Oberthal, Switzerland
| Oberthal | ||
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Oberthal village schoolhouse
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 Oberthal
Oberthal
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Location of Oberthal
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| Coordinates: 46°55′N 7°40′E / 46.917°N 7.667°ECoordinates: 46°55′N 7°40′E / 46.917°N 7.667°E | ||
| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Bern-Mittelland | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 10.54 km2 (4.07 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 822 m (2,697 ft) | |
| Population (Dec 2016) | ||
| • Total | 727 | |
| • Density | 69/km2 (180/sq mi) | |
| Postal code | 3531 | |
| SFOS number | 0620 | |
| Surrounded by | Arni, Bowil, Grosshöchstetten, Lauperswil, Signau, Zäziwil | |
| Website |
www SFSO statistics |
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Oberthal is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
Oberthal is first mentioned in 1275 as mons Obertal.
The oldest trace of a settlement in the area is the ruins of a castle on the Chnubel spur. However, no records of the castle have survived and nothing is known about it. The scattered villages and farms had a number of landlords including the Counts of Kyburg and the Herrschaft of Signau. In 1529, Bern gained control over the entire valley and made it part of the new district of Signau. It was part of the parish of Grosshöchstetten.
Beginning in the 19th century, many of the local farmers switched from raising grain and crops for local use to raising cattle for milk and cheese. To support the new dairy farmers a total of five dairies were built in the valley. However, a lack of jobs led to population decline as residents left for jobs in the growing cities and towns. Today about half of all jobs in the municipality are in agriculture. Additionally, over half of all residents commute to jobs in Bern or surrounding towns.
Oberthal has an area of 10.54 km2 (4.07 sq mi). As of 2012, a total of 6.65 km2 (2.57 sq mi) or 63.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 3.39 km2 (1.31 sq mi) or 32.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.57 km2 (0.22 sq mi) or 5.4% is settled (buildings or roads).
During the same year, housing and buildings made up 3.1% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.1%. Out of the forested land, 30.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 20.4% is used for growing crops and 41.5% is pastures, while 1.2% is used for orchards or vine crops.
The municipality lacks a central village, instead it is made up of scattered settlements and farm houses on the Blasenfluh above the Kiesental (Kiesen Valley).
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Wikipedia