Heimiswil

Geschichte

Heimiswil is a municipality in the administrative district of Emmental in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.HistoryHeimiswil is first mentioned in 1250 as Heimoltswiler.During the High Middle Ages there was an earthen fortification at Tschoggen. During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Counts of Kyburg owned land in Heimiswil. In 1402 they sold their right to the low court to the city of Burgdorf. Eventually the court was held at the Gasthof Löwen, which was first mentioned in 1668.The Zähringen or Kyburg family built a family church in the village before 1275. In 1340-41 the town of Burgdorf inherited the position of patron over the church and the right to appoint the church's priest, which it used to support a hospital. From then on the hospital chapel was also the pastor over Heimiswil. In 1703-04, Bern allowed the villagers to build their own church and form a parish.During the 18th century, Burgdorf actively encouraged Heimiswil to remain an agricultural village. For example, in 1705 they banned forges or metalworkers in the village. Even today the municipality remains agricultural and rural with only a few small businesses.GeographyHeimiswil has an area of. Of this area, 14.27km2 or 61.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 7.88km2 or 33.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.18km2 or 5.1% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.04km2 or 0.2% is either rivers or lakes.