Wynigen

Geschichte

Wynigen is a municipality in the administrative district of Emmental in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.HistoryWynigen is first mentioned in 1185 as Winingen. Bickigen village was first mentioned in 1261/63 as Bicchingen.The oldest evidence of humans in the municipal area are some Hallstatt culture grave mounds on the Füstlenberg and some La Tene culture graves in Bickigen. Other traces of prehistoric settlements include the earthen fortifications at Heidenstatt and the fortresses at Grimmenstein, Friesenberg and Schwanden. The first time the village is mentioned it belonged to the Zähringen Dukes. After their line died out in 1218 it was inherited by the Counts of Kyburg. By 1261-63 it was part of the officium Gutisberg. Ministerialis (unfree knights in the service of a feudal overlord) families in Kyburg service built castles in the area and helped guard other Kyburg lands. The Lords of Wynigen, the Fries of Friesenberg and the Lords of Grimmenstein all held Kyburg fiefs in the area. During the 13th century all three families drew closer to Bern and eventually became citizens of Bern or Thun and lost their Kyburg fiefs. In the 14th century, all three of these families died out.