Englisberg facts for kids
Englisberg is a small village located in the Canton Bern, Switzerland. It's part of the Seftigen district. On January 1, 2004, Englisberg joined with another village called Zimmerwald. Together, they formed a new municipality named Wald BE.
Englisberg is found on a hill called Längenberg. This hill is high above the Aare river valley. The area includes both Englisberg village and a smaller settlement called Kühlewil.
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A Glimpse into Englisberg's History
Englisberg was first mentioned in official papers way back in 1166. It was then called "Endlisperc." People believe that Englisberg grew out of Kühlewil. Kühlewil is much older and might have Celtic roots. Today, Kühlewil is a smaller part of Englisberg.
Castles and Changing Ownership
In the 1300s, there was a castle in Englisberg. It belonged to a family who shared the village's name. But by the 1400s, the castle was left empty. It soon fell apart and disappeared.
Over the centuries, the rights to rule Englisberg changed hands many times. In 1433, a powerful family from Bern, the von Erlach family, took control. Later, in 1542, these rights went to the Baumgartner family.
After 1570, local farming families, the Guggisberg and Zimmermann families, bought these rights. They divided them into many small shares. By the 1700s, two noble families, the von Graffenried and von Tscharner families, bought up most of these rights.
The End of the Old Ways
This old system of ownership ended in 1798. That year, the French army invaded Switzerland. This invasion changed everything. The old rules and noble rights were abolished. Until then, Englisberg was part of the Seftigen high court district.
For church matters, Englisberg was part of Belp's church until 1699. After that, it joined the new church parish of Zimmerwald.
Englisberg's Population Over Time
The number of people living in Englisberg has changed a lot. Here's a quick look at the population counts:
- 1764: 223 people
- 1850: 275 people
- 1900: 567 people
- 1950: 564 people
- 2000: 214 people
Long-Standing Family Names
Some family names have been in Englisberg for a very long time. These families were living there even before 1798:
- Balsiger: since the 1500s
- Guggisberg: since the 1400s
- Hosmann and Hossmann: since the 1600s
- Streit: since the 1500s
- Zimmermann: since the 1500s
Famous People from Englisberg
Englisberg is the hometown of some well-known individuals.
Rudolf Joder
- Rudolf Joder (born 1950) is a Swiss politician. He served as a member of the National Council. This is one of the two houses of the Swiss Parliament.
Mark Streit
- Mark Streit (born 1977) is a famous former Swiss ice hockey player. He played in many professional hockey leagues, including the National Hockey League (NHL) in North America.
