Bichelsee-Balterswil

Bichelsee village

Coat of arms

Bichelsee-Balterswil

Location of Bichelsee-Balterswil

Coordinates: 47°27′N 8°55′E / 47.450°N 8.917°ECoordinates: 47°27′N 8°55′E / 47.450°N 8.917°E

Country

Area

• Total

12.27 km² (4.74 sq mi)

Elevation

601 m (1,972 ft)

Population (Dec 2015)

• Total

2,801

• Density

230/km² (590/sq mi)

Postal code

8362

SFOS number

4721

Surrounded by

Aadorf, Eschlikon, Fischingen, Hofstetten bei Elgg (ZH), Turbenthal (ZH), Wängi

Website

www.bichelsee-balterswil.ch
SFSO statistics

Bichelsee-Balterswil is a municipality in the district of Münchwilen in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. It was formed from the union on January 1, 1996 of Bichelsee and Balterswil.

It was created in 1996 when the former municipalities of Balterswil and Bichelsee merged. Bichelsee is first mentioned in 894 as Pichelense and Balterswil is mentioned in 885 as Baldherreswilare'.

The Udalrichinger family donated the village of Bichelsee, in the Early Middle Ages, to the Abbey of St. Gallen. During the High Middle Ages, the Bichelsee family ruled the village as a fief for the Abbey. Originally they ruled from Alt-Bichelsee Castle, though in the early 13th Century, they built Neu-Bichelsee Castle. This castle was destroyed in 1274 by the Habsburgs. In 1358 Hermann IV of Landsberg-Greifensee acquired Alt-Bichelsee Castle along with various rights and possessions, including the bailiwick of Balterswil. In 1407, Alt-Bichelsee was burned by Appenzell troops. After rebuilding the castle, the Abbey of Fischingen bought the castle, land and parish in 1419-21. It remained part of the Fischingen court until 1798. However, the village of Itaslen was not part of Bichelsee at this time. It was part of the Tannegg district and an independent municipality until 1812.

The parish church of St. Nicholas (later St. Blasius church) was occupied from 1275 and probably built in the 12th Century under the leadership of Fischingen Abbey. The Abbey supported the church until 1769. In 1529 the village converted to the new faith during the Protestant Reformation in 1529, but returned to their old faith in 1542 during the Counter-Reformation. The Reformed church members were part of the parish of Dussnang since 1550. St. Blasius church remained a shared church, even after a new church was built in 1864, until 1954. In 1960 a new Reformed church was built.

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Wikipedia