Merzligen
| Merzligen | |
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 Merzligen
Merzligen
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Location of Merzligen
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| Coordinates: 47°5′N 7°15′E / 47.083°N 7.250°ECoordinates: 47°5′N 7°15′E / 47.083°N 7.250°E | |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Canton | Bern |
| District | Seeland |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.28 km2 (0.88 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 509 m (1,670 ft) |
| Population (Dec 2015) | |
| • Total | 401 |
| • Density | 180/km2 (460/sq mi) |
| Postal code | 3274 |
| SFOS number | 0741 |
| Surrounded by | Bellmund, Hermrigen, Jens, Kappelen |
| Twin towns | Jamné (Czech Republic) |
| Website |
www SFSO statistics |
Merzligen is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
Merzligen is first mentioned in 1278 as Merzelingen.
The oldest trace of settlement in the area is the remains of a Roman road which was discovered near the Kühmatt section. By the Late Middle Ages a number of local nobles and monasteries owned land in the village. In 1398 it was acquired by the city of Bern and incorporated into the bailiwick of Nidau. The hamlet of St. Niklaus was named after a small chapel and hermitage. By 1480 the hermitage had grown into a small monastery. When Bern adopted the new faith of the Protestant Reformation in 1528, the monastery was closed. During the 1798 French invasion, on 5 March 1798, a small battle was fought outside St. Niklaus. The Swiss forces had 16 men killed in the battle, all of whom were buried there and a small memorial was erected. In 1824 the original monument was replaced with the current obelisk.
For most of its history, it was part of the parish of Bürglen. In 1674, the residents built their own church and unsuccessfully attempted to split away from the Bürglen parish. Other attempts in 1724, 1776 and 1932 was also unsuccessful. In 1947 it joined the parish of Worben.
Merzligen has an area of 2.28 km2 (0.88 sq mi). As of 2012, a total of 1.63 km2 (0.63 sq mi) or 71.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.38 km2 (0.15 sq mi) or 16.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.24 km2 (0.093 sq mi) or 10.5% is settled (buildings or roads) and 0.01 km2 (2.5 acres) or 0.4% is unproductive land.
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