Hellsau

Entrance into Hellsau village

Coat of arms

Hellsau

Location of Hellsau

Coordinates: 47°9′N 7°39′E / 47.150°N 7.650°ECoordinates: 47°9′N 7°39′E / 47.150°N 7.650°E

Country

Area

• Total

1.48 km² (0.57 sq mi)

Elevation

478 m (1,568 ft)

Population (Dec 2015)

• Total

201

• Density

140/km² (350/sq mi)

Postal code

3429

SFOS number

0408

Surrounded by

Alchenstorf, Heinrichswil-Winistorf (SO), Höchstetten, Seeberg

Website

www.hellsau.ch
SFSO statistics

Hellsau is a municipality in the district of Burgdorf, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland.

Hellsau is first mentioned in 1275 as Hellesowe.

The earliest trace of a settlement at Hellsau is an early medieval cemetery near the Äbi farm house. It is likely that the old village church once stood near the cemetery. The church was first mentioned in 1275 as a filial church of Burgdorf. It became a full church in 1353 under the patronage of St. Mary. It became part of the parish of Koppigen in 1422 and was given a chaplain in 1471. Following the Protestant Reformation the church was abandoned and eventually demolished.

For most of Hellsau's history, it was a village under the jurisdiction and town council of Koppigen. In 1571, Koppigen passed a law mandating fences in the Büeltscherzelg field because the farmers of Hellsau had been sneaking into the field to graze their animals. Agriculture is still important in the village economy, though a construction company provides a number of jobs. Between 1894 and 1911 it was the home of a private asylum and hospital. Marshes and meadows were drained in 1943-48. Starting in the 1820s Höchstetten and Hellsau formed a school district. The Moos school house was built in 1976.

Hellsau has an area of 1.48 km² (0.57 sq mi). Of this area, 1.06 km² (0.41 sq mi) or 71.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.35 km² (0.14 sq mi) or 23.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.1 km² (25 acres) or 6.8% is settled (buildings or roads).

Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.4% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 2.7% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.7%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 48.0% is used for growing crops and 21.6% is pastures, while 2.0% is used for orchards or vine crops.

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Wikipedia