Hilterfingen facts for kids

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Hilterfingen

Hodler - Charlet in Hilterfingen - 1871

Coat of arms

Hilterfingen

Location in Switzerland

Hilterfingen

Location in Canton of Bern

Switzerland

Area

• Total

2.81 km² (1.08 sq mi)

Elevation

562 m (1,844 ft)

Population

(Dec 2020 )

• Total

4,094

• Density

1,456.9/km² (3,773/sq mi)

Postal code

3652

Surrounded by

Heiligenschwendi, Oberhofen am Thunersee, Spiez, Thun

Hilterfingen is a town, also called a municipality, located in the Thun area of the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It's a beautiful place on the shores of Lake Thun.

A Look at Hilterfingen's Past
Exploring Hilterfingen's Landscape
Hilterfingen's Coat of Arms
Who Lives in Hilterfingen?
How Hilterfingen Works: The Economy
Important Places: Heritage Sites
- Other Interesting Sights
Faith and Community: Religion
Learning and Schools: Education
Images for kids
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A Look at Hilterfingen's Past

Hilterfingen was first mentioned in old records in 1175. Back then, it was called Hiltolfingen.

Scientists have found signs of very old settlements here, like graves from the early Bronze Age. This shows people lived in the area a long, long time ago. During the Middle Ages, the village was owned by a noble family called the Freiherr von Oberhofen. They later gave the village to a group of church officials, called canons, in Amsoldingen.

Over time, the church group became less wealthy. In 1484, the Pope allowed their group to join a new, bigger group of canons at St. Vincent's cathedral in Bern. A few years later, in 1488, Hilterfingen officially became part of Bern's Thun District.

In the 19th century, some rich families built large manor houses in the area. Two of these grand houses can still be seen today. One was the Chartreuse Manor, built in 1807. Another, Eichbühl Estate, was finished in 1860 and is now used as a school. The most famous is Hünegg Castle, built by a wealthy art collector. Today, it's a museum with regular art shows.

The village church, St. Andreas, is very old. It's believed to be one of the first twelve churches built around Lake Thun. The current church building was constructed in 1727.

For a long time, people in Hilterfingen grew vineyards and crops on the sunny lake shores. They also fished in the lake. But around the 1880s, people stopped buying wine from Lake Thun. By 1910, the last vineyards closed.

However, tourism started to grow around the lake. Hilterfingen welcomed this new industry. The first hotel opened in 1894, and more followed. A dock was built in 1925 for the steamships that traveled on the lake. After World War II, more people moved to Hilterfingen, especially those who worked in nearby cities. Today, many people who live in Hilterfingen travel to other cities for their jobs.

A middle school opened in 1895 and later joined with the school in Oberhofen. A special school for training teachers opened in Hünibach in 1933.

Exploring Hilterfingen's Landscape

Hilterfingen covers an area of about 2.80 square kilometers (about 1.08 square miles). A large part of the area, about 48.2%, is covered by forests. About 40.8% of the land has buildings or roads. A small part, about 8.5%, is used for farming.

The village is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Thun. It stretches from the lake shore, which is about 560 meters (1,837 feet) above sea level, up to the top of Haltenegg, which is about 800 meters (2,625 feet) high. Since 1958, the nearby area of Hünibach has also been part of Hilterfingen.

Hilterfingen's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Hilterfingen shows a special design. It has a red and white background. On it, there's a golden and green vine tree growing on a golden support. The tree comes from a small hill made of three golden and green bumps. It has two golden grapes, two red grapes, two golden leaves, and two green leaves. This design likely represents the history of vineyards in the area.

Who Lives in Hilterfingen?

Hilterfingen has a population of about 4,061 people (as of December 2012). A small part of the population, about 8.2%, are people from other countries.

Most people in Hilterfingen speak German as their main language, about 94%. A smaller number of people speak French or English.

In 2008, about 45.5% of the population were men and 54.5% were women. Many people who live in Hilterfingen were born in the same canton (Bern), and some were born right in Hilterfingen.

About 17.4% of the population are children and teenagers (0–19 years old). Adults (20–64 years old) make up 56.6%, and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 25.9%.

The population of Hilterfingen has grown over the years:

Note: Hünibach had a population of 369 before it joined Hilterfingen in 1956.

How Hilterfingen Works: The Economy

In 2011, Hilterfingen had a low unemployment rate of 1.96%. This means most people who wanted jobs had them.

Many people work in different areas:

Primary sector: A small number of people (21) work in farming.
Secondary sector: About 153 people work in making things (manufacturing) or building things (construction).
Tertiary sector: The largest group, 768 people, work in services. This includes jobs like sales, transportation, hotels, restaurants, education, and healthcare.

Most people who live in Hilterfingen travel to other towns for work. About 24% use public transportation, and nearly 50% use a private car.

The local and canton (state) taxes in Hilterfingen are among the lowest in the canton of Bern. This means people living there pay less in taxes compared to many other places in the region.

Important Places: Heritage Sites

Hünegg Castle is a very important historical site in Switzerland. It's listed as a "heritage site of national significance," meaning it's a special place for the whole country.

Hünegg Castle was built between 1861 and 1863 by a rich art collector named Baron Albert Ernst von Parpart. He wanted a place to keep his art collection. Over the years, the castle changed owners several times. In 1899, a German architect bought it and updated it in the Art Nouveau style, which was popular at the time.

During World War II, the canton (state) bought the castle. In 1958, it was turned into an Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) museum. Today, it still hosts art exhibitions. There's also a historic sailing school on the castle grounds.

Other Interesting Sights

Eichbühl Estate is another historical building. It was originally a farm owned by church officials. In 1835, an English botanist bought it, and later, a famous archeologist named G.K.F. von Bonstetten started building the estate we see today, finishing it in 1860. Before World War II, the town bought the house and turned it into a school.

Faith and Community: Religion

Based on a 2000 survey, most people in Hilterfingen belong to the Swiss Reformed Church (about 70.4%). The next largest group are Roman Catholic (about 12.2%). There are also smaller groups of people who follow other Christian faiths, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu religions. About 7.25% of the population said they didn't belong to any church or were agnostic or atheist.

Learning and Schools: Education

In Hilterfingen, many adults have completed higher education. About 57.1% have finished non-mandatory high school, and 26.4% have gone on to university or other higher education schools.

The school system in the Canton of Bern works like this:

One year of optional Kindergarten.
Six years of Primary school.
Three years of required lower Secondary school. Students are grouped based on their abilities.
After lower Secondary, students can choose to continue their studies or start an apprenticeship (learning a job while working).

During the 2012-2013 school year, Hilterfingen had 413 students. This included students in German-language kindergarten, primary school, and lower secondary school. A small number of students were from other countries or had a different first language than German.

In 2000, 249 students lived and went to school in Hilterfingen. Another 112 students came from other towns to attend school here. Also, 182 residents of Hilterfingen went to schools outside the town.