Langenthal

Building in the old town of Langenthal

Coat of arms

Langenthal

Location of Langenthal

Coordinates: 47°13′N 7°47′E / 47.217°N 7.783°ECoordinates: 47°13′N 7°47′E / 47.217°N 7.783°E

Country

Government

• Executive

Gemeinderat
with 7 members

• Mayor

Stadtpräsident (list)
Thomas Rufener SVP/UDC
(as of March 2014)

• Parliament

Stadtrat
with 40 members

Area

• Total

17.26 km² (6.66 sq mi)

Elevation

481 m (1,578 ft)

Population (Dec 2015)

• Total

15,447

• Density

890/km² (2,300/sq mi)

Postal code

4900-4902

SFOS number

0329

Surrounded by

Aarwangen, Bleienbach, Lotzwil, Obersteckholz, Roggwil, Thunstetten, Untersteckholz

Twin towns

Brig-Glis (Switzerland), Neviano (Italy)

Website

www.langenthal.ch
SFSO statistics

Langenthal is a town and a municipality in the district of Oberaargau in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipality of Untersteckholz merged into the Langenthal.

Langenthal is an educational, cultural, and economic center for the region of Oberaargau.

Archeological evidence suggests that early settlements existed around 4000 B.C. in the Langenthal area. A Hallstatt necropolis with twelve grave mounds has been found at Unterhard. Remnants of two Roman villae have also been identified.

Langenthal is first mentioned in 861, as marcha in Langatun, referring to farming estates scattered along the Langete (a tributary of the Murg). The Old High German name Langatun is presumably composed of a hydronym langa- and the Gaulish element dunum "fort" (which had become productive as a suffix in toponyms). The re-interpretation of the name as including the element -tal "valley" dates to c. the 15th century, during which the name is on record as either Langaten or Langental (the same process can be observed in the case of Murgenthal, earlier Murgatun).

In the 12th century Langenthal (now known as Langaton) belonged to the territory of the lords of Langenstein. In 1194 the Freiherr founded the Abbey of St. Urban and endowed the Abbey with lands in Langenthal. Formerly part of Thunstetten parish, Langenthal was granted its own parish church in 1197. After the extinction of the Langenstein family in 1212, the Abbey inherited additional lands in the area. The establishment of the Abbey brought agricultural improvements, especially the introduction of an irrigation system to the area. However, the Abbey often came into conflict with the Kyburg Ministerialis (unfree knights in the service of a feudal overlord) family of Luternau. The Luternau family fought the growing power of the Abbey, until 1273-76 when they were obligated to sell their interest in Langenthal to the Abbey. Just a few years later, in 1279, the Abbey, in turn, was forced to give the low court and a fortified house in Langenthal to the Freiherr of Grünenberg to hold as a fief. By the end of the 14th century, the Abbey had regained power and was able to bring the village fully under their control.

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Wikipedia