Auswil

Coat of arms

Auswil

Location of Auswil

Coordinates: 47°8′N 7°50′E / 47.133°N 7.833°ECoordinates: 47°8′N 7°50′E / 47.133°N 7.833°E

Country

Area

• Total

4.65 km² (1.80 sq mi)

Elevation

650 m (2,130 ft)

Population (Dec 2015)

• Total

471

• Density

100/km² (260/sq mi)

Postal code

4944

SFOS number

0322

Surrounded by

Gondiswil, Huttwil, Kleindietwil, Madiswil, Rohrbach

Website

www.auswil.ch
SFSO statistics

Auswil is a municipality in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Auswil is first mentioned around 855-860 as Ouvistwilare.

During the High Middle Ages the villages were protected by a fort on the Rohrbachberg. Around 1300, this fort was occupied by a Ministerialis family (unfree knights in the service of the Kyburgs). In 1318 or 1323 this fort was destroyed by Bern. Through a series of gifts between the 9th and 14th centuries, Auswil was gradually given to the Abbey of St. Gall. Under the Abbey, Auswil was part of the municipality of Rohrbach. It first began to act as an independent municipality in the 19th century. In 1826, Auswil's first school opened, though the community of Rohrbachberg remained part of the Rohrbach school district. Agriculture remains a major part of the local economy with almost half of all jobs in this sector.

Auswil has an area of 4.65 km² (1.80 sq mi). Of this area, 3.84 km² (1.48 sq mi) or 82.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.52 km² (0.20 sq mi) or 11.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.23 km² (0.089 sq mi) or 4.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.01 km² (2.5 acres) or 0.2% is either rivers or lakes.

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.9%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 48.2% is used for growing crops and 30.8% is pastures, while 3.7% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.

The municipality consists of the hamlets of Oberauswil and Niederauswil, Aerbolligen, Hermandingen and Rohrbachberg.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Argent a Semi Bear rampant couped Sable langued Gules and on a Chief of the last five Mullets Or, three and two.

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Wikipedia