Busswil bei Melchnau

Coat of arms

Location of Busswil bei Melchnau

Coordinates: 47°11′N 7°50′E / 47.183°N 7.833°ECoordinates: 47°11′N 7°50′E / 47.183°N 7.833°E

Country

Area

• Total

2.87 km² (1.11 sq mi)

Elevation

559 m (1,834 ft)

Population (Dec 2015)

• Total

170

• Density

59/km² (150/sq mi)

Postal code

4917

SFOS number

0325

Surrounded by

Lotzwil, Madiswil, Melchnau, Obersteckholz, Untersteckholz

Website

http://www.busswil-bm.ch
SFSO statistics

Busswil bei Melchnau is a municipality in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Busswil bei Melchnau is first mentioned in 1194 as Bouswillare.

During the Middle Ages parts of the village were owned by local nobles and the Abbey of St. Gallen. In 1480, the Herrschaft of Grünenberg, which included Busswil, was acquired by Bern. Under Bernese control it was part of the court of Melchnau in the bailiwick of Aarwangen until 1798. Until the Protestant Reformation it was part of the parish of Grossdietwil in the Canton of Lucerne. It then became part of the parish of Melchnau.

In the 19th century, straw plaiting joined agriculture as a source of income for the villagers. In 1917 the Langenthal-Melchnau narrow gauge railway opened a station in Busswil. However, the village remained primarily agricultural until the 1970s when it started changing into a bedroom community for commuters to the businesses and industry in the Langenthal.

Busswil bei Melchnau has an area of 2.87 km² (1.11 sq mi). Of this area, 1.5 km² (0.58 sq mi) or 52.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.17 km² (0.45 sq mi) or 40.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.17 km² (0.066 sq mi) or 5.9% is settled (buildings or roads).

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Wikipedia