%. For comparison, the average rate for the entire canton in the same year, was 14.2% and 22.0%, while the nationwide average was 12.3% and 21.1% respectively. In 2009 there were a total of 291 tax payers in the municipality. Of that total, 43 made over 75,000 CHF per year. There were 9 people who made between 15,000 and 20,000 per year. The greatest number of workers, 91, made between 50,000 and 75,000 CHF per year. The average income of

7735-642: Was added to the traditional three; the Grimsel , Brünig and Susten passes. In the Bernese Jura the Mont Raimeux and Pierre Pertuis passes opened. Under the Romans, many of the old fortified places were expanded and refortified. The old Helvetii oppidum at the Engehalbinsel became a Roman vicus , which was probably known as Brenodor or Brenodurum. At the foot of the Jens mountain, the fort Petinesca

7826-549: Was as the Canton of Vaud. Under the Helvetic Republic, Pays-d'Enhaut with Château-d'Œx became part of the Canton of Léman while Saanen and the rest of the district became part of the Canton of Oberland . When the Helvetic Republic collapsed in 1803, Saanen and its district became a district in the new Canton of Bern while Château-d'Oex and its district joined Vaud. The 1801 Malmaison Constitution proposed reuniting

7917-663: Was built to guard the roads over the Jura Mountains. This was reinforced in the late-Roman era (368–369 CE) by a fortified bridge over the Thielle/Zihl river between Aegerten and Brügg. A number of Roman villas were built around the Canton. At Oberwichtrach both the main building ( pars urbana ) and the industrial section ( pars rustica ) of a Roman villa have been discovered. The villas at Münsingen, Toffen and Herzogenbuchsee have richly detailed Roman mosaics that are still partly visible. The religious practices of

8008-579: Was found at the Port site. At the oppidum at Bern-Engehalbinsel, there were studios for glass and ceramic production, and iron working achieved a high level of skill, along with craftsmen who worked in wood, leather and goldsmithing. There was a nearby place of worship in the Bremgarten wood, and cemeteries at Münsingen and Bern-Engehalbinsel. After the Roman era victory at Battle of Bibracte in 58 BCE,

8099-429: Was only 104, while towards the end of the 18th century there were only 69 such families. Meanwhile, the land ruled by the town was extending over more and more territory, so that finally it governed 52 bailiwicks. These offices became very lucrative as the Bernese territories grew. Patrician Landvögte , sheriffs , ruled the politically powerless countryside, often using armed force to put down peasant revolts . In Vaud

8190-592: Was part of lake village near Twann, a stone-lined well had been dug near the preserved boat in 1874. During the Early Iron Age changes in climate forced the Hallstatt culture (800–450 BCE) to abandon settlements along many waterways and in the valley floors and move to the plateaus and hills. With increased trade contacts across the Alps, the cultural influence of the Mediterranean region grew in

8281-474: Was probably collected from river sand, was made into diadems, rings and pendants. Thin bronze arm, leg and neck plates with geometric designs were often buried, especially in the graves at Allenlüften in Mühleberg, at Ins and at Bützberg. The jewelry that was buried included bracelets and rings which were also made of jet and lignite coal. At Münchringen, the grave pottery was both shaped by hand or thrown on

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